Down to Earth Sociology; Introductory Readings, Thirteenth Edition

by James M. Henslin

• ISBN13: 9780743267601
• ISBN10: 0743267605
• Edition: 13th
• Format: Trade Paper
• Copyright: 2005-02-01
• Publisher: Free Press

Summary

For more than thirty years and through twelve editions, James Henslin's Down to Earth Sociology has opened new windows onto the social realities that shape our world. Now in its thirteenth edition, the most popular anthology in all of sociology

Table of Contents

Credits and Acknowledgments	v
Preface to the Thirteenth Edition	xvii
About the Contributors	xxiii
I. THE SOCIOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE	1	(28)
Exploring the social world
1. Invitation to Sociology
Peter L. Berger	3	(5)
An overview of sociology
2. What Is Sociology? Comparing Sociology and the Other Social Sciences
James M. Henslin	8	(12)
The sociological imagination
3. The Promise
C. Wright Mills	20	(9)
II. DOING SOCIOLOGICAL RESEARCH	29	(44)
How sociologists gather data
4. How Sociologists Do Research
James M. Henslin	35	(13)
Interviewing in a difficult situation
5. "Riding the Bull at Gilley's": Convicted Rapists Describe the Rewards of Rape
Diana Scully, Joseph Marolla	48	(15)
Learning the ropes: Fieldwork in an urban setting
6. Dealing Crack: Doing Research with Streetcorner Dealers
Bruce A. Jacobs	63	(10)
III. THE CULTURAL CONTEXT OF SOCIAL LIFE	73	(56)
Ritual and magic in everyday life
7. Body Ritual Among the Nacirema
Horace Miner	77	(5)
Where violence is taken for granted
8. Doing Fieldwork Among the Ypomamö
Napoleon A. Chagnon	82	(17)
Conforming to internalized culture
9. The Sounds of Silence
Edward T. Hall, Mildred R. Hall	99	(9)
Following rules we don't even know we have
10. The Rules for Giving Christmas Gifts
Theodore Caplow	108	(9)
Impression management
11. The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life
Erving Coffman	117	(12)
IV. SOCIALIZATION AND GENDER	129	(52)
Learning to be human
12. Extreme Isolation
Kingsley Davis	133	(10)
Learning to be male
13. On Becoming Male: Reflections of a Sociologist on Childhood and Early Socialization
James M. Henslin	143	(12)
Learning to be female
14. On Becoming Female: Lessons Learned in School
Donna Eder	155	(7)
Putting boundaries around the sexes
15. Sexuality and Gender in Children's Daily Worlds
Barrie Thorne, Zella Luria	162	(12)
Talking past one another
16. "But What Do You Mean?" Women and Men in Conversation
Deborah Tannen	174	(7)
V. SOCIAL GROUPS AND SOCIAL STRUCTURE	181	(66)
Gender and selling cars
17. Attacking Nicely: Women Selling Cars
Helene M. Lawson	185	(14)
Making our bodies conform
18. Religion and Morality in Weight Loss Groups
Kandi M. Stinson	199	(12)
Desexualizing social interaction
19. Behavior in Pubic Places: The Sociology of the Vaginal Examination
James M. Henslin, Mae A. Biggs	211	(13)
Preparing for final farewells
20. Handling the Stigma of Handling the Dead
William E. Thompson	224	(15)
The dump heap of industrial society
21. The Lives of Homeless Women
Elliot Liebow	239	(8)
VI. DEVIANCE AND SOCIAL CONTROL	247	(70)
Conformity and group pressure
22. If Hitler Asked You to Electrocute a Stranger, Would You? Probably
Philip Meyer	251	(8)
Doing the unthinkable
23. Eating Your Friends Is the Hardest: The Survivors of the F-227
James M. Henslin	259	(10)
Neutralizing extreme deviance
24. Becoming a Hit Man
Ken Levi	269	(12)
How labels affect life
25. The Saints and the Roughnecks
William J. Chambliss	281	(16)
The deviance of social control
26. The Pathology of Imprisonment
Philip G. Zimbardo	297	(7)
What is normal?
27. On Being Sane in Insane Places
David L. Rosenhan	304	(13)
VII. SOCIAL INEQUALITY	317	(72)
Physical appearance
28. The Importance of Being Beautiful
Sidney Katz	323	(8)
Gender oppression
29. Fraternities and Rape on Campus
Patricia Yancey Martin, Robert A. Hummer	331	(11)
Race-ethnicity and identity
30. Showing My Color
Clarence Page	342	(9)
Race-ethnicity and hatred
31. The Racist Mind
Raphael Ezekiel	351	(7)
Poverty and powerlessness
32. The Uses of Poverty: The Poor Pay All
Herbert J. Gans	358	(7)
Social mobility and status inconsistency
33. Moving Up from the Working Class
Joan M. Morris, Michael D. Grimes	365	(12)
Wealth and power
34. The U.S. Upper Class
Stephen Higley	377	(12)
VIII. SOCIAL INSTITUTIONS	389	(106)
Economics: Not making it
35. Nickel and Dimed
Barbara Ehrenreich	393	(14)
Marriage, family, and economics: The time bind
36. When Work Becomes Home and Home Becomes Work
Arlie Russell Hochschild	407	(11)
Medicine: The technological takeover of childbirth
37. Giving Birth the American Way
Robbie E. Davis-Floyd	418	(14)
Education: Learning the student role
38. Kindergarten as Academic Boot Camp
Harry L. Gracey	432	(15)
Sports: And fairy tales
39. Upward Mobility Through Sport
D. Stanley Eitzen	447	(6)
Science: And fairy tales
40. The Romance Between the Egg and the Sperm
Emily Martin	453	(10)
Religion: Peering beneath the surface
41. India's Sacred Cow
Marvin Harris	463	(9)
Law: Learning the ropes
42. Police Accounts of Normal Force
Jennifer Hunt	472	(11)
The military: Turning civilians into soldiers
43. Anybody's Son Will Do
Gwynne Dyer	483	(12)
IX. SOCIAL CHANGE	495	(56)
The McDonaldization of society
44. Over the Counter at McDonald's
Robin Leidner	499	(11)
Resisting social change
45. Social Change Among the Amish
Jerry Savells	510	(10)
Social movements
46. Women in the Military
Laura L. Miller	520	(17)
The globalization of capitalism
47. From the Village to the Factory
Mary Beth Mills	537	(14)
Glossary	551	(12)
References	563	(8)
Appendix: Correlation Chart	571	(10)
Name Index	581	(4)
Subject Index	585

Excerpts

Preface to the Thirteenth Edition Sociology has the marvelous capacity to open new windows of perception on our familiar worlds, leaving no aspect of our lives untouched.-- Author It is with pleasure that I introduce the thirteenth edition of Down to Earth Sociology, a pleasure akin to seeing a dear friend reach another cheerful milestone in his or her life. Adopters of earlier editions will find themselves at home, I believe, in this latest edition. They will see many selections that they have already used successfully in the classroom, and I trust they will welcome the many newcomers. Following the suggestions of those who have used earlier editions of Down to Earth Sociology, I have strived to continue to present down to earth articles in order to make the student's introduction to sociology enjoyable as well as meaningful. These selections narrate the first-hand experiences of their authors -- researchers who put a human voice on sociological experiences -- those who have "been there" and who, with a minimum of jargon and quantification, insightfully share their experiences with the reader. Focusing on social interaction in everyday activities and situations, these selections share some of the fascination of sociology. They reflect both the individualistic and the structural emphases of our discipline. They make clear how social structure is not simply an abstract fact of life, but vitally affects our lives. These selections help students become more aware of how the decisions of the rich, the politically powerful, and the bureaucrats provide social constraints that augment those dictated by birth, social class, and other circumstances. They help students understand how their location in a social structure lifts or limits their vision of life, closes or opens their chances of success, and, ultimately, brings tears and laughter, hope and despair. So much of sociology, however, goes about its business as though data were unconnected to people, as though the world consisted of abstract social facts. Yet from our own experiences in social life, we know how far these suppositions are from the truth -- how divorced they are from real life. Consequently, I have sought to include authors who are able to share the realities that directly affect people's lives. As I see it, sociology is the most fascinating of the social sciences, and it is this fascination that these selections are designed to convey. It is my hope that I have succeeded in accomplishing this goal, because sociology has the marvelous capacity to open new windows of perception on our familiar worlds, leaving no aspect of our lives untouched. If these readings even come close to this goal, I am indebted to the many adopters of earlier editions, whose reactions and suggestions have helped give shape to this one. To all of you, a sincere and fond thank you. I owe a special debt of gratitude to the instructors who shared with me their experiences with earlier editions. Their sharing proved invaluable in shaping this present version. I wish to acknowledge the help of Richard Ambler, Southern Arkansas UniversityJulie E. Artis, DePaul UniversityJoe Bishop, Dakota State UniversityJohn Bowman, University of North Carolina at PembrokeTom Boyd, Berea CollegeSuzanne Brandon, College of St. CatherineJohn C. Bridges, Immaculata CollegeGrace Budrys, DePaul UniversityMeryl Cozart, Towson UniversityRolf Diamon, University of Southern MaineMerl Dirksen, Lee UniversityRobert B. Enright, Jr., University of Wisconsin-Stevens PointDavid C. Erickson, Northwest CollegeKerry Ferris, Bradley UniversityRichard Gendron, Assumption CollegeFrank Glamser, University of Southern MississippiPeter R. Grahame, Mount Saint Mary's CollegeSusan F. Greenwood, University of Maine-OronoLarry D. Hall, Spring Hill CollegeTerrell A. Hayes, Davis & Elkins College