The social sciences are about people and the relationships between
individuals and the social and material world we live in. They are about
the social structures which shape - and are shaped by - social forces
such as ethnicity, race, gender, sexuality and age and the bodies we
inhabit. How are these relationships changing and to what extent and how
can people influence change? What are the big issues which concern us
today? How can the social sciences help us to understand what is going
on?
Social Sciences: The Big Issues third edition looks at what matters in
terms of what is changing and what remains the same in contemporary
life, bringing together personal concerns and social forces. Fully
revised and updated, this book explores some of the debates about how we
live our personal, domestic and emotional lives at a time of change and
disruption, including economic crises and uncertainties. The issues
covered include: changing selves and personal lives; the role of
consumption and consumerism; materialism and material culture; as well
as citizenship, migration and globalization as both opportunities and
sources of inequality in the contemporary world and in everyday lives.
The third edition of Social Sciences: The Big Issues provides a clear,
accessible introduction to the ideas and approaches of the social
sciences across a range of disciplines, including sociology, psychology
and politics.
