{"product_id":"telling-about-society-9780226041261","title":"Telling about Society","description":"\u003ci\u003eI Remember\u003c\/i\u003e, one of French writer Georges Perec's most famous pieces, consists of 480 numbered paragraphs--each just a few short lines recalling a memory from his childhood. The work has neither a beginning nor an end. Nor does it contain any analysis. But it nonetheless reveals profound truths about French society during the 1940s and 50s. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eTaking Perec's book as its cue, \u003ci\u003eTelling About Society\u003c\/i\u003e explores the unconventional ways we communicate what we know about society to others. The third in distinguished teacher Howard Becker's best-selling series of writing guides for social scientists, the book explores the many ways knowledge about society can be shared and interpreted through different forms of telling--fiction, films, photographs, maps, even mathematical models--many of which remain outside the boundaries of conventional social science. Eight case studies, including the photographs of Walker Evans, the plays of George Bernard Shaw, the novels of Jane Austen and Italo Calvino, and the sociology of Erving Goffman, provide convincing support for Becker's argument: that every way of telling about society is perfect--for some purpose. The trick is, as Becker notes, to discover what purpose is served by doing it \u003ci\u003ethis\u003c\/i\u003e way rather than \u003ci\u003ethat. \u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWith Becker's trademark humor and eminently practical advice, \u003ci\u003eTelling About Society\u003c\/i\u003e is an ideal guide for social scientists in all fields, for artists interested in saying something about society, and for anyone interested in communicating knowledge in unconventional ways.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eHoward Becker\u003c\/b\u003e lives and works in San Francisco. He is the author of several books, including \u003ci\u003eOutsiders\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eWriting for Social Scientists\u003c\/i\u003e, and \u003ci\u003eTricks of the Trade\u003c\/i\u003e, the latter two published by the University of Chicago Press.\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"University of Chicago Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50318442004754,"sku":"9780226041261","price":19.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0831\/4771\/8930\/files\/img_bde66272-27c1-4e62-a8b8-2421cd7bfad1.jpg?v=1727555475","url":"https:\/\/surprise-castle.myshopify.com\/products\/telling-about-society-9780226041261","provider":"Surprise Castle","version":"1.0","type":"link"}