Sociology & Criminology for a Changing World
With the concept of “liquid modernity”, Zygmunt Bauman offers a striking diagnosis of contemporary society: our world, he argues, has lost its solid forms. What used to be stable and predictable—work, relationships, life paths—is now flexible, uncertain, and in constant flux. Modernity has become liquid: structures dissolve, reference points vanish, and individuals are increasingly left
The Metropolis and Mental Life (1903) is one of Georg Simmel’s central works in early urban sociology. It analyzes the effects of the modern metropolis on the life of the individual. Simmel describes how urbanization and social change transform social relationships and shape the mental life of city dwellers. For students, this text is foundational
Introduction Sociology is an empirical and theoretical discipline. In addition to its applied topics and theories (presented here), the field is also defined by its engagement with foundational theoretical perspectives. The works collected below can be considered key works of sociology. Spanning over 150 years of theory-building, these texts are considered classics: they have been
Émile Durkheim (1858–1917) is considered one of the founding figures of modern sociology. In his seminal work The Division of Labour in Society (De la division du travail social, 1893), he examines how social order and cohesion are maintained in complex societies. His central thesis: while traditional societies are held together by mechanical solidarity, modern
The Communist Manifesto by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels is one of the most influential political and social theory texts of modern times. Published in February 1848, it serves as a programmatic text, a theoretical foundation, and a political call to action all at once. With its concise analysis of class struggle and sharp critique
Ferdinand Tönnies’ work „Community and Society“ (1887) is considered one of the earliest and most important key texts in sociology. In this work, Tönnies introduces the fundamental distinction between two forms of social life: the traditionally rooted, emotionally bound community and the rationally calculated, purpose-driven society. This differentiation continues to influence sociological analyses of social