Mary Holmes is a sociologist at the University of Edinburgh. Her research is in the areas of sociology of emotion, intimacy and relationships and political sociology. She has taught sociology in Scotland, Australia and New Zealand. Her recent books include Distance Relationships: Intimacy and Emotions Amongst Academics and their Partners In Dual-Locations (Palgrave Macmillan, 2014) and Heterosexuality in Theory and Practice (with Chris Beasley and Heather Brook, Routledge, 2012).
Breaking away from the idea that sociology only ever elaborates the negative, Sociology for Optimists shows that sociology can provide hope in dealing with social issues through critical approaches that acknowledge the positive. From politics and inequality to nature and faith, Mary Holmes shows how a critical and optimistic sociology can help us think about and understand human experience not just in terms of social problems, but in terms of a human capacity to respond to those problems and strive for social change. With contemporary case studies throughout grounding the theory in the real world, this is the perfect companion/antidote to studying sociology.
