Seinology

by Tim Delaney

Sociologist and avid Seinfeld fan, Tim Delaney explores what sociologists and all interested readers can learn about themselves and their society from this tremendously popular sitcom. His work represents a fascinating blend of popular and contemporary culture with the keen observations of a scholar trained to assess social behavior. Delaney uses excerpts from many of the now-classic episodes to illustrate key facets of social interaction. In fifteen chapters, amusingly titled after some of the show's famous incidents, he reviews what its characters teach us about ourselves and the complex society in which we live.Fans of Seinfeld will enjoy reliving their fondest memories associated with each episode. Students and laypersons alike will learn basic sociological concepts and theories in this jargonfree work. Seinology provides Seinfeld fans an opportunity to view this brilliant television show through the sociologist's well-trained eye.

Genres: Sociology, Nonfiction, Tv, Cultural, Psychology

304 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 2006

Reviews

[Stephanie A. · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very engaging textbook. Since I didn't read it for a class, I skimmed past some of the sociology part, but the bulk of this book is just recapping scenes from Seinfeld, and I assure you it is so easy to get sucked into those and relive the scenes in your mind that you might end up chuckling aloud. At least if you are a person who, like me, has seen the series too many times to count.

[Jamie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! But I'm going to be biased because I am huge Seinfeld fan with a Bachelor degree in Sociology. It was like a fun get together with old friends, reminiscing and recalling all the old adventures and stories. But that was all done under analysis from a sociological perspective. That part, for me, was like a flashback to college remembering the works I read during my studies. This book couldn't have been more perfect for me but if you don't share my enthusiasm for Sociology then you may not enjoy it as much. It definitely has an academic feel.

[Peter Ritchie · Rating 3 out of 5]

What is the DEAL with social studies? I mean, you can't be social AND study! Cultural norms, sex and gender issues, social deviance, religion, sports, race, hey there's a LOT of things that relate back to Seinfeld. I think I can sum up the reasons why you should read this book with one word "Nothing!" But then, why even watch Seinfeld at all? So, yada yada yada, basically this book goes over a bunch of sociology and relates it back to various Seinfeld episodes. It's worth pointing out that you probably couldn't do that to just any old TV show.

[Rebecca Robinson · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was really excited for this book because I was a Social Anthropology major in university and there was a lot of overlap with Sociology and I’m a huge Seinfeld fan! However, I was really disappointed in this book for a number of reasons:
1. Lots of typos - lack of punctuation at the end of sentences or wrongly numbered episodes.
2. The recap of the episodes were sometimes wrong and very lengthy.
3. The Sociology concepts were very basic, nothing exciting or groundbreaking.

I wouldn’t recommend this book at all.

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. Cant say I learned much about sociology from reading this, but it was fun to read the many many summaries of the many many Seinfeld episodes. If you’re a fan of the show you’ll probably enjoy this book, if only to rehash your favourite scenes

[Jack]

trite.

[Lauren · Rating 3 out of 5]

I know basic sociology concepts from classes taken in undergrad, so much of this was repetitive and textbook-like. However, as a Seinfeld fan and reader, I enjoyed reading through the examples provided and seeing on paper the many ways the show about nothing impacted society so deeply.

[Leslie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was a little too textbooky for my taste. I think it would be a good read for anyone who has studied a lot of psychology or sociology.

[Christi · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was written by a professor and despite the entertaining show, each chapter is like a boring class lecture. Might be a good resource for examples for a sociology paper though.

[Danygtz · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm a fan of Seinfeld and wanted to explain sociology to my social science and sociology students. This was the way to go. Humor makes it easier!

[The Rad Books · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good book for learning about the basics of sociology!