Task #14: A book of social science

[Laura]

From Here to Eternity: Traveling the World to Find the Good Death actually sounds interesting.

If anyone is struggling to find what to read, this link should help:
https://www.goodreads.com/genres/social-science

[Jean]

Laura wrote: "From Here to Eternity: Traveling the World to Find the Good Death actually sounds interesting.

If anyone is struggling to find what to read, this link should help:
https://www.good..."

I loved her first book, so I'm planning to read From Here to Eternity for this one!

[Octavia]

I'm going to try The Spirit Level: Why More Equal Societies Almost Always Do Better for this - it's been sitting on my bookshelf for a while, staring at me, and I've always meant to get round to it but never have.

[Catie]

This task is so up my alley! Loads of suggestions/wall of text incoming:

The Way We Never Were: American Families & the Nostalgia Trap would be a great pick for anyone interested in domestic lives in the U.S., especially with regards to feminism, gender, etc. Marriage, a History: From Obedience to Intimacy or How Love Conquered Marriage (also by Stephanie Coontz) is very good, too!

Along similar lines, More Work For Mother: The Ironies Of Household Technology From The Open Hearth To The Microwave is about the industrialization of housework/domestic labor.

American Grace: How Religion Divides and Unites Us is MASSIVE and a great read if you're interested in contemporary religious lives in the U.S.

When Sex Goes to School: Warring Views on Sex—and Sex Education—Since the Sixties is a fascinating look at attitudes toward sex and sex education.

Her Body, Our Laws: On the Front Lines of the Abortion War, from El Salvador to Oklahoma is coming out in mid-January, and it sounds very promising!

Taking a somewhat looser definition of "social science" (i.e. books written by reporters or cultural critics, rather than sociologists, anthropologists, political scientists, etc.):
Pro: Reclaiming Abortion Rights by Katha Pollitt is one of the most invigorating books I've ever read. A great pick if you want motivation to get involved in pro-choice activism.

The Girls Who Went Away: The Hidden History of Women Who Surrendered Children for Adoption in the Decades Before Roe v. Wade looks at adoption prior to Roe v. Wade through the lens of personal narratives about maternity homes, being forced to surrender children, etc. Beautiful and heartbreaking.

Missoula: Rape and the Justice System in a College Town is super readable (though obviously upsetting), and I second the suggestion of Our Guys: The Glen Ridge Rape and the Secret Life of the Perfect Suburb (which would also work for the true crime task).

The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America's Great Migration is stunning and incredibly well-researched.

Maybe a somewhat offbeat pick for this task (a memoir), but Negroland by Margo Jefferson is excellent. She includes a lot of broader, contextual information that verges into cultural history/criticism.

For a lighter read, Rapture Ready!: Adventures in the Parallel Universe of Christian Pop Culture is totally hilarious (but still thoughtfully and sensitively written).

[Leslie]

Sparrows wrote: "I'm trying to read only books I have in my possession, or can obtain from the library, for this challenge. I have [book:Mountains Beyond Mountains: The Quest of Dr. Paul Farmer, A Man Who Would Cur..."

I've read this book and would classify it more as a biography than social science. It's a great read, however!

[Kira]

Robin wrote: "LYNDSEY wrote: "I'm hoping A River In Darkness will work for this! ???"

I hope so too, because that's what I'm reading!"

This was one of my picks for this category too! That or Outliers by Malclom Gladwell.

[Kimberley]

I'm considering the following, which are all on my tbr, but I always struggle a bit with the definition of social science so can anyone point me as to whether any, or all, of them qualify?

Eat Me by Bill Schutt- history of cannibalism
Playing Dead by Elizabeth Greenwood- study of death fraud
Nabokov's favourite word is Mauve by Ben Blatt- language used by authors

Any insight would be appreciated!

[Angelica]

Unsportsmanlike Conduct: College Football and the Politics of Rape

Could this count?

[Elizabeth]

I am thinking either I Am Woman: A Native Perspective on Sociology and Feminism or Seven Fallen Feathers: Racism, Death, and Hard Truths in a Northern City. I think either should count for this category, and I have been wanting to read both.

[Kari]

Elizabeth wrote: "I am thinking either I Am Woman: A Native Perspective on Sociology and Feminism or Seven Fallen Feathers: Racism, Death, and Hard Truths in a Northern City. I think ei..."

I am also thinking to do Seven Fallen Feathers, so I’m hoping it’ll fit!

[Gloria]

My thought: When Species Meet by Donna Haraway. It has been on my to-read list for too long…

[Rainey]

Elizabeth wrote: "I am thinking either I Am Woman: A Native Perspective on Sociology and Feminism or Seven Fallen Feathers: Racism, Death, and Hard Truths in a Northern City. I think ei..."

I think 7 Feathers would be a good one. Its on my list as well.

[Dayna]

Catie wrote: "This task is so up my alley! Loads of suggestions/wall of text incoming:

The Way We Never Were: American Families & the Nostalgia Trap would be a great pick for anyone interested in ..."

Thanks so much, so many great suggestions!

[Teresa]

Social Science is the study of human social behavior. Anthropology, economics, linguistics, psychology, and sociology are the main ones.
Communication, education, law, political science, and social work may be included, history is a crossover between the humanities and social science.
I looked for books in each of those categories for this topic.

[Liza]

Candace wrote: "Dataclysm: Who We Are or Modern Romance
I'm assuming the latter counts?"

Dataclysm is SO INTERESTING. I read an ARC before it came out. Full disclosure I'm an info science student so that stuff is interesting to me anyway

[Liza]

I'm thinking So You've Been Publicly Shamed, The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness, or Delusions of Gender: How Our Minds, Society, and Neurosexism Create Difference.

[Stephanie]

I'm wondering if this book counts: The Color of Law: A Forgotten History of How Our Government Segregated America
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3...
It's more straight sociology and non-fic than social science. It's a book I own and am already planning to read though...

[Erika]

I found Awkward: The Science of Why We're Socially Awkward and Why That's Awesome while browsing my local library's catalog and it sounds right up my alley.

[Libby]

Would Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson work?Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption

[Kira]

I am considering The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck: A Counterintuitive Approach to Living a Good Life

[Kristen]

Any of Brené Brown's books will count for this! I'm a big fan. About to start 'Rising Strong'.

[Ellyn]

What are we saying is the definition of "Social Science"? I own quite a few historical non-fiction, and history in some circles is considered a social science, so I'm hoping to get one of them into this category.

[Emily]

Would a book about meditation work? Thinking of reading The Headspace Guide to Meditation & Mindfulness since I love the app.

[Marie]

Ellyn wrote: "What are we saying is the definition of "Social Science"?

History would count.

Definition of social science
1 : a branch of science that deals with the institutions and functioning of human society and with the interpersonal relationships of individuals as members of society

2 : a science (such as economics or political science) dealing with a particular phase or aspect of human society

Main branches of social science:

Anthropology - the study of the cultural, social, and physical development of humans
Economics - the study of the ways in which a society deals with money and the availability of goods
History - the study of man’s past and his decisions in order to find relationships between the events and causes for them.
Political science - the study of the processes and principles of government and other political institutions
Psychology - the study of the mind’s functions as they relate to one’s physical and social environment
Sociology - the study of of social behavior and societies
Education - the study of how people gain knowledge
Geography - the study of the Earth and the way humans are dispersed on it
Law - the study of the rules that society lives by and how they are formed or influenced by popular beliefs
Linguistics - the study of the structure of language, its syntax, phonology, semantics, phonetics, morphology, and the nature of language and its variations
Criminology - the study of the criminal behavior of both individuals and of society
Archaeology - the study of past civilizations, with information gleaned from material remains, such as, artifacts, buildings, graves, etc
Religion - the relationship between humans and God or gods

[Min Blossoms]

NeuroTribes: The Legacy of Autism and the Future of Neurodiversity is my pick. It's a huge book, but so relevant to how culture and society influences what we call and how we define neurodivergence. Looking forward to it (better start early).

[Stef]

Evicted is on my TBR as well

[Eva]

I am going to read Our Declaration Our Declaration: A Reading of the Declaration of Independence in Defense of Equality. Try this link for some great ideas from Northwestern University. http://www.northwestern.edu/onebook/

[Angelica]

Angelica wrote: "Unsportsmanlike Conduct: College Football and the Politics of Rape

Could this count?"

Update: I've found a lot of books in my possession that could count toward this task along with this one, so many I can't pick:

Hispanisms and Homosexualities
Imposing Decency: The Politics of Sexuality and Race in Puerto Rico, 1870–1920
It's Not Over: Getting Beyond Tolerance, Defeating Homophobia, and Winning True Equality
Boots of Leather, Slippers of Gold: The History of a Lesbian Community
Mad in America: Bad Science, Bad Medicine, and the Enduring Mistreatment of the Mentally Ill

I'm so overwhelmed by choice!!!

[SpellsBooksandKrystals]

I was thinking of reading "The Hate U Give" by Angie Thomas. It is fiction but deals with current social issues. This should fit this category right?

[Henriette]

I think I will be reading Eichmann in Jerusalem: A Report on the Banality of Evil I hope that would count.

[beentsy]

I'm reading From Here to Eternity: Traveling the World to Find the Good Death and so far really enjoying it.

[Sunshine]

Kelli wrote: "But the science of reading is a social science, no?"

Yes. The book is interdisciplinary and incorporates psychology and linguistics which are both Social Sciences so I say it counts :-)

[novelteathoughts]

Theresa wrote: "Tribe: On Homecoming and Belonging. According to Google & Goodreads it qualifies so I'm going with it."

I'm reading this one too.

[Kristin]

I found this category to be perhaps the hardest to fill, as trying to decide what did or did not count as social science was difficult. Sure, there are books listed under the "social-science" category here on Goodreads, but since those are selected by the readers, I wasn't 100% sure they actually were within the category.

Ultimately, I selected Everybody Lies: Big Data, New Data, and What the Internet Can Tell Us About Who We Really Are by Seth Stephens-Davidowitz. In the book description, it mentions "analysis," "studies," and "experiments," words that lead me to conclude that this is research-based and not just opinion.

There were other really good options that I considered, including The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness, Delusions of Gender: How Our Minds, Society, and Neurosexism Create Difference, and Outliers: The Story of Success.

I wanted to see if Geek Girl Rising: Inside the Sisterhood Shaking Up Tech might fit the category, but it wasn't as clear-cut. Similarly, Daring Greatly: How the Courage to Be Vulnerable Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent, and Lead is one I want to read, but I thought it was too "self-help" for this category.

[Anne]

Nudge: Improving Decisions About Health, Wealth, and Happiness would be a good one for this challenge since Richard Thaler just won the Nobel. I'm thinking about Mindwise: How We Understand What Others Think, Believe, Feel, and Want from another behavioral science expert at the U of C.

[Krista]

Hafsa Z.U wrote: "I'm opting for The Vagina Monologues - has been on the tbr far too long! But a feminist book recommended by my sociology teacher which may work for other people for this challenge is ..."

The Vagina Monologues looks like a good read.

But I'm rather confused about "social science", even with the many definitions posts. How does this book fit into social science?

[tif]

Looking for some other opinions on Why I Am No Longer Talking to White People About Race for this prompt. I feel like its a good fit but just wanted to get some back-up before I write it down :)

[Kate]

I have quite a few options that have been gathering dust on my shelf. I'm debating between Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American Community, Love's Executioner and Other Tales of Psychotherapy, Eating Animals, Homeward Bound: Why Women are Embracing the New Domesticity, or Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America.

How to choose?!? Maybe I'll pick the shortest one, since some of my other books for the challenge are rather lengthy.

[Eujean2]

I saw We Were Eight Years in Power: An American Tragedy on a Good Reads list of social science books, but since that was reader generated, I figured I would see what all of you thought. Does it fit this prompt?

[Shelly]

Krista wrote: "Hafsa Z.U wrote: "I'm opting for The Vagina Monologues - has been on the tbr far too long! But a feminist book recommended by my sociology teacher which may work for other people for ..."

I would say that women's studies or feminist approaches to social science qualifies for this prompt.

[Britteny]

Ellyn wrote: "What are we saying is the definition of "Social Science"? I own quite a few historical non-fiction, and history in some circles is considered a social science, so I'm hoping to get one of them into..."

History is in the humanities. Social sciences include anthropology, sociology, psychology...

[Candace]

Mona wrote: "A couple examples (as a follow-up to my last comment):

We Were Eight Years in Power - 973.932 - not social science according to Dewey

Proust and the Squid - 612.82 - not social sc..."

Thanks for posting this! I checked the book I want to read, In the Wake: On Blackness and Being, and it falls into this category!

[Kristin]

Mona wrote: "I see a lot of confusion in this thread about what constitutes "social science." One approach that might help is if you use your library catalog. The Dewey Decimal System classifies social science ..."

THANK YOU! Because of your post, I was able to go over to https://www.librarything.com/, type in the title of my book, then look at "work details" and see the DDC/MDS (Dewey Decimal) -- if it was in the 300s, as you said, it counts as social science! Found out that another book I'm reading for nature, The World Without Us, also counts!

[Shelley]

Kari wrote: "I'm from Canada and looking to do a Canadian read on this one, but not too sure what counts as a "social science" book...I'm thinking of [book:Seven Fallen Feathers: Racism, Death, and Hard Truths ..."

I definitely think this counts! I'm adding this to my possibilities for this task.

[Eujean2]

Mona wrote: "The Dewey Decimal System classifies social science books in the 300s. So if you have a title in mind, you can look it up in the catalog and see if the call number is in that range (300-399.999)."

This is exactly what I needed! Turns out the books I had been considering were only social science-ish. Now I am deciding between:
- The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness
- Pushout: The Criminalization of Black Girls in Schools
- We Were Feminists Once: From Riot Grrrl to CoverGirl®, the Buying and Selling of a Political Movement
(All in the 300s!)

I've heard the author of Pushout speak, so that might be the winner. Though a friend really strongly recommends The New Jim Crow.

Since I've seen it in a few posts, I would highly recommend Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption. I would also recommend listening to a Bryan Stevenson talk or interview. (I think you can find some on YouTube.) He has an amazing warmth to him that comes through even strong in the book if you have heard him speak. I would imagine the audio book is good as he reads it.

[Dixie]

I read Payoff: The Hidden Logic That Shapes Our Motivations for this challenge over the past few days. I recommend it - it's fascinating, useful, and not a long book.

[sac]

I don't think anyone's mentioned this yet, but I'm going with The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America's Great Migration.

[Riah]

Mona wrote: "I see a lot of confusion in this thread about what constitutes "social science." One approach that might help is if you use your library catalog. The Dewey Decimal System classifies social science ..."

What a clever approach to seeing if something counts! This lead me to realize that a couple of history books I'd vetoed (because in my brain I consider history as part of the humanities) could actually count for this. And, unsurprisingly, the linguistics book I was planning on reading counts (although some linguistics seems also to be classified in the 400s), as does the sociology book I recommended. Some really great education books count too!

Sociolinguistics
Raciolinguistics: How Language Shapes Our Ideas about Race 306.44089
English with an Accent: Language, Ideology and Discrimination in the United States 306.440973

Sociology
Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City 339.460973

History
At the Dark End of the Street: Black Women, Rape, and Resistance--A New History of the Civil Rights Movement from Rosa Parks to the Rise of Black Power 323.11960730761
The Blood of Emmett Till 364.134

Education
Race, Empire, and English Language Teaching: Creating Responsible and Ethical Anti-Racist Practice 371.8290973
For White Folks Who Teach in the Hood... and the Rest of Y'all Too: Reality Pedagogy and Urban Education 370.91732
This Is Not A Test: A New Narrative on Race, Class, and Education 371.010973
The New Kids: Big Dreams and Brave Journeys at a High School for Immigrant Teens 373.18
Other People's Children: Cultural Conflict in the Classroom 370.196
Teaching to Transgress: Education as the Practice of Freedom 370.115

Going through and finding these numbers makes it super clear to me that a huge percentage of the social science I read is about race in different fields.

[Viv]

After looking up Dewey classifications for the two books I had flagged as possibilities for this task, I realised that neither counted! However, I did discover that the book I have already read for the essays task was classified as social science so - yay! - I can count that. The book is The Good Immigrant edited by Nikesh Shukla and I would highly recommend it.

[Eujean2]

Hey, the book I am reading right now is classified as social science - The Fire This Time: A New Generation Speaks about Race. I'm really enjoying it. I was going to count it for an essay anthology, but now I have options.