This fully revised and updated introduction to political sociology incorporates the burgeoning literature on globalization and shows how contemporary politics is linked to cultural issues, social structure and democratizing social action.

1. Changing Definitions of Politics and Power. 1.1 The Marxist Tradition of Political Sociology. 1.2 The Weberian Tradition of Political Sociology. 1.3 The Durkheimian Tradition of Political Sociology. 1.4 Focauldian Definitions of Power and Politics. 1.5 Cultural Politics. 2. Politics in a Small World. 2.1 Explaining Globalization. 2.2 State Transformation and Imperialism. 2.3 We are the World? 3. Social Movements. 3.1 Resource Mobilization Theory and Beyond. 3.2 New Social Movement Theory: Conflict and Culture. 3.3 Toward a Synthesis: The Definition of “Social Movement”. 3.4 Global Social Movements. 4. Citizenship. 4.1 T. H. Marshall: Citizenship, Social Class, and the Nation-State. 4.2 Citizenship, Wealth, and Poverty. 4.3 Citizenship, Sex, and Sexuality. 4.4 Citizenship, Racialization, and Ethnicity. 4.5 Post-National Citizenship? 5. Globalization and Democracy. 5.1 Democracy in Crisis: Political Parties and Elections. 5.2 Democracy, Human Rights, and International Political Institutions. 5.3 Global Civil Society. 5.4 Democracy and Cultural Politics. Glossary. References. Index.

The second edition of this popular book is a fully revised and updated introduction to developments in contemporary political sociology, and especially to the burgeoning literature on globalization.  The discussion throughout concerns how, in order to understand contemporary politics, we need to be sensitive to the contestation of cultural meanings, and to their effects on social structuring and democratizing social action.  The book focuses throughout on substantive areas of sociological research.  There are updated chapters on: definitions of power and politics; macro-theories of globalization, including new discussions of global governance and state transformation, and of media and political community; social movements, including recent work on global social movements; and citizenship and the politics of equality and “difference”, including an extended discussion of welfare and poverty. In addition there is a new chapter on democracy, democratization, and environmentalism in a global context. Above all the book lays out the terms of the fundamental debate that is currently being enacted in contemporary politics, giving students in sociology and politics the tools to understand and to assess for themselves how globalization is linked to imperialism, at the same as it involves new possibilities for democracy, peace and respect for human rights.

Preface to the Second Edition 1. Changing Definitions of Politics and Power 2. Politics in a Small World 3. Social Movements 4. Citizenship 5. Globalization and Democracy Glossary References Index