Synopses & Reviews
This best-selling textbook returns with material on the most fundamental and fascinating issues in sociology today. The authors focus on the big picture, capturing students imaginations, while still providing the basic intricacies of theory and research needed in a good textbook. Long praised for offering a more integrated understanding of sociology and encouraging more critical thinking than other texts. Thoroughly introduces the basic approaches of sociology: functionalist, conflict, and symbolic-interactionist. Then, subsequent chapters use these theories to explain and integrate diverse topics, issues, and debates. Includes dimensions of race, class, and gender in every chapter. Fascinating special feature boxes engage students in the real world: Personal Journeys into Sociology presents the disciplines of leading scholars, Student Life explores sociology up close and personal in the lives of college students, and Putting Sociology to Work offers insights into the application of sociology into a wide array of careers. Offers helpful ancillary materials, including a test bank, instructor 's manual, and PowerPoint slides, available for fall 2011. Provides three chapters from the original text free on Paradigm 's website to keep the book compact and affordable for students while offering a wide range of content.New material or chapters presents such current issues as: The historic election of the nation 's first African American president. Economic sociology and financial systems in the wake of the 2008 global financial crisis, including a text box by Fred Block on risk taking. Sexual orientation and the nature-nurture debate on sexual preferences. Immigration and the corresponding policy debates. New takes on deviance and crime using such fresh examples as the 2008 financial scandals, the shifting status of marijuana socially and legally, the BP oil spill, and more. By popular request, more case study coverage of labor, women s, and environmental movements.
Synopsis
The return of this best-selling textbook focuses on showing its readers how to think like a sociologist. Readers will find the most fundamental and fascinating issues in sociology debated in accessible language that does not sacrifice the intricacies of theory and research. This book is for anyone who wants to connect with the issues that draw sociologists to their discipline for a lifetime labor of love.