Sociology

Background Research

Encyclopedias | Dictionaries | Handbooks & Guides | Bibliographies | General Works

Encyclopedias

Encyclopedias can be useful for overviews of areas of research, for bibliographies of standard works, and for biographical information.

The Blackwell Encyclopedia of Sociology, edited by George Ritzer (Malden, MA: Blackwell Pub., 2007), 11 vols. *R-RMRR HM425 .B53 2007 A significant and comprehensive analysis of sociological themes, schools, theorists, concerns, and research. A lexicon in volume one provides a guide to the articles arranged under major concepts or categories.

Encyclopedia of Social History, edited by Peter N. Stearns, (New York: Garland, 1994), *R-RMRR HN28 .E53 1994 Good for the overlap between historical and sociological research. Covers the issues, paradigms, and topics of social history.

Encyclopaedia of the Social Sciences, edited by Edwin Robert Anderson Seligman, (New York: Macmillan, 1937), Various call numbers (see CATNYP). Seminal work from the formative era of the social science disciplines. Good for historical research and biography of 19th-century figures. The contributors include the major figures in 20th- century social science research.

Encyclopedia of Sociology, 2nd ed., edited by Edgar F. Borgatta and Marie L. Borgatta, (New York: Macmillan Reference USA, 2000), 5 vols. *R-RMRR HM425 .E5 2000 Fairly recent major encyclopedia; good for contemporary perspectives and research.

International Encyclopedia of the Social Sciences, edited by David L. Sills, (New York: Macmillan, 1968-79), 19 vols. JFF 92-1819. Complements the earlier Encyclopedia of the Social Sciences and updates the research and perspectives through the 1970s

International Encyclopedia of the Social and Behavioral Sciences, edited by Neil J. Smelser and Paul B. Baltes, (Amsterdam; New York: Elsevier, 2001), 26 vols. *R-RMRR H41 .I58 2001 The successor to the International Encyclopedia of the Social Sciences. This new work also provides a comprehensive and advanced approach to disciplines, subjects, issues, schools, and methodologies in the social sciences.

The International Encyclopedia of Sociology, edited by Michael Mann, (New York: Continuum, 1984), *R-RMRR HM17 .I53 1984 Selective, one-volume encyclopedia, strong on the relation between sociology and psychology.

The Social Science Encyclopedia, 3rd ed., edited by Adam Kuper and Jessica Kuper, (New York; London: Routledge, 2004), 2 vols. *R-RMRR H41 .S63 2004 A compendium with short entries, covering major social sciences.

Dictionaries

Dictionaries are useful for technical vocabulary employed in specific sociological fields, methodologies, and perspectives. Each dictionary has particular strengths and focuses.

The Blackwell Dictionary of Modern Social Thought, 2nd ed., edited by William Outhwaite and Tom Bottomore, (Malden, MA; Oxford: Blackwell, 2003), *R-RMRR H41 .B53 2003 Covers major fields in social sciences: sociology, anthropology, economics, and statistics.

Boudon, Raymond, and François Bourricaud . A Critical Dictionary of Sociology, (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1989), JFE 06-14362 Collection of essays on key concepts and figures in sociological theory by two major French sociologists.

Brooker, Peter, Cultural Theory: A Glossary, (London; New York: Oxford University Press, 1999), *R-RMRR HM101 .B775 1999 Dictionary of terms used in cultural studies, with focus on 20th- century French thought and critical theory.

The Cambridge Dictionary of Sociology, edited by Bryan S. Turner, (Cambridge; New York: Cambridge University Press, 2006), *R-RMRR HM425 .C36 2006

Jary, David, and Julia Jary, Collins Dictionary of Sociology, 2nd ed., (Glasgow: HarperCollins, 1995), JFD 96-76 A thorough glossary of academic sociology, especially quantitative research and biographical information.

Johnson, Allan G, The Blackwell Dictionary of Sociology: A User's Guide to Sociological Language, 2nd ed., (Malden, MA: Blackwell Publishers, 2000), *R-RMRR HM425 .J64 2000 Definitions include suggestions for further reading. Contains biographical appendix.

Handbooks and Guides

Handbooks have a practical focus that can include orientation within the current literature, research methodology, and theoretical issues. Most of the guides recommended here provide selective annotated bibliographies of reference materials in sociology and social sciences.

Aby, Stephen H., Sociology: A Guide to Reference and Information Sources, 3rd ed., (Westport, CT: Libraries Unlimited, 2005), *R-RMRR HM585 .A24 2005 Guide to resources in sociology and other related social science fields, with special attention to sub-fields such as criminology, demography, theory, etc.

Annual Review of Sociology, (Palo Alto, Calif.: Annual Reviews Inc, 1975- present) JFK 96-615, or in JSTOR for years 1975-2003 or in Academic Search Premier for years 1990 to 2005 available through NYPL Electronic Resources. Reviews developments and trends in sociology.

Bottomore, T. B., Sociology: A Guide to Problems and Literature, (Boston: Allen & Unwin, 1987), JLD 87-2371. An outline of the history of sociology, issues, and perspectives, with reading guides to the classic literature.

Handbook of Applied Social Research Methods, edited by Leonard Bickman and Debra J. Rog, (Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, 1998), JFE 92-1455. Practically oriented essays on all phases of qualitative and quantitative research.

International Handbook of Contemporary Developments in Sociology, edited by Raj P. Mohan and Arthur S. Wilke, (Westport, CN: Greenwood Press, 1994), JFE 95-4346. International coverage of the history and trends in sociology. Covers both intellectual trends and organizational context.

The International Handbook of Sociology, edited by Stella R. Quah and Arnaud Sales , (London; Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, 2000), JFF 01-4260 A guide to perspectives and issues in sociology.

Li, Tze-chung, Social Science Reference Sources: A Practical Guide, 3rd ed., (Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press, 2000), *R-RMRR H61 .L5 2000 Extensive coverage of the social sciences with focus on databases and web-based resources.

Reader’s Guide to the Social Sciences, edited by Jonathan Michie, (London; Chicago: Fitzroy Dearborn, 2001), 2 vols., *R-RMRR H41 .R417 2001 Reviews literature on a wide range of topics and concepts from the social sciences.

The Sage Encyclopedia of Social Science Research Methods, edited by Michael S. Lewis-Beck et al., (Thousand Oaks, Calif.: Sage, 2004), 3 vols., *R-RMRR H62 .L456 2004 Covers both quantitative and qualitative research approaches with a clear explanation of one thousand methodologies. Volume three is an index of names, organizations, concepts, and methodologies.

The Sage Handbook of Qualitative Research, 3rd ed., edited by Norman K. Denzin and Yvonna S. Lincoln, (Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, 2005), *R-RMRR H62 .H2455 2005 Anthology of essays on the methodology and theory of qualitative research.

Smelser, Neil J, Sociology, (Cambridge, MA: Blackwell, 1994), *R-RMRR HM51 .S636 1994 Topical essays on all aspects of sociology, with a focus on theoretical paradigms and fields of research.

The Social Sciences: A Cross-disciplinary Guide to Selected Resources, 3rd ed., edited by Nancy L. Herron, (Englewood, CO: Libraries Unlimited, 2002), *R-RMRR H61 .S63 2002 Well-annotated and selective. Includes introductory essays on various fields in the social sciences.

Sproull, Natalie L., Handbook of Research Methods: A Guide for Practitioners and Students in the Social Sciences, 2nd ed., (Metuchen, NJ: Scarecrow Press, 1995), *R-RMRR Q180.55 .M4 S67 1995 A practical guide covering all phases of research design with quantitative orientation.

Webb, William H., Sources of Information in the Social Sciences: A Guide to the Literature, 3rd ed., (Chicago: American Library Association, 1986), JFF 99-1848 and JFF 07-103 Although dated, this resource combines an annotated bibliography of reference resources with clear discussions of the methodologies and perspectives in the social sciences.

Bibliographies

Bibliographies provide access to books and journals by subject. They are useful for finding books or journals appropriate to a specific topic, and for surveying the literature.

Brown, Samuel R., Finding the Source in Sociology and Anthropology: A Thesaurus Index to the Reference Collection (New York: Greenwood Press, 1987), *R-RMRR HM51 .B75 1987 Selective bibliography of the social science reference material with very good subject access. Strong on locating topical bibliographies.

Current Sociology. La Sociologie Contemporaine, (Paris: Blackwell, 1952- present), JFL 93-387, current issue in Room 100, Journal of the International Sociological Association. Topical issues, each with an extended bibliography.

International Bibliography of Sociology. Bibliographie Internationale de Sociologie, (London: Routledge, 1951-present), JFL 99-221. Yearly bibliography of the sociology literature compiled by the British Library, with classified subject arrangement. International coverage of over 20,000 books and 2,500 journals.

Wepsiec, Jan., Social Sciences: An International Bibliography of Serial Literature, 1830-1895, (London; New York: Mansell, 1992), *R-RMRR H85 .W38 1992

——— , Sociology: An International Bibliography of Serial Publications, 1880-1980, (London: Mansell Pub. Ltd., 1983), JLF 83-289. Subject access to serial publications in sociology and selected related fields. Includes periodicals, books in series, and occasional papers.

General Works

Agger, Ben, Critical Social Theories: An Introduction, 2nd ed. (Boulder, CO: Paradigm Publishers, 2006) *R-RMRR HM585 .A46 2006

The Blackwell Companion to Major Classical Social Theories, edited by George Ritzer (Malden, MA: Blackwell, 2003) *R-RMRR HM585 .B527 2003 An analysis of twelve major theorists.

The Blackwell Companion to Social Movements, edited by Savid A. Snow et al. (Malden, MA: Blackwell Pub., 2004) *R-RMRR HM881 .B53 2004 Examines all aspects of social movements including identity, leadership, adversaries, ideology, and cultural ramifications.

Encyclopedia of Social Theory, edited by George Ritzer (Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, 2005), 2 vols. *R-RMRR HM425 .E47 2005 Includes major theories (such as pragmatism, social space, individualism) as well as the principal theorists and schools.

Gordon, Scott, The History and Philosophy of Social Science, (New York: Routledge, 1991), *R-RMRR H51 .G67 1991 A historical overview of the development of social sciences from classical and Enlightenment thought.

Levine, Donald Nathan, Visions of the Sociological Tradition, (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1995), JFE 96-1114 Focuses on theoretical perspectives and their relation to competing accounts of the history of sociology.

Ross, Dorothy, The Origins of American Social Science, (New York: Cambridge University Press, 1990), *R-RMRR H53 .U5 R67 1990 History of U.S. social sciences with a focus on sociology, relating them to developments in the American experience.

Social Theory: A Guide to Central Thinkers, edited by Peter Beilharz, (North Sydney: Allen & Unwin, 1991), JFD 07-4057 Review of selected theorists and schools of thought in social sciences. Provides short biographies and bibliography of primary and secondary sources.

Sociology in America: A History, edited by Craig Calhoun (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2007) *R-RMRR HM477 .U6 S63 2007

Swingewood, Alan, A Short History of Sociological Thought, 3rd ed., (New York: St. Martin's Press, 2000), JFE 00-5193. Concise overview and introduction to the field from the Enlightenment to the present.

Westby, David L., The Growth of Sociological Theory: Human Nature, Knowledge, and Social Change, (Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall, 1991), JFE 92-6938. Analysis of the development of sociological thought from the 18th to the early 20th century.