Essential Concepts in Sociology (2nd edition)

Anthony Giddens, now Baron Giddens, has spent a lifetime thinking about and teaching sociology to students in the UK and across the globe. Giddens is a prominent social theorist in his own right with an extensive and impressive publishing record having authored 34 books and numerous papers and is probably the best known in academic circles for creating structuration theory (Giddens, 1984). Structuration theory is the notion that society is complex and can only be truly understood as a product of the activities of individuals and the broader macro forces that constrain their actions. Giddens’ co-author Philip Sutton...