Social physics is a field that combines the academic disciplines of physics and sociology. Attempting a "theory of everything" from the social physics perspective provides us with the advantage of utilizing the knowledge already gained from the field of physics on certain matters, such as the properties of the forces of nature, while the field of sociology provides us with great insights into the role and actions of human behavior.This book uses social physics to address major ques...

The second edition of Classical and Contemporary Social Theory provides wraparound coverage of the classical social theorists and influential sociological schools of thought in the contemporary period.Explained carefully and clearly throughout, Tim Delaney reviews the key concepts and contributions from brilliant classical social thinkers and recent sociological thought, spanning over 500 years of source material. He weaves together profiles of leading theorists, thorough ...

The premise of The Diversity of Darkness and Shameful Behaviors is to emphasize the need for enlightened, rational thinking as a paradigm of thought as the culture of shamelessness continues to grow and cast its repulsive dark shadow over those who embrace enlightened reason and basic human rights for all.Diversity of Darkness is an innovative work and represents the third book of a trilogy written by the author that underscores the reality that there are many shamefully h...

The premise of Darkened Enlightenment is to highlight the fact that there currently exist a number of socio-political forces that have the design, or ultimate consequence, of trying to extinguish the light of reason and rationality.The book presents a critique of modernity and provides a socio-political and cultural analysis of world society in the early twenty-first century. Specifically, this analysis examines the deterioration of democracy, human rights, and rational th...

Sportsmanship is a broad concept: ethics, fairness, honor and self-control. Some people find it difficult to define what makes a "good sport," but state "I know one when I see one." This collection of new essays brings together the work of more than two dozen contributors from around the world who teach sportsmanship in a range of academic disciplines including sociology, psychology, economics, education, kinesiology and applied athletics. Topics include the moral ambiguities of cheating; ...

The topic of social deviance is inherently intriguing. People in general, and college students in particular, find the topic of deviant behavior fascinating. This can be explained, at least in part, by a combination of the subject matter itself, our own past deviant behaviors, and our willingness and desire to evaluate and comment on the behaviors of others. While the topic of deviant behavior seems straightforward at the surface, the study of social deviance reveals how complicated it rea...

The notion of common sense and abiding by its implications is something that, seemingly, everyone agrees is a good way of making behavioral decisions and conducting one's daily activities. This holds true whether one is a liberal, moderate, or conservative; young or old; and regardless of one's race and ethnicity, gender, or sexual orientation. If utilizing common sense is such a good idea, why then, do so many people seem to violate it? This is just one of many significant questions surro...

Informative and entertaining introduction to the study of popular culture.As the "culture of the people," popular culture provides a sense of identity that binds individuals to the greater society and unites the masses on ideals of acceptable forms of behavior. Lessons Learned from Popular Culture offers an informative and entertaining look at the social relevance of popular culture. Focusing on a wide range of topics, including film, television, social me...

Many introductory texts claim to make sociology relevant to student interests. Perhaps no other text has done this so completely - and engagingly - as Connecting Sociology to Our Lives. Tim Delaney not only uses popular and contemporary culture examples, he explains sociology thoroughly within the frame of the contemporary culture of students - a culture shaped by political, economic, and environmental trends just as much as by today's pop stars. This book will help academics to engage the...

This philosophical and sociological look at friendship and happiness begins with a review of Aristotle's three categories of friendship--friends of utility, friends of pleasure and friends of the good. Modern variations--casual friends, close friends, best friends--are described, along with the growing phenomena of virtual friendships and cyber socialization in the Internet age. Inspired in part by Bertrand Russell's The Conquest of Happiness, the authors propose that conquering

Classical and Contemporary Social Theory: Investigation and Application, 1/e, is the most comprehensive, informative social theory book on the market. The title covers multiple schools of thought and applies their ideas to society today. Readers will learn the origins of social theory and understand the role of myriad social revolutions that shaped the course of societies around the world.

Why do billions of people around the world love sports? The popular media is increasingly dedicated to the heated rivalries of sports teams, academic institutions are held in its thrall, sports metaphors are commonplace in our language, and most individuals participate in athletics or follow a team sport in some variation. This entertaining and informative book attempts to find out why-by examining sports in all its facets. The authors provide an overview of the history of sports, with a c...