Seeing Politics Differently A Brief Introduction to Political Sociology

by Stanbridge, Karen; Ramos, Howard

• ISBN13: 9780195437850
• ISBN10: 0195437853
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2012-02-15
• Publisher: Oxford University Press

Summary

Engaging and innovative, Seeing Politics Differently: A Brief Introduction to Political Sociology provides students with a concise introduction to political sociology - the study of how power is distributed within society - with a particular focus on the Canadian context. Using a uniqueapproach designed to help students to understand theory as it applies to familiar topics such as wealth, cultural status, and institutions, Seeing Politics Differently examines the way that power is created, maintained, and challenged not just within government but in schools, homes, workplaces, thecommunity - even how we see others as well as ourselves. Offering an accessible discussion of key works and perspectives within the discipline, with reference to contemporary examples throughout, the authors make a persuasive case for the importance of cultivating the ability to critically assesswho is permitted to hold power in our world, and on what basis.

Author Biography

Karen Stanbridge is associate professor and head of the Department of Sociology at the Memorial University of Newfoundland. HOWARD RAMOS is associate professor of sociology and social anthropology at Dalhousie University.

Table of Contents

Figures, Tables, and Boxes	p. vi
Preface	p. ix
Acknowledgements	p. xii
Introduction	p. i
Introduction	p. 1
Power: Exercising It, Resisting It	p. 2
Power as a Process	p. 5
Class	p. 5
Status	p. 6
Party	p. 7
Outline of Book	p. 8
Summary	p. 13
Questions for Critical Thought	p. 14
Suggestions for Further Readings	p. 14
Websites	p. 14
Materialism	p. 15
Introduction	p. 15
Materialism and Class	p. 16
The Original Materialist: Karl Marx (1818-1883)	p. 18
Materialism after Marx	p. 25
Materialism and Development	p. 29
Materialism and the State	p. 35
Materialism and Resistance	p. 37
Materialism and Contemporary Inequalities	p. 39
Summary	p. 43
Questions for Critical Thought	p. 43
Suggestions for Further Reading	p. 44
Websites	p. 44
Cultural and Social Status	p. 45
Introduction	p. 45
Weber: The Original Critic of Marx	p. 47
Hegemony and the Culture Industry	p. 50
Manufacturing Consent	p. 52
Cultural and Social Capital	p. 59
Cultural and Social Capital in Action	p. 63
Social Capital and Social Networks	p. 67
Presentation of Self	p. 69
How the Cultural and Social Become 'Capital'	p. 70
Collective Identity and Challenges to Power	p. 74
Post-colonialism and Nationalism	p. 77
Summary	p. 81
Questions for Critical Thought	p. 81
Suggestions for Further Reading	p. 81
Websites	p. 82
Institutions	p. 83
Introduction	p. 83
Institutions	p. 84
The State	p. 88
Bureaucracy and Institutional Inertia	p. 91
The New Institutionalism	p. 95
State Institutions and Nationalism	p. 100
Organizations and State Institutions	p. 102
The State and Violence	p. 104
Party Power and Institutions	p. 108
State Institutions and Claims to Citizenship	p. 110
Political Opportunities and Political Process Theory (PPT)	p. 113
Summary	p. 117
Questions for Critical Thought	p. 118
Suggestions for Further Reading	p. 118
Websites	p. 119
Emerging Trends in Political Sociology	p. 120
Introduction	p. 120
Social Forces and the Assumptions of Sociologists	p. 121
Who-or What-Is a Social Actor?	p. 124
Globalization?	p. 128
Challenges to Citizenship	p. 136
Empire	p. 140
Is a New World Possible?	p. 142
Transnationalism?	p. 144
Summary	p. 147
Questions for Critical Thought	p. 147
Suggestions for Further Reading	p. 147
Websites	p. 148
Conclusion	p. 149
Introduction	p. 149
Political Sociology Is…	p. 150
Remind Me Again Where the State Fits In	p. 155
Political Sociology Can Enhance Your Social Literacy	p. 158
But Where Do I Start?	p. 164
Summary	p. 167
Questions for Critical Thought	p. 167
Suggestions for Further Reading	p. 167
Websites	p. 168
Glossary	p. 169
Bibliography	p. 181
Index	p. 198
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