Introduction to Sociology (Tudor Business Publishing) (Tudor Business Publishing S.) [Paperback] Catherine Court

The marketplace of sociological textbooks is a crowded one. Haralambos and Holborn s Sociology: Themes and Perspectives despite the protestations of many a first year undergraduate s tutor is the (perceived) market leader, whereas perhaps Giddens Sociology for some - wins out in the credibility stakes. John Pullinger s Sociological Thinking: An Introduction must, I think, be regarded as a welcome addition to this marketplace. The text is clearly written, unpretentious, and gets down to its task making sociology accessible to those new to the discipline from page one. One of the key strengths of Pullinger s book might be regarded as its brevity. Pullinger manages, in just over two hundred and sixty pages, to cram in enough detail to - in the words of the sleeve notes help students to make the transition from GCSE to GCE A Level thinking in the subject as well as producing a book of use to students in higher education. The book covers all the usual bases. There are chapters on the nature of the discipline, on theoretical perspectives, the sociology of the family, the sociology of education, social stratification, research methods, power and politics, the sociology of religion, and contemporary sociological theory . Moreover, Pullinger integrates, into the discussion of concrete themes, useful theoretical analysis thus avoiding the weakness of many introductory books, where theory exists in splendid isolation from practical application. It should also be noted that each chapter has at the beginning a user-friendly abstract via which the reader can effectively negotiate the content in an efficient manner. In short, the content of all the chapters tells the budding sociologist green behind the ears what they need to know. In terms of suggestions (and this is I would like to point out very much a point of subjective preference): first, Pullinger, as I have noted, covers the main bases very well but at times I was left wanting more of an engagement with the cutting edge of contemporary sociological analysis. This is not to say that the discussion in the book is dated and where he provides a discussion of contemporary sociological debate, Pullinger does this well - it is just that I wanted more of this. Second - putting myself in the mindset of the sociological novice I think I would want more guidance in future reading. This would be aided further if the book had a more comprehensive (though not overdone) system of referencing. In short, once I have grasped the terrain, I want to know where next? --Dr David Bates, Senior Lecturer in Social Science, Canterbury Christ Church University, Kent