About the Author

John Astley is a writer and lecturer, and is a frequent contributor to journals, conferences, and radio talks. For some time now, his main focus of attention is on subjects related to the "sociology of culture". He is the author of three volumes of Collected Essays: "Liberation and Domestication", "Culture and Creativity", and "Professionalism and Practice". As a reseacher, he is primarily concerned about the inter-relations between theory, practice, experience, and theorising, which, not surprisingly, require him to examine the nature and role of character in regard to 'structuralising' factors like culture. John Astley's "Herbivores and Carnivores" is a timely investigation into cultural values in contemporary society.