About the Book

"In 1947, the president of the American Sociological Association, Louis Wirth, argued for the importance of housing as a field of sociological research. It may come as a surprise, then, to learn that the field has yet to be established. Instead, efforts to understand the place of housing in society have been largely subsumed within other disciplines, such as economics and urban planning. Over time, it has only become clearer how central a role housing plays in structuring our lives, from long-standing discriminatory lending practices that determine who can own a home and where, to unequal eviction practices, on up to the 2008 financial crisis and the decimation of the American housing market. With the collection of essays in this book, the editors and contributors propose to solidify the place of housing studies as a distinct subfield within the discipline of sociology, showing that housing is both an important element of multiple sociological subfields and a significant component of social life deserving of dedicated attention as a distinct area of research. The volume will take stock of the current field of scholarship and provide new directions for the sociological study of housing." --

Book Synopsis

A landmark volume about the importance of housing in social life.

In 1947, the president of the American Sociological Association, Louis Wirth, argued for the importance of housing as a field of sociological research. Now, seventy-five years later, the sociology of housing has still not developed as a distinct subfield, leaving efforts to understand housing's place in society to other disciplines, such as economics and urban planning. With this volume, the editors and contributors solidify the importance of housing studies within the discipline of sociology by tackling topics like racial segregation, housing instability, the supply of affordable housing, and the process of eviction. In doing so, they showcase the very best traditions of sociology: they draw on diverse methodologies, present unique field sites and data sources, and foreground a range of theoretical approaches to elucidate the relationships between contemporary housing, public policy, and key social outcomes.

The Sociology of Housing is a landmark volume that will be used by researchers and students alike to define this growing subfield, map continued directions for research, and center sociologists in interdisciplinary conversations about housing.

Review Quotes

"This highly readable anthology is suitable for students and researchers alike who are interested in the topic of housing in the disciplines of sociology, social work, human geography or spatial planning, and is also relevant for housing experts
in practice and for anyone who wants to learn more about housing as a representative of socio-spatial inequality."-- "Soziopolis"

"McCabe and Rosen have curated a text that will benefit housing scholars and those working in the field of housing policy. The Sociology of Housing is well documented and has an extensive works cited section."-- "Choice"

"The Sociology of Housing addresses an important topic: how housing is created and, in turn, influences and shapes our lives. Much has been written about the economics and financing of housing. But the multifaceted social influences of housing on society have long been overlooked. With contributions from leading scholars, this volume will make an important contribution to our understanding of how housing is interwoven into our lives."--Lance Freeman, James W. Effron University Professor of City and Regional Planning & Sociology, University of Pennsylvania

"In The Sociology of Housing, McCabe and Rosen push housing research from the background to the foreground of so many core sociological questions about how we structure society and interact with one another. This volume offers an expert syllabus on housing for academics, students, and practitioners. There is no book like it, and it will stand as the reference tool for decades to come."--Mary Pattillo, Harold Washington Professor of Sociology, Northwestern University

About the Author

Brian J. McCabe is associate professor of sociology at Georgetown University and an affiliated faculty member at the McCourt School of Public Policy. He is the author of No Place Like Home: Wealth, Community and the Politics of Homeownership. Eva Rosen is associate professor at Georgetown University's McCourt School of Public Policy and an affiliated faculty member in the department of sociology. She is the author of The Voucher Promise: "Section 8" and the Fate of an American Neighborhood.