The first book of its kind, Sociology and the New Materialism explores the many and varied applications of "new materialism," a key emerging trend in 21st century thought, to the practice of doing sociology. Offering a clear exposition of new materialist theory and using sociological examples throughout to enable the reader to develop a materialist sociological understanding, the book: Outlines the fundamental precepts of new materialism Explores how materialism provides new perspectives on the range of sociological topic areas Explains how materialist approaches can be used to research sociological issues and also to engage with social issues. Sociology and the New Materialism is a clear and authoritative one-stop guide for advanced undergraduates and postgraduates in sociology, cultural studies, social policy and related disciplines.
Nick J. Fox holds an honorary chair in sociology at the University of Sheffield. He has researched and written widely on materialist social theory as applied to health, embodiment, sexuality, creativity, and emotions. His most recent book (with Pam Alldred) is Sociology and the New Materialism (SAGE, 2017). Pam Alldred is Reader in Education and Youth Studies in the Social Work Division at Brunel University London, UK. She researches sexualities, parenting, and sex education and has written about discourse analytic, ethnographic and new materialist approaches to research, as well as the political and ethical dilemmas raised by participatory research and representational claims. Pam has led two large international projects on gender-related violence and then on sexual violence with European Union cofunding. She recently published Sociology and the New Materialism (with Nick J. Fox, SAGE, 2016) and coedits the Handbook of Youth Work Practice (SAGE, 2017). She is a member of the Sex Education and the Gender and Education journal editorial boards.
PART ONE: New Materialism and the Sociological Imagination Chapter 1: Introduction Chapter 2: Foundations - new materialism and the sociological imagination Chapter 3: Environment - humans, posthumans and ecological sociology Chapter 4: Society - beyond systems, structures and stratification PART TWO: Applying New Materialism Sociologically Chapter 5: Creativity - imagination, social production, social change Chapter 6: Sexuality - desire, intensification, becoming Chapter 7: Emotions - embodiment, continuity and change Chapter 8: Health - beyond the body-with-organs PART THREE: Research, Policy and Activism Chapter 9: Research - designs, methods and the research assemblage Chapter 10: Change - action, policy, social transformation Glossary Bibliography
With their admirably stylish and accessible new book Nick Fox and Pam Alldred have laid out a coherent and compelling set of methodological strategies for thinking with new materialisms in the conduct of novel empirical inquiry. Through a series of case studies that range across ecology, social change, desire and embodiment, health and social policy, the authors establish a unique research assemblage by which new materialist agendas may be advanced across the social sciences. The book ought to be essential reading for anyone interested in how the social sciences should respond to the most compelling social and political problems of our time. -- Cameron Duff It is beautifully written and a real pleasure to read. -- Meg-John Barker
