Intimacy, choice, movement - these are the elements which make up the desirable lifestyle in the mainstream of affluent societies. They also undermine traditional forms of power and control. And they create a web of connections between individuals all over the world, which promises to be more flexible and less restrictive than any which have existed before.

Bill Jordan sets out to explain the particular attractions of this vision of freedom, equality and harmony. He traces its appeal to a formula for human institutions which emerged with the birth of the social sciences. Sex, money and political authority glued together these changing accounts of the collective world.

We are still seduced by the idea that personal autonomy and the moral sovereignty of individuals can make up a well-functioning social order. But, he argues, our present global institutions shut out the majority of the world's population, who are left to rely on quite different bonds, of blood, soil and faith.

This book will be essential reading for students and scholars of sociology and social policy, as well as of the humanities in general. It will also be compelling reading for anyone who is interested in human relationships and modern society.

About the Author
Bill Jordan is Professor of Social Policy at Huddersfield University and Reader in Social Policy at London Metropolitan University.

Reviews
"Written in an accessible style, the book weaves personal narrative about the author's 'gypsy scholar' life with social theorizing. It produces an interesting account of shifting social bonds and tensions between private and public experiences and events. The book draws on a wide range of resources, including sociological research, political and economic events and theories, and popular cultural materials, including film, television and novels."

Sociology; Lisa Smyth, Queens University Belfast

"Sex Money and Power is a wonderfully written reflection on the meaning of our individual lives and their relation to a wider social context. In an unconvential but poignant way, it uses autobiography, social theory and historical narrative to confront the great gods of our time, and the processes that bind us to them. A humorous, quirky subtle, insightful and provocative look at questions that should be taxing us all, this work connects the personal and the social in a flowing and compelling analysis."

Saladin Meckled-Garcia, University College London

Book Information
ISBN 9780745633503
Author Bill Jordan
Format Hardback
Page Count 192
Imprint Polity Press
Publisher John Wiley and Sons Ltd
Weight(grams) 508g
Dimensions(mm) 237mm * 160mm * 25mm