A Flipbook is a way of displaying a pdf document online so that it has the look-and-feel of a paper-based magazine, one whose pages you can turn using a mouse (desktop) or finger (mobile).
A Flipbook.
Not Actual Size.
Unless you’re using a mobile.
Then it might be.
That’s it, really.
I could talk about stuff like whether this creates a greater sense of engagement among students than the bog-standard static pages of a pdf file, but since I’ve got no idea (and I don’t know of anyone who’s bothered to try to find out) that would just be me trying to find a deceptively- plausible way to encourage you to try them.
So, if this Big Build-Up has piqued your curiosity and / or whetted your appetite for Flipbooks you’ll be pleased to know I’ll be adding a variety of the little blighters to this page on what might be charitably termed an ad-hoc basis (translation: whenever I can be bothered or can find the time).
So, here’s what’s currently available:
Sociological Theory
Systems Theory: It’s Functionalism, Jim. But not as you know it.
Modernity and Sociological Theory
Postmodernity and Sociological Theory
Globalisation: Economic, political and cultural dimensions.
Global Culture: 3 views on the nature and extent of changing global culture.
Global Culture – Video Version: As above except this version uses video examples rather than static pictures.
Risk Society Magazine: As above, but with a radically redesigned “Magazine Stylee” (plus around 5 minutes of embedded video featuring Ulrich Beck and Brian Wynne).
Research Methods
The Research Process: A general introduction to various aspects of “doing research”. Alternatively, there’s the original pdf file.
Quantitative Research Methods
Qualitative Research Methods
Mixed Methods
Overt Participant Observation illustrated by Venkatesh’s “Gang Leader for a Day”
Crime and Deviance
Theories of Crime and Deviance: Functionalist, Ecological, Critical.
Theories of Crime and Deviance 2: Interactionism, Deviancy Amplification, Postmodern Criminology, Constitutive criminology.
Theories of Crime and Deviance 3: Concepts of power and control, new and traditional penology, Actuarial approaches, Administrative criminology, Left and Right Realism.
The Social Distribution of Crime: Class, Age, Gender, Ethnicity and Locality.
Strain Theory – Merton’s classic Strain Theory plus Agnew’s contemporary General Strain Theory.
Rational Choice Theory: An outline and evaluation of this contemporary explanation for crime. The original pdf file is here.
Routine Activities Theory: Crime as a Cause of Crime?: this version includes a short video clip outlining Routine Activities Theory
Market Reduction Approach: Outline of an innovative approach to crime reduction.
Globalisation and Crime
Crime and Harm: The Critique of Conventional Criminology
A Social Harm Approach to Crime
Women and Binge-Drinking: Includes 3-minute video exploring binge-drinking among young women.
Crime, Deviance and the Spirit Level: Four ways “less equal” societies differ from “more equal” societies in relation to crime.
Strain Theory: Merton’s classic Strain Theory plus Agnew’s contemporary General Strain Theory
Left Realism: Key Ideas and Criticisms
Left Realism: The 3-Cornered Approach and Square of Crime
Mass Media
Defining the Mass Media: A short-and-sweet introduction to “The Media”, most notable for the inclusion of a short (5-minute) piece of video.
Defining and Researching Mass Media: Longer introduction to the Mass Media, plus research methods Content Analysis and Semiology. There’s also a pdf version if you want it.
The Ownership and Control Debate: A pdf version is also available.
The Selection and Presentation of News: New values, theoretical explanations. There’s also a pdf version if you’d prefer it.
Representations of Social Groups (Class, Age, Gender and Ethnicity. Plus some theoretical explanations (Marxist, Pluralist, Feminist, Postmodern). There’s also a pdf version available.
Media Effects: Direct, Indirect and Post-Effects. Also available as a pdf document.
The Mass Media: Complete chapter covering all 5 individual flipbook chapters: definitions, ownership and control, selection and presentation, representations, effects.
Postmodernism and New Media: Repositioning “audience effects”.
Simulacra and Hyperreality: Lesson outline / plan with embedded video examples.
Revision
Research Methods: Primary, secondary, quantitative and qualitative data.
Primary Research Methods: Questionnaires, Interviews, Experiments, Observation, Visual methods.
Secondary Research Methods: Content analysis, Documents, Statistics.
Research Methodology: Positivism and Interpretivism.
Practical and Theoretical Research Considerations
The Research Process: Hypothetico-deductive model / Types of Sampling.
Sociological Perspectives – The Revision Map format may not be everybody’s cup of tea. Sip-it-and-see…
Mass Media: Media and Ideology: Marxism (Instrumental and Hegemonic) and Pluralism.
Mass Media: Ownership and Control: Revision Map
Education
Educational Achievement and Intelligence: The IQ debate in Education
