This book restates what the sociological approach to human reality essentially consists of. It explores what sociologists do and with what they "should" do and be.

A classical sociologist can be defined as someone whose works occupied a central position among the sociological ideas and notions of an era. Following this criterion, Michaela Pfadenhauer demonstrates the relevance of Peter L. Berger's work to the sociology of knowledge. Pfadenhauer shows that Berger is not only a sociologist of religion, but one whose works are characterized by a sociology-of-knowledge perspective.Berger stands out among his fellow social scientists both quantitatively and qualitatively. He has written numerous books, which have been translated into many languages, and a multitude of essays in scholarly journals and popular magazines. For decades, he has played a role in shaping both public debate and social scientific discourse in America and far beyond.As a sociologist of knowledge, Berger has played three roles: he has been a theoretician of modern life, an analyst of modern religiosity, and an empiricist of global economic culture. In all areas, the focus on processes rather than status quo is characteristic of Berger's thinking. This book provides an in-depth view on the critical thinking of one of the most important sociologists that present times has to offer. It includes four written essays by Berger.

This book focuses on the gender roles within the Unification Church, and on particularly the gender roles as expressed through the vows of marriage. It examines the more widely shared patriarchal assumptions about women in a circumscribed socio-religious environment, with the Church’s gender role system being investigated largely on the level of its theological explanations for gender roles. The Church’s ethos, its lived reality, is also examined, and for this many interviews have been conducted with the ‘blessed’, the married couples. First published in 1992.

This book provides a comprehensive and accessible introduction to the key aspects of Norbert Elias's work.

Sociology and Christianity? Attempting to bring sociology and Christianity together is like trying to mix oil and water. Christians seem to have as little regard for sociology as sociologists generally have for Christianity. However, in the middle of this conflict there is a group bold enough to call themselves "Christian sociologists"; they are not willing to be stereotyped but are seriously committed to both realms. This collection of essays covers topics that are typically addressed in introductory sociology courses. Written from a Christian point of view, these essays are also geared for a wide range of readers from undergraduates to professional sociologists who bring faith commitments to the sociological task. The editors' goal is to provide an understanding of societal forces that is informed by a Christian conscience. Toward that end, certain recurring themes are found in this book: the need for informed Christian social action, the conflict between the individual and the community, the conflict between freedom and determinism, and the significance of social sin.

Supported bilaterally by Sweden and Norway, the Scandinavian Action Research Development Program (ACRES — Action Research in Scandinavia) emphasized conceptualizing research questions and self-conscious writing processes for experienced action researchers. Participants came from Norway, Sweden, Finland, Holland, Great Britain, and the United States. A learning experiment in the tradition of Scandinavian industrial democracy, ACRES had both intellectual and organizational tensions common to action research projects. This book includes theoretical and historical overviews of action research, reflections on the writing process, narratives about the design and difficult internal processes of ACRES, and a selection of the participants’ writings. A particularly unique feature of the book is the discussion of the problematic relationship between action research and conventional modes of research writing and an analysis of the complex social processes collaboratively managed projects create, in combination with a set of participant cases.

This book, first published in 1985, argues that changes in the education system are closely bound up with wider social and political changes. It considers items within education such as developments in teacher assessment policy and changes in the control of education policy; and external items such as new directions in the management of the economy, of class relations and of the political system. Throughout, the book reflects a mood of growing frustration and anxiety shared by many teachers and educationalists which, the book argues, stems from a feeling that the education system is not being run as it should be. This title will be of interest to students of education and sociology.