Global people or still the folk? Ways of viewing contemporary introductions to sociology

Abstract

This survey essay comprises something of a focused musing over two standard and very carefully revised introductory but overview studies of sociology, works produced in large laminated format with copious illustration: Macionis, J. J., 'Sociology', 5th edn, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, Prentice Hall, 1995, xxviii, 708pp., with numerous (coloured) maps, diagrams and photographs, £29.95; Henslin, J. M., 'Sociology: A Down-To-Earth Approach', 2nd edn, Boston, Allyn and Bacon, 1995, xviii, 716 pp., with numerous coloured illustrations, £23.95; referred to below as Macionis and Henslin respectively. For the student of more traditional culture, a comparison between these books will be seen to strongly reinforce the general lines of the contemporary organisation of their field. Both in organisation and style, and in length and general judicious proportions, they would appear to be aimed at very similar readerships, a matter made even clearer by their equally similar large divisions (five and five), and chapter numbers (24 and 22). This general common shape to their approach to society may be seen to first involve some eight chapters of introduction concerned with nature and nurture, including: the sociological perspective, culture, socialisation, interaction, groups, organisations, and deviance and social control. While these areas of study were once deemed "postgraduate", they are now assumed to be accessible to the "undergraduate".