Contemporary Society
An Introduction to Social Science
9th Edition
Published on 20. September 2000
Book
Hardback
539 pages
978-0-321-04462-4 (ISBN)
Description
This best-selling text combines up-to-date information, historical background, social science concepts, research, and down-to-earth explanations in an accessible, journalistic style. Contemporary Society offers an overview of the social sciences by presenting a perspective on how the social science disciplines perceive the world around us. The text has been completely updated to reflect the shifts in contemporary society while retaining the centralized theme of change. The authors reinforce the idea that the transition from an industrial to a postindustrial order is fraught with difficulties, as was the transition from an agricultural to an industrial order. The increasing fragmentation of the social order, which leads people away from community and a common purpose to conflict and disunity, is also shown in this framework.
More details
Edition
9th edition
Language
English
Place of publication
New York
United States
Publishing group
Taylor & Francis Inc
Target group
Professional and scholarly
Dimensions
Height: 190 mm
Width: 232 mm
Thickness: 17 mm
Weight
832 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-321-04462-4 (9780321044624)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
New editions
Book
08/2002
10th Edition
Routledge
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Content
All chapters end with "The Chapter in Brief," "Terms to Remember," and "Suggested Reading."
1.Through the Lens of Science.
The Social Sciences.
The Social World Seen through the Lens of Science.
The Scientific Method.
The Social Science Disciplines.
Research Methods in the Social Sciences.
2.In the Beginning ... .
The Beginnings of Life.
The Emergence of the Theory of Evolution.
Genetics.
The Long Trek: Human Evolution.
Homo Sapiens: Modern Humans.
Agriculture: Cultivation and Domestication.
The Evolution of Human Nature.
3.Culture: Product and Guide to Life in Society.
Culture: Concept and Importance.
The Symbolic Nature of Culture.
Language: The Most Important System of Symbols.
The Content of Culture.
The Components of Nonmaterial Culture: Cognitive and Normative.
Pivotal Institutions.
Ethnocentrism and Cultural Relativity.
Cultural Differences and Universals.
4.Group Interaction: From Two to Millions.
How is the Social System Organized and Structured?
The Multiplicity of Statuses and Roles.
Groups.
Primary and Secondary Groups.
Society.
Interaction and Social Process.
Formal Organizations.
Bureaucracy.
5.Becoming a Person: The Birth of Personality.
Personality.
Becoming Human: Socialization.
Theories of Socialization.
The Self and the Unconscious: Freud.
The Transitional Self: Erikson.
Developmental Theories: Piaget.
Moral Development: Kohlberg.
Agents of Socialization.
Socialization through the Life Cycle.
Some Conclusions.
6.Deviance and Criminality: The Need for Social Control.
Deviance.
The Relative Nature of Deviance.
Explaining Deviance.
Mental Disorders.
Deviance as Seen from a Sociological Perspective.
Crime: Deviance That Hurts.
Crime Statistics: How Much Crime, and Who Commits It?
The Criminal Justice System.
7.The Great Divide: Ranking and Stratification.
Social Differentiation, Ranking, and Stratification.
Stratification.
Theoretical Views on Stratification.
Dimensions of Stratification: Class, Status, and Power.
Systems of Stratification.
Determining Social Class.
Social Classes in the United States.
Social Class and Its Consequences.
Social Mobility.
8.Minority Status: Race and Ethnicity.
Majority-Minority Relations: Defining the Terms.
Common Characteristics of Minorities.
The Making of Pluralist Society.
Majority and Minorities: Processes of Coexistence.
In the Way: Obstacles to Pluralism.
Racial Minorities.
Ethnic and Religious Minorities.
The New Face of America.
9.Minority Status: Age, Gender, and Sexuality.
The Aging Society.
Women: Differentiation According to Gender.
The Cultural Construction of Gender.
Sexuality.
10.From the Plow to the Computer: Change, Collective Behavior, and Social Movements.
Society and Change.
Processes of Social and Cultural Change.
The Industrial Revolution.
Industrialism.
Modernization.
Collective Behavior.
Social Movements.
Revolutionary Movements.
11.Population, Urbanization, and Environment.
Demographic Processes: Dynamics of Population Change.
Characteristics and Composition of a Population.
Population around the World.
Demographic Transition.
Population Policies.
The Urban Society.
Urbanization.
The Industrial Revolution and the Growth of Cities.
American Cities.
Metropolitanization and Megalopolis.
The Urban Crisis.
Attempts to Reclaim the City.
The Natural Environment.
12.Pivotal Institutions: Marriage and the Family.
The Basic Institution: The Family.
Marriage.
Divorce.
Some Unintended Effects of the Changing American Family.
13.Pivotal Institutions: Religion and Education.
The Great Religions of the World.
Religion in the Social Sciences.
Religion and Social Control.
Contemporary Trends.
Education.
14.Government: The Institutions and the Ideologies That Underlie It.
The Institution of Government.
Government and Politics.
Political Power: Legitimacy and Authority.
The State.
The Nation-State.
The Ideologies behind the Nation-State.
Autocratic Ideologies.
Democratic Ideologies: Democracy.
Socialism.
15.The Government of the United States of America.
The Constitutional Convention.
What Is a Constitution?
Separation of Powers.
The Presidency: The Executive Branch.
Congress: The Legislative Branch.
The Supreme Court: The Judicial Branch.
The Importance of Limited Government.
16.We the People: Democracy in Action.
American Democracy.
How Is America Governed?
Interest Groups.
Political Parties.
The High Cost of Campaigning.
Voting.
Political Opinion Making.
17.The Economy: Concepts and History.
The Economic Institution.
Contemporary Economic Systems: How Choices Are Made.
Western Economies in Historical Perspective.
Aspects of Industrial Capitalism.
The Nature of Work in the Industrial Society.
The Corporate Bureaucracy.
The American Labor Movement.
American Labor versus the Global Economy.
The Importance of Productivity.
18.Principles of Economic Behavior: Microeconomics and Macroeconomics.
The Small Picture and the Large Picture.
Market Mechanisms.
Market Forces.
A Macroview.
Instruments of Public Policy.
Fiscal Mechanisms.
Monetary Policy.
Incomes Policy.
Fitting into the Global Economy.
19.Nation among Nations: Perspectives on International Relations.
Regions of the World.
Theoretical Perspectives.
Contemporary Perspectives.
Participants in the International System.
The Goals of States.
Means of Achieving Goals: Foreign Policy.
The Role of Ideology.
Instruments of Foreign Policy.
Diplomacy and Diplomats.
Power.
The Balance-of-Power System.
The Constitution of the United States.
References.
Index.
1.Through the Lens of Science.
The Social Sciences.
The Social World Seen through the Lens of Science.
The Scientific Method.
The Social Science Disciplines.
Research Methods in the Social Sciences.
2.In the Beginning ... .
The Beginnings of Life.
The Emergence of the Theory of Evolution.
Genetics.
The Long Trek: Human Evolution.
Homo Sapiens: Modern Humans.
Agriculture: Cultivation and Domestication.
The Evolution of Human Nature.
3.Culture: Product and Guide to Life in Society.
Culture: Concept and Importance.
The Symbolic Nature of Culture.
Language: The Most Important System of Symbols.
The Content of Culture.
The Components of Nonmaterial Culture: Cognitive and Normative.
Pivotal Institutions.
Ethnocentrism and Cultural Relativity.
Cultural Differences and Universals.
4.Group Interaction: From Two to Millions.
How is the Social System Organized and Structured?
The Multiplicity of Statuses and Roles.
Groups.
Primary and Secondary Groups.
Society.
Interaction and Social Process.
Formal Organizations.
Bureaucracy.
5.Becoming a Person: The Birth of Personality.
Personality.
Becoming Human: Socialization.
Theories of Socialization.
The Self and the Unconscious: Freud.
The Transitional Self: Erikson.
Developmental Theories: Piaget.
Moral Development: Kohlberg.
Agents of Socialization.
Socialization through the Life Cycle.
Some Conclusions.
6.Deviance and Criminality: The Need for Social Control.
Deviance.
The Relative Nature of Deviance.
Explaining Deviance.
Mental Disorders.
Deviance as Seen from a Sociological Perspective.
Crime: Deviance That Hurts.
Crime Statistics: How Much Crime, and Who Commits It?
The Criminal Justice System.
7.The Great Divide: Ranking and Stratification.
Social Differentiation, Ranking, and Stratification.
Stratification.
Theoretical Views on Stratification.
Dimensions of Stratification: Class, Status, and Power.
Systems of Stratification.
Determining Social Class.
Social Classes in the United States.
Social Class and Its Consequences.
Social Mobility.
8.Minority Status: Race and Ethnicity.
Majority-Minority Relations: Defining the Terms.
Common Characteristics of Minorities.
The Making of Pluralist Society.
Majority and Minorities: Processes of Coexistence.
In the Way: Obstacles to Pluralism.
Racial Minorities.
Ethnic and Religious Minorities.
The New Face of America.
9.Minority Status: Age, Gender, and Sexuality.
The Aging Society.
Women: Differentiation According to Gender.
The Cultural Construction of Gender.
Sexuality.
10.From the Plow to the Computer: Change, Collective Behavior, and Social Movements.
Society and Change.
Processes of Social and Cultural Change.
The Industrial Revolution.
Industrialism.
Modernization.
Collective Behavior.
Social Movements.
Revolutionary Movements.
11.Population, Urbanization, and Environment.
Demographic Processes: Dynamics of Population Change.
Characteristics and Composition of a Population.
Population around the World.
Demographic Transition.
Population Policies.
The Urban Society.
Urbanization.
The Industrial Revolution and the Growth of Cities.
American Cities.
Metropolitanization and Megalopolis.
The Urban Crisis.
Attempts to Reclaim the City.
The Natural Environment.
12.Pivotal Institutions: Marriage and the Family.
The Basic Institution: The Family.
Marriage.
Divorce.
Some Unintended Effects of the Changing American Family.
13.Pivotal Institutions: Religion and Education.
The Great Religions of the World.
Religion in the Social Sciences.
Religion and Social Control.
Contemporary Trends.
Education.
14.Government: The Institutions and the Ideologies That Underlie It.
The Institution of Government.
Government and Politics.
Political Power: Legitimacy and Authority.
The State.
The Nation-State.
The Ideologies behind the Nation-State.
Autocratic Ideologies.
Democratic Ideologies: Democracy.
Socialism.
15.The Government of the United States of America.
The Constitutional Convention.
What Is a Constitution?
Separation of Powers.
The Presidency: The Executive Branch.
Congress: The Legislative Branch.
The Supreme Court: The Judicial Branch.
The Importance of Limited Government.
16.We the People: Democracy in Action.
American Democracy.
How Is America Governed?
Interest Groups.
Political Parties.
The High Cost of Campaigning.
Voting.
Political Opinion Making.
17.The Economy: Concepts and History.
The Economic Institution.
Contemporary Economic Systems: How Choices Are Made.
Western Economies in Historical Perspective.
Aspects of Industrial Capitalism.
The Nature of Work in the Industrial Society.
The Corporate Bureaucracy.
The American Labor Movement.
American Labor versus the Global Economy.
The Importance of Productivity.
18.Principles of Economic Behavior: Microeconomics and Macroeconomics.
The Small Picture and the Large Picture.
Market Mechanisms.
Market Forces.
A Macroview.
Instruments of Public Policy.
Fiscal Mechanisms.
Monetary Policy.
Incomes Policy.
Fitting into the Global Economy.
19.Nation among Nations: Perspectives on International Relations.
Regions of the World.
Theoretical Perspectives.
Contemporary Perspectives.
Participants in the International System.
The Goals of States.
Means of Achieving Goals: Foreign Policy.
The Role of Ideology.
Instruments of Foreign Policy.
Diplomacy and Diplomats.
Power.
The Balance-of-Power System.
The Constitution of the United States.
References.
Index.