Home  /  Back to disciplines  /  Request exam/desk copy  /  Purchase  /  View cart  /  Checkout

Power, State, and Society

An Introduction to Political Sociology

W. Lawrence Neuman

Political sociologists probe into thorny issues, ask tough questions, and reveal obscure truths; often what they learn is neither simple nor comforting. By exploring how societal power relationships and political actions combine to create a particular societal situation, such as homelessness or street crime, one develops a critical understanding of the dynamics of the power dimensions of human relationships, group processes, and social institutions. This well-organized introduction to political sociology provides a comprehensive synthesis of complex ideas, makes theory come alive, and highlights contemporary developments in the field. Early in the text, Neuman presents theoretical frameworks as models to understand political sociology; he makes abstract material understandable and relevant. Understanding how power relations constantly shape many areas of our daily life results in greater control over events and an improved quality of life.

$57.95 list, 668 pages

10-digit ISBN: 1-57766-588-0

13-digit ISBN: 978-1-57766-588-5

© 2005

Instructor's Manual available

Table of Contents

1. Power, the State, Hegemony, and Struggle

What Is Political Sociology? / Key Concepts: Power, the State, Hegemony, and Struggle / Issues in Contemporary Political Sociology

2. Democracy, Nationalism, and the Nation State

Democracy / Citizenship / Nationalism / The Nation-State / Forms of the Nation-State

3. Theoretical Frameworks in Political Sociology

Three Frameworks of Political Sociology / Political Sociology Beyond the Three Frameworks

4. The Polity of the United States

Models of Political Sociology / American Political Institutions / Inclusion within or Exclusion from the Polity / Processes of Inclusion and Exclusion

5. Political Involvement and Conflict in the United States

Political Participation and Nonparticipation / The Electoral Channel / Social Differences in Voting—Partisanship and Participation / A Realignment in the 1970s–1980s

6. Protest and Movements

Protest as Politics / Movements and Countermovements / Three Approaches to the Study of Movements

7. Political Ideas and Beliefs

Symbolic Politics and Ideology / Ideology / Culture Wars

8. Cultural Institutions and Tolerance

The Meaning and Purpose of Schooling / Mass Media Forms and Functions / Political Tolerance

9. Law, Crime, and Control

Law and Legal Institutions / Crime and Coercive State Power / Control and Surveillance

10. The Politics of Business Policy

A Platform for a Market Economy / Politics of Taxes and Distribution / The Regulatory State / State Projects and Structural Constraints

11. Social Programs and Policies

Understanding the Welfare State / Models of Political Sociology and the Welfare State / Welfare State Expansion / Welfare State Regimes / Gender and the Welfare State / American Exceptionalism? / Welfare State Discourse

12. Conclusion

Issues in Political Sociology / Three Continuing Challenges / Models of Political Sociology

Glossary