An introduction to modern sociology

The book introduces the reader into sociological knowledge and focuses on the classical sociological heritage with its key conceptual and methodological strands and its application in the contemporary reading of social phenomena and processes. The reader will learn about the development of sociology and the characteristics of the sociological perspective and sociological imagination.

The book presents the achievements of the classical sociological thinkers and the contemporary sociological schools of thought interpreting social reality. The reader is made aware of the elements of society, as well as of its major research fields. These include social stratification and social mobility, social institutions, social deviation and social control. Interest is drawn to the analysis of the organization of the social life of individuals and groups, which is revealed by describing socialization, but also the causes of social deviation; stratification, social inequalities and intergroup conflicts, but also their resolution.

Social institutions and the social changes that have occurred in them are illustrated by featuring current research. The book is intended for university students, who are interested in social sciences and particularly in the sociological interpretation of social processes.

Preface
The Sociological debate

• The Place of sociology
• Interest in the social environment
• Information gathering
• The significance of social facts
• Defining the sociological field
• Classic representatives of sociological thought
• Sociological theories and sociological notions
• Contemporary sociological schools of thought
• Fundamental concepts
• Sociological research
• Nature of sociological research
• Methods of sociological research

Nature versus nurture

• Inheritance and behavioural genetics
• Modern understanding of the influence of the environment
• Socialization
• Cognitive development
• Language development
• Emotional development
• Cultural influence and social roles
• Social deviation and social control
• Norm violation and crime
• Biological and psychological theories of deviance
• Sociological explanations of deviant behaviour
• Conformity of social norms

Social inequalities

• Stratification concepts and theories
• Social class
• Social mobility
• Social fragmentation and social exclusion
• Classical and modern stratification theories
• Comparative stratification systems
• Global stratification
• Racial and ethnic inequalities and conflicts
• The concepts of race, racial groups and racism
• The concepts of ethnicity, ethnic groups and ethnocentrism
• Prejudice and discrimination
• Mechanisms of ethnic and racial mobility
• Gender and age inequalities and conflicts
• Differences between the sexes and gender socialization
• The sex ratio
• Forms of gender inequality
• Women's rights movements
• Age inequalities and conflicts
• The elderly as a group
• Aging processes
• Sociological explanations of aging

Social institutions

• Family Y
• Theoretical reflections on the family
• The family from a historical perspective
• Present-day challenges facing the family
• Education
• Mainstreaming of education in the industrial era
• Sociological link between education and occupation
• Religion
• Meaning, definition and theories of religion
• Types of religious organizations
• Politics and state governance
• Public governance and power
• Democracy and theories of democracy
• Ideology and public opinion
• Economic life
• Main issues regarding economics institutions
• Development of modern economy
• Change in the nature of labour in the modern market society
• The labour market in Bulgaria
• Adding legitimacy to economic sociology

Social change

• Urbanization and population
• Development of urbanization
• Urban Sociology
• Population - description and trends
• Social change and social movements
• Sources and characteristics of social change
• Economic sources of social change
• Social movements
• The globalization debate

Name index
Subject index