ISBN: Ostalo
Godina izdanja: 1975
Jezik: Engleski
Autor: Strani

58282) The Promise of Sociology , Ronald Fernandez , Praeger Publisher New York , 1975 ,
THE PROMISE OF SOCIOLOGY is a core text for the introductory sociology course. In its examination of all the basic concepts of the discipline, this volume presents sociology as a liberating science whose concepts and methods enable us to begin a reevaluation of ourselves and our society. It is through this sprocess that the study of introductory sociology gives students an oppor- tunity to challenge many of the taken-for-granted assumptions that are part of everyone`s socialization. Fernandez stresses that in a world beset by social problems, sociology has become a discipline that is uniquely relevant to our lives and to society, both as a means of developing self-awareness and as an agent of social change. In this way, THE PROMISE OF SOCIOLOGY is an introductory text that is more than a repetition of traditional sociological facts and theories; it is an introduction to a field that can provide dynamic and revolutionary answers to many of the vexing questions with which we are faced in contemporary society.

Within this context the author begins by defining culture and its internal- ization, the institutional order of society, the consequences of stratification, racial and ethnic groups, and authority. These concepts are then applied to an analysis of the roles played in society by our social institutions: religion, `the human enterprise by which a sacred cosmos is established`; the family, its origin and its alternatives; politics and the legitimacy of government; economics and the spirit of capitalism; and collective behavior. He concludes with a chapter that defines and evaluates the potential for social change in our society.

A relatively short and inexpensive text, THE PROMISE OF SOCIOLOGY in- vites the instructor to mold his or her own course around an individual approach using a variety of supplementary materials. Each chapter begins with a literary excerpt that illuminates a sociological principle with a life situation to serve as a point of departure for students to think about how their lives relate to society. In a readable, lively, and provocative style, the author makes his case for the importance of sociology: `More than any other science, it should enable students to acquire insight-internal freedom- into their personal and social development. Armed with insight human beings have the potential to change and shape their society with a degree of awareness normally absent in human life. The possibility of radical yet peaceful social change is thus the one great promise of sociology.`

RONALD FERNANDEZ teaches sociology at Central Connecticut State College. He is the editor of Social Psychology Through Literature and has recently completed Ten Million Yeses: A Study in Obedience to Authority. He is also the author of a forthcoming Praeger text, Social Psychology: An Introduction. paperback , size 16,5 x 23,5 cm , 364 pages , 10 pages underlined ;