Overview
- This book is open access, which means that you have free and unlimited access.
- Addresses an approach to study the individual-society relationship in sociological research
- Examines the history-biography dynamic in biographical life course studies
- Considers ways of bridging methodological divides in biographical life course studies
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Table of contents (7 chapters)
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Front Matter
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Back Matter
Keywords
About this book
This open access book explores an approach that connects individual and societal processes throughout history and shifting trends in sociological perspectives, influenced by C. Wright Mills’ theories of time and temporality. It traces its origins from American pragmatist thought and Chicago qualitative sociology in the early 20th century to the revival of biographical research in European and American sociology during the 1970s. The book shows empirical studies from this vibrant research approach can bridge methodological gaps between qualitative and quantitative biographical studies, applicable to various topics like class, gender, ethnicity, and intergenerational dimensions.
Reviews
“Biographical Life Course Research provides a fascinating comparative/historical account of the theoretical and methodological underpinnings of life course study, from the Chicago School to contemporary debates surrounding structure and agency, postmodern individualism, and the “cultural turn” in biographical research. Insightfully, Nilsen details how growing recognition of the gendered character of life courses has enhanced understanding of history and biography.” (Jeylan Mortimer, University of Minnesota, USA)
“Ann Nilsen has spent a career thinking deeply about biographical research and in this clear and accessible volume we receive the fruits of her scholarship. She weaves together a vital account of the place of biographical research within the history of sociology with a clear analysis of key concepts and the challenge and promise of the approach. She also showcases her own influential contribution to the field and provides a map of essential authors and their works. This is the ideal volume for teaching biographical and life course research methods, and will be essential reading for students wishing to use this powerful approach in their own studies. Finally, it is provides a blue print for how we might forge better connections between qualitative and quantitative approaches to research, using biographical methods to address the great challenges of our times including growing inequality and climate disaster.” (Rachel Thomson, University of Sussex, UK)
Authors and Affiliations
About the author
Bibliographic Information
Book Title: Biographical Life Course Research
Book Subtitle: Studying the Biography-History Dynamic
Authors: Ann Nilsen
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-44717-4
Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan Cham
eBook Packages: Social Sciences, Social Sciences (R0)
Copyright Information: The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s) 2023
Hardcover ISBN: 978-3-031-44716-7Published: 14 December 2023
Softcover ISBN: 978-3-031-44719-8Due: 14 January 2024
eBook ISBN: 978-3-031-44717-4Published: 13 December 2023
Edition Number: 1
Number of Pages: XI, 178
Number of Illustrations: 1 illustrations in colour
Topics: Social Sciences, general, Human Geography, Sociology of Family, Youth and Aging, Stylistics