KlaritaGërxhani, N.D.de Graaf, and WernerRaub (Eds.) Handbook of Sociological Science: Contributions to Rigorous SociologyEdward Elgar Publishing, 2021, 552 p., 22 out of the 26 Chapters are Open Access, $283.50.

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Population and Development ReviewVolume 48, Issue 3 p. 897-898 SHORT REVIEWSOpen Access Klarita Gërxhani, N.D. Graaf, and Werner Raub (Eds.) Handbook of Sociological Science: Contributions to Rigorous SociologyEdward Elgar Publishing, 2021, 552 p., 22 out of the 26 Chapters are Open Access, $283.50. First published: 07 September 2022 https://doi.org/10.1111/padr.12520AboutSectionsPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditWechat Demography is a discipline with a relatively well-specified focus.1 On the other hand, sociology, as described by the editors of Handbook of Sociological Science: Contributions to Rigorous Sociology is “fragmented” since it lacks a common core of methodological basics for theoretical and empirical work. In fact, there are as many as 57 research committees representing different specialties in sociology in the International Sociological Association.2 The thematic focuses range from Futures Research (RC07) to Social Stratification (RC28), Alienation Theory and Research (RC36) to Biography and Society (RC38), Conceptual and Terminological Analysis (RC35) to Clinical Sociology (RC46), and The Body in the Social Sciences (RC54) to Social Indicators (RC55). I can see that such huge variations make it tremendously difficult to connect the dots between different subfields of sociology. Despite a large variety, in theory, methods, and statistical modeling in sociology, the editors argue that it is not impossible to identify the common core of methodological standards. The aim of this Handbook is to identify “unity in diversity” using an integrative perspective to develop share guidelines and basic methodological standards for theoretical and empirical work in sociology. Using the term “sociological science” in the title, the book explicitly emphasizes the scientific strength of sociology. The book presents “rigorous sociology” as an umbrella for a sociological research approach that (1) is guided by problems and testable theories; (2) is theoretical-driven empirical research committed to scientific integrity and transparency; and (3) makes contributions to policy making relevant to societal problems. Once the standards of inquiry are developed within the framework of rigorous sociology, this can be applied to different fields of interest. In this regard, rigorous sociology or more broadly sociological science shares a common feature with demography which has a long-standing empirical tradition (Bijak et al. 2014). Naturally, even this 500+ already volume cannot cover all fields of sociological inquiry. Other prominent fields of sociological research are absent. Examples include occupational mobility, life course study, assortative mating, and health and illness. Rather, this Handbook serves as an introductory volume to rigorous empirical social science research which is “theoretically sophisticated, methodologically innovative and had practical applications” (Raub, de Graaf, and Gërxhani 2022, 15). The emphasis on applying micro–macro theories to find population-level regularities while offering explanations/empirical analysis of the mechanisms behind the individual behavior makes this handbook highly relevant for PDR’s readers. Browsing readers can select the chapter or section they are interested in. This setting allows the volume to function well as a handbook. The introductory chapter clearly explains what each section contains. Those interested in theoretical frameworks/models in sociology, for instance, can consult Part I on research programs while those interested in methods can jump to Part III. In my case, I went straight to Chapter 2 “Order from chaos: sociology as a population science” thinking that the chapter would also touch upon demography as a discipline closely linked to sociology. Here population science refers to an empirical investigation of individual-level processes that yield population-level regularities with an emphasis on the description and explanation of the empirical regularities. While the chapter offers a comparison of different scientific practices in sociology and economics, making a linkage also to demography would substantively enrich the discussion, in my view. Overall, this Handbook of Sociological Science offers an overview of theories, models, and methods in sociology including future developments with an explicit focus on a scientific approach to sociological inquiry. —R.M. Acknowledgement Open Access Funding provided by Universita di Bologna within the CRUI-CARE Agreement. [Correction added on 2 December 2022, after first online publication: funding information has been added.] References Bijak, J., D. Courgeau, E. Silverman, and R. Franck, (2014). “Quantifying Paradigm Change in Demography.” Demographic Research 30: 911– 924. https://doi.org/10.4054/DemRes.2014.30.32 Raub, W., N. D. de Graff, and K. Gërxhani. 2022. Chapter 1: Rigorous sociology. In Rigorous Sociology. Handbook of Sociological Science. Cheltenham, UK: Edward Elgar Publishing, edited by K. Gërxhani, N. Graaf, and W. Raub, 2– 19. https://www.elgaronline.com/view/book/9781789909432/book-part-9781789909432-7.xml. Accessed August 16 , 2022 1 https://iussp.org/en/about/what-is-demography 2 https://www.isa-sociology.org/en/research-networks/research-committees Volume48, Issue3September 2022Pages 897-898 ReferencesRelatedInformation