Why Current Affairs Needs Social Theory

"The objective of this book is to convince readers that the way we approach current affairs issues can be strengthened through recourse to social theory. Through a series of graphic case studies it shows how social theory can provide systematic and penetrating 'ways of seeing' current affairs issues that enable us to critically assess the quality of current affairs coverage. Each chapter focuses on a major issue in current affairs, such as the support of democratic movements against dictatorships, the question of centralised control and regulation, and the justification for non-intervention in the face of atrocitites. In each case Stones first looks at the nature of current affairs texts, whether in the form of print, radio, television, documentary or web journalism or their representation in novels, drama, art or film. He then goes on to look at the ways in which social theory can inform the way audiences interpret what they view and read, including how they think about the relationships between what they are offered by the different genres. The book serves not only to make social theory relevant for students but also teaches all of us how our understanding of current affairs can be enhanced through an engagement with sociological principles."--