The Penguin Dictionary of Sociology (Penguin Dictionary) [Paperback]

Nicholas Abercrombie (Author)

Product Details

• Paperback: 464 pages
• Publisher: Prentice Hall; 4th edition (2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0140513809
• ISBN-13: 978-0140513806
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 5.1 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #915,093 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Perspective From an Instructor, August 16, 2000

By 

Thom. B (Chicago, IL) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Dictionary of Sociology, The Penguin: Third Edition (Dictionary, Penguin) (Paperback)

While there are other dictionaries out there that do a better job, for the price of this dictionary it is a great reference for Introduction to Sociology students. Definitions range from a few words to a couple of pages. Usually gives a reference to an author connected to the term and other concepts that might be important to the term. Still there are key concepts missing (for instance a definition of methodology) that make this book problematic. This book is not written from a particular standpoint, but at times the definitions are classical.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Very Helpful Guide, July 5, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Dictionary of Sociology, The Penguin: Third Edition (Dictionary, Penguin) (Paperback)

For any student of sociology, this is a welcomed addition to textbooks. The dictionary is also a good addition to the library of someone who just enjoys reading sociology books. It has a bit of a British flair because of its authors, but is really a well-rounded and insightful reference book.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This book saved me from a web of confusion, May 11, 2005

By 

neetypeety (Australia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Penguin Dictionary of Sociology (Penguin Dictionary) (Paperback)

During my first undergraduate sociology topic, I became confused by all the unfamiliar terms I was encountering in the readings. This dictionary saved me from a web of confusion by clearly defining each term.

The terms are explicitly explained and differentiated from each other. This sort of description is hard to come by in sociological literature.

It also acknowledges the relationship between terms by recommending other terms to refer to. Below many definitions, there are even references to readings if you want more information on the topic.

While the definitions are restricted to explain only the given term, they are also detailed enough to give a good understanding of the meaning and context of the term. Most terms are explained in a paragraph or two, while more important and complex terms or phrases are explained with more information, often in one or two pages.

If you want explicit descriptions of terms that we don't often encounter outside of sociology, or of terms that have a different meaning within sociology, this book will definitely help you. You will be able to write your papers more confidently knowing that you fully understand the sociological concepts.

Even though I no longer study sociology, I am happy to see this dictionary still resting on my bookshelf because I remember what a great help it was.