Sociology

Preface. I. INTRODUCTION TO SOCIOLOGY. 1. A Brief Introduction to Sociology. What is Sociology? Sociology and Other Sciences of Human Behavior. The Different Kinds of Sociology. Theoretical Preferences. Research Preferences. Microscopic and Macroscopic Sociology. The Advantages of Sociological Variety. In the News: Sociology on the Internet. Some Fundamental Ideas of Sociology. Social Influences on Human Behavior. How Can Sociology Be Useful to You? Cross-national Perspectives: Sociology in China. The Beginnings of Sociology. Sociological Theories. Summary. Appendix: Occupations and Careers That Use Sociology. Critical Thinking. 2. Sociological Research. A Scientific Approach to Knowledge. Ethical Issues of Social Research. In the News: Sociological Research and Privileged Information. Research Questions and Hypotheses. Theoretical Concepts and Research Variables. Major Sociological Research Methods. Cross-national Perspectives: The Gender-Poverty Gap in Eight Industrialized Countries. Statistics and Sociological Research. Summary. Appendix: Statistical Tables. Reading a Statistical Table. Critical Thinking. 3. Culture. The Importance of Culture. Two Competing Views of Human Behavior. Ethnocentrism. Cultural Relativism. Cross-cultural Perspectives: American Culture as a Foreign Culture. The Components of Culture. Cultural Diversity. In the News: The Importance of Symbols in Politics. Cultural Diversity. A Cultural War: The Orthodox versus Progressives. Countercultures. Summary. Critical Thinking. 4. Forms of Social Life: Interaction, Groups, Organizations, and Societies. Social Structures. Interaction. Status and Role. Dyads and Triads. Social Groups. in the News: Street Gangs and Group Identity. Organizations and Bureaucracies. The Culture of Organizations. Institutions. Society. Cross-national Perspectives: When Societies Collapse. Summary. Critical Thinking. 5. Socialization. The Nature of Socialization. Agents of Socialization. Cross-cultural Perspectives: Some Alternate Views of Childrens Personalities. The Mass Media as Socializing Agents. In the News: Talk Shows and Rap Music Are Charged with Subverting the Values of Americas Youth. Adolescent and Adult Socialization. Summary. Critical Thinking. 6. Deviance and Social Control. The Social Nature of Deviance. Sociological Theories of Deviance. The Process of Social Control. The Personal Experience of Deviance. Crime: A Major Form of Deviance. Cross-national Perspectives: Drugs and Political Power: The Case of Columbia. In the News: The Rise of Rent-a-Cops. Summary. Critical Thinking. 7. Sexual Behavior from a Sociological Perspective. Cultural Differences in Sexual Behavior. Cultural Definitions of What Is Sexual. Historical Views of Sexuality in the United States. A Societal Perspective on Sexual Behavior. The Sexual Norms of Society. Cross-cultural Perspectives: Societal Reactions to Erotica and Pornography. Socialization for Sex. Sex before Marriage. AIDS and Sexual Behavior. Cross-national Perspectives: Gays and Lesbians as a Silent Minority: The Case of China. Deviant Sexual Behavior. Summary. Critical Thinking. II. INEQUALITY. 8. Stratification: Living with Social Inequality. Dimensions of Stratification. In the News: The Overclass: Economic Restructuring and the Rise of the New Elite Class. How Are Stratification Systems Justified? Structural-Functional and Conflict Theories of Social Stratification. Social Inequalities in the United States. In the News: 'In-Your-Face Capitalism': CEO Compensation, Corporate Downsizing, and the Wage Gap. Some Consequences of the U.S. Stratification System. Open and Closed Systems of Stratification. Cross-national Perspectives: Japans 'Invisible Race': The Burakumin. Patterns of Social Mobility in the United States. Summary. Critical Thinking. 9. Racial and Ethnic Inequality. Ethnic and Racial Groups. What is a Minority Group? Race and Ethnicity in the American Experience. Contemporary Immigration. Explanations of Racial and Ethnic Inequality. In the News: The Bell Curve: The Legitimization of the Status Quo. In the News: Institutional Discrimination in the War on Drugs. Patterns of Racial and Ethnic Relations. Cross-national Perspectives: African Genocide: Tutsi-Hutu Strife in Burundi and Rwanda. Minority-Group Responses to Dominant Group Pressures. Summary. Critical Thinking. 10. Gender and Age: Stratification and Inequality. Gender Stratification. Gender Roles. Cultural Differences in Gender Roles. Stereotyped Personality Traits and Gender Roles. Beliefs about Gender Stereotypes. Attitudes about Gender Roles. Socialization for Gender Roles. Gender Roles among Elementary School Children. Teachers and Gender. Men and Women in the Public World. Age Stratification and Inequality. In the News: Are Americas Elderly Being Pampered? Summary. Critical Thinking. III. SOCIAL INSTITUTIONS. 11. Family. Functions of the Family. Two Basic Family Types. The Family and Social Change. The Processes of Marriage and Family Life. Cross-cultural Perspectives: Polyandry: A Rare Marriage Type. In the News: Marriage for Gays and Lesbians. The Family and Unemployment. Conflict and Violence in the Family. Separation and Divorce. Effects of Divorce on Children. Family Relations after Divorce. Summary. Critical Thinking. 12. Education. A Brief Look at the History of Education in the United States. Functional Theory and Education. Conflict Theory and Education. Cross-national Perspectives: Why India Does Not Have Compulsory Education. Education and Education Systems Worldwide. Who Succeeds in the American School System? Performance of the American School System. Performance on Achievement Tests. Financial Disparities among Schools. Social Dimensions of Schools and Classrooms. In the News: Two Current Educational Controversies. Violence in the Schools. Order and Control in the Classroom. Summary. Critical Thinking. 13. The Economy at Work. Historical Changes in the Economy. The Changing State of the U.S. Economy and the Problems Created by Those Changes. The U.S. Economy in the Coming Years. In the News: Downsizing at AT&T (and Elsewhere). Cross-national Perspectives: The Changing Nature of the Chinese Economy. Experiences in the World of Work. Summary. Critical Thinking. 14. Health and Medicine. Sociology of Health and Medicine. The Changing Nature of Health and Medicine. In the News: 'Outbreak': Dangers Posed by Infectious Diseases. Variations in Health among Different Populations. Changes in Health Care in the United States. Crisis in U.S. Health Care. Alternatives to the American System of Health Care: Canada, Germany, and Japan. Cross-national Perspectives: An International View of AIDS. Organization of Health Care Systems in the United States. Emergence of the Business of Health Care. Patients and the Medical System. Summary. Critical Thinking. 15. Religion. The Sociological Perspective: Religion as a Social Phenomenon. The Social Functions of Religion. In the News: 'A Fundamental and Sacred Aspect of Life': Sexuality and Religious Ethics in Tension. The Changing Nature of Religion in the United States. Cross-national Perspectives: Population Growth in Islamic Nations. Selling God: the Marketing of Religion. Recent Trends in Religion in the United States. In the News: Religious Ethics and Sexuality in Tension. Personal Religious Experience. Leaving Religion. In the News: Promise Keepers: A Male Revitalization Movement in Religious Garb. The Institutionalization of Religious Experience. Summary. Critical Thinking. 16. Political Life. Power, State, and Government. Three Views of the Political System of the United States. In the News: Is Canada Disintegrating? Changes in American Politics. The Voters in Democratic Societies. The End of Militarism? Cross-national Perspectives: Perus Shining Path Guerrillas. Summary. Critical Thinking. IV. SOCIAL CHANGE. 17. Population and Urbanization. Fertility. Mortality. Cross-cultural Perspectives: Infanticide and the Preference for Male Children. Migration. World Population Growth. Urbanization. World Urbanization. Urban Development in the United States. In the News: Population, Progress, and Pollution in Mexico City-An 'Ecological Disaster.' The Impact of Urban Life. Challenges to the Negative View. Summary. Critical Thinking. 18. Social Change, Collective Behavior, and Social Movements. The Meaning of Change. Theories of Change. Sources of Change. Collective Behavior and Social Change. Cross-national Perspectives: Disasters in Florida and Bangladesh: A Comparison. Sociological Approaches to Social Movements. In the News: The 'De-development' of Zaire. Approaches to the Study of International Social Change. Globalization Theory. McDonaldization, McWorld, Americanization, and Jihad. Summary. Critical Thinking. Glossary. References. Name Index. Subject Index.