Brian Longhurst

This updated, new edition of Introducing Cultural Studies provides a systematic and comprehensible introduction to the concepts, debates and latest research in the field. Reinforcing the interdisciplinary nature of Cultural Studies, the authors first guide the reader through cultural theory before branching out to examine different dimensions of culture in detail – including globalisation, the body, geography, fashion, and politics. Incorporating new scholarship and international examples, this new edition includes: New and improved 'Defining Concepts', 'Key Influences', 'Example ', and 'Spotlight' features that probe deeper into the most significant ideas, theorists and examples, ensuring you obtain an in-depth understanding of the subjectA brand new companion website featuring a flashcard glossary, web links, discussion and essay questions to stimulate independent studyA new-look text design with over 60 pictures and tables draws all these elements together in an attractive, accessible design that makes navigating the book, and the subject, simple and logicalIntroducing Cultural Studies will be core reading for Cultural Studies undergraduates and postgraduates, as well as an illuminating guide for those on Communication and Media Studies, English, Sociology, and Social Studies courses looking for a clear overview of the field.

This updated, new edition of Introducing Cultural Studies provides a systematic and comprehensible introduction to the concepts, debates and latest research in the field. Reinforcing the interdisciplinary nature of Cultural Studies, the authors first guide the reader through cultural theory before branching out to examine different dimensions of culture in detail – including globalisation, the body, geography, fashion, and politics. Incorporating new scholarship and international examples, this new edition includes: New and improved 'Defining Concepts', 'Key Influences', 'Example ', and 'Spotlight' features that probe deeper into the most significant ideas, theorists and examples, ensuring you obtain an in-depth understanding of the subjectA brand new companion website featuring a flashcard glossary, web links, discussion and essay questions to stimulate independent studyA new-look text design with over 60 pictures and tables draws all these elements together in an attractive, accessible design that makes navigating the book, and the subject, simple and logicalIntroducing Cultural Studies will be core reading for Cultural Studies undergraduates and postgraduates, as well as an illuminating guide for those on Communication and Media Studies, English, Sociology, and Social Studies courses looking for a clear overview of the field.

First Published in 1994. Discourse, Power and Justice is a distinctive and theoretically informed empirical study of the administration of the Scottish prison system. It is based on extensive research and combines theoretical innovation with detailed empirical evidence. The book is located at the confluence of two academic traditions and their associated literatures, socio-legal studies and the sociology of knowledge, which are combined to produce a novel theoretical framework. The authors focus on the activities of those who manage the prison system. They identify the most important social actors in the prison system, located both historically and comparatively, and examine their characteristic forms of discourse. A number of crucial areas of decision-making are analysed in depth, including decisions about the initial classification of prisoners, transfers between establishments and the allocation of prisoners to different forms of work. Another major focus is on the different forms and mechanisms of accountability, and the book concludes with an analysis of recent policy changes. Discourse, Power and Justice will be essential reading for both students and practitioners in sociology, social policy, criminology and law.

The third edition of Popular Music and Society is fully revised and updated, deftly exploring the study of popular music in the context of wider debates in sociology and media and cultural studies. Astute and accessible, it continues to set the agenda for research and teaching in this area. The book begins by examining the ways in which popular music is produced, before moving on to explore its structure as text and the ways in which audiences understand and use music. Packed with up-to-date examples and data on the contemporary production and consumption of popular music, the book includes overviews and critiques of theoretical approaches to this exciting area of study and outlines the most important empirical studies which have shaped the discipline. Topics covered include: The contemporary organization of the music industryThe effects of technological change on productionThe history and politics of popular musicGender, sexuality and ethnicitySubculturesFans and music celebrities This new edition adds sections on the impact of digital media on popular music production and consumption and incorporates original ethnographic research on musicianship and musical practices. It will continue to be required reading for students of the sociology of culture, media and communication studies, and popular culture.

The third edition of Popular Music and Society is fully revised and updated, deftly exploring the study of popular music in the context of wider debates in sociology and media and cultural studies. Astute and accessible, it continues to set the agenda for research and teaching in this area. The book begins by examining the ways in which popular music is produced, before moving on to explore its structure as text and the ways in which audiences understand and use music. Packed with up-to-date examples and data on the contemporary production and consumption of popular music, the book includes overviews and critiques of theoretical approaches to this exciting area of study and outlines the most important empirical studies which have shaped the discipline. Topics covered include: The contemporary organization of the music industryThe effects of technological change on productionThe history and politics of popular musicGender, sexuality and ethnicitySubculturesFans and music celebrities This new edition adds sections on the impact of digital media on popular music production and consumption and incorporates original ethnographic research on musicianship and musical practices. It will continue to be required reading for students of the sociology of culture, media and communication studies, and popular culture.

'Globalization and Belonging's headline message - that place matters, that locality remains vital to people, is arresting' - Frank Webster, Professor of Sociology, City University, London Drawing on long-term empirical research into cultural practices, lifestyles and identities, Globalization and Belonging explores how far-reaching global changes are articulated locally. The authors address key sociological issues of stratification as analysis alongside 'cultural' issues of identity, difference, choice and lifestyle. Their original argument: " Shows how globalisation theory conceives of the 'local' " Reveals that people have a sense of elective belonging based on where they choose to put down roots " Suggests that the feel of a place is much more strongly influenced by the values and lifestyles of those migrating to it " reinvigorates debates in urban and community studies by recovering the 'local' as an intrinsic aspect of globalisation Theoretically rigorous, the book is brought to life with direct quotations from the authors' research, and appeals to students in urban sociology, urban geography, media studies and cultural studies.

'Globalization and Belonging's headline message - that place matters, that locality remains vital to people, is arresting' - Frank Webster, Professor of Sociology, City University, London Drawing on long-term empirical research into cultural practices, lifestyles and identities, Globalization and Belonging explores how far-reaching global changes are articulated locally. The authors address key sociological issues of stratification as analysis alongside 'cultural' issues of identity, difference, choice and lifestyle. Their original argument: " Shows how globalisation theory conceives of the 'local' " Reveals that people have a sense of elective belonging based on where they choose to put down roots " Suggests that the feel of a place is much more strongly influenced by the values and lifestyles of those migrating to it " reinvigorates debates in urban and community studies by recovering the 'local' as an intrinsic aspect of globalisation Theoretically rigorous, the book is brought to life with direct quotations from the authors' research, and appeals to students in urban sociology, urban geography, media studies and cultural studies.

`This book is worth reading for a number of reasons. It is the first introductory work of critical audience research that suggests how we can study the connection of media consumption in general with every day life, and it also goes beyond its competitors in showing how postmodern thinking can help us in the analysis of a "whole way of life"' - Journal of Communication Audiences are problematic and the study of audiences has represented a key site of activity in the social sciences and humanities. Offering a timely review of the past 50 years of theoretical and methodological debate Audiences argues the case for a paradigmatic shift in audience research. This shift, argue the authors, is necessitated by the emergence of the `diffused audience'. Audience experience can no longer be simply classified as `simple' or `mass', for in modern advanced capitalist societies, people are members of an audience all the time. Being a member of an audience is no longer an exceptional event, nor even an everyday event, rather it is constitutive of everyday life. This book offers an invaluable review of the literature and a new point of departure for audience research.

`This book is worth reading for a number of reasons. It is the first introductory work of critical audience research that suggests how we can study the connection of media consumption in general with every day life, and it also goes beyond its competitors in showing how postmodern thinking can help us in the analysis of a "whole way of life"' - Journal of Communication Audiences are problematic and the study of audiences has represented a key site of activity in the social sciences and humanities. Offering a timely review of the past 50 years of theoretical and methodological debate Audiences argues the case for a paradigmatic shift in audience research. This shift, argue the authors, is necessitated by the emergence of the `diffused audience'. Audience experience can no longer be simply classified as `simple' or `mass', for in modern advanced capitalist societies, people are members of an audience all the time. Being a member of an audience is no longer an exceptional event, nor even an everyday event, rather it is constitutive of everyday life. This book offers an invaluable review of the literature and a new point of departure for audience research.

First Published in 1994. Discourse, Power and Justice is a distinctive and theoretically informed empirical study of the administration of the Scottish prison system. It is based on extensive research and combines theoretical innovation with detailed empirical evidence. The book is located at the confluence of two academic traditions and their associated literatures, socio-legal studies and the sociology of knowledge, which are combined to produce a novel theoretical framework. The authors focus on the activities of those who manage the prison system. They identify the most important social actors in the prison system, located both historically and comparatively, and examine their characteristic forms of discourse. A number of crucial areas of decision-making are analysed in depth, including decisions about the initial classification of prisoners, transfers between establishments and the allocation of prisoners to different forms of work. Another major focus is on the different forms and mechanisms of accountability, and the book concludes with an analysis of recent policy changes. Discourse, Power and Justice will be essential reading for both students and practitioners in sociology, social policy, criminology and law.