A Passion for Society

How We Think about Human Suffering

Nonfiction, Social & Cultural Studies, Social Science, Anthropology
Cover of the book A Passion for Society by Iain Wilkinson, Arthur Kleinman, University of California Press
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Author: Iain Wilkinson, Arthur Kleinman ISBN: 9780520962408
Publisher: University of California Press Publication: January 26, 2016
Imprint: University of California Press Language: English
Author: Iain Wilkinson, Arthur Kleinman
ISBN: 9780520962408
Publisher: University of California Press
Publication: January 26, 2016
Imprint: University of California Press
Language: English

What does human suffering mean for society? And how has this meaning changed from the past to the present? In what ways does “the problem of suffering” serve to inspire us to  care for others? How does our response to suffering reveal our moral and social conditions? In this trenchant work, Arthur Kleinman—a renowned figure in medical anthropology—and Iain Wilkinson, an award-winning sociologist, team up to offer some answers to these profound questions.

A Passion for Society investigates the historical development and current state of social science with a focus on how this development has been shaped in response to problems of social suffering. Following a line of criticism offered by key social theorists and cultural commentators who themselves were unhappy with the professionalization of social science, Wilkinson and Kleinman provide a critical commentary on how studies of  society have moved from an original concern with social suffering and its amelioration to dispassionate inquiries. The authors demonstrate how social action through  caring for others is revitalizing and remaking the discipline of social science, and they examine the potential for achieving greater understanding though a moral commitment to the practice of care for others. In this deeply considered work, Wilkinson and Kleinman argue for an engaged social science that connects critical thought with social action, that seeks to learn through caregiving, and that operates with a commitment to establish and sustain humane forms of society.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

What does human suffering mean for society? And how has this meaning changed from the past to the present? In what ways does “the problem of suffering” serve to inspire us to  care for others? How does our response to suffering reveal our moral and social conditions? In this trenchant work, Arthur Kleinman—a renowned figure in medical anthropology—and Iain Wilkinson, an award-winning sociologist, team up to offer some answers to these profound questions.

A Passion for Society investigates the historical development and current state of social science with a focus on how this development has been shaped in response to problems of social suffering. Following a line of criticism offered by key social theorists and cultural commentators who themselves were unhappy with the professionalization of social science, Wilkinson and Kleinman provide a critical commentary on how studies of  society have moved from an original concern with social suffering and its amelioration to dispassionate inquiries. The authors demonstrate how social action through  caring for others is revitalizing and remaking the discipline of social science, and they examine the potential for achieving greater understanding though a moral commitment to the practice of care for others. In this deeply considered work, Wilkinson and Kleinman argue for an engaged social science that connects critical thought with social action, that seeks to learn through caregiving, and that operates with a commitment to establish and sustain humane forms of society.

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