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Newer Version Available
Cover of Sociology: Understanding and Changing the Social World, Comprehensive Edition v2.0
Published: 
December 2016
Page Count: 
594
ISBN (Digital): 
978-1-4533-7899-1

Sociology: Understanding and Changing the Social World, Comprehensive Edition

Version 2.0
By Steven E. Barkan

Included Supplements

Key Features

  • Social Issues in the News: Almost every chapter starts with a story from recent media coverage that recounts an event related to the chapter’s topic and proceeds with thought-provoking discussion about the social issue related to the event. Additional discussion elsewhere in the chapter helps students understand the basis for this issue and related issues. This dual treatment of the news story will help students appreciate the relevance of sociology for newsworthy issues.
  • Sociology Making a Difference: Discusses a social issue related to the chapter’s topic and shows how sociological insights and findings have been used, or could be used, to address the issue and achieve social reform.
  • Learning from Other Societies: Discusses the experience in another nation(s) on a social issue related to the chapter; this box helps students appreciate what has worked and not worked in other nations and thus better understand how social reform might be achieved in the United States.
  • Theory Snapshots: Many chapters contain these tables that provide a quick reference tool for students to understand the varying theoretical approaches to the sociological topic in the chapter.
  • What Sociology Suggests: Summarizes social policies grounded in sociological theory and research that hold strong potential for addressing issues discussed in the chapter.

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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.

  • About the Author
  • Acknowledgments
  • Preface

    • Chapter 1: Sociology and the Sociological Perspective

  • 1.1 The Sociological Perspective    
  • 1.2 Understanding Society
  • 1.3 Theoretical Perspectives in Sociology
  • 1.4 End-of-Chapter Material

    • Chapter 2: Eye on Society: Doing Sociological Research

  • 2.1 Social Issues in the News
  • 2.2 Sociology as a Social Science
  • 2.3 Stages in the Sociological Research Process
  • 2.4 Research Design in Sociology
  • 2.5 Ethical Issues in Sociological Research
  • 2.6 Sociological Research in the Service of Society
  • 2.7 End-of-Chapter Material

    • Chapter 3: Culture

  • 3.1 Social Issues in the News
  • 3.2 Culture and the Sociological Perspective
  • 3.3 The Elements of Culture
  • 3.4 Cultural Diversity
  • 3.5 End-of-Chapter Material

    • Chapter 4: Socialization

  • 4.1 Social Issues in the News
  • 4.2 The Importance of Socialization
  • 4.3 Explaining Socialization
  • 4.4 Agents of Socialization
  • 4.5 Socialization Through the Life Course
  • 4.6 Resocialization and Total Institutions
  • 4.7 Socialization Practices and Improving Society
  • 4.8 End-of-Chapter Material

    • Chapter 5: Social Structure and Social Interaction

  • 5.1 Social Issues in the News
  • 5.2 Social Structure: The Building Blocks of Social Life
  • 5.3 The Development of Modern Society
  • 5.4 Social Interaction in Everyday Life
  • 5.5 End-of-Chapter Material

    • Chapter 6: Groups and Organizations

  • 6.1 Social Issues in the News
  • 6.2 Social Groups
  • 6.3 Group Dynamics and Behavior
  • 6.4 Formal Organizations
  • 6.5 Groups, Organizations, and Social Change
  • 6.6 End-of-Chapter Material

    • Chapter 7: Deviance, Crime, and Social Control

  • 7.1 Social Issues in the News
  • 7.2 Social Control and the Relativity of Deviance
  • 7.3 Explaining Deviance
  • 7.4 Crime and Criminals
  • 7.5 The Get-Tough Approach: Boon or Bust?
  • 7.6 End-of-Chapter Material

    • Chapter 8: Social Stratification

  • 8.1 Social Issues in the News
  • 8.2 Systems of Stratification
  • 8.3 Explaining Stratification
  • 8.4 Social Class in the United States
  • 8.5 Economic Inequality and Poverty in the United States
  • 8.6 End-of-Chapter Material

    • Chapter 9: Global Stratification

  • 9.1 Social Issues in the News
  • 9.2 The Nature and Extent of Global Stratification
  • 9.3 The Impact of Global Poverty
  • 9.4 Explaining Global Stratification
  • 9.5 End-of-Chapter Material

    • Chapter 10: Race and Ethnicity

  • 10.1 Social Issues in the News
  • 10.2 Racial and Ethnic Relations: An American Dilemma
  • 10.3 The Meaning of Race and Ethnicity
  • 10.4 Prejudice
  • 10.5 Discrimination
  • 10.6 Racial and Ethnic Inequality in the United States
  • 10.7 Race and Ethnicity in the 21st Century
  • 10.8 End-of-Chapter Material

    • Chapter 11: Gender and Gender Inequality

  • 11.1 Social Issues in the News
  • 11.2 Understanding Sex and Gender
  • 11.3 Feminism and Sexism
  • 11.4 Gender Inequality
  • 11.5 Violence Against Women: Rape and Pornography
  • 11.6 The Benefits and Costs of Being Male
  • 11.7 End-of-Chapter Material

    • Chapter 12: Aging and the Elderly

  • 12.1 Social Issues in the News
  • 12.2 Gerontology and the Concept of Aging
  • 12.3 The Perception and Experience of Aging
  • 12.4 Sociological Perspectives on Aging
  • 12.5 Life Expectancy, Aging, and the Graying of Society
  • 12.6 Biological and Psychological Aspects of Aging
  • 12.7 The U.S. Elderly
  • 12.8 End-of-Chapter Material

    • Chapter 13: Work and the Economy

  • 13.1 Social Issues in the News
  • 13.2 Economic Development in Historical Perspective
  • 13.3 Types of Economic Systems
  • 13.4 Corporations
  • 13.5 Work and Labor in the United States
  • 13.6 The Military-Industrial Complex
  • 13.7 End-of-Chapter Material

    • Chapter 14: Politics and Government

  • 14.1 Social Issues in the News
  • 14.2 Power and Authority
  • 14.3 Types of Political Systems
  • 14.4 Theories of Power and Society
  • 14.5 Politics in the United States
  • 14.6 War and Terrorism
  • 14.7 End-of-Chapter Material

    • Chapter 15: The Family

  • 15.1 Social Issues in the News
  • 15.2 The Family in Cross-Cultural and Historical Perspectives
  • 15.3 Sociological Perspectives on the Family
  • 15.4 Family Patterns in the United States Today
  • 15.5 Changes and Issues Affecting American Families
  • 15.6 Children and Parental Discipline
  • 15.7 Family Violence
  • 15.8 End-of-Chapter Material

    • Chapter 16: Education

  • 16.1 Social Issues in the News
  • 16.2 A Brief History of Education in the United States
  • 16.3 Sociological Perspectives on Education
  • 16.4 Education in the United States
  • 16.5 Issues and Problems in Education
  • 16.6 End-of-Chapter Material

    • Chapter 17: Religion

  • 17.1 Social Issues in the News
  • 17.2 Religion as a Social Institution
  • 17.3 Religion in Historical and Cross-Cultural Perspective
  • 17.4 Sociological Perspectives on Religion
  • 17.5 Types of Religious Organizations
  • 17.6 Religion in the United States
  • 17.7 Trends in Religious Belief and Activity
  • 17.8 End-of-Chapter Material

    • Chapter 18: Health and Medicine

  • 18.1 Social Issues in the News
  • 18.2 Understanding Health, Medicine, and Society
  • 18.3 Health and Medicine in International Perspective
  • 18.4 Health and Illness in the United States
  • 18.5 Medicine and Health Care in the United States
  • 18.6 End-of-Chapter Material

    • Chapter 19: Population and Urbanization

  • 19.1 Social Issues in the News
  • 19.2 Population
  • 19.3 Population Growth and Decline
  • 19.4 Urbanization
  • 19.5 Rural Life
  • 19.6 End-of-Chapter Material

    • Chapter 20: Social Change and the Environment

  • 20.1 Social Issues in the News
  • 20.2 Understanding Social Change
  • 20.3 Sources of Social Change
  • 20.4 Society and the Environment
  • 20.5 Understanding the Environment
  • 20.6 End-of-Chapter Material

    • Chapter 21: Collective Behavior and Social Movements

  • 21.1 Social Issues in the News
  • 21.2 Types of Collective Behavior
  • 21.3 Explaining Collective Behavior
  • 21.4 Social Movements
  • 21.5 End-of-Chapter Material

    • Chapter 22: Conclusion: Understanding and Changing the Social World

  • 22.1 What Have You Learned From This Book?
  • 22.2 Public Sociology and Improving Society
  • 22.3 A Final Word
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    Steven E. Barkan University of Maine

    Steven E. Barkan is Professor of Sociology at the University of Maine. He is the author of several other textbooks, including: (1) Criminology: A Sociological Understanding, 7e (Pearson); (2) Race, Crime, and Justice: The Continuing American Dilemma (Oxford University Press); and (3) Law and Society: An Introduction, 2e (Routledge). He has also authored more than 35 journal articles and book chapters in sources such as the American Sociological Review; Criminology & Public Policy; Journal of Crime and Justice; Journal of Research in Crime and Delinquency; Justice Quarterly; Social Forces; and Social Problems.
    Professor Barkan is past president of the Society for the Study of Social Problems and of the Textbook and Academic Authors Association (TAA). He has received an Outstanding Faculty Award from the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at UMaine and two Textbook Excellence Awards from TAA. He sincerely hopes that instructors and students enjoy reading this book in the format of their choice and welcomes their comments at barkan@maine.edu.

    Here's more words about him.

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