Liberation Sociology / Edition 2

by Joe R. Feagin, Hernan Vera

Overview

Many people of all ages today continue to be attracted to sociology and other social sciences because of their promise to contribute to better political, social, and moral understandings of themselves and their social worlds-and often because they hope it will help them to build a better society. In a world of new movements and deepening economic inequality following the Great Recession, this new edition is vital. It features dozens of new examples from the latest research, with an emphasis on the next generation of liberation sociologists. The authors expand on the previous edition with the inclusion of sections on decolonisation paradigms in criminology, critical speciesism, and studies of environmental racism and environmental privilege. There is an expanded focus on participatory action research, and increased coverage of international liberation social scientists. Work by psychologists, anthropologists, theologians, historians, and others who have developed a liberation orientation for their disciplines is also updated and expanded.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781594516054
Publisher:	Taylor & Francis
Publication date:	08/30/2008
Edition description:	Older Edition
Pages:	306
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x (d)

About the Author

Texas A&M University,
University of Florida,
University of Winnipeg

Table of Contents

Preface and Acknowledgments     vi
What Is Liberation Sociology?     1
Improving Human Societies: Reassessing the Classical Theorists     37
U.S. Sociology from the 1890s to 1970s: Instrumental Positivism and Its Challengers     59
Sociology Today: Instrumental Positivism and Continuing Challenges     97
Sociology in Action     135
Doing Liberation Social Science: Participatory Action Research Strategies     161
Liberation Theory and Liberating Action: The Contemporary Scene     189
Sociology, Present and Future: Two Sociologies     233
Epilogue: The Challenges of Teaching Liberation Sociology     255
Notes     267
Index     295
About the Authors     306

Editorial Reviews

Praise for previous editions:

“I came away from Liberation Sociology with a sense of renewed hope for the field. . . . Until Liberation Sociology, I found few well-written, cogently presented, and well-researched arguments suitable for the next generation of sociologists. This volume addresses this lack. For every undergraduate student considering entering sociology, for every graduate student wondering about his or her choice, as well as for current sociologists who wonder whether they have lost their way, Liberation Sociology might prove to be a breath of fresh air.”
—Patricia Hill Collins in the American Journal of Sociology

“I've successfully used the first edition in theory classes, and this new edition is even better! Liberation Sociology is to sociology what Howard Zinn's People's History is to U.S. history: an exciting and important revision of 'received history' that will enliven class discussions and validate the noblest motivations for studying sociology. Very highly recommended.”
—Barbara Finlay, Texas A&M University

“Liberation Sociology is must reading.”
—Gideon Sjoberg, University of Texas–Austin

“In this unique book, Joe R. Feagin and Hernán Vera show that sociology can make a vital contribution to human freedom and well-being. Drawing on many practical contributions of sociological researchers and activists, they offer an inspiring vision of the field and its possibilities. This crucial text will be adopted in courses everywhere.”
—Howard Winant, Temple University

“Truly a magnificent, original, exciting, and powerful consciousness-raising book!”
—Bernice McNair Barnett, University of Illinois–Urbana-Champaign

From the Publisher