Available:*
Library | Material Type | Call Number | Child Count | Shelf Location | Status | Item Holds |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Searching... Science | Reference Book | R 301.03 EN19 V. 1 | 1 | Reference Material | Searching... Unknown | Searching... Unavailable |
Searching... Science | Reference Book | R 301.03 EN19 V. 2 | 1 | Reference Material | Searching... Unknown | Searching... Unavailable |
Searching... Science | Reference Book | R 301.03 EN19 V. 3 | 1 | Reference Material | Searching... Unknown | Searching... Unavailable |
Searching... Science | Reference Book | R 301.03 EN19 V. 4 | 1 | Reference Material | Searching... Unknown | Searching... Unavailable |
Searching... Science | Reference Book | GCREF R 301.03 EN56 V 1 | 1 | Reference Material | Searching... Unknown | Searching... Unavailable |
Searching... Science | Reference Book | GCREF R 301.03 EN56 V 2 | 1 | Reference Material | Searching... Unknown | Searching... Unavailable |
Searching... Science | Reference Book | GCREF R 301.03 EN56 V 3 | 1 | Reference Material | Searching... Unknown | Searching... Unavailable |
Searching... Science | Reference Book | GCREF R 301.03 EN56 V 4 | 1 | Reference Material | Searching... Unknown | Searching... Unavailable |
Searching... Science | Reference Book | REFERENCE 301.03 EN56E V.1 | 1 | Reference Material | Searching... Unknown | Searching... Unavailable |
Searching... Science | Reference Book | REFERENCE 301.03 EN56E V.2 | 1 | Reference Material | Searching... Unknown | Searching... Unavailable |
Searching... Science | Reference Book | REFERENCE 301.03 EN56E V.3 | 1 | Reference Material | Searching... Unknown | Searching... Unavailable |
Searching... Science | Reference Book | REFERENCE 301.03 EN56E V.4 | 1 | Reference Material | Searching... Unknown | Searching... Unavailable |
Searching... South | Reference Book | 301.83 ENC | 4 | Reference Material | Searching... Unknown | Searching... Unavailable |
Bound With These Titles
On Order
Summary
Summary
This four-volume set contains over 400 articles ranging from such issues as singlehood and alternative lifestyles to race and ethnic studies. It covers concepts, theories, research findings and future developments.
Reviews (3)
Booklist Review
The Borgattas, sociologists at the University of Washington, have compiled the first comprehensive encyclopedia of the sprawling discipline of sociology ever successfully ventured in America. This four-volume set was designed as an accessible introduction for the literate newcomer as well as a helpful tool for the scholar or student of sociology. The 370 signed articles reflect state-of-the-art sociology in all its diverse manifestations. This encyclopedia is a successor to a series of Rand-McNally handbooks, for which Borgatta was the advisory editor in the 1960s, and to Macmillan's International Encyclopedia of the Social Sciences (1968). The Borgattas selected a distinguished board of advisory and associate editors who chose the contributors who are listed in volume 1 along with their institutions and the titles of the articles they wrote. Topics addressed run the gamut, from concepts to subfields to theoretical approaches to different national sociologies to techniques or methodologies. The alphabetically arranged entries range in length from 2 pages (Hawthorne Effect) to 18 pages (Factor Analysis). They are all adequately cross-referenced and conclude with the writer's choice of readings for further study. Some of these scholarly bibliographies are more than a page in length. While they list books and journal articles as recent as 1991, they also contain many classic works from the 1950s and 1960s. A detailed 76-page index in volume 4 will aid the seeker of material on specific ideas embedded in the nearly 2,300 pages of text. A spot check of accuracy in directing readers to appropriate places in the text yielded no errors. Prepublication flyers promised a "well-illustrated" work; that was misleading. There are over 200 black-and-white line drawings, nearly all of them graphs or charts in the statistical technique entries, but no pictures. A related shortcoming is that many of the typologies in sociology can be nicely displayed in two-by-two (four-fold) tables, but no such simple tables accompany discussions of Merton's conception of anomie, of types of content analysis, or of the localite-cosmopolite distinction, etc. Aesthetically, this is a handsome and durable set, printed on permanent paper and typographically pleasant to the eye. A sample of vastly different entries were read in their entirety for this review. Among the numerous national sociologies, every continent is represented and nearly every writer of such entries is a national of that area. German Sociology, for instance, is an informative account of postwar conflicts among that country's (i.e., West Germany's) sociologists within the context of its political and social situation. The overviews of recent statistical approachs are challenging and not as accessible to the literate layperson as other articles. Newer theoretical approachs are well represented (Postmodernism, New Structuralism, etc.), and critical social problems--war, genocide, crime rates, drug abuse, nursing homes, sexually transmitted diseases--are not ignored. One apparent overlap in topic was not clarified by a reading of the entries. Social Stratification, Social Inequality, and Societal Stratification were each treated well by their authors, but the reader may be unable to distinguish salient differences between the terms even after a careful reading. Even with close editorial control by Marie Borgatta, some overlap is inevitable in a work of this scope when authors of entries are not privy to each other's contribution. One sociologist's approach to a subfield or concept may differ markedly from that of another equally reputable expert. To its credit, no overarching ideological viewpoint stamps this encyclopedia. The product is pragmatic and eclectic. The experts selected to analyze sociology in this opus represent mainstream sociology, however, not the periphery, and are, by and large, well known. They convey an image of sociology in which some of the rough edges of the sociological enterprise are smoothed out. The only other misgiving about the encyclopedia is a lack of interdisciplinary articulation; one will learn little here of the benefits sociology has derived from anthropology, economics, or psychology. The work most similar in intent and format to this Encyclopedia is the International Encyclopedia of the Social Sciences. That 17-volume set is now almost a quarter of a century old and covers all of the social sciences. Very few of the contributors to this new set also wrote entries for the earlier encyclopedia (exceptions include James S. Coleman, Warren Hagstrom, Gladys Lang, and Ralph Turner), which indicates that a new generation of sociologists has arrived. As for subject overlap, a comparison of the respective lists of entries reveals some overlap but not a great deal. The IESS entries were not as narrowly specialized (for example, it had the entries Ethnic Groups, Minorities, and Race Relations, but none on African Americans or Hispanic Americans like the new set) and it did not focus on specific statistical approaches (many of the techniques discussed in the Borgattas' work were either subsumed in more general entries or not discussed at all). On the other hand, biographical sketches of influential sociologists were found in the IESS and its Biographical Supplement but were deliberately excluded from the new work. The appearance of the Encyclopedia of Sociology is a momentous publishing event for the discipline. Every academic library in institutions that teach sociology must acquire this set, where it will become the centerpiece of the sociology reference collection. More than that, its availability should challenge sociologists to find ways to incorporate its use in specific courses of study. Befitting its readability, medium-size and large public libraries will want to consider its purchase as well, especially in locales in which access to local college libraries is limited for those outside the campus community. (Reviewed May 1, 1992)
Choice Review
The field of sociology now has a current and authoritative standard encyclopedic work. Edited by Edgar and Marie Borgatta (University of Washington), the 370 articles provide summaries of sociological concepts, theory, and areas of scholarly investigation across the disciplinary spectrum and alphabetically from "Adulthood" to "World Religions." Article authors were instructed to gear their presentations so as to "reach a broad range of literate audiences" (preface) and, with some few exceptions (as in the articles covering more technical topics, e.g., correlation and regression analysis) this goal has been admirably attained. Students, as well as professionals in other fields, will appreciate these well-designed, understandable introductions to sociological subjects. Typically, articles begin with discussion of background context for the specific topic within the discipline, exposing the reader to its setting within patterns of sociological concerns and study over time. Explanations of issues, theory, and research findings are of sufficient scope and depth to constitute comprehensive summaries; articles frequently close with discussion of questions requiring further investigation. Readers will appreciate, and exploit, the references sections at the ends of articles which lead to key works and research studies. With the exception of citations to classics within the field, references to publications in the 1970s and 1980s predominate, and publication dates in 1990 and 1991 are not unusual. Timeliness of the set is exemplified by inclusion of articles on both feminist theory and postmodernism, by articles with multicultural approaches (e.g., on African-American studies, American Indian studies), and by allusions to the Persian Gulf War of 1991 (in the article on military sociology) and to the end of the Cold War (in the article on peace). Good cross-references connect the articles. The index (filed letter-by-letter, as are the text articles) is detailed; entries are linked by generous numbers of well-structured cross-references. There are no biographical articles, but contributions of prominent scholars to sociological theory and thought can be traced through use of index entries under their names. Article authors (there are 339) were drawn from universities, colleges, and other institutions across the United States (about two dozen are from the editors' university); there are some 30 international contributors. Although nine articles are devoted to summaries of sociology as a discipline outside the US (e.g., in Britain, India, or the former Soviet Union), and a number to area studies (e.g., Mexican studies, African studies), the encyclopedia as a whole exhibits an inherent Western perspective, and the primary focus of most articles is on topics and research issues developed by and of interest to American sociologists. Some balance is provided by articles specifically devoted to predominently non-Western perspectives (e.g., family and population policy in less developed countries); others, as appropriate, will often mention other national settings (e.g., the article on voting behavior closes with brief reference to comparative studies and findings in Europe and Japan). The encyclopedia will serve as the premier source of background information and conceptual summaries for the field of sociology for years to come. A must purchase for libraries in all institutions of higher education (including community colleges) and for most public libraries. High school libraries whose students have appreciated such works as the 1968 International Encyclopedia of the Social Sciences will also want to consider purchase.-T. N. Smalley, Cabrillo College
Library Journal Review
Under the leadership of Borgatta (Univ. of Washington), 337 academics (mostly American sociologists) contributed articles to this comprehensive sociology encyclopedia. Theories, concepts, areas of study, and subfields of sociology, as well as methods for research and analysis in sociology, are covered in 370 lengthy essay-like entries. (Some overlap into related fields such as criminal justice also occurs.) While the entries have no standard format, most offer definitions, general explanations, statistics, and the historical development of their subject. The majority of the entries appear to have been written in 1989 or 1990 and, in their selection and content, show the momentous changes in the field of sociology since the 1960s. All are well documented with references. There is an excellent subject/name index and many cross references. Aimed at an academic audience, this encyclopedia's intellectual level is somewhat challenging for undergraduates. The editor notes that some technical articles ``require a preexisting knowledge base in order to be fully understood by the readers.'' Still, no other sociology encyclopedia available has anywhere near this work's depth. The International Encyclopedia of the Social Sciences , edited by David L. Stills (Macmillan, 1968-79. 8 vols.), includes a good portion of the material presented here, but many topics are either not covered or covered in less depth. Highly recommended for all academic libraries.-- Mary Jane Brustman, SUNY at Albany Libs. (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.