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9780205352630

Contemporary Society: An Introduction to Social Science

by ;
  • ISBN13:

    9780205352630

  • ISBN10:

    0205352634

  • Edition: 10th
  • Format: Paperback
  • Copyright: 2003-01-01
  • Publisher: Allyn & Bacon
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Summary

This best-selling text offers an overview of how the various social sciences perceive the world around us, emphasizing social change and how it impacts society. Contemporary Society, Tenth Edition, uses a journalistic writing style, but does not skimp on scholarly data and references. The authors reinforce the idea that the transition from an industrial to a post-industrial order is fraught with difficulties, as was the transition from an agricultural to an industrial order. This framework also illustrates the increasing fragmentation of the social order, which leads people away from community and a common purpose to conflict and dissension.

Table of Contents

Preface xxi
Through the Lens of Science
1(19)
The Social Sciences
2(1)
The Social World Seen through the Lens of Science
3(1)
The Scientific Method
4(4)
Concepts
4(1)
Theories
5(1)
Research
5(1)
Steps of the Scientific Method
6(2)
The Scientific Spirit: Skepticism, Objectivity, Relativity
8(1)
The Social Science Disciplines
8(4)
Anthropology
9(1)
Economics
10(1)
Geography
10(1)
History
11(1)
Political Science
11(1)
Psychology
11(1)
Sociology
11(1)
Research Methods in the Social Sciences
12(6)
Consilience
14(1)
Sample Survey
14(1)
Case Study
15(1)
Participant Observation
15(1)
The Experiment
15(2)
Statistical Analysis
17(1)
The Scientific Method in the Social Sciences
17(1)
The Chapter in Brief
18(1)
Terms to Remember
18(1)
Suggested Reading
19(1)
In the Beginning...
20(23)
An Astrophysicist Views the Cosmos
21(1)
The Beginnings of Life
22(2)
Creating Life
23(1)
The Emergence of the Theory of Evolution
24(3)
A Revolution in Thought: Darwin and His Theory
25(1)
Natural Selection
26(1)
The Role of Heredity
26(1)
Genetics
27(3)
Population Genetics: Factors for Change
27(3)
Human Evolution Designed by Humans
30(1)
The Long Trek: Human Evolution
30(5)
Split between Chimpanzee and Human Lines
32(2)
The Road to Homo Sapiens
34(1)
Homo Sapiens: Modern Humans
35(2)
Agriculture: Cultivation and Domestication
37(1)
The Evolution of Human Nature
38(2)
Biological Foundations
39(1)
Using Biology to Interpret History
39(1)
The Chapter in Brief
40(1)
Terms to Remember
41(1)
Suggested Readings
42(1)
Culture: Product and Guide to Life in Society
43(24)
Culture: Concept and Importance
45(4)
Biological Predispositions to Culture
46(1)
The Birth of Culture
46(2)
Cultural Evolution and Sociobiology
48(1)
What, Then, Is Culture?
49(1)
The Symbolic Nature of Culture
49(1)
The Necessity of Sharing Symbols
50(1)
Language: The Most Important System of Symbols
50(3)
Does Language Create Reality?
52(1)
The Content of Culture
53(1)
Material Culture
53(1)
Nonmaterial Culture
54(1)
The Components of Nonmaterial Culture: Cognitive and Normative
54(6)
The Normative System
54(2)
Contradictory American Values
56(1)
Categories of Norms: Folkways, Mores, Taboos, and Laws
57(1)
The Need for Social Control
58(1)
Overt and Covert, Real and Ideal Norms
59(1)
Traits, Complexes, and Institutions
60(1)
Pivotal Institutions
60(1)
Ethnocentrism and Cultural Relativity
60(1)
Cultural Differences and Universals
61(4)
African Genital Rite
62(1)
Subcultures and Countercultures
62(3)
The Chapter in Brief
65(1)
Terms to Remember
65(1)
Suggested Readings
66(1)
Group Interaction: From Two to Millions
67(22)
How Is the Social System Organized and Structured?
68(4)
Elements of Social Structure: Statuses and Roles
69(1)
Statuses: Ascribed and Achieved
70(2)
The Multiplicity of Statuses and Roles
72(2)
Real and Ideal Roles
72(1)
Conflict, Strain, and Con fusion in Roles
72(2)
Groups
74(2)
Group Size
75(1)
Primary and Secondary Groups
76(2)
Additional Classification of Groups
77(1)
Being Tall in the Land of the Small
78(1)
Society
78(3)
Classification of Societies
78(1)
Classification According to Chief Mode of Subsistence
78(1)
A Glimpse into the Human Past
79(1)
Industrial Societies
80(1)
Classification According to Social Organization
80(1)
Interaction and Social Processes
81(1)
Formal Organizations
82(3)
Formal Organizations and Institutions Distinguished
82(1)
Characteristics of Formal Organizations
83(1)
Types of Formal Organizations
84(1)
Bureaucracy
85(1)
Dynamic Quality
85(1)
In formal Side of Bureaucracy
86(1)
The Chapter in Brief
86(1)
Terms to Remember
87(1)
Suggested Readings
88(1)
Becoming a Person: The Birth of Personality
89(23)
The Isolated and/or Feral Child
90(1)
Personality
91(3)
Personality: A Social Product on a Biological Basis
91(1)
Heredity and Environment
92(2)
Becoming Human: Socialization
94(1)
Goals and Functions of Socialization
94(1)
Theories of Socialization
95(2)
The Looking-Glass Self: Cooley
95(1)
Self in Society: Mead
96(1)
You Are Who They Say You Are
97(1)
The Self and the Unconscious: Freud
97(1)
The Transitional Self: Erikson
98(1)
Developmental Theories: Piaget
99(1)
Moral Development: Kohlberg
99(1)
Agents of Socialization
100(6)
The Family
100(1)
The School
101(1)
The Maternal Bond: Its Impact on Personality
102(1)
The Peer Group
103(2)
The Media
105(1)
Occupational Groups
105(1)
Reverse Socialization
105(1)
Resocialization
106(1)
Socialization through the Life Cycle
106(3)
Childhood
106(1)
Adolescence
107(1)
Adulthood
108(1)
Old Age
108(1)
Some Conclusions
109(1)
The Chapter in Brief
110(1)
Terms to Remember
110(1)
Suggested Readings
111(1)
Deviance and Criminality: The Need for Social Control
112(25)
Deviance
114(1)
The Relative Nature of Deviance
115(1)
Functions of Deviance
116(1)
Explaining Deviance
116(3)
Biological Explanations
116(2)
Why Are Humans Killers?
118(1)
Psychological Explanations
119(1)
Mental Disorders
119(2)
Treatment of Mental Disorders
120(1)
Deviance as Seen from a Sociological Perspective
121(5)
Social Integration and Anomie
121(1)
Natural Born Killers?
122(2)
Cultural Transmission Differential Association)
124(1)
Labeling Theory
125(1)
Crime: Deviance That Hurts
126(2)
Classification of Crimes
126(2)
Crime Statistics: How Much Crime, and Who Commits It?
128(4)
The Criminal Justice System
132(2)
Imprisonment
133(1)
Recidivism
133(1)
What Price Punishment?
134(1)
The Chapter in Brief
134(1)
Terms to Remember
135(1)
Suggested Readings
136(1)
The Great Divide: Ranking and Stratification
137(30)
Social Differentiation, Ranking, and Stratification
138(1)
Stratification
139(1)
Theoretical Views on Stratification
139(3)
Structural-Functionalist Perspective
140(1)
Conflict Perspective
141(1)
Dimensions of Stratification: Class, Status, and Power
142(4)
Class
142(1)
Status
143(1)
Power
144(1)
Class, Status, and Power in America
145(1)
Systems of Stratification
146(2)
The Closed Society: Caste
146(1)
The Estate System
147(1)
The Open Society: Class System
147(1)
Determining Social Class
148(1)
Socioeconomic Status
148(1)
Social Classes in the United States
148(11)
The Upper Classes
149(1)
The Middle Class
150(1)
The Working Class
151(1)
The Poor
151(3)
The Ghetto Poor
154(1)
The Homeless
155(2)
The Growth of Inequality
157(1)
Welfare: Are We Our Brothers' Keepers
158(1)
Social Class and Its Consequences
159(2)
Family Life
159(1)
Child Rearing
159(1)
Education
159(1)
Religion
159(1)
Politics
160(1)
Health
160(1)
Arrest and Conviction
160(1)
Values
161(1)
Social Mobility
161(3)
The Upwardly Mobile: Who Are They?
161(1)
Social Mobility in the United States
162(1)
Global Inequality
163(1)
The Chapter in Brief
164(1)
Terms to Remember
165(1)
Suggested Readings
166(1)
Minority Status: Race and Ethnicity
167(24)
Majority-Minorities Relations: Defining the Terms
168(1)
Common Characteristics of Minorities
169(1)
The Making of Pluralist Society
170(2)
Ideologies Regarding the Treatment of Minorities
170(2)
Majority and Minorities: Processes of Coexistence
172(1)
In the Way: Obstacles to Pluralism
173(5)
Prejudice
173(1)
Hate: Prejudice and Discrimination among Castes in India
174(1)
Why Are We Prejudiced?
174(1)
Discrimination
175(1)
Racism
176(1)
An Ongoing Controversy: Affirmative Action
177(1)
Racial Minorities
178(7)
Native Americans
178(2)
Asian Americans
180(1)
African Americans
181(3)
Hispanic Americans
184(1)
Ethnic and Religious Minorities
185(2)
White Ethnics: Catholics
186(1)
Jewish Americans
187(1)
The New Face of America
187(1)
The Chapter in Brief
188(1)
Terms to Remember
189(1)
Suggested Readings
190(1)
Minority Status: Age, Gender, and Sexuality
191(28)
The Aging Society
192(6)
Theoretical Framework
193(1)
Ageism
193(1)
The Elderly around the World
194(4)
Women: Differentiation According to Gender
198(4)
Biological Facts
198(2)
Cultural Differences
200(2)
Sex and Gender Differentiated
202(1)
The Cultural Construction of Gender
202(10)
Traditional Gender Roles
202(1)
``The Opposite Sex Is Neither''
203(1)
Gender Scripts
203(1)
Male Dominance
204(2)
Theories of Gender Role Development
206(1)
Theories of Socialization
207(2)
Agents of Gender Socialization
209(2)
Reviving Ophelia: Saving the Selves of Adolescent Girls
211(1)
Sexuality
212(4)
Homosexual Behavior
212(2)
Acquiring a Homosexual Identity
214(1)
Explanatory Theories of Homosexuality
214(1)
A Dangerous Byproduct of Homosexuality
215(1)
Bisexuality
216(1)
The Chapter in Brief
216(1)
Terms to Remember
217(1)
Suggested Readings
218(1)
From the Plow to the Computer: Change, Collective Behavior, and Social Movements
219(28)
Society and Change
221(2)
The United States: Then and Now
222(1)
Levels of Change
223(1)
Processes of Social and Cultural Change
223(5)
Social Change: Planning, Reform, Revolution
224(1)
Cultural Change: Innovation and Diffusion
224(2)
The Sources of Change
226(1)
The Physical Environment
226(1)
Technology
227(1)
Results of the First Technological Revolution
227(1)
The Industrial Revolution
228(2)
Inventions and Discoveries of the Industrial Revolution
228(1)
Industrialism
229(1)
Technology and Social Change
229(1)
Modernization
230(1)
Learning to Be Modern
230(1)
Collective Behavior
231(8)
Crowds
232(1)
Masses
233(1)
Mobs and Riots
233(1)
The Theory of Mass Society
234(1)
Rumors
235(1)
Fashions, Fads, and Crazes
235(1)
Panics and Mass Hysteria
236(1)
Publics and Public Opinion
236(1)
Public Opinion
237(1)
Public Opinion and the Mass Media
237(1)
Propaganda and Censorship
238(1)
Social Movements
239(2)
Types of Social Movements
240(1)
Reformist Movements
241(1)
Revolutionary Movements
241(3)
Factors Encouraging Revolutinary Movements
241(3)
The Chapter in Brief
244(1)
Terms to Remember
245(1)
Suggested Readings
246(1)
Population, Urbanization, and Environment
247(30)
Demographic Processes: Dynamics of Population Change
249(3)
Birthrates
249(1)
Death Rates
250(1)
Migration
251(1)
Immigration
251(1)
Internal Migration
251(1)
Characteristics and Composition of a Population
252(2)
Sex Ratio
252(1)
Age Structure
253(1)
Population around the World
254(1)
Malthus and Marx
254(1)
Demographic Transition
255(2)
Zero Population Growth
257(1)
Population Policies
257(3)
The Urban Society
260(1)
Urbanization
260(1)
The Industrial Revolution and the Growth of Cities
261(2)
Urbanism
261(1)
Urban Theories
262(1)
American Cities
263(3)
Suburbia
264(1)
The Impact of the Consumer Culture on the Growth of Suburbia
264(1)
Suburbia and Social Class
265(1)
Metropolitanization and Megalopolis
266(2)
Megalopolis
267(1)
The Urban Crisis
268(1)
Slums and Ghettos
268(1)
Population Drain
268(1)
Attempts to Reclaim the City
269(1)
Urban Renewal
269(1)
The Future of Cities
270(1)
The Natural Environment
270(4)
The World We Live In
270(1)
The Ecosystem
271(1)
Ecology
271(1)
Disruption of Ecosystems
272(1)
Environmental Pollution
272(2)
The Chapter in Brief
274(1)
Terms to Remember
275(1)
Suggested Readings
276(1)
Pivotal Institutions: Marriage and the Family
277(25)
The Basic Institution: The Family
278(2)
Family Forms
278(1)
Kinship Systems
279(1)
Family Functions
279(1)
Marriage
280(4)
Limitations on Marriage
281(1)
Love and Marriage in America
281(2)
Arranged Marriages
283(1)
The Stages of Marriage
283(1)
The Scientific Study of Marriage?
284(1)
The Role of Power in Marriage
285(1)
Changing Marital Patterns
285
Divorce
284(8)
Remarriage
288(1)
Divorce as the New Norm
288(1)
Consequences of Divorce: Wounds That Do Not Heal
289(3)
The New American Family
292(3)
Forms of the New American Family
292(3)
Some Unintended Effects of the Changing American Family
295(5)
Child Care
295(2)
Family Violence
297(1)
Teenage Pregnancy
298(2)
The Chapter in Brief
300(1)
Terms to Remember
301(1)
Suggested Readings
301(1)
Pivotal Institutions: Religion and Education
302(34)
The Great Religions of the World
303(3)
Religion in the Social Sciences
306(3)
Religion as Social Integration
306(1)
A Functionalist View of Religion
306(2)
A Conflict View of Religion
308(1)
Religion and Social Control
309(3)
The Institutional Context
309(1)
Common Features of Religions
309(3)
Religion in America
312(3)
Religiosity in America
313(1)
Religious Affiliation and Social Class
313(1)
Religion, Race, and Ethnicity
314(1)
The Sanctification of the American Way of Life
314(1)
Contemporary Trends
315(4)
Fundamentalism
316(1)
The Electronic Church
317(1)
Science and Religion
318(1)
The Role of Women in Religion
318(1)
Education
319(5)
Education in America
319(2)
The Functionalist View of Education
321(2)
The Conflict View of Education
323(1)
Characteristics of American Education
324(8)
Upward Mobility as a Cure-All for Social Problems
324(1)
Education, Class, and Race
324(2)
Closing the Performance Gap
326(1)
Attempts at Making Education Work
327(2)
Separate and Unequal Again?
329(1)
The Role of the Family
329(1)
Higher Education
330(1)
Some Contemporary Issues in Higher Education
331(1)
The Chapter in Brief
332(2)
Terms to Remember
334(1)
Suggested Readings
334(2)
Government: The Institution and the Theories and Ideologies That Underlie It
336(23)
The Institution of Government
337(1)
Government and Politics
337(2)
The Purpose of Government
338(1)
The Functions of Government
338(1)
Political Power: Legitimacy and Authority
339(3)
Legitimacy
340(1)
Authority
340(1)
Types of Legitimate Authority
340(2)
The State
342(2)
Theoretical Views of the State
344(1)
Nation-State
344(2)
Nationalism
345(1)
The Ideologies behind the Nation-State
346(2)
The Role of Ideology
346(1)
Political Ideology
347(1)
Autocratic Ideologies
348(5)
Authoritarianism and Totalitarianism
348(1)
Totalitarianism
348(1)
Totalitarianism of the Right: Fascism and Nazism
349(1)
Totalitarianism of the Le ft: Communism
350(1)
Communism and the USSR
351(1)
Communism in China
352(1)
Democratic Ideologies: Democracy
353(2)
Democratic Capitalism
354(1)
Socialism
355(1)
Democratic Socialism
355(1)
The Chapter in Brief
356(1)
Terms to Remember
357(1)
Suggested Readings
358(1)
The Government of the United States of America
359(21)
The Constitutional Convention
361(1)
The Constitutional Convention
361(1)
What Is a Constitution?
362(1)
The Constitution of the United States
363(3)
Federalism
363(1)
Constitutional Limits and Obligations
364(1)
How Federalism Has Worked
365(1)
Trend toward Centralization
365(1)
The Impact of the Federal Government
366(1)
Separation of Powers
366(3)
How Checks and Balances Work
367(2)
Criticism of the Separation of Powers
369(1)
The Presidency: The Executive Branch
369(2)
The Nature of the Presidency
369(1)
The Roles of the President
370(1)
Congress: The Legislative Branch
371(4)
The Issue of Representation
372(1)
Congressional Committees
372(1)
The Subordinate Role of Congress
373(2)
The Supreme Court: The Judicial Branch
375(3)
The Court System
375(1)
Functions of the Judicial System
376(2)
The Importance of Limited Government
378(1)
The Chapter in Brief
378(1)
Terms to Remember
379(1)
Suggested Readings
379(1)
We, the People: Democracy in Action
380(27)
American Democracy
381(1)
How Is America Governed?
382(3)
Elitism
383(1)
Pluralism
384(1)
Conflict and Consensus
384(1)
A Realistic Democracy
385(1)
Interest Groups
385(5)
Functions of Interest Groups
386(1)
Formation and Growth of Interest Groups
387(1)
Lobbyists
388(1)
Political Action Committees
388(1)
Shortcomings of Interest Groups
389(1)
Political Parties
390(5)
Purpose of Political Parties
390(1)
Functions of Political Parties
390(2)
Features of the American Party System
392(1)
Dealignment or Realignment?
393(1)
The Party System in Decline
394(1)
The High Cost of Campaigning
395(2)
Voting
397(6)
Peculiarities of American Voting
397(1)
Factors in Voter Turnout
398(2)
The Nonvoters
400(2)
A President Elected as a Result of a Count, a Recount, and a Supreme Court Decision
402(1)
Political Opinion Making
403(2)
Public and Political Opinion
403(1)
The Moss Media
403(1)
Sound Bites
404(1)
The Chapter in Brief
405(1)
Terms to Remember
406(1)
Suggested Readings
406(1)
The Economy: Concepts and History
407(29)
The Economic Institution
408(5)
Economic Decision Making
409(1)
Basic Elements of the Economy
409(1)
Factors of Production
410(1)
Economic Choices and Opportunity Costs
411(1)
Limits to Output: The Production Possibilities Frontier
411(1)
Specialization of Labor
411(1)
Trade, Barter, and Money
412(1)
Contemporary Economic Systems: How Choices Are Made
413(1)
Western Economies in Historical Perspective
413(2)
The Birth of Capitalism
414(1)
Aspects of Industrial Capitalism
415(3)
The Corporate Form of Industrial Organization
415(2)
From Competition to Advertising
417(1)
Diversification and Multinationalism
418(1)
The Nature of Work in the Industrial Society
419(1)
Shifting Sectors
420(1)
Professionalization
420(1)
The Corporate Bureaucracy
420(4)
The Executive
421(1)
Middle Management: White-Collar Workers
422(1)
Industrial Workers
422(1)
Methods of Production: Craft, Mass, and Lean
423(1)
The Factory System
424(1)
The American Labor Movement
424(5)
Collective Bargaining
425(1)
The Labor Movement Today
426(1)
Decline of Unionism
426(3)
American Labor and the Global Economy
429(3)
Globalism's Foes
430(2)
The Chapter in Brief
432(2)
Terms to Remember
434(1)
Suggested Readings
434(2)
Principles of Economic Behavior: Microeconomics and Macroeconomics
436(28)
The Small Picture and the Large Picture
437(1)
Market Mechanisms
437(4)
Who Makes Decisions?
437(1)
Who Participates in the Economy?
437(1)
Markets
438(1)
The Circular Flow
439(2)
Market Forces
441(3)
Demand, Supply and Price
441(1)
Equilibrium and Price Elasticity
442(1)
The Principle of Laissez-Faire and Public Needs
442(2)
A Macroview
444(6)
The Public Interest: Socioeconomic Goals
445(1)
Full Employment
445(1)
Desirable Mix of Output
446(1)
High and Equitably Distributed Incomes
447(1)
Reasonable Price Stability
447(1)
Adequate Growth
448(2)
Instruments of Public Policy
450(1)
Fiscal Policy
451(1)
The Function of Price and Employment Stabilizers
451(1)
The Federal Budget
451(1)
Fiscal Decision Making
452(1)
Monetary Policy
452(2)
Banks
452(1)
Interest Rates
453(1)
Regulating Banks
453(1)
The Federal Reserve
453(1)
Incomes Policy
454(5)
Economic Problems and Government Response
455(1)
Business Cycles
456(1)
Demand-Side Theories
456(1)
Theory and Reality
457(1)
Old and New Economies
458(1)
Fitting into the Global Economy
459(1)
The Chapter in Brief
460(2)
Terms to Remember
462(1)
Suggested Readings
463(1)
Nation among Nations: Perspectives on International Relations
464(34)
Regions of the World
466(9)
Europe
466(1)
The Former Soviet Union
467(1)
The Middle East
468(1)
Asia
469(2)
Pacific Rim
471(2)
Sub-Saharan Africa
473(1)
Latin America
473(1)
Anglo America
473(1)
Other Ways of Classifying States
473(2)
Rich Nations, Poor Nations
475(1)
Interaction among Nations
475(1)
Theoretical Perspectives
475(1)
Realism
476(1)
Contemporary Perspectives
476(2)
Pluralism
476(1)
Globalism
477(1)
Neorealism
477(1)
Participants in the International System
478(3)
Actors in International Relations
478(1)
The Emergence of the State
478(1)
The State and the Nation
479(1)
Nonstate Actors
480(1)
The Goals of States
481(2)
The Competition of Objectives
482(1)
Means of Achieving Goals: Foreign Policy
483(2)
Types of Foreign-Policy Decisions
484(1)
Goals of American Foreign Policy
484(1)
The Role of Ideology
485(1)
Who Makes Foreign Policy Decisions?
486(1)
Instruments of Foreign Policy
486(5)
The United Nations
486(2)
Foreign Aid
488(1)
Collective Security
488(1)
The Military
489(1)
Propaganda
490(1)
Diplomacy and Diplomats
491(1)
Treaties and Alliances
491(1)
Morality in Foreign Policy
492(1)
Power
492(1)
The Balance-of-Power System
493(2)
The Multipolar System
493(1)
The World Wars
494(1)
The Bipolar System
494(1)
A New Multipolar World
494(1)
The Chapter in Brief
495(1)
Terms to Remember
496(1)
Suggested Readings
497(1)
The Constitution of the United States 498(12)
References 510(12)
Photo Credits 522(1)
Index 523

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