Flying Aeroplanes And Other Sociological Tales

Flying Aeroplanes and Other Sociological Tales is an introductory textbook for students wishing to learn about sociology and social research methods. Each of the short tales, told by a sociologist, introduces topics and research methods using an engaging storyline. The opening story narrates how the sociologist uses participant observation to understand the work of a commercial pilot, and how he feels about autopilot systems replacing his job of flying aeroplanes. Other tales feature topics such as education, health, crime, and gender. There is also a chapter on ‘lockdown’ during the Covid-19 pandemic. One main feature of the book is the ‘back door’ approach to teaching research methods, with chapters dedicated to exploring statistics, sampling, visual methods, documents, embodied methods, autoethnographic research and ethics. Traditional textbooks in sociology focus on what novice sociologists should do, but few, if any, comprehensively deal with overcoming problems as they might emerge and explain what to do when things go wrong. The sociological tales written in this book provide examples of when field access is denied, research participants refuse to take part, and when recording equipment has broken down. Each tale raises issues and problems for the sociologist to overcome, such as research design flaws, sampling bias, lack of rapport with research participants, and the problems with breaking ethical codes of conduct. The book provides insight into the role of the sociologist, why sociology matters, and what happens when sociology fails us. Flying Aeroplanes and Other Sociological Tales introduces a unique approach to teaching sociology and social research methods.

Social Problems in the UK: An Introduction contextualises the most pressing social problems of our times drawing upon the disciplines of sociology, social policy, education studies and health studies. This much-needed textbook brings together a comprehensive range of expertise in the applied social sciences to discuss the social myths and moral panics that surround many popular debates. This is an accessible text that carefully guides students through the methodology of social construction and related theories to introduce key topics in the areas of: ‘Race’ and ethnicity The future of work Poverty and homelessness Inequalities in education Health, public health and mental health Ageing and the ‘third age’ This completely revised and up-to-date second edition covers the most urgent social issues facing the UK today, including an analysis of the Black Lives Matter movement, the Covid-19 health crisis and the new ‘gig’ economy. The second edition maintains the accessible style and easy-to-read format of the first edition, integrated with Key Points and Further Reading elements to further aid student learning. Situated firmly in the new post-pandemic, post-Brexit world, this text contains new chapters on all the most pressing questions raised in the media and in public debates. It will help readers understand the background and broader context of the UK’s key social problems.

Since its invention in 1903, the airplane has become the dominant mode of transport, travel, and combat. It has brought the entire planet closer together and changed almost every aspect of how we live today. Along the way, the airplane has inspired writers in every decade of the twentieth century to celebrate this world-changing creation. From the wild first years of aviation when daredevil men challenged each other to set altitude records to the terrible three-dimensional landscape of combat in the air through all the wars of this century, authors from around the world have written of the airplanes and the men and women who fly them. Now, bestselling author Stephen Coonts has collected some of the finest fiction about flying in one volume. On Glorious Wings contains stories and excerpts from world-renowned authors, including Dale Brown, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Louis L'Amour, James Michener, Joseph Heller, Len Deighton, Frederick Forsyth, William Faulkner, Ralph Peters and Stephen Coonts himself. From the rickety wire-and-wood contraptions of the 1920s to the possible future of warfare in 2020, this collection invites you to take to the skies with some of today's most acclaimed authors, including: "Five Weeks in a Balloon" by Jules Verne: Take a fanciful trip through the air as imagined by one of the great authors of the nineteenth century. "All of the Dead Pilots" by William Faulkner: One of America's greatest storytellers looks at Britain in World War II, where a brash American pilot and an unflappable British officer clash over the same woman. "Wings over Khabarovsk" by Louis L'Amour: The great Western writer also penned many tales for the pulp magazines of the 1930s and '40s, including this classic of the genre about an American pilot framed for spying on the far side of the world. "An Hour to San Francisco," from The High and the Mighty, by Ernest K. Gann: When a four-engine plane loses an engine over the Pacific Ocean, what had been an uneventful trip becomes a white-knuckle race for survival. "Corey Ford Buys the Farm," from Flight of the Intruder, by Stephen Coonts: During the Vietnam Conflict, pilots took lightly armed A-6 Intruders on harrowing near-suicide missions against the North Vietnamese army. Here, the master of the military thriller takes you along for the ride inside the cockpit as three Intruders head out to destroy some Russian MiG fighters grounded in Laos. "Power River MOA," from The Sky Masters, by Dale Brown: At the Powder River weapons-testing site, the jet fighters may fire blanks, but the air combat simulations are as real as can be. Strap yourself in for a ride in the latest in bomber technology-the EB-52 Megafortress. "Retaliation," from The War in 2020, by Ralph Peters: In the near future, America is threatened by a joint Iran-Japan military force that threatens the Middle East and Europe. Saddle up with the high-tech, hard-hitting cavalry soldiers of the future and their armored, fire-breathing future flying machines as they take to the air to raid on an enemy base. With an introduction and story notes written by Stephen Coonts, On Glorious Wings is a must-have for any aviation enthusiast. At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.

Collection of exciting & unforgettable aviation stories.

For: Austin a. Cratty.

At 10:35 in the morning of Thursday, December 17, 1903, man got his wings. On the sand dunes of Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, Orville Wright flew the motorized aircraft he and his brother Wilbur had constructed to a distance less than the length of the wingspan of today's 747 jet. They made three other flights the same day, the final lasting 59 seconds for a distance over the ground of 852 feet. The world would never be the same after that day. Mankind was finally off the ground in powered flight. And man's experiences in the air would forevermore join the literature of human endeavors, to be shared by kindred spirits as well as the curious sorts who have wanted to know, "What was it like up there?" In THE GREATEST FLYING STORIES EVER TOLD, editor Lamar Underwood has collected some of the finest writings, both fact and realistic fiction, to lay bare the drama of human beings coping with the skills needed to direct their machines through the vastness of the skies. With contributions from: Charles Lindbergh, Ernest K. Gann, General Chuck Yeager, Leo Janos, Tom Wolfe, Mary Lovell, Richard Bach, Rinker Buck, Diane Ackerman, Derek Robinson, and more.