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.
Albrow, Martin (1993) `The Changing British Role in European Sociology', in Brigitta Nedelmann and Piotr Sztompka (eds) Sociology in Europe, pp. 81—97. New York: Walter de Gruyter.
2.
Berthelot, Jean-Michel (2000) La Sociologie française contemporaine. Paris: PUF.
3.
Besnard, Philippe (1991) `La Sociologie en manuels', Revue Française de SociologieXXXII: 493—502.
4.
Bilton, Tony, Bonnet, Kevin, Jones, Philip, Stanworth, Michelle, Sheard, Ken and Webster, Andrew (1981, 1987) Introductory Sociology. London: Macmillan.
5.
Bottomore, T.B. (1962) Sociology: A Guide to Problems and Literature. London: Unwin.
6.
Boudon, Raymond (1993) `European Sociology: The Identity Lost', in Brigitta Nedelmann and Piotr Sztompka (eds) Sociology in Europe, pp. 27—43. New York: Walter de Gruyter.
7.
Chapoulie, Jean-Michel (1991) `La Seconde Fondation de la sociologie française, les Etats-Unis et la classe ouvrière', Revue Française de SociologieXXXII(3): 321—64.
8.
Clarke, Michael (1976) `First Year Sociology Courses: A Report of a Survey ', Sociology10: 83—99.
9.
Coiffier, Eliane, Crozet, Yves, Dehoux-Grafmeyer, Danielle, Faure, François and Renaud, Jean-François (1990) Sociologie basique. Paris: Nathan.
10.
Cotgrove, Stephen (1967) The Science of Society. London : George, Allen and Unwin.
11.
Cuvillier, Armand (Vols 1 and 2, 1950; Vol. 1 5th edn, 1967; Vol. 2 6th edn, 1968; Vol. 3, 1970) Manuel de sociologie. Paris: PUF.
12.
Drouard, Alain (1989) `The Development of Sociology in France after 1945 ', in Nikolaï Genov (ed.) National Traditions in Sociology, pp. 66—80. London: Sage.
13.
Durand, Jean-Pierre and Weil, Robert (1993, 1997) Sociologie contemporaine. Paris: Vigot.
14.
Ferréol, Gilles and Noreck, Jean-Pierre (1989—2003) Introduction à la sociologie. Paris: Armand Colin.
15.
Giddens, Anthony (1989, 1993, 2001) Sociology . Cambridge: Polity Press.
16.
Haralambos, Michael et al. (1980, 1985, 2000) Sociology: Themes and Perspectives. Slough: UTP/London: Collins.
17.
Hurd, Geoffrey (1973) Human Societies. London: Routledge and Kegan Paul.
18.
Ignasse, Gérard and Génissel, Marc-Antoine (1999) Introduction à la sociologie . Paris: Ellipses.
19.
Jones, Philip (1993) Studying Society. London: Collins.
20.
Keith, Bruce and Ender, Morton G. (2004) `The Sociological Core: Conceptual Patterns and Idiosyncrasies in the Structure and Content of Introductory Sociological Textbooks', Teaching Sociology32: 19—36.
21.
Lemert, Charles (1981) `Literary Politics and the Champ of French Sociology' , Theory and Society10(5): 645—69.
22.
Lynch, Michael and Bogen, David (1997) `Sociology's Asociological “Core”: An Examination of Textbook Sociology in Light of the Sociology of Scientific Knowledge', American Sociological Review62: 481—93.
23.
Mendras, Henri (1967, 1989, 2002) Eléments de sociologie. Paris: Armand Colin .
24.
Perrucci, Robert (1980) `Sociology and the Introductory Textbook', The American Sociologist15: 39—49.
25.
Pollak, Michael (1976) `La Planification des sciences sociales', Actes de la Recherche en Sciences Sociales2/3 juin: 105—21.
26.
Simon, Pierre-Jean (1991) Histoire de la sociologie. Paris: PUF.
