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9781138554276

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A book we've been waiting for! Reading McDonough is like listening to a kind and understanding friend who is talking specifically just to you. You listen as he tells you engaging real-life stories along with explications of the sociological ideas they illustrate. You find something about yourself in each story, and you acquire, accordingly, an intimate understanding of every sociological idea McDonough introduces. In smooth movements between story and explanation we learn the fundamental concepts of sociology, the variety of research methods used in the field, the classic texts and the key thinkers. Flying Aeroplanes and Other Sociological Tales captivates the reader, making it difficult to put the book down once one has begun reading. And yet it delivers everything one wishes to see in an introductory textbook on sociology. Professor Phil Francis Carspecken, Indiana University, US In this pioneering textbook, Brian McDonough introduces an exciting and compelling new approach to the study of the sociology of everyday life. Rather than presenting a dry synopsis of social theories, concepts and methods, the author invites the reader on a journey they might take with a good friend. Recounting important moments of his personal and professional life (failing an interview, making a difficult decision on whether to vaccinate his child, queuing in a supermarket during the COVID 19 epidemic, struggling with a research project) and explaining in a highly accessible and engaging way how these can be related to the key theoretical and methodological concerns of the discipline, he shows how to feel, think and work as a sociologist. Professor Svetlana Stephenson, London Metropolitan University, UK A wonderfully accessible book. Focused on learning more than on teaching, McDonough presents an introductory text that is at once personal and general; it doesn't just tell us about the sociological imagination, it lives it. Students will welcome the approach McDonough takes. It invites them into authentic engagement with sociological ideas and ideals, allowing them to apply these to their everyday life, and to understand what it takes to become a social being. Associate Professor Martin Forsey, The University of Western Australia, Australia

A book we've been waiting for! Reading McDonough is like listening to a kind and understanding friend who is talking specifically just to you. You listen as he tells you engaging real-life stories along with explications of the sociological ideas they illustrate. You find something about yourself in each story, and you acquire, accordingly, an intimate understanding of every sociological idea McDonough introduces. In smooth movements between story and explanation we learn the fundamental concepts of sociology, the variety of research methods used in the field, the classic texts and the key thinkers. Flying Aeroplanes and Other Sociological Tales captivates the reader, making it difficult to put the book down once one has begun reading. And yet it delivers everything one wishes to see in an introductory textbook on sociology. Professor Phil Francis Carspecken, Indiana University, US In this pioneering textbook, Brian McDonough introduces an exciting and compelling new approach to the study of the sociology of everyday life. Rather than presenting a dry synopsis of social theories, concepts and methods, the author invites the reader on a journey they might take with a good friend. Recounting important moments of his personal and professional life (failing an interview, making a difficult decision on whether to vaccinate his child, queuing in a supermarket during the COVID 19 epidemic, struggling with a research project) and explaining in a highly accessible and engaging way how these can be related to the key theoretical and methodological concerns of the discipline, he shows how to feel, think and work as a sociologist. Professor Svetlana Stephenson, London Metropolitan University, UK A wonderfully accessible book. Focused on learning more than on teaching, McDonough presents an introductory text that is at once personal and general; it doesn't just tell us about the sociological imagination, it lives it. Students will welcome the approach McDonough takes. It invites them into authentic engagement with sociological ideas and ideals, allowing them to apply these to their everyday life, and to understand what it takes to become a social being. Associate Professor Martin Forsey, The University of Western Australia, Australia

Author Information

Brian McDonough is Course Leader of Sociology at Solent University and teaches a range of sociological topics, including social inequalities, social theory, and social research methods. His research interests include work, expertise and the use of information and communication technologies in the workplace. His ethnographic research on ‘flying aeroplanes’ has been a key feature of his work to date.

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