University of Agricultural Sciences, Bangalore

Includes bibliographical references and indexes.

Toward a disciplinary matrix in sociology / Walter L. Wallace -- The new theoretical movement / Jeffrey C. Alexander -- Social structure / Neil J. Smelser -- On sociological data / Peter H. Rossi -- Causal inference for sociological data / Richard A. Berk -- Inequality and labor processes / Mark Granovetter and Charles Tilly -- Race and ethnicity / Katherine O'Sullivan See and William J. Wilson -- Sociology of age / Matilda White Riley, Anne Foner, and Joan Waring -- Gender and sex roles / Janet Z. Giele -- Jobs and work / Joanne Miller -- Environments and organizations / Howard E. Aldrich and Peter V. Marsden -- Political sociology / Anthony M. Orum -- Trends in family sociology / Joan Huber and Glenna Spitze.

Publisher description: The Handbook of Sociology ushers in a new age of sociological thought and practice. This long awaited volume synthesizes the field. It provides an original and comprehensive look at this vital discipline--that has not had a new handbook in 25 years ... years in which sociology as a field of study and practice has undergone significant change. Eminent scholars representing both micro and macro perspectives combine their expertise to address the diversity, growth, and new developments that characterize the field of sociology today. Smelser, one of the leading sociologists of our time, introduces the Handbook with a reflective and insightful essay on the historical developments within the field, the status of sociology as a discipline, and the future of the profession. The first set of essays covers theoretical and methodological issues on such topics as: scientific sociology, norms, values and sanctions, social structure, the use of data, and causal inference. The second set of essays discusses bases of inequality in society by examining such issues as: inequality and labor processes, race and ethnicity, age, and gender and sex roles. The third segment of this volume explores major institutional and organizational settings such as: jobs and work, environments and organizations, politics, family, education, religion, the sociology of science, medical sociology, and mass media. The volume concludes with a section on social process and change such as: spatial processes, deviance and social control, social movements and collective behavior, and development and the world economy. (See below for a list of contributors). With contributions by many of the leading social thinkers of our time, this authoritative and comprehensive Handbook will be a necessary tool for all sociologists--advanced students and scholars alike. Offering incomparable depth and breadth, the Handbook of Sociology effectively synthesizes the complex and controversial issues which surround the discipline of sociology. This single landmark volume transcends the field's increasingly specialized boundaries, providing scholars in sociology and related disciplines with exciting new possibilities for teaching and research.