Author(s): Gregor McLennan, Paul Spoonley & Ruth McManus

General

The third edition of Exploring Society has been extensively revised and brought up-to-date, with reference to recent events and new research. First and foremost, the text is an introduction to sociology for students at tertiary level, but equally it is an introductory text for New Zealand students. It introduces the major themes in contemporary sociology in a way that is relevant to the culture and issues of students in New Zealand. Exploring Society is the first fully integrated New Zealand sociology text. It blends theory, research and issues through three themes: the social and the personal, the local and the global, and differences and divisions. These themes are used to analyse major areas of sociological interest, such as health, gender and ethnicity, and provide coherence and structure to the text. Contents: The sociological imagination: insights, themes and skills -- The story of sociology I: understanding modernity -- The story of sociology II: classical to contemporary -- Sociological methods -- Population dynamics -- Gender, sexuality and identity -- Family life -- Work and economic life -- Cyberworlds and new technologies -- Stratification and class -- The city and city life -- Racism and ethnicity -- Health, illness and medical power -- Deviance and crime -- Leisure and sport -- Religion -- The story of sociology III: new society, new sociological imagination. First published November 2010, Paperback 376pp