The Palgrave Handbook Of Sociology In Britain

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British sociology has been central to the evolution of the field, playing a key role in the establishment of the discipline internationally and in the professionalization of the subject within the academy. This Handbook, drawing together leading specialists from across the subject, provides a comprehensive history of the discipline within Britain and demonstrates the continuing influence of British sociological thinking globally.

Addressing key moments in the development of sociology, this Handbook examines its 18th century origins in Scottish thought, 19th century evolutionism, the impact of the end of empire in the 20th century, the role of exiles, the rise of feminism and the implications of the most recent Government policies toward universities.

The volume examines the institutionalization of sociology through the creation of departments, the development of research methods, the writing of textbooks and the creation and influence of the book series, the International Library of Sociology. Further, individual chapters discuss key topics of sociological study in Britain such as class, race and ethnicity, religion, the sociology of the body, cultural studies, and criminology, and its relation to other fields of research such as poverty, social work and the humanities.

Challenging received ideas about the discipline and recovering lost histories this one-stop overview is an essential reference guide to the growth of sociology and the sociological imagination. Review: This landmark collection takes stock of more than two centuries of intellectual work with importance for all of the social sciences, for sociology around the world, and for the self-understanding of British society.

It is important as history, and important as a resource and orientation for the future. - Craig Calhoun, Director, London School of Economics, UK This is a book of extraordinary depth and scholarship. It sets a new standard for thinking historically about sociology in Britain, and is destined to become a classic in its field - Nicholas Gane, Professor of Sociology, University of Warwick, UK Reflecting trends in its subject-matter - the development of Sociology in the UK - this multi-authored collection brings to bear the range and power of a team approach to provide both a wide range of attention and depth of treatment of manifold aspects of UK Sociology as a knowledge production system.

Not only the academic work that has been produced across a range of crucial specialties in UK sociology is considered, but also how this has been affected changing crucial aspects of the UK cultural and societal context and disciplinary scholarly infrastructure. This adds up to a definitive mature treatment.

Charles Crothers, AUT University, New Zealand The history of sociology is an increasingly important branch of the field, presenting analyses in terms of long-running intellectual debates. This book, focusing on Britain but with broader relevance, makes a wonderful contribution. It deserves to be part of sociology teaching around the world. - Gary Wickham, Professor of Sociology, Murdoch University, Australia This interesting and very useful book investigates the empirical and theoretical origins of British sociology and explores the development of several popular subject areas over time.

I highly recommended it for teachers and students alike. - Cherry Schrecker, Nancy Universite, France