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The Social Science Jargon Buster
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The Social Science Jargon Buster
The Key Terms You Need to Know

  • Zina O'Leary - The Australia and New Zealand School of Government

Other Titles in:
Study Skills (General)

September 2007 | 344 pages | SAGE Publications Ltd
- Are you confused by academic jargon?  

- Do you know your `discourse' from your `dialectic'?

- Can you tell the difference between `anomie' and `alienation'?

 

  The Social Science Jargon Buster tackles the most confusing concepts in the social sciences, breaking each down and bringing impressive clarity and insight to even the most complex terms. 

`This book successfully addresses the central task for any teacher of social theory - how to make the material accessible without making it simplistic and banal. The overall effect is a most effective text that hard-pressed students and lecturers will grab with both hands' - Dave Harris, Senior Lecturer in Social Science

This practical, down-to-earth dictionary will help students new to social science discourse gain a thorough understanding of the key terms. Each entry includes a concise core definition, a more detailed explanation and an introduction to the associated debates and controversies. In addition, students will find a useful outline of the practical application of each term, as well as a list of key figures and recommendations for futher reading.

This dictionary brings a refreshing clarity to social science discourse, making it essential reading for all students on undergraduate social science courses.

 

 
Preface
 
Action Research
 
Aesthetics
 
Agency
 
Alienation
 
Anomie
 
A posteriori / A priori
 
Authority
 
Behaviourism
 
The Body
 
Bureaucracy
 
Capital
 
Capitalism
 
Causation
 
Chaos theory
 
Class
 
Cognitive dissonance
 
Collective
 
Colonization
 
Commodification
 
Communism
 
Community
 
Conflict theory
 
Conservatism
 
Critical / Radical
 
Cultural Studies
 
Culture
 
Deconstruction
 
Deductive/ Inductive reasoning
 
Democracy
 
Determinism
 
Developed / Developing Countries
 
Deviant behaviour
 
Dialectic
 
Dichotomy
 
Discourse
 
Egalitarianism
 
Empiricism
 
Epistemology
 
Essentialism
 
Ethics
 
Ethnocentricism
 
Ethnography
 
Ethnomethodology
 
Existentialism
 
Fascism
 
Feminism
 
Functionalism
 
Fundamentalism
 
Game theory
 
Geneology
 
Globalization
 
Governance
 
Grounded theory
 
Hegemony
 
Hermeneutics
 
Historical Materialism
 
Historicism
 
Human/social ecology
 
Humanism
 
Hybridity
 
Hypothesis/ hypothetico-deductive method
 
Id/ ego/ superego
 
Idealism
 
Identity
 
Ideology
 
Imperialism
 
Individualism
 
Industrialisation
 
Instrumentalism
 
Justice
 
Knowledge
 
Labelling theory
 
Labour
 
Leadership
 
Liberalism
 
Marginalization
 
Marxism
 
Materialism
 
McDonaldization
 
Metanarrative
 
Methods
 
Methodology
 
Micro/Macroeconmics
 
Modernism/Postmodernism
 
Modernity
 
Multiculturalism
 
Nationalism
 
Nominalism
 
Norms
 
Ontology
 
Other
 
Paradigm
 
Patriarchy
 
Pedagogy/Critical Pedagogy
 
Personality
 
Phenomenology
 
Pluralism
 
Positivism
 
Postmodernity
 
Post Industrial
 
Post Positivism
 
Power
 
Pragmatism
 
Praxis
 
Prejudice/Discrimination
 
Protestant ethic
 
Qualitative/Quantitative
 
Rationalism
 
Realism
 
Reductionism
 
Reflexivity
 
Reification
 
Relativism
 
Research Credibility (positivist)
 
Research Credibility (post-positivist)
 
Revolution
 
Risk Society
 
Role
 
Scientific method
 
Secularisation
 
Self
 
Semiotics
 
Sexuality
 
Social Change
 
Social Constructionism
 
Social Control
 
Social Darwinism
 
Social Mobility
 
Social Movements
 
Social Science Research
 
Social Stratification
 
Socialism
 
Socialization
 
Society
 
Sociobiology
 
Socioeconomic status
 
Sociolinguistics
 
Solidarity
 
(The) State
 
Structuralism/ Post-structuralism
 
Subject
 
Subjectivism
 
Symbolic Interactionism
 
Systems theory
 
Technology
 
Teleology
 
Theory/ Social Theory
 
Totalitarianism
 
Urbanization
 
Utilitarianism
 
BIBLIOGRAPHY/ READING LIST

`This book successfully addresses the central task for any teacher of social theory - how to make the material accessible without making it simplistic and banal' - Dave Harris, Senior Lecturer in Social Science

T.N. Smalley
Cabrillo College
Choice

`This book successfully addresses the central task for any teacher of social theory - how to make the material accessible without making it simplistic and banal' - Dave Harris, Senior Lecturer in Social Science


A bit disappointing, very basic, doesn't really provide much information, no depth, no real detail. Students could just as easily find better and more detailed information from a quick internet search. I can see it might be useful to some learners but it's probably not worth the purchase price...sorry

Mr Andrew Holmes
Centre For Life-Long Learning, Hull University
November 13, 2012

I use this book lots in my seminar teaching with first year undergraduates.

Helena Gillespie
Sch of Education & Lifelong Learning, University of East Anglia
June 7, 2012

This is a really useful reference source, which helps guide students who are new to the lanaguage of social science.

Mrs Helen Bradbury
Education , Leeds University
November 22, 2010

Excellent book, it covers all the jargon associated with the social sciences that students new to this discipline need to get to grips with. This is an ideal book to take first year undergraduates across various modules and I'm sure it will come in handy throughout their studies.

Ms Karen Jones
Social Science , University of Wales, Bangor
October 19, 2009

Sample Materials & Chapters

PDF of Section 'A'

PDF of Section 'B'


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