Alan Sears

A Good Book, in Theory: Making Sense Through Inquiry, Third Edition Alan Sears Third edition

Marc Notes: Includes bibliographical references and index.; Issued also in electronic format. Commendation Quotes: A refreshing, thoughtful, and passionate book about social theory that is engaging and accessible. - Aziz Choudry, McGill UniversityTable of Contents: List of Thinking Points Acknowledgements Preface: Users' Guide for Students and Instructors 1. An Interesting Idea, In Theory 2. Theory Matters 3. But How Do You Know? 4. You Are Here: Mapping Social Relations 5. The Real World: Making Sense of Perceptions 6. Nature and Culture: The Social Construction of Distinctions 7. Making Time: Clocking Social Relations 8. Conclusion: The Politics of Social Theory Glossary References IndexCommendation Quotes: This vibrant, entertaining book is packed with tools not only to foster independent, theoretical thinking but also to enable students to understand why these abilities matter in the twenty-first century. - Genevieve LeBaron, University of SheffieldCommendation Quotes: A Good Book, In Theory is a great book in practice; cogent and comprehensive, relevant and readable, it will excite and enrich the social theory class experience for even the most theory-averse students. - Mark Rubinfeld, Westminster CollegeCommendation Quotes: ...a passionate, candid, and personal text about a subject that is dreaded as abstract, complex, and boring... - Shahrzad Mojab, Ontario Institute for Studies in Education/University of TorontoPublisher Marketing: This highly original and compelling book offers an introduction to the art and science of social inquiry, including the theoretical and methodological frameworks that support that inquiry. The new edition offers coverage of post-modernism and Indigenous ways of knowing, as well as a discussion of the research process and how to communicate arguments effectively. The result is a book that blends the best of earlier editions with updates that provide a strong foundation in critical thinking, rooted in the social sciences but relevant across disciplines.

Contributor Bio:  Sears, Alan Alan Sears is Professor of Sociology at Ryerson University, Toronto. He is the author of Retooling the Mind Factory: Education in a Lean State (UTP, 2003) and co-author with James Cairns of The Democratic Imagination (UTP, 2012).