Sociology
Explore the diverse world of human interactions, cultural dynamics, and social structures with free sociology books online. This collection offers insightful perspectives into how societies function and evolve, providing a rich resource for understanding social behaviors and norms. Whether you're a student or just curious about societies, these works can enrich your understanding of the human experience. Discover the foundational theories and studies that shape our understanding of communities worldwide.
The English Peasantry and the Enclosure of Common Fields
Witness the transformation of rural England as communal lands vanish, displacing peasants and reshaping the very heart of village life.
By Gilbert Slater
Not Guilty: A Defence of the Bottom Dog
In a world quick to judge, this story dares to defend those born into hardship, questioning the very nature of blame and redemption.
By Robert Blatchford
The Task of Social Hygiene
Visions of societal wellness collide with social reform, forging a path toward a healthier community through transformative ideals and responsibilities.
By Havelock Ellis
Behind the scenes in a restaurant: A study of 1017 women restaurant employees
** Discover the untold stories of early 20th-century women in New York City restaurants, battling relentless hours and poor conditions, and the urgent call for reforms to protect their rights.
By Consumers' League of New York City
The Criminal
Explore the different types of criminals and the hidden links between their actions, their appearance, and the society that judges them.
By Havelock Ellis
Civilisation: Its Cause and Cure; and Other Essays
Does civilization represent humanity's progress or a disease, and can we only find true health by looking back.
By Edward Carpenter
The History of the Fabian Society
** Witness the fascinating story of a group of thinkers determined to reshape a nation's political landscape through the power of social reform.
By Edward R. (Edward Reynolds) Pease
Memoirs of a revolutionist
Witness one man's journey from a life of privilege to becoming a champion, igniting a revolution against injustice and inequality.
By Petr Alekseevich Kropotkin
The Slave Trade, Domestic and Foreign Why It Exists, and How It May Be Extinguished
Discover a mid-19th century exploration into the depths of slavery, from American plantations to foreign lands, and the fight to end its cruel chains.
By Henry Charles Carey
How Women May Earn a Living
Discover a historical roadmap empowering women to defy societal expectations and forge their own paths to financial freedom through education, skill, and unwavering determination.
By Mercy Grogan
Emma Goldman: Biographical Sketch
Witness the extraordinary life of a passionate rebel who challenged authority and fought tirelessly for a world free from oppression.
By Charles Allan Madison
The Business of Being a Woman
Explore the life of the "Uneasy Woman," as she grapples with expectations after women are given new freedoms that devalue the significance of her most important contributions.
By Ida M. (Ida Minerva) Tarbell
Forty Years of It
From a young age, an author's journey is intertwined with his grandfather's political life, ultimately shaping his understanding of democracy.
By Brand Whitlock
Eugenics as a Factor in the Prevention of Mental Disease
Faced with a rising tide of mental illness, this story offers a controversial solution involving selective breeding to create a healthier population.
By Horatio M. (Horatio Milo) Pollock
Modern French Prisons Bicêtre; St. Pélagie; St. Lazare; La Force; The Conciergerie; La Grande and La Petite Roquettes; Mazas; La Santé
Journey through history to witness the dark realities of French prisons, where abuse and inequality thrived, and true reform was a distant dream.
By Arthur Griffiths
The Right to Ignore the State
Dare to envision a world where individuals possess the radical freedom to unshackle themselves from the chains of governmental authority.
By Herbert Spencer
The journal of prison discipline and philanthropy (Vol. XV, No. I, January 1860)
Discover a world where new prison designs and evolving views on inmate treatment hold the key to reforming lives and reshaping society.
By Philadelphia Society for Alleviating the Miseries of Public Prisons
Working Life of Women in the Seventeenth Century
Journey back to the 17th century, where the lives of women are revealed through their untold contributions to a changing world, as they struggle to balance work, family, and societal expectations amid economic upheaval.
By Alice Clark
Love—Marriage—Birth Control Being a Speech delivered at the Church Congress at Birmingham, October, 1921
In a time of changing views, a controversial speech challenges old ideas about love, marriage, and the choices that shape families.
By Bertrand Edward Dawson Dawson
Alcohol and the Human Brain
Discover how a late 19th-century scientist argued that even a sip of alcohol could lead to mental and moral ruin, threatening both personal well-being and the foundations of society.
By Joseph Cook