major sociological studies

7/29/2019 Major Sociological Studies

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Major Sociological Studies and Publications

1. The Protestant Ethic And The Spirit Of Capitalism

The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism is a book written by sociologist and economist

Max Weber in 1904-1905. The original version was in German and was translated to English in

1930. It is often considered a founding text in economic sociology and sociology in general.

2. Asch Conformity Experiments

The Asch Conformity Experiments, conducted by Solomon Asch in the 1950s, demonstrated the

power of conformity in groups and showed that even simple objective facts cannot withstand

the distorting pressure of group influence.

3. The Communist Manifesto

The Communist Manifesto is a book written by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels in 1848 and has

since been recognized as one of the worlds most influential political manuscripts. In it, Marx

presents an analytical approach to class struggle and the problems of capitalism and his

theories about the nature of society and politics.

4. Milgram Obedience Studies

The Milgram Obedience Studies, conducted from 1960 through 1974 by Stanley Milgram, found

some chilling answers questioning the limits of social pressure.

5. The Study Of Suicide

Suicide, written by French sociologist Emile Durkheim in 1897, was a groundbreaking book in

the field of sociology. It was a case study of suicide, a publication unique for its time that

provided an example of what the sociological monograph should look like.

6. The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life

The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life is a book that was published in 1959, written by

sociologist Erving Goffman. In it, he uses the imagery of theater in order to portray the

importance of human and social action and interaction. He refers to this as the dramaturgical

model of social life.

7. The McDonaldization of Society

In The McDonaldization of Society, author George Ritzer takes the central elements of Max

Webers work and expands and updates them, producing an analysis of the impact of structural

change on human interaction and identity. It is not about McDonalds itself, but rather how the

principles of the fast food industry have come to dominate all parts of American society and the

rest of the world.
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8. Democracy in America

'Democracy in America,' written by Alexis de Tocqueville is considered one of the most

comprehensive and insightful books ever written about the U.S. The book deals with issues

such as religion, the press, money, class structure, racism, the role of government, and the

judicial system issues that are just as relevant today as they were then.

9. The History of Sexuality

The History of Sexuality is a three-volume series of books written between 1976 and 1984 by

French philosopher and historian Michel Foucault. His main goal in the books is to disprove the

idea that Western society had repressed sexuality since the 17th century and that sexuality had

been something that society did not talk about.

10. Nickel and Dimed: On Not Getting By In America

Nickel and Dimed: On Not Getting By In America is a book by Barbara Ehrenreich based on her

ethnographic research on low-wage jobs in America. Inspired in part by the rhetoric

surrounding welfare reform at the time, she decided to immerse herself into the world of low-

wage earning Americans.

11. The Division Of Labor In Society

The Division of Labor in Society is a book written, originally in French, by Emile Durkheim in

1893. It was Durkheims first major published work and the one in which he introduced the

concept of anomie, or the breakdown of the influence of social norms on individuals within a

society.

12. Fast Food Nation

Fast Food Nation by Eric Schlosser is a book about how the fast food industry has shaped the

American way of life. Since its inception, fast food has widened the gap between the rich and

the poor, fueled an obesity epidemic, and forced American cultural ideas abroad.

13. The Tipping Point

"The Tipping Point" by Malcolm Gladwell is a book about how small actions at the right time, in

the right place, and with the right people can create a "tipping point" for anything from a

product to an idea to a trend, etc.

14. Stigma: Notes on the Management of Spoiled Identity

S"tigma: Notes on the Management of Spoiled Identity" is a book written by Erving Goffman in

1963 about the idea of stigma and what it is like to be a stigmatized person. It is a look into the

world of persons who society does not consider normal.

15. Savage Inequalities: Children in America's Schools

"Savage Inequalities: Children in Americas Schools" is a book written by Jonathan Kozol that

examines the American educational system and the inequalities that exist between poor inner-

city schools and more affluent suburban schools.
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16. The Culture of Fear

"The Culture of Fear" was written in 1999 by Barry Glassner, a sociology professor at the

University of Southern California. The book is all about why America is a country that is

engrossed with fear. Glassner examines and exposes the people and organizations that

manipulate Americans perceptions and profit from the resulting anxiety.

17. The Social Transformation of American Medicine

"The Social Transformation of American Medicine" is a book written in 1982 by Paul Starr about

medicine and health care in the United States. Starr looks at the evolution and the culture of

medicine from the colonial period (late 1700s) into the last quarter of the twentieth century.
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major sociological studies

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