Author Description

In this major revision of his earlier Sociology Revisited, Murray Knuttila examines the trends and theories in the discipline of sociology. Although each of these perspectives--structural functionalist, Marxist and neo-Marxist, symbolic interactionist--offers insights into understanding the human condition and society, none can provide satisfactory answers to all the questions that sociologists pose.Knuttila proposes an alternative approach--adapted from the work of British sociologist Anthony Giddens and infused with the philosophy of the American sociologist C.W. Mills-- that begins by examining the structure or organization of biological reproduction and material production within a society. As he notes, "most of the important new directions in sociological thinking and analysis during the past two decades have been stimulated and influenced by feminism", and recnet feminist studies on work and the family are of great significance to sociology today. Consequently, this new approach to social analysis draws on feminist theory and on materialist analysis.Introducing Sociology: A Critical Perspective introduces students to the basic principles of the sociological perspective and to the basic concepts and language of sociology, as well as to "the promise" of the sociological imagination as laid out by C.W. Mills. Knuttila writes: "to understand ourselves, we must be capable of answering questions that draw our attention to the impact of the social environment on ourselves and others." To illustrate the nature of social analysis, Knuttila focuses on the issues of social inequality, political power, deviance, and familial relations.