Table of Contents
Preface xvi
Part I The Study of Sociology 1
1 What Is Sociology? 3
Basic Concepts 7
Social Construction 7
Social Order 8
Agency and Structure 10
Social Change 11
The Development of Sociological Thinking 12
Theories and Theoretical Approaches 12
Neglected Founders 15
Understanding the Modern World: The Sociological Debate 18
Modern Theoretical Approaches 19
Symbolic Interactionism 19
Functionalism 20
Conflict Theories 21
Rational Choice Theory 23
Postmodern Theory 23
Theoretical Thinking in Sociology 24
How Can Sociology Help Us? 26
2 Asking and Answering Sociological Questions 31
Basic Concepts 33
The Research Process 34
Asking and Answering Sociological Questions: Historical Context 37
Asking and Answering Sociological Questions Today: Research Methods 38
Ethnography 38
Surveys 40
Experiments 43
Comparative Historical Research 46
Unanswered Questions 50
Can Sociology Identify Causes and Effects? 50
How Can Social Research Avoid Explanations 50
Can We Really Study Human Social Life in a Scientific Way? 50
Part II The Individual and Society 55
3 Culture and Society 57
Basic Concepts 60
Cultural Universal 61
Nonmaterial Culture 62
Material Culture 66
The Sociological Study of Culture 66
Culture and Change: A "Cultural Turn" in Sociology? 67
Early Human Culture: Greater Adaptation to Physical Environment 68
Industrial Societies 72
Research Today: Understanding the Modern World 74
The Global South 75
Contemporary Industrial Societies: Cultural Conformity or Diversity? 77
Unanswered Questions 84
Does Nature or Nurture More Powerfully Influence Human Behavior? 84
Does the Internet Promote a Global Culture? 87
Does Globalization Weaken or Strengthen Local Cultures? 89
How Easily Do Cultures Change? 90
4 Socialization and the Life Course 97
Basic Concepts 100
Agents of Socialization 100
Social Roles 107
Identity 108
Socialization through the Life Course 110
Theories of Socialization 114
G. H. Mead and the Development of Self 115
Charles Horton Cooley and the Looking-Glass Self 115
Jean Piaget and the Stages of Cognitive Development 116
Sigmund Freud's Theory of Gender Identity 118
Nancy Chodorow's Theory of Gender Identity 118
Carol Gilligan's Theory of Moral Development 120
Research on Socialization Today: Race Socialization 120
Race Socialization 121
Unanswered Questions 124
Are Gender Differences Caused by Social influences? 124
How Do Children Learn to Bully? Can They Unlearn? 127
5 Social Interaction and Everyday Life in the Age of the Internet 133
Basic Concepts 135
Impression Management: The World as a Stage 135
Audience Segregation 138
Civil Inattention 139
Nonverbal Communication 139
Response Cries 142
Focused and Unfocused Interaction 143
Interaction in Time and Space 144
Theories of Social interaction 146
Erving Goffman 146
Edward T. Hall-personal Space 147
Harold Garfinkel: Ethnomethodology 148
Contemporary Research on Social Interaction 150
Interactional Vandalism 150
Interaction on the "Digital Street" 154
The Macro-Micro Link: Anderson's Streetwise 154
Unanswered Questions 157
How Do We Manage Impressions in the Internet Age? 157
What Happens When Dating Moves Online? 158
To What Extent Can Electronic Communication Substitute for Face-to-Face Communication? 160
6 Networks, Groups, and Organizations 165
Basic Concepts 168
Networks 168
Groups 169
Conformity 171
Organizations 173
Theories of Networks, Groups, and Organizations 175
In-Groups and Out-Groups 175
Reference Groups 175
The Effects of Size 176
Theories of Organizations 178
Contemporary Research on Groups 184
The "McDonaldization" of Society? 184
Personal Taste 185
Obesity 186
Unanswered Questions 188
Is Democracy Meaningless in the Face of Increasingly Powerful Bureaucratic Organizations? 188
How Are Late-Modern Organizations Reinventing Themselves? 189
Can the Traditional Organization Survive? 192
7 Conformity, Deviance, and Crime 197
Basic Concepts 199
What Is Deviance? 200
Norms and Sanctions 201
Society and Crime: Sociological Theories 202
Functionalist Theories 202
Interactionist Theories 205
Conflict Theory 207
Control Theory 208
Theoretical Conclusions 211
Research on Crime and Deviance Today 212
Race and the Criminal Justice System 212
Mass Incarceration 213
The Death Penalty 214
Security and Terrorism 216
Reporting on Crime and Crime Statistics 217
Victims and Perpetrators of Crime 219
Unanswered Questions 226
Why Have Crime Rates Gone Down? 226
Can We Reduce Crime through New Policing Techniques? 227
Will New Surveillance Technologies Eliminate Deviance? 229
Can We Prevent Crime by Building Stronger Communities? 231
Part III Structures of Power 237
8 Stratification, Class, and Inequality 239
Basic Concepts 242
Systems of Stratification 242
Theories of Stratification in Modern Societies 250
Marx: Capitalism and the Analysis of Class 250
Weber: Class and Status 251
Davis and Moore: The Functions of Stratification 252
Erik Olin Wright: Contradictory Class Locations 253
Research On Social Stratification Today 255
A Contemporary Portrait of the U.S. Class Structure 255
Social Mobility; Moving Up and Down the Ladder 260
Poverty in the United States 265
Unanswered Questions 273
Is Inequality Declining or Increasing in the United States? 273
Why Are Poverty Rates Rising in the United States? The Sociological Debate 276
What Can Be Done to Combat Poverty? 278
How Will These Economic Patterns Affect Your Life? 280
9 Global Inequality 285
Basic Concepts 289
High-Income Countries 289
Middle-Income Countries 292
Low-Income Countries 292
Is Global Economic Well-Being Improving? 293
Going Beyond Purely Economic Measures of Global Well-Being 293
Theories Of Global Inequality 296
Neoliberal Theories 296
Dependency Theories 297
World-Systems Theory 300
The Theory of Global Capitalism 302
Evaluating Theories of Global Inequality 303
Research On Global Inequality Today 305
Health 306
Hunger and Malnutrition 308
Education and Literacy 312
Unanswered Questions 312
What Are the Causes of Inequality in the World Today? 312
Is Global Poverty Increasing or Decreasing? 313
What about Inequality within Countries? 315
What Does Rapid Globalization Mean for the Future of Global Inequality? 317
10 Gender Inequality 323
Basic Concepts 328
Understanding Sex Differences: The Role of Biology 329
Gender Socialization: How Gender Differences Are Learned 331
The Social Construction of Gender: How We Learn to "Do Gender" 334
Social Construction of Gender in Other Cultures 335
Sociological Theories of Gender Inequalities 338
Functionalist Approaches 338
Feminist Theories 340
Research on Gender Today: Documenting and Understanding Gender Inequalities 345
Gendered inequalities in Education: Unequal Treatment in the Classroom 346
Gendered Inequalities in the Workplace 349
Gendered Inequalities in Families: Division of Household Labor 358
Gender Inequality in Politics 360
Unanswered Questions: Why Do Gender Inequalities Persist? 362
The Gender Pay Gap: Why Do Women Earn Less Than Men? 362
How Does Gender inequality Affect Men? 365
Why Are Women So Often the Targets of Violence? 367
11 Race, Ethnicity, and Racism 375|23 Basic Concepts 378
Race 378
Ethnicity 379
Thinking About Racism 381
Defining Racism 381
Racism in the United States Today 382
Race and Racism in Historical and Comparative Perspective 389
The Rise of Racism 391
Blacks in the United States 392
Hispanics and Latinos in the United States 394
Asian Americans 397
Models of Ethnic Integration 397
Global Migration 398
Unanswered Questions 402
Do New Immigrants Help or Hinder the Nation's Economy? 402
Has Real Progress Been Made Since the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s? 404
How Can Ethnic Conflict Be Reduced? 411
12 Aging 417
Basic Concepts 420
The Graying of Society 420
How Do People Age? 422
Growing Old: Theories of Aging 426
The First Generation of Theories: Functionalism 426
The Second Generation of Theories: Social Conflict 428
The Third Generation of Theories: Life Course 429
Research on Aging in the United States Today 431
Who Are America's Older Adults? 431
Poverty 432
Social Isolation 435
Prejudice 437
Elder Abuse 439
Health Problems 440
Lifelong Learning 442
Unanswered Questions: The Political and Economic Impact of Population Aging 443
Do Older Americans Get an Unfair Amount of Government Support? 443
Can Medicare and Social Security Survive the "Graying" of America? 444
How Will Nations of the World Cope with Global Aging? 446
13 Government, Political Power, and Social Movements 453
Basic Concepts 455
Democracy 455
The Concept of the State 457
Who Rules? Theories of Democracy 462
Democratic Elitism 462
Pluralist Theories 463
The Power Elite 464
Recent Research on U.S. Politics and Social Movements 468
Democracy in the United States 468
The Political Participation of Women 475
Political Participation in the United States 478
Political and Social Change through Sociai Movements 479
The Nation-State, National Identity, and Globalization 494
Unanswered Questions 495
Why Is Voter Turnout So Low in the United States? 495
Did the internet Shape the Outcome of the 2016 Presidential Election? 497
Is Democracy in Trouble? 499
Part IV Social Institutions 505
14 Work and Economic Life 507
Basic Concepts 510
Basic Concepts 510
Theories of Work and Economic Life 514
Types of Capitalism 514
Fordism and Scientific Management (Taylorism) 517
Post-Fordism 520
The Informal Economy 525
Current Research on Work and Economic Life 528
Corporations and Corporate Power 528
Workers and Their Challenges 535
Unanswered Questions 548
Will Automation Make Things Better or Worse for Workers? 549
What Will the Economy of the Future Look Like? 553
How Permanent Is Your Job Likely to Be? 555
15 Families and Intimate Relationships 561
Basic Concepts 565
Theoretical and Historical Perspectives on Families 567
Sociological Theories of Families 568
Historical Perspectives on Families 574
Research on Families Today 575
Changes in Family Patterns Worldwide 576
Dating and Courtship 577
Family Formation and Dissolution Trends in the Contemporary United States 579
The Bleak Side of Families 601
Contemporary Questions 603
Is Cohabitation a Substitute for Marriage? 603
Do Children Raised by Same-Sex Parents Fare Differently than Children Raised by Opposite-Sex Parents? 606
Are Single People Less Happy than Married People? 608
16 Education 613
Basic Concepts 615
Achievement Gap: Components. Patterns, and Explanations 616
Cognitive and Noncognitive Resources 617
Sociological Theories of Education 618
Assimilation 618
Credentialism 618
Hidden Curriculum 619
Pierre Bourdieu and Cultural Capital 621
Research on Education Today 623
Macrosocial Influences on Student Outcomes: Do Schools and Neighborhoods Matter? 623
Cultural and Social-Psychological Influences on Student Outcomes 629
Public Policy Influences on Student Outcomes 631
Global Perspectives: Education and Literacy in the Developing World 636
The Impact of the Media and Educational Technology on Everyday Life 637
Unanswered Questions 641
Is Intelligence Shaped by Genes or Environment? 641
Is Homeschooling a Substitute for Traditional Schooling? 644
Who Benefits from "International Education"? 645
17 Religion in Modern Society 651
Basic Concepts 655
How Sociologists Think about Religion 656
What Do Sociologists of Religion Study? 657
Types of Religious Organizations 658
Sociological Theories of Religion 661
The Classical View 661
Contemporary Approaches: Religious Economy 664
Secularization: The Sociological Debate 666
The Sociology of Religion: Current Research 668
World Religions 669
Religion in the United States 674
New Religious Movements 678
Religious Affiliation and Socioeconomic Status 633
Gender and Religion 684
The Global Rise of Religious Nationalism 687
Unanswered Questions 694
Is America Experiencing Secularization or Religious Revival? 694
How Resurgent is Evangelicalism? 695
Is Religious Violence on the Rise? 697
Part V Social Change in the Modern World 703
18 The Sociology of the Body: Health, Illness, and Sexuality 705
Basic Concepts 711
Changing Conceptions of Health, illness, and Medicine 711
Diverse Conceptions of Human Sexuality 714
Theories and Historical Approaches to Understanding Health, illness, and Sexuality 717
Colonialism and the Spread of Disease 717
Sociological Theories of Health and Illness 718
History of Sexuality in Western Culture 724
Research on Health, Illness, and Sexuality Today 727
Social Patterning of Health and Illness in the United States 728
Global Health Inequalities 737
Contemporary Research on Sexual Behavior Over the Life Course 740
Reproduction in the Twenty-First Century: Pushing the Limitsof Technology 746
Unanswered Questions 748
Does Income Inequality Threaten Health? 749
Is Alternative Medicine as Effective as "Mainstream" Medicine? 750
Are Eating Disorders Primarily a "Women's" Problem? 753
Is Sexual Orientation Inborn or Learned? 755
19 Population, Urbanization, and the Environment 761
Basic Concepts 763
Population Analysis: Demography 763
Dynamics of Population Change 766
Urban Sociology: Some Influential Theories 770
The Chicago School 770
Jane Jacobs: "Eyes and Ears Upon the Street" 773
Urbanism and the Created Environment 774
Saskia Sassen: Global Cities 776
Population Growth, Urbanization, and Environmental Challenges: Recent Research 778
A Brief History of Urbanization 779
Urbanization in the United States 781
Explosive Urbanization in the Global South 789
The Environment: A Sociological Issue 790
Addressing Climate Change-What is Being Done? 802
Unanswered Questions 808
Will Global Population Growth Outstrip Resources? 808
Sustainable Development, or Adaptation to the Inevitable? 812
20 Globalization in a Changing World 817
Basic Concepts 819
Social Change 820
Current Theories: Is Globalization Today Something New-Or Have We Seen It All Before? 826
The Skeptics 826
The Hyperglobalizers 827
The Transformationalists 828
Whose View Is Most Nearly Correct? 829
Recent Research on Globalization and Social Change 830
Factors Contributing to Globalization 830
The Effect of Globalization on Our Lives 836
Globalization and Risk 839
Globalization and Inequality 842
Unanswered Questions 848
What Comes after Modern Industrial Society? 848
Is There a Need for Global Governance? 851
Glossary A1
Bibliography A20
Credits A76
Index A79
