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Cover of Sociology: Understanding and Changing the Social World, Brief Edition v2.0
Published: 
July 2017
Page Count: 
484
ISBN (Digital): 
978-1-4533-8490-9

Sociology: Understanding and Changing the Social World, Brief Edition

Version 2.0
By Steven E. Barkan

Included Supplements

Key Features

  • Recent media coverage to introduce each chapter
  • Sociological insights and findings that address issues and social reform
  • Discussions based on the experiences of other nations related to the chapter
  • Summaries of social policies grounded in sociological theory and research
  • Final chapter that reviews the relevance of sociology for achieving social change
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This textbook is suitable for the following courses: Introduction to Sociology and Sociology.

Steve Barkan’s Sociology: Understanding and Changing the Social World presents a sociological understanding of society but also a sociological perspective on how to change society, while maintaining the structure and contents of the best mainstream texts.

New in This Version

  • Up-to-date data and statistics
  • Added more than a dozen new timely “Social Issues” in the News vignettes
  • New discussions of various current events and topics
  • About the Author
  • Acknowledgments
  • Preface

    • Chapter 1: Sociology and the Sociological Perspective

  • 1.1 The Sociological Perspective    
  • 1.2 Sociology as a Social Science
  • 1.3 Theoretical Perspectives in Sociology
  • 1.4 Doing Sociological Research
  • 1.5 End-of-Chapter Material

    • Chapter 2: Culture and Society

  • 2.1 Social Issues in the News
  • 2.2 Culture and the Sociological Perspective
  • 2.3 The Elements of Culture
  • 2.4 Cultural Diversity
  • 2.5 The Development of Modern Society
  • 2.6 End-of-Chapter Material

    • Chapter 3: Socialization and Social Interaction

  • 3.1 Social Issues in the News
  • 3.2 The Importance of Socialization
  • 3.3 Explaining Socialization
  • 3.4 Agents of Socialization
  • 3.5 Resocialization and Total Institutions
  • 3.6 Social Interaction
  • 3.7 End-of-Chapter Material

    • Chapter 4: Groups and Organizations

  • 4.1 Social Issues in the News
  • 4.2 Social Groups
  • 4.3 Group Dynamics and Behavior
  • 4.4 Formal Organizations
  • 4.5 Groups, Organizations, and Social Change
  • 4.6 End-of-Chapter Material

    • Chapter 5: Deviance, Crime, and Social Control

  • 5.1 Social Issues in the News
  • 5.2 Social Control and the Relativity of Deviance
  • 5.3 Explaining Deviance
  • 5.4 Crime and Criminals
  • 5.5 The Get-Tough Approach: Boon or Bust?
  • 5.6 End-of-Chapter Material

    • Chapter 6: Social Stratification

  • 6.1 Social Issues in the News
  • 6.2 Systems of Stratification
  • 6.3 Explaining Stratification
  • 6.4 Social Class in the United States
  • 6.5 Economic Inequality and Poverty in the United States
  • 6.6 Global Stratification
  • 6.7 End-of-Chapter Material

    • Chapter 7: Race and Ethnicity

  • 7.1 Social Issues in the News
  • 7.2 Racial and Ethnic Relations: An American Dilemma
  • 7.3 The Meaning of Race and Ethnicity
  • 7.4 Prejudice
  • 7.5 Discrimination
  • 7.6 Racial and Ethnic Inequality in the United States
  • 7.7 Race and Ethnicity in the 21st Century
  • 7.8 End-of-Chapter Material

    • Chapter 8: Gender and Gender Inequality

  • 8.1 Social Issues in the News
  • 8.2 Understanding Sex and Gender
  • 8.3 Feminism and Sexism
  • 8.4 Gender Inequality
  • 8.5 Violence Against Women: Rape and Pornography
  • 8.6 The Benefits and Costs of Being Male
  • 8.7 End-of-Chapter Material

    • Chapter 9: Aging and the Elderly

  • 9.1 Social Issues in the News
  • 9.2 Gerontology and the Concept of Aging
  • 9.3 The Perception and Experience of Aging
  • 9.4 Sociological Perspectives on Aging
  • 9.5 Life Expectancy, Aging, and the Graying of Society
  • 9.6 Biological and Psychological Aspects of Aging
  • 9.7 The U.S. Elderly
  • 9.8 End-of-Chapter Material

    • Chapter 10: Politics and the Economy

  • 10.1 Social Issues in the News
  • 10.2 Politics and Government
  • 10.3 Politics in the United States
  • 10.4 The Economy
  • 10.5 Work and Labor in the United States
  • 10.6 Militarism and the Military
  • 10.7 End-of-Chapter Material

    • Chapter 11: The Family

  • 11.1 Social Issues in the News
  • 11.2 The Family in Cross-Cultural and Historical Perspectives
  • 11.3 Sociological Perspectives on the Family
  • 11.4 Family Patterns in the United States Today
  • 11.5 Changes and Issues Affecting American Families
  • 11.6 Children and Parental Discipline
  • 11.7 Family Violence
  • 11.8 End-of-Chapter Material

    • Chapter 12: Education and Religion

  • 12.1 Social Issues in the News
  • 12.2 Education
  • 12.3 Education in the United States
  • 12.4 Issues and Problems in Education
  • 12.5 Religion
  • 12.6 Religion in the United States
  • 12.7 Trends in Religious Belief and Activity
  • 12.8 End-of-Chapter Material

    • Chapter 13: Health and Medicine

  • 13.1 Social Issues in the News
  • 13.2 Understanding Health, Medicine, and Society
  • 13.3 Health and Medicine in International Perspective
  • 13.4 Health and Illness in the United States
  • 13.5 Medicine and Health Care in the United States
  • 13.6 End-of-Chapter Material

    • Chapter 14: Social Change: Population, Urbanization, and Social Movements

  • 14.1 Social Issues in the News
  • 14.2 Understanding Social Change
  • 14.3 Population
  • 14.4 Urbanization
  • 14.5 Social Movements
  • 14.6 End-of-Chapter Material

    • Chapter 15: Conclusion: Understanding and Changing the Social World

  • 15.1 What Have You Learned From This Book?
  • 15.2 Public Sociology and Improving Society
  • 15.3 A Final Word
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    Instructor’s Manual

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    Steven E. Barkan University of Maine

    Steven E. Barkan (PhD State University of New York at Stony Brook) is Professor Emeritus of Sociology at the University of Maine. He is the author of four FlatWorld titles (Sociology: Understanding and Changing the Social World comprehensive and brief versions, Fundamentals of Criminal Justice, and Social Problems). Steve has also authored more than 35 journal articles and book chapters in publications such as the American Sociological Review; Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion; Journal of Research in Crime and Delinquency; Justice Quarterly; Mobilization; Review of Religious Research; Social Forces; Social Problems; Social Science Quarterly; and Sociological Forum. Steve is past president of the Society for the Study of Social Problems; served on the council of Alpha Kappa Delta, the international sociology honor society; and is past president of the Textbook and Academic Authors Association (TAA). Steve also received an Outstanding Faculty Award from the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at the University of Maine and, from TAA, two Textbook Excellence Awards, the President’s Award, the Pynn-Silverman Award for Lifetime Achievement, and induction into its Council of Fellows. Steve sincerely hopes that faculty and students enjoy reading his books in the formats of their choice and welcomes comments at barkan@maine.edu.

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