The aim of this book is the understanding and appreciation of sociology. It is about the theory and practice of sociology, not a treatise in sociology. Thus, its perspective is broader, eclectic and more general than that of a textbook on sociology. It is intended to be an introduction to other literature of sociology. Because no one work could cover all the literature in this field, my intent was to select the theory and practice that is most relevant and useful in understanding and analyzing behaviour, action and activities in society. The selection also takes into account those practices, processes and problems that are commonly met by students in secondary institutions, in particular, at the ordinary and advanced levels. It is hoped this audience finds in this book useful applicable methods of description and analysis of social and contemporary issues. It is specially designed as a sensitizing, teaching and learning vehicle. Thus, it is a source book on the many dimensions of sociology as a discipline. Social phenomena and reality, being of diverse nature, cannot be grasped except through a multi dimensional approach in which concepts and ideas prove useful at different stages of development. This is especially true of the contemporary world which is witnessing rapid and comprehensive processes of social transformation.I hope to convey a sense of the significance of sociology both as a human activity and as an intellectual discipline. It is also intended to introduce important concepts involved in the study of sociology. The book tries to establish the interrelations of sociology as a process with other social processes. There is great need today in the field of sociology for adequate, relevant and user friendly books whose conceptual tools can realistically and significantly describe concepts and processes which must provide the basis for effective observation and analysis.The book is based on the ordinary and advanced level syllabuses of the African and British examination boards. It can be used as the basis of either a one year or two year course as the teacher wishes. It is always important that books published in the field of sociology should attempt to introduce the subject to students with little background knowledge. A major difficulty in such a venture is that syllabus headings give artificial and disjointed coverage of the topics. This tends to mislead the student into regarding the various topics as discrete or separate entities. So this book gives an effective insight into the complexity of sociological study by stressing and explaining key concepts. This is augmented by introducing the theoretical and historical backgrounds to sociology as part of the social sciences. The approach and content of this book which are clear, concise and comprehensive, give it value in its own right. But to students preparing for public examinations it will be extremely useful.I introduce fundamental concepts which are the sociological tools the student should use when thinking about society from a sociological viewpoint. At the end of each chapter summaries are helpful aids to study. Assignments and tasks, for individual and group work, will serve to consolidate the understanding acquired from the text. These should enable the students to relate the text to examination questions. A chapter on Great Figures in Sociology is a useful and relevant, reference on the main perspectives in the development of sociology, and the personalities behind them.[A separate examination work book is available. It has examples of real examination questions, model answers and techniques. In this respect my extensive experiences as teacher, tutor, moderator and examiner in a range of public examinations, will assure the students that the recommended approaches and skills are those deemed to be relevant to examination success.]
