First published in 1983 Which Way is Up presents a selection of Bob Connell’s writings on three key issues of modern social analysis- sex and gender, class and power, and culture. The essays range from psychoanalysis and contemporary feminism to the role theory, from the analysis of class and culture to the debate about intellectuals and the ‘new class’. In critically reviewing contemporary thought on these issues, the author has developed a perspective centred on the analysis of social practice.

Easy to read, often witty, the essays represent an attempt to shift social theory into the real world of the late twentieth century, to go beyond the limits of orthodox sociology and radical dogmas, to think through theoretical questions without losing touch with practical politics. This is a must read for students and scholars of sociology.

M. Lourdes Mourelle, Ph.D., is a specialist in Thermalism and Thalassotherapy as a teacher in Masters Degrees and courses related to this topic. She belongs to the FA2 Research Group in the Applied Physics Department, University of Vigo, where she takes part in projects related to Thermalism, Thalassotherapy and Cosmetics.

Haresh S. Kalasariya is currently working as a microbiologist in a pharmaceutical company, while also serving as an adjunct research fellow in the Faculty of Health and Life Sciences at INTI International University, Malaysia. With a solid foundation in academia, he has previously held the position of assistant professor in Microbiology and Phycology at Sankalchand Patel University, India, for four years, and at Hemchandracharya North Gujarat University for two years. His research expertise is rooted in the study of seaweed in cosmeceuticals, and he has actively contributed to the field through his involvement in three government-funded research projects supported by the Government of Gujarat, India.