Themes in Canadian Sociology – serie

Examines the sociology of health from a lifespan perspective and emphasizes health (promotion, maintenance, and prevention) over illness (treatment, cure, care). Topics include ethics, medical and scientific knowledge, health and families, and health and the aging.

Written by one of Canada's most prominent socio-legal scholars, Law and Society Redefined is a comprehensive introduction to law and society. Drawing on the foundational contributions of such prominent social theorists as Emile Durkheim, Max Weber, and Michel Foucault, author George Pavlich uses social theory to explore the relationship between law and society. With extensive coverage of many of the most important topics in socio-legal studies, including morality, race, gender, and violence, the text questions the traditional definition of the 'sociology of law' to determine how the field has developed, while also examining the ideas and critiques that might redefine it in the future.

Examining a wide range of theoretical perspectives, empirical research, and policy responses, Violence Against Women in Canada emphasizes connections among different forms of violence - connections that have too often been ignored or downplayed. Taking a gendered sociological approach, the text reveals how violence against women stems from unequal access to power and resources. While gender is the central focus, the authors also show how intersections of race, ethnicity, class, and sexuality serve to deepen inequalities for particular groups. Comprehensive and concise, this new text explores the evolution of methods to measure violence, the impact of these methods on the social framing of violence issues, the impact on victims, and current policy responses and their effectiveness.

Taking a concise, critical approach, the fifth edition of Crime in Canadian Context: Debates and Controversies draws on up-to-date statistics and research, controversial issues, and contemporary examples to provide a detailed introduction to crime in Canada. Theoretically comprehensive, this new edition outlines both sociological and non-sociological theories of crime and examines how crime is defined, measured, reported, and controlled in Canada. As a readable, single-authored text, Crime in Canadian Context covers compelling topics - such as hate crimes, police misconduct, violence against women and Indigenous peoples, overrepresentation in the criminal justice system, gangs, corporate crime, and harm reduction initiatives - with a consistent, clear voice. Critical thinking questions at the end of each chapter reinforce key concepts, while coverage of current debates and controversies encourage students to consider real-world issues and participate in well-informed discussions. Praised for being a well-researched and accessible guide, Crime in Canadian Context offers a balanced overview of the essential concepts and skills required to excel in the study of crime.

Now in its fourth edition, Qualitative Research in Action continues to offer students a concise, clear introduction to the diverse world of qualitative research. Throughout this compelling work, Deborah K. van den Hoonaard and new co-author Lisa-Jo ven den Scott bring the research process to life by exploring a wide array of examples drawn from actual studies, including their own research experiences. Emphasizing communication, connection, and flexibility as the cornerstones of qualitative research, this new edition offers beginner students the foundation they need to conduct their first qualitative studies.This fourth edition of Qualitative Research in Action sees the addition and emphasis of Indigenous content and methodologies, including new examples of working with Indigenous communities, along with new and expanded discussions on auto-ethnography, unobtrusive research, oral history, and talking circles.

This comprehensive introduction to masculine identity politics in Canada offers a range of viewpoints, narratives, and evidence about the contested nature of masculinity. Drawing primarily on author Michael Atkinson's ethnographic research of Canadian men over the past decade, the text explores the idea of masculinity in crisis and the attempt by many men to move beyond this perceived crossroads. Atkinson reviews the historical links between masculinity and social power, the cultural associations between masculinity and violence, the role of masculinity in sports cultures, the problems of masculinity for young men, the mass mediation of masculinity and misandry, and the rise of alternative and 'feminine' masculinities. Never before have men's social roles, statuses, and identities been so open to cultural critique and redefinition; Deconstructing Men and Masculinities provides an engaging sociological narrative to guide readers through this ground-breaking area of study.

Mediated Society; A Crtical Sociology of Media examines how various forms of media influence individuals and society from a sociological perspective. From this unique standpoint the authors provide a fresh, sophisticated, in-depth analysis surrounding the role of media as it shapes social issues. The text discusses media and communication in urban, national, and global settings, as well as the power and structure of dominant mass media. A wide range of historical and current Canadian examples, along with international references for comparison, provide relevant illustrations for Canadian students. The text ends with two case studies that apply the material introduced throughout the book for a practical, real-life model to culminate students' reading.

Over the past decade the social role of sport has received unprecedented attention, as global leaders ranging from politicians to high-profile celebrities have championed sport as a tool for promoting peace. In many areas, sport has successfully drawn attention to such worthy causes as conflict resolution, HIV prevention, environmental initiatives, and improved international relationships. Yet although sport can be a powerful tool for social good, it continues to reflect and reproduce social inequalities in ways commonly overlooked by those invested in the sport-for-peace movement. In this timely new analysis, Brian Wilson uses critical sociological theories to investigate the complex-and at times controversial-relationship between sport and peace.

Engaging and innovative, Seeing Politics Differently: A Brief Introduction to Political Sociology provides students with a concise introduction to political sociology-the study of how power is distributed within society-with a particular focus on the Canadian context. Using a unique approach designed to help students to understand theory as it applies to familiar topics such as wealth, cultural status, and institutions, Seeing Politics Differently examines the way that power is created, maintained, and challenged not just within government but in schools, homes, workplaces, the community-even how we see others as well as ourselves. Offering an accessible discussion of key works and perspectives within the discipline, with reference to contemporary examples throughout, the authors make a persuasive case for the importance of cultivating the ability to critically assess who is permitted to hold power in our world, and on what basis.

Aimed at second- and third-year courses, the third edition of Choices and Constraints in Family Life is a concise yet comprehensive introduction to the sociology of the family. Drawing on such diverse fields as sociology, anthropology, psychology, and cultural studies, author Maureen Baker takes an interdisciplinary approach to the study of the family, examining the various ways in which personal choices and constraints affect intimate relationships and families. The book begins with definitions and conceptualizations of "the family" before moving on to examine stages in the life course, including forming relationships, cohabitation and marriage, child-rearing, and aging. As one of the very few concise texts currently available for family courses offered out of sociology departments, Choices and Constraints in Family Life provides a critical examination of family life from a seasoned, well-respected authority in the discipline.

Critics argue that contemporary western societies are immersed in a "culture of memory," devoting resources to national histories and heritage, commemoration, public re-enactments, etc. We use these recollections of our national past to maintain a collective identity in the present, among other uses. These essays, edited by Cynthia Sugars and Eleanor Ty, explore how Canadian literature draws on aspects of cultural memory, past and future. Exploring memory as a "vector of signification" involves a wide range of topics such concepts of as heritage, antiquity, nostalgia, elegy, ancestry, haunting, trauma, affect, aging, authenticity, commemoration, public history. Contributors to this collection consider literary treatments of both mainstream and alternative uses of cultural memory, past and contemporary, urban and rural. From well-known writers like Alice Munro, Al Purdy and Dionne Brand to recreations of Aboriginal pasts and less common topics like food and Mennonites, there is wide representation of Canada's literary diversity. And equally representative is the collection's historical spread, ranging across early explorer narratives to contemporary works. The collection digs into some of the darker moments in our past (immigrant experiences, recollections of interned Japanese-Canadians in World War 2, and memories of Native children in residential schools). The sheer ambition of this collection suggests the multifaceted ways that Canada's past is part of our collective cultural memory now. A four-page colour insert - including Seth cartoons as well as unique, little known photography - provides a compelling visual context for the collection's treatment of the complex, multifaceted character of cultural memory in Canada.The collection is divided into five parts (amnesia, postmemory, recovery work, trauma, and globalization), all areas of research in the emerging field of cultural memory. These thought-provoking essays reflect the many ways the past infuses the present, and the present adapts the past. Students and scholars will find this rich collection useful in upper-level courses in Canadian literature as well as in cultural studies.