The Cambridge Dictionary of Sociology is a nicely packaged source that endeavors to cover the whole range of the discipline–concepts, biographies, and general terminology–from both American and European perspectives. Its 600 entries are signed but do not have bibliographies, although references for further reading are embedded in the entry text. Also found within the text are generous cross-references. An effort was made to cover new developments in sociology, including those related to globalization, such as diaspora, fundamentalism, and global migration.
Can a library have too many dictionaries? When faced with a completely new single- subject dictionary like this one, the question needs to be asked in comparison to what other sources are on the shelves. Does this resource offer sufficiently different information than the others within its same subject area? The Blackwell Dictionary of Sociology (2000) and the Dictionary of Sociology (2005) from Oxford, now in its third edition, are the comparisons used for this purpose. A close examination of entries reveals that, though the three are alike in size, style, and scholarly background, they are not equivalent to each other. For example, the Oxford dictionary has no biographies, and its more than 2,500 entries in just over 700 pages are generally quite short. The Blackwell dictionary, which is the work of a single author, also has shorter entries, generally three or four paragraphs. Cambridge, on the other hand, has numerous entries that approach encyclopedic length–five pages for Crime, six pages for Deviance, more than eight pages for Information, more than seven pages for Mass media and communication, for example–so it may not be the first choice for quick definitions.

With its reasonable price (a paperback version is available for under just under $40) The Cambridge Dictionary of Sociology should be accessible to most public and academic libraries. Even in a collection with other sociology dictionaries, this would be a good addition if sociology is a strong focus. Danise Hoover

download