An inquiry into how social cohesion, psychological development, religion and attitudes to violence have shaped the course of civilisation.

An examination of New England reform movements, considering their ambitions, limitations, social experiments, and Emerson’s emphasis on individual moral development.

An examination of manners, conduct and social presence, arguing that character is revealed through behaviour, expression, courtesy and everyday interactions.

An examination of civilisation as social progress, considering cooperation, institutions, technology, labour, moral development and the conditions that support collective life.

An analysis of how ruling elites gain, maintain and lose power, and how new groups replace declining elites.

A wide-ranging study of social behaviour, examining non-logical action, belief, elite rule, political change and the forces sustaining social systems.

An introduction to sociological thinking, exploring cultural life, social observation, political attitudes and the limits of numerical approaches to understanding society.