Foundations of Sociology

This book argues that the foundations of sociology - key concepts that are necessary to all sociology, from whatever perspective - have become taken for granted and require re-assessment. Focusing on society, culture, the individual and collectivity, the author builds a powerful case for an overhaul of these basic concepts, offering a unified model of the subject matter of sociology as "the human world" - understood as individual, interactional and institutional orders - which is part of the "natural world". Written in a straightforward and accessible style, this is a powerful restatement of the value of sociological sense as a necessary critique of common sense and its relevance to an audience beyond academia.