Summer Reading
Body
Below is a list of books which you might want to have a look at before you arrive. We've arranged them by subject - but feel free to read whatever interests you! These are not compulsory in any way, the aim is to give you a sense of themes/topics you will be exploring during your studies.
Politics and International Relations
We asked Politics and International Relations (PIR) teaching colleagues for recommendations of fiction or non-fiction titles to get students thinking about themes in PIR. Note these are not textbooks but rather works that touch on some issues and debates you will encounter and explore in your time here.
To find out more about the people making the recommendations, take a look at the list of PIR Teaching Staff.
Happy reading and we look forward to seeing you in September!
Professor Meryl Kenny, Head of Politics and International Relations
Social Anthropology
We've created a list of recent publications by our colleagues here in Social Anthropology at the University of Edinburgh, to give you an idea of what we have been researching, and you will soon be learning!
Happy reading and we look forward to seeing you in September!
Dr Lucy Lowe, Head of Social Anthropology
Social Anthropology Summer Reading
Social Policy
Our colleagues in Social Policy have put together some recommendations of fiction or non-fiction titles to get students thinking about themes in Social Policy. These aren't textbooks but books that might get you thinking about themes you might come across in your future studies.
Happy reading and we look forward to meeting you soon.
Social Work
Welcome to Social Work! We've put together a list of a few books and helpful links to get you started on your studies.
Happy reading and see you soon!
Sociology
These are difficult and interesting times to be living through. Conflicts in the Middle East, Ukraine, Yemen and Sudan have caused untold suffering and threaten to escalate still further. Meanwhile scientific evidence on climate, suggests that global warming is reaching a tipping point. Faced by these crises, protests have emerged across the globe raising fundamental questions about sovereignty, armaments, climate and which issues are amplified in the media and which ones ignored.
If you wish to escape into a book and are able to find time for reading, then here are some ideas to get yourself in a sociological frame of mind. We've put together some suggestions from our Sociology Staff which range from accessible introductions to the field, to fiction with sociological insights.
And if you don’t feel you have time for more reading, don’t worry, there’ll be plenty of sociology waiting for you when you get here!
Hugo Gorringe, Head of Sociology
Sustainable Development
For both students on our MA (Hons) Sustainable Development, as well as those interested in taking courses in this area, our academic staff who teach on our Sustainable Development programme have recommended a few titles to get you thinking!
Jacob Dochety, Sustainable Development Programme Director