Book Description

The Social Structure of Modern Britain, Third Edition is a comprehensive account of the social structure of modern Britain. Aspects of social structure are examined from a historical and comparative perspective. The book includes statistical information, not only on the more obvious areas like births, deaths, and immigration, but also on such lesser known (but no less important) topics as leisure behavior, income and wealth, and trends in criminal and other deviant activities. Comprised of six chapters, this book begins with an introduction to the demographic features of British society, including population trends in the twentieth century, socio-economic aspects of population, and fertility and mortality trends, along with the effects of immigration on demography. Subsequent chapters focus on the family, social class, and education as well as leisure and pleasure. The final chapter is devoted to three major mechanisms of social control in British society: religion, political institutions, and law enforcement. In particular, it assesses the extent to which religious beliefs and political attitudes exert control over people's thoughts and behavior, together with the definition of crime, the causes of criminal behavior, and the aims of a penal system. This monograph will be a useful resource for sociologists and social scientists.