Sociology Today: Social Transformations in a Globalizing World

In a remarkable feat of collaboration, Arnaud Sales has persuaded several of the world′s leading sociologists to contribute to a truly student-friendly text that ranges over the often quite subtle transformations that today′s ′networked′ world have made to both the concepts and objects of the discipline. Overall the book manages a welcomed reassertion of the continuing need for a broadly institutionalist, macro-sociological perspective.

Steve Fuller
Auguste Comte Professor of Social Epistemology, University of Warwick

o livro “Sociology Today” apresenta tanto uma síntese bastante acurada do contexto atualexperenciado pelas sociedades nacionais e global, e a multiplicidade de fenômenos implicados; quanto uma leituraatual das diferentes perspectivas teóricas que, com destaque, têm auxiliado na compreensão do processo de rápidatransformação social global experenciado nas últimas décadas. — Leandro Raizer

The edited volume from Arnaud Sales “Sociology Today” provides a concise anthology of sociological debates on social transformation processes. A strength of the book is the bringing together of diverse theoretical positions under a broadly defined institutionalist perspective which focuses on the interaction of strategies of action, institutions and social structures. In doing so, the book convinces with a well-structured layout which presents the extensive range of topics in a transparent manner. — Alexander Ebner

Ce livre est foisonnant. La majorité des chapitres présente des analyses riches, des points de vue novateurs. Il présente un caractère nettement pédagogique par plusieurs aspects : La grande variété des champs couverts ; Chaque article est accompagné d′une liste de questions de discussion qui se présentent comme des exercices permettant au lecteur d′interroger sa compréhension du texte et éventuellement de l′approfondir ; Chaque article est aussi complété par une abondante bibliographie. Il est donc particulièrement adapté à une utilisation par des enseignants et des étudiants soucieux de trouver une revue des questions que se posent les sociologues par rapport à la globalisation du monde. Aux lecteurs qui ne trouveront pas l′équivalent en français, il propose un condensé des réflexions de sociologues anglophones sur ces questions.

— Alain Degenne

Arnaud Sales holds a Doctorat d′État ès Lettres et Sciences Humaines, from Université de Paris 7-Denis Diderot. He is Emeritus Professor of Sociology at the University of Montreal, Canada. He is a specialist in economic sociology focusing on the interface of the economic and political fields. His research interests center on the relations between the public and private spheres, and the emergence of international private authorities; economic and administrative elites, and knowledge workers; the role of knowledge in social transformations. His publications include: La Bourgeoisie industrielle au Québec (PUM, 1979); Décideurs et gestionnaires (Éditeur officiel du Québec, 1985); He has edited or co-edited the following volumes: Développement national et économie mondialisée (Sociologie et Sociétés, 1979); La recomposition du politique (PUM/L’Harmattan, 1991); Québec, fin de siècle (Sociologie et Sociétés,1994); The International Handbook of Sociology (Sage, 2000); New Directions in the Study of Knowledge, Economy and Society (SSIS, Current Sociology, Sage, 2001) ; Knowledge, Communication and Creativity, (Sage, 2007). He was Vice-Dean of the Université de Montréal’s Faculty of Graduate Studies (1987-1992) and has chaired the Department of Sociology (2000-2007). He is a former Vice-President, International, of the Society for the Advancement of Socio-Economics (1995-1998) where he founded the Knowledge, Economy and Society Network with R. Hollingsworth. After chairing the ISA Research Committee 02 on Economy and Society, he was elected Vice-President for Research (1998-2002) of the International Sociological Association and chaired ISA Research Council. In 2006, he was named Chevalier de l’Ordre des Palmes Académiques of France.