*Provides a clear, yet panoramic analysis of how the concept of social control has been used by different theoretical traditions in the social sciences.*Connects contemporary changes in areas such as policing, penal systems and surveillance, with wider and deeper changes in the constitution of socie…
“a simple yet excellent overview of the multilayered path of audience research, tracing its evolution over the last century…” European Journal of Communication*How has the concept of 'the audience' changed over the past 50 years?*How do audiences become producers and not just consumers of medi…
"...explores some very timely and critical issues in the current development of Childhood Studies...It will be especially valuable for students because it integrates concrete empirical studies with reflection on underlying theoretical assumptions." - Leena Alanen, Professor in Early Childhood Educat…
"...effectively demonstrates the enduring importance of 'classical' social movement theory...and provides a cutting edge critical review of recent theoretical developments. This is one of the most important general theoretical texts on social movements for some years." - Paul Bagguley, University of…
"Roberts is certainly successful in conveying a sense of the rich diversity of biographical research. This is a book based upon a formidably wide-ranging bibliography together with his own, by no means insignificant, contributions to the field…[the]…reader will be left in no doubt as to the cent…
* What happens to childhood when the nature of adulthood becomes uncertain?* What impact is globalization having on adult-child relationships?* How are we to study 'growing up' today?Traditionally, children and adults have been treated as different kinds of person, with adults seen as complete, stab…
In what ways does contemporary surveillance reinforce social divisions?How are police and consumer surveillance becoming more similar as they are automated?Are we forced to choose between classical and poststructuralist approaches in explaining surveillance?Why is surveillance both expanding globall…
* What does 'social structure' mean?* What are the principal ways in which societies are 'organized' or 'structured'?* How can structural ideas be used in sociological analysis?Despite the importance of the concept of social structure, sociologists have not agreed on how to define it and discussions…
* What is populism and what are its defining elements?* Why are moments of populism so spectacular and yet movements of populism so difficult to sustain?* What are the connections between democracy, populism and representative politics?Populism is a widely used concept but it is rarely fully underst…
Reviews of the 1st Edition:"....This book is a welcome addition to the sociology of technology, a field whose importance is increasingly recognised." - Sociology"....sets a remarkably high standard in breadth of coverage, in scholarship, and in readability and can be recommended to the general read…
