Clinical sociology, career coaching and somatic learning / Kathryn Goldman Schuyler -- Applied social survey methodology: telephone surveys and the importance of introduction / Robyn Driskell -- When a stranger calls: the impact of caller ID on telephone surveys / Kathy Krey and Jodien Matos -- Globalization, growth and poverty reduction: myths and realities / Ray Kiely -- Applied version of rural poverty: a case study / Samir Dasgupta and Kaushik Chattopadhyay -- Social justice vs 'financial apartheid': microcredit and banking with the poor without collateral / Muhammad Yunus -- Global technology and local reality among child street labourers in Guatemala City / Thomas A. Offit -- Social politics and policy in an era of globalization: critical reflections / Nicola Yeates -- Theoretical claims and ethnic identity formation: interpretations from a Slovenian--American community / Elaine F. Hocever and Ernest M. De Zolt -- Gender and immigrant religious practices: an applied sociology perspective / Sarah Stohlman -- Applied sociology and demography / Vijayan K. Pillai and Rashmi Gupta.
This engaging two-volume study pursues a balance between theoretical and practical sociology. The authors are aware of the impasse often deliberately created by the self-conscious language of sociological theory. The primary concern of the applied sociologist is to adapt theoretical knowledge to actual human situations, using it to formulate social policy, investigate domestic and international social problems and create a pragmatic 'sociology of possibility'. Volume I, subtitled 'Theoretical Perspectives', focuses on the problems and prospects of applied sociology in an era of globalization. The essays emphasize the close association of applied sociology with altruism, identity formation, race and ethnicity. They evaluate the empirical 'truths' of sociological theories and examine their relevance for contemporary research, poverty, demographic issues and social policies. The authors agree that the ultimate test of theory is the extent to which it can produce knowledge that 'works'.
This engaging two-volume study pursues a balance between theoretical and practical sociology. Volume I, subtitled ‘Theoretical Perspectives’, focuses on the problems and prospects of applied sociology in an era of globalization. The essays emphasize the close association of applied sociology with altruism, identity formation, race and ethnicity. They evaluate the empirical ‘truths’ of sociological theories and examine their relevance for contemporary research, poverty, demographic issues and social policies. The authors agree that the ultimate test of theory is the extent to which it can produce knowledge that ‘works’.
Globalization is often discussed in terms of its ecological ramifications. Yet, while ecological imbalance is today one of the greatest threats to mankind, globalization is also a reality that is here to stay. The volume, therefore, seeks to address how globalizing and environmental interests can be reconciled. The essays in this volume state that globalization can work both in favour of and against the environment. The major issues discussed in this topical volume are, how globalization can be used to promote environmental reforms; the role of individuals, private organizations and governments in keeping environmental degradation in check and in promoting environmental reform; globalization and ecological inequality; women, the environment and globalization; changing nature of environmental movements; overpopulation and the ecology; the relation between the ecology and the economy; and the effects of global climate changes.
Re-orient world history, social theory and the nineteenth century / |r Andre Gunder Frank -- |t The unique complexity of social phenomena and the uses of social science knowledge / |r Nico Stehr and Reiner Grundmann -- |t Unlimited love, compassion and forgiveness: acts of moral exemplars / |r Samula P. Oliner -- |t Theoretical applications / |r Rosalind A. Sydie -- |t Applied sociology's need to rethink the tradition: sociological theorizing in a global framework / |r Peter Kivisto -- |t Social analysis and social action / |r Amitai Etzioni -- |t The applied sociologist as craftsman / |r David J. Hartmann and Subhash R. Sonnad -- |t Applied sociology: its problems and prospects / |r Samir Dasgupta -- |t Sociology and its application in society: giving sociology its 'working' meaning / |r Joy A. Alemazung -- |t The evolution of sociology: back to its applied future / |r Tillman Rodabough and Elizabeth Embry -- |t Contemporary corporate crime: theoretical perspectives, cases & consequences / |r Nelson Foster and Verghese Chirayath.
Emphasis on measurement techniques can interfere with understanding how well particular social programs in their field work. In Making a Difference: The Practice of Socioloy, Irwin Deutscher links traditional sociological concerns with applied sociology in an effort to overcome this problem. He contributes to the debate over the extent to which health, educational, and social programs initiated by the Roosevelt, Kennedy, and Johnson administrations have been successful in intimate, human terms. Deutscher believes that the introduction of a sociological perspective can provide a positive element to interdisciplinary pursuits. This belief, as well as his fresh perspectives on both the strengths and limitations inherent in applied sociology, offer the field a revitalising lift. As such, this highly informative, thought-provoking volume will be of interest to sociologists and policy makers in health, education, crime, welfare, and housing.
Perspectives on Discourse Analysis: Theory and Practice provides the student/reader with the basic theoretical knowledge and the empirical tools of some of the most relevant approaches to the analysis of discourse. It has been mainly conceived of as a general (university) course on Discourse Analysis, but it can also be useful for any person or group whose main concern is to acquire the basic necessary knowledge and skills for analyzing any type of discourse. The subject matter of the book could not only be of use for linguists or prospective linguists: given its interdisciplinary character, its findings can be (and in fact are) used and applied by practitioners and scholars from different fields, such as sociology, psychology, medical science, computer science, and so on. Thus the book can be used by any person who, having certain linguistic knowledge, is interested in exploring the fascinating world of discourse. All the chapters contain both a theoretical and an empirical section, the latter containing examples of analysis, as well as exercises (Practice) and self-evaluation questions, whose answers can be found at the end of the book (in the Practice key and Key to self-evaluation questions sections). The book is divided into 12 chapters. The first two introduce basic information about discourse analysis and text linguistics, as well as the necessary techniques for gathering data, including a very brief introduction to corpus linguistics. Chapters 3-11 present and discuss some of the most prominent and well-known approaches to discourse analysis, namely Pragmatics, Interactional Sociolinguistics, Conversation Analysis, The Ethnography of Communication, Variation Analysis and Narrative Analysis, Functional Sentence Perspective, Post-Structuralist Theory and Social Theory, Critical Discourse Analysis and Positive Discourse Analysis, and Mediated Discourse Analysis. Finally, Chapter 12 deals with crucial and further issues, such as the type of discourse chosen for the analysis, the strategies and functions of discourse, or the problem of choosing an appropriate unit of analysis which will suit the aims of research. Perspectives on Discourse Analysis: Theory and Practice may prove of value to all those who are professionally involved in the area of discourse and pragmatic studies, or simply to those who wish to acquire the necessary basic knowledge and techniques for analyzing any type of discourse, from medical, journalistic or political discourse to computer-mediated, humoristic, or hegemonic discourse (where the use and abuse of power is an important issue), just to name a few of the innumerable possibilities. A desirable and intended effect of this book is also the development of an open and tolerant mind, which will eventually lead to a better understanding of the different and varied manifestations of language, culture and communication in human society.
