Sociology

by Lindsey, Linda L.; Beach, Stephen

• ISBN13: 9780131111561
• ISBN10: 0131111566
• Edition: 3rd
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2003-02-24
• Publisher: Pearson

Summary

For undergraduate Introduction to Sociology courses. The text helps students understand sociological concepts and theory through clear examples of how sociology affects each of us in everyday life. Lindsey/Beach also presents comprehensive coverage of topics of high interest and relevance to today's student: race, class, gender, sexuality, crime and deviance.

Author Biography

Professor Linda L. Lindsey received her B.A. from the University of Missouri, St. Louis in sociology and education, and her M.A. and Ph.D. in sociology from Case Western Reserve University. She also holds an M.A. in education from St. Louis University. She is the author of Gender Roles: Sociological Perspectives, Third Edition (Prentice Hall) and has also written various articles and conference papers on women in development, health and healthcare issues, refugees, internationalizing the sociology curriculum, and minority women in Asia, especially in China. (This picture is taken from Victoria Peak in Hong Kong.) Her major interest, both personally and professionally, is the developing world. She has traveled extensively in pursuing her research and teaching interests, especially in conjunction with the Asian Studies Development Program, a joint program of the East-West Center and University of Hawaii. While home in St. Louis she enjoys swimming and hiking and is active in community service groups focusing on advocacy concerning women and children. Dr. Lindsey is currently Professor of Sociology at Maryville University of St. Louis. Dr. Lindsey encourages students and faculty to communicate their experiences with the text to her at [e-mail].

Professor Stephen Beach grew up in southern Wisconsin and suburban Chicago and earned an A.B. in history from Stanford University with minors in sociology and the humanities. He received an M.A. and a Ph.D. in sociology from Duke University after spending a year in Belfast, Northern Ireland, researching social movement dynamics. Dr. Beach's primary sociological specialities include the sociology of religion, popular culture, and collective behavior/social movements. He has taught at Duke University, Simmons College, the University of Wyoming, and Avila College; he is currently an Associate Professor of Sociology in the Department of Behavioral Sciences at Kentucky Wesleyan College in Owensboro, Kentucky. His personal interests include film, rock and alt-country music, college basketball, and progressive politics. He shares his home with a large gray and white Republican cat named Murgatroyd. Dr. Beach would be delighted to hear comments or answer questions from readers of this text; he can be reached at [e-mail].

Table of Contents

1. The Sociological Perspective.
2. The Research Process.
3. Culture.
4. Social Structure.
5. Socialization.
6. Social Interaction: Constructing the Meaning of Everyday Life.
7. Sexuality.
8. Deviant Behavior.
9. Crime and Criminal Justice.
10. Economic Stratification.
11. Social Class in Modern Societies.
12. Racial and Ethnic Minorities.
13. Gender.
14. The Aged and Society.
15. The Family.
16. Education.
17. Religion.
18. The Political Enemy.
19. Health and Health Care.
20. Emerging Institutions: Media and Sport.
21. Formal Organizations and the Sociology of Work.
22. Population: Urbanization, and the Environment.
23. Collective Behavior and Social Movements.
24. Social Change and Development.
Glossary.
References.
Photo Credits.
Name Index.
Subject Index.

Excerpts

Sociology is all about connections. The social groups in which we live our lives--families, friends, communities, and whole societies--connect us to one another in numerous and profound ways. We are also connected to others by the new information technologies, especially the Internet, currently transforming the globe, as well as by events such as the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 that held our world together in our collective grief. At the same time, our membership in these groups creates diversity. Sociology helps us explore and celebrate the many ways we are different from one another as well as our similarities and connections. We are diverse because we are female or male, African American or Native American, rich or poor, young or old, gay or straight. We are also diverse because we are Catholic or Muslim, urban or rural, and born in the developed or the developing world. Diversity is what's happening globally as well as in the United States. Both groups and individuals are more diverse yet more strongly connected to one another than at any other time in human history.The third edition ofSociologyemphasizes this blend of diversity and interconnectedness by stressing theintersections of critical social variables, especially race, class, and gender.To understand group life we must understand how people occupy these and other statuses simultaneously and how they intersect to form our social identities.It also emphasizes theintersection of sociological theory and applicationas it reinforces that all application isinformedby theory. Whether you will be using sociology throughout your life or only through this semester, this book will show how the key theoretical points will inform your life travel. Another point being drawn by the book isthe intersection of the student and the disciplineas you will always find examples and writing that are timely and relevant.Thus the major goal of our text is to take students on a sociological journey through the United States and across the globe that demonstrates the threads of diversity and connectedness as intersections in their own lives. The authors hope that you find the trip both enjoyable and thought-provoking. TEXT FEATURESStudents become excited about sociology through the introductory course. We have developed a text that forges a partnership between professors who teach the course and their students, who are its ultimate beneficiaries. Through its distinctive approach to the field, its readability and its relevance to student's lives, the third edition ofSociologyassists professors in developing the sociological imagination in their students by encouraging them to see all dimensions of sociology. Material is presented in ways that allow students to become active learners and help professors translate the sociological perspective to the classroom.In telling sociology's story to students, each author brings over 20 years of teaching the introductory sociology course to a variety of students, in large and small classes, and at a variety of institutions. The text, therefore, is grounded in teaching. The following text features demonstrate this foundation.NEW FEATURES.Sociology, Third Edition,updates data in all content areas and reflects the most important trends currently affecting society. NEW--Intersections featuresdelve into the impact of diversity on a wide range of issues by offering students CHIP data exercises at 5 points throughout the textbook. Easily tied to the Website, this innovative feature illustrates the impact of race, class, gender, and age on various GSS questions. NEW--September 11thcoverage is integrated throughout the textbook to demonstrate its profound impact on virtually all social institutions. Sociological analysis of this extraordinary event is found in a re-organized chapter