Political Sociology
Oppression, Resistance, and the State
- Davita Silfen Glasberg - University of Connecticut, USA
- Deric Shannon - University of Connecticut, USA
Designed to help students analyze and understand political developments in the world around them, this unique text covers a wide array of political sociology concepts and theoretical perspectives. The book's multidimensional view emphasizes the interplay between power, inequality, multiple oppressions, and the state. Blending elements of today's prevalent power structure theories, this framework provides students with a unique focus on the structure of power and inequality in society today.
This unique book traces common perspectives within political sociology. However, it adds to the existing field using an intersectional analysis by including state projects around gender, race, and sexuality. Likewise, it engages with commonly ignored perspectives within political sociology such as queer theory, anarchist theory, and post-structuralism. This gives the book a multi-dimensional view that recognizes the need to include, but move beyond, class-based understandings as well as account for the increasing popularity of anarchist, queer, and post-structuralist theories.
This textbook is a great addition to existing literature. Students find it useful to convay complex ideas in an understandable manner. The content is engaging, well argued and clearly communicated which encourages a high degree of critical thinking on the central topics this module deals with. In particular, the content on voting participation, social movements, the state and theories of power are particularly useful. I have recommended it for consideration to colleagues teaching within social and political theory, as it is an indispensable tool for students studying in these areas.
nice critical sections to complement the original articles and materials that I primarily use
This book is good and fresh - it offers an easily accessile introduction into the timely issues in contemporary Western societies that circle around how we may come to accept and comply with the interests of dominants in society. It focuses on the structure of power and inequality to examine the pattern of who gaines and who loses and why.
As it is very much centered on the US experience and discussion I do not adopt it as essential reading for a course at an European University but recommend it as supplemental reading to get a glimpse of critical perspectives in the US.
I will recomend this book. I like the author's approach and the focus on oppression. I also appreciate the discussion questions included at the end of each chapter to facilitate critical thinking and debate in class. Good balance between theory and empirical examples
Sage College Publishing
