Sociology & Criminology for a Changing World
The Power Elite (1956) by C. Wright Mills is one of the most influential works in twentieth-century sociology. It offers a powerful critique of postwar American society by arguing that political, economic, and military leaders form a tightly interconnected ruling class. Unlike pluralist theories that see power as widely dispersed, Mills claims that a relatively
Punishing the Poor by French-American sociologist Loïc Wacquant offers a sharp analysis of the relationship between poverty, criminal justice, and the neoliberal state. The central thesis: in times of neoliberal redistribution and social insecurity, the penal apparatus takes the place of the welfare state—not to solve social problems, but to manage the consequences of growing
Risk Society (1986) by Ulrich Beck laid the foundation for a sociology of modernity that no longer focuses primarily on class and production relations but on socially produced risks. The book quickly became a classic in the social sciences and has significantly shaped debates on globalization, individualization, and ecological crises. What is a Risk Society?