Summary
Contents
Subject index
Demonstrates the evolution of ideas developed by theorists over time and links classical sociological theory to today's world
Key Ideas in Sociology, Third Edition, is the only undergraduate text to link today's issues to the ideas and individuals of the era of classical sociological thought. Compact and affordable, this book provides an overview of how sociological theories have helped sociologists understand modern societies and human relations. It also describes the continual evolution of these theories in response to social change.
Providing students with the opportunity to read from primary texts, this valuable supplement presents theories as interpretive tools, useful for understanding a multifaceted, ever-shifting social world. Emphasis is given to the working world, to the roles and responsibilities of citizenship and to social relationships. A concluding chapter addresses globalization and its challenges.
Individualism: The Tension Between Me and Us
Individualism: The Tension Between Me and Us
This chapter explores the distinctive character of individualism in contemporary social life. To do so, I raise questions about the interconnections between individualism and community. They are treated in tandem because neither concept can be adequately comprehended without an appreciation for the meaning of the other. At the outset, I point out that the two terms at first appear to differ in one important way: They tend to be assessed somewhat differently. Whereas individualism is frequently depicted as a potential problem, community is usually construed as a desideratum.
Individualism, as will be shown, is a term that was coined in the 19th century, which is a reflection of the novelty of the phenomenon. ...
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