Textbooks and Sociology: A Franco—British Comparison

Abstract

This comparison of British and French textbooks published between 1950 and 2003 sets out to identify differences and similarities in form and content that may be indicative of the ways in which sociology is conceived of and practised in the two countries. Various aspects of the texts are examined such as their definitions of sociology, their construction of the sociological tradition and their use of examples and illustrations. Both common features and differences are found suggesting the existence of distinct national traditions that refer to more universal characteristics inherent in sociology as a discipline.