The art of listening / Les Back.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Back, Les, 1962-

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Listening--Social aspects.

Listening.

Culture and globalization.

Social aspects.

Physical Description:

x, 210 pages : illustrations ; 24 cm

Edition:

English edition.

Place of Publication:

Oxford ; New York : Berg, 2007.

Summary:

Our culture is one that speaks rather than listens. From reality TV to political rallies, there is a clamour to be heard, to narrate, and to receive attention. It reduces 'reality' to revelation and voyeurism. The Art of Listening argues that this way of life is having severe and damaging consequences in a world that is increasingly globalized and interconnected. It addresses the question: how can we listen more carefully? Social and cultural theory is combined with real stories from the experiences of the desperate stowaways who hide in the undercarriages of jet planes in order to seek asylum, to the young working-class people who use tattooing to commemorate a lost love. The Art of Listening shows how sociology is in a unique position to record 'life passed in living' and to listen to complex experiences with humility and ethical care, providing a resource to understand the contemporary world while pointing to the possibility of a different kind of future.

Contents:

Introduction : sociology as a listener's art

Falling from the sky

Home from home

Inscriptions of love

Listening with the eye

London calling

Conclusion : live sociology.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

9781845201203

1845201205

9781845201210

1845201213

OCLC:

123375430

Online:

Contributor biographical information

Publisher description