Sociology Looks at the Arts

Sociology Looks at the Arts is intended as a concise yet nuanced introduction to the sociology of art. This book will provide a foundation for teaching and discussing a range of questions and perspectives used by sociologists who study the relationship between the arts – including music, performing arts, visual arts, literature, film and new media – and society.

Sociology Looks at the Arts covers themes that are central for understanding art’s current position in complex, post-industrial societies like our own. The book also addresses the social and historical construction of art and aesthetic experience in Western societies by drawing on literature from the fields of history, art history and aesthetics. By providing this important background knowledge, this book prepares undergraduates who may not have taken courses in philosophy and history with tools for a deeper and more critical understanding of sociology’s approach to the arts.