{"product_id":"joy-to-the-world-15","title":"Joy to the World","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eA celebration and exploration of the idea of pleasure and the unique role it serves in bringing individuals and communities together. \u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThere are innumerable ways to take pleasure in life: a bite of cake in the late afternoon, a walk in the warm springtime air after a long winter, a listen to the opening chords of your favorite song. But each of these pleasures is transformed by the presence of others. In \u003ci\u003eJoy to the World\u003c\/i\u003e, sociologist Gary Alan Fine takes up one of the major themes of his lifetime of work: pleasure. Fine gives us the conceptual basis for a sociology of pleasure: a joyous view of the world that, at times, inspires us, through expectations of interaction, shared cultures, and routine practices that make life worth living in community. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFine focuses on the impact of group relations as the platform for satisfaction, emphasizing the power of communities of practice. While pleasures may be enjoyed alone, the pleasure that occurs in social spaces performs a unique function in our personal and social lives; they help us understand ourselves as individuals who are part of a group. What is pleasurably transgressive in one context might seem inappropriate, cruel, or just plain nonsensical in another, and these shades of difference serve to solidify the bonds of the group. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eJoy to the World\u003c\/i\u003e urges us to understand what draws us together as well as to appreciate what drives us apart. Our joys, as well as our challenges, help us to be a part of a caring, conscientious, committed community.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"The University of Chicago Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":57260660130136,"sku":"9780226850870","price":32.5,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0278\/1295\/4195\/files\/9780226850870_f75b5634-e292-42e9-b64b-9c9f1189f61e.jpg?v=1781046920","url":"https:\/\/agendabookshop.com\/products\/joy-to-the-world-15","provider":"Agenda Bookshop","version":"1.0","type":"link"}