Category: Sociological Castaways

  If you could only have four books on you island, what would you take? Funnily enough, I didn’t have as much of a problem with this selection. When I discussed it with my friend and Head of Department Wendy Bottero, she snorted derisively and said ‘well, we both know you wouldn’t take ANY sociology… Continue reading Claire Alexander, University of Manchester

As a preliminary, I have to say that the chance of this counterfactual ever happening—of me ever being in the vicinity of a desert island is not just remote, it’s unthinkable. I’m too much of a city boy for that. If you could only have four books on you island, what would you take? I’m… Continue reading Howard S. Becker

Matt's Four Sociology Books Zygmunt Bauman- In Search of Politics When you said 4 sociology books I immediately knew the author of 3 of them and this was first. I would have to take something from Bauman, for two reasons. One, he’s where it all started for me, I doubt I’d be a sociologist, or… Continue reading Matt Dawson, University of Glasgow

Yvette's Sociology Book Choices Dorothy E. Smith (1987) The Everyday World as Problematic: A Feminist Sociology I chose this because of its feminist commitment! And a sense of endurance in  - as well as challenge to - the field of Gender Studies and Higher Education more broadly in these recessionary times, when the ‘everyday world’… Continue reading Yvette Taylor, LSBU

 Sam's Four Sociology Books:  Bourdieu P (1984) Distinction: A Social Critique of the Judgment of Taste. London: Routledge. This one is more than a little predictable, I know, but Distinction really did play a huge part in my decision to go into sociology. It also made me re-think and re-analyse parts of my own biography.… Continue reading Sam Friedman, LSE