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.

“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

“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