Social scientists seek to develop systematic ways to understand how people make meaning and how the meanings they make shape them and the world in which they live. But how do we measure such processes? Measuring Culture is an essential point of entry for both those new to the field and those who are deeply immersed in the measurement of meaning. Written collectively by a team of leading qualitative and quantitative sociologists of culture, the book considers three common subjects of measurement—people, objects, and relationships—and then discusses how to pivot effectively between subjects and methods. Measuring Culture takes the reader on a tour of the state of the art in measuring meaning, from discussions of neuroscience to computational social science. It provides both the definitive introduction to the sociological literature on culture as well as a critical set of case studies for methods courses across the social sciences.
"This is a truly excellent book. It’s a reflection of the intellectual firepower the individual authors brought, but all the more so the magic a deep, generous collaboration can release. The core insight of culture is that the outcome of collective activity can exceed the combination of the individuals accomplishing it; this book is, therefore, a prime example of its object and a valuable gift to the next generation of culture scholars." - Social Forces
"An impressive achievement and is likely to provide guidance on empirical research in the sociology of culture for a long time to come. While situated in cultural sociology, Measuring Culture tackles questions of great importance to the discipline overall and will benefit readers from other sociology areas too." - Canadian Journal of Sociology
"An extraordinary piece of work. The authors managed to incorporate a wealth of insights into a short and highly readable
book, which students can use to navigate the current state of the art in cultural sociology, and which accomplished researchers will admire for the seamless integration of various theoretical and methodological discussions." - Culture Section Newsletter
"A well-written, well-researched, and well-conceived volume. It is an engaging read, packed with theoretical and methodological understandings that enrich one another." - Administrative Science Quarterly
