At the beginning of the twenty-first century, Britain is in the process of rapid social change. There are major changes going on in the patterns of family formation, there is a growing rate of childbirth outside marriage, and the so-called second demographic transition should be noted as well. This book aims to understand and explain the social mechanisms that underlie some of the major features of contemporary social life. It discusses how sociology makes important contributions to public debate about education, gender inequalities, ethnic disadvantage, unemployment and new religious movements.
