Understanding Modern Societies Volume 1-4 - Open University collection

Photos included in listing. Understanding Modern Societies Volume 1-4 - Open University collection Volume 1: Formations of Modernity ISBN: 9780745609607 About the book: An examination of the historical processes, institutions and ideas which have shaped 20th-century societies. Its themes include the way in which the political, economic, social and cultural dimensions of modern industrialized societies developed and the historical transition to 'modernity'. Volume 2: Political and Economic Forms of Modernity ISBN: 9780745609621 About the book: This major introductory textbook examines the political and economic dimensions of twentieth--century industrialised societies. The main themes include; the development of democracy, the role of the state, the nature of citizenship, the impact of new social movements, the organisation of production, the national and international division of labour and the experience of power and control in work. While the primary focus is on Britain, there is a strong comparative emphasis with reference to Japan, North America, Western and Eastern Europe. Designed as an introduction to modern societies and modern sociological analyses, this book is of value to students on a wide variety of social science courses in universities and colleges, and also to readers with no prior knowledge of sociology. Selected readings from a wide range of social theorists (for example, Goran Therborn, Norberto Bobbio, Ralph Miliband, Bryan Turner, T.H. Marshall, Carole Pateman and Christel Lane) are integrated in each chapter, together with student questions and exercises. Political and Economic Forms of Modernity is the second volume in a series of four books which form the basic study materials of an Open University course entitled Understanding Modern Societies. Together the books provide a comprehensive and stimulating introduction to sociology, drawing on new developments and current debates. Volume 3: Social and Cultural Forms of Modernity ISBN: 9780745609645 About the book: This book considers the social and cultural aspects of 20th-century modern industrial social formations, focusing on Britain and Europe, with reference to North America and Australasia. The main topics of the social dimension include an analysis of the class, gender and racial divisions; women, the family, and the romantic sphere; patterns of consumption; and conceptions of the self, the body and sexuality. The section on cultural dimensions focuses on an analysis of contemporary ideologies and belief systems; the growth in popular culture, the revolution in mass communications; the reshaping of knowledge in education and the modern metropolis as the privileged scene of modernity. Volume 4: Modernity and Its Futures ISBN: 9780745609669 About the book: This introductory textbook examines the forces reshaping modern industrial societies and the new patterns, structures and relationships that are emerging in the contemporary world.…