Students of the human sciences – economics, sociology, politics, anthropology, psychology – frequently encounter the names and distinctive theories of philosophers. It is none the less difficult to judge the contribution of such philosophers without a training in philosophy. First published in 1986, Philosophy and the Human Sciences is designed to bridge that gap in understanding by introducing the philosophers of most importance for the human sciences, from the viewpoint of the n...

Originally published in 1986, this work examines how key figures such as Garfinkel, Sacks and Cicourel have revolutionised thinking about how sociology's presuppositions about 'being social' are grounded. Yet until the appearance of this book there were no clear and authoritative introductions to the main thinkers in the field or their work. In assessing the critical reception of Ethnomethodology, Sharrock and Anderson argue persuasively that much is wide of the mark - as they say, the rea...

From its first edition in 1979, Perspectives in Sociology has provided generations of undergraduates with a clear, reassuring introduction to the complications of sociological theory. This revised and updated edition features:a completely rewritten general introduction and conclusion;all-new introductions to each part, clarifying how each one builds on what came before;an updated set of formative questions at the end of each chapter;a co...

This book examines the nature of work and management, centring on documents as a class of management objects which have been relatively understudied in ethnomethodological research. Treating documents and similar artefacts as ordering devices, the authors describe consociation – the social organisation of patterns of coordinated action in situations where the usual resources of face to face communication are absent. With a focus on senior managers, this volume provides a description of the...