Public Sociology highlights the relevance of sociological perspectives to Australian social life and encourages students to apply a sociological gaze to their own lives and the communities in which they live. This fully revised and updated fifth edition adds new chapters and material on a wide range of contemporary issues.

Module 1: Doing Public Sociology 1. The sociological gaze: Linking private lives to public issues 2. Sociological foundations: Early theorists and theories 3. Contemporary sociological theorists and theories 4. Sociological investigations: Doing social research Module 2: Social Identities 5. Socialisation: How we become who and what we are 6. Youth, Identity, and Social Change 7. Families and Intimate relationships 8. Consumption and lifestyles 9. This Sporting Life 10. A sociology of licit and illicit drugs Module 3: Social Differences and Inequalities 11. Class and inequality in Australia 12. Gender and sexualities 13. Ethnicity and belonging 14. Indigenous Issues, Rights, and Sovereignty 15. Religion and spirituality in contemporary Australia 16. Deviance, crime, and social control Module 4: Social Transformations 17. The social determinants of health and illness 18. Globalisation, power, and social movements 19. Global risk and the surveillance state: A sociology of new terrorism 20. Working 24/7: The new work ethic 21. A sociology of pandemics: The nexus of personal troubles and public issues 22. Media and popular culture 23. Educating society: Sociological debates and dilemmas Module 5: Future Directions 24. A sociological toolkit 25. Writing a sociology essay 26. Threshold learning outcomes for sociology