SOCIOLOGY: A TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY PRIMER

ISBN-13: 978-1-945628-17-7
# pages: 247
Copyright Year: 2017
Suggested Retail: $53.95
Description
Sociology: A Twenty-first Century Primer provides a general introduction to the field of sociology. It covers the emergence of sociology historically, the basic concepts, theories, and topics in sociology, and emphasizes the role and importance of sociology in the twenty-first century. As textbook, it can be used as the primary text for introductory courses or a supplemental text for courses at all levels. The material in each chapter is direct and accessible in order to provide a basic foundation for all types of students, but will also be engaging for more advanced students. Key terms and web resources are included at the end of each chapter. The bibliography at the end of the book includes works that represent a wide range of influences on the field of sociology, with scholars from around the world represented. The final chapters invite students to explore global sociology, including the topics of globalization and global civil society. This introductory text can used by diverse instructors, with their many different styles and technologies, who are interested in adapting sociology to both the students and the social phenomena of the twenty-first century.
Table of Contents
PART ONE What Is Sociology?
Chapter 1 Emergence of Sociology 3
Population Increases . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Growth of Cities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5
Changes in Political and Economic Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Sociology Engages Social Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9
Chapter 2 Theoretical Perspectives 13
Hypothesis, Theory, and Theoretical Perspectives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13
Classical Sociological Theory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Contemporary Theory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Chapter 3 Methods 37
What Are Methods? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .37
Quantitative Methods . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .38
Qualitative Methods . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42
More About Research . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
P A R T T W O What Is Microsociology?
Chapter 4 Cultural Context of Microsociology . 51
Culture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .51
Elements of Culture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .52
Culture and Identity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .54
Agency . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Chapter 5 Socialization 59
Agents of Socialization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
Life Course . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
Resocialization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
Chapter 6 Social Interaction . 75
Social Structure at the Microsociological Level . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .75
Social Identity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
The Social Construction of Reality . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
P A R T T H R E E What Is Mesosociology?
Chapter 7 Groups, Communities, and Organizations 89
Informal and Formal Social Groups . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .90
Primary and Secondary Groups . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
Leadership . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .92
Communities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
Formal Organizations and Bureaucracies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .95
Prejudice and Discrimination . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .97
Chapter 8 Gender and Sex . 101
Sex as Physical Distinction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
Sex and Culture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .103
Orientation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .104
Gender . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .106
Gender, Groups, and Status . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
Social Issues . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .108
Chapter 9 Ethnicity and Race . 113
Ethnicity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .113
Race . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114
Constructions of Ethnicity and Race . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .115
Majority and Minority . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .115
Ethnicity and Race: Social Issues . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .116
Chapter 10 Social Movements . 121
What Are Social Movements? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .121
Types of Social Movements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122
Understanding Social Movements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .123
Levels of Commitment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .127
Case Studies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .128
P A R T F O U R What Is Macrosociology?
Chapter 11 Stratification 137
Caste, Estate, and Class . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .138
Stratification and Inequality . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141
Variables and Stratification . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148
Effects of Stratification . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .154
Chapter 12 Social Institutions 157
Systems, Structures, and Mechanisms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .157
Institutions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .160
Institutional Change . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .175
Chapter 13 Demography 179
Human Populations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .180
Demographic Processes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .180
Demographic Methods . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181
Population Projections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183
P A R T F I V E What Is Global Sociology?
Chapter 14 Globalization . 189
Definitions and Perspectives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .190
Global Issues . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .192
Studying Globalization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .197
Chapter 15 Global Civil Society 203
Global Social Contract . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .204
World Culture and Global Civil Society . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 207
Global Social Structure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209
Global Society and Sociology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 210
Bibliography 215
Index 219
About the Author(s): Lora Stone
Lora Stone (Ph.D., University of New Mexico, 2005) is an Associate Professor of Sociology at the University of New Mexico-Gallup, where she teaches introductory sociology and a range of other sociology courses. She has taught at universities in Indiana, Texas, and New Mexico, as well as working in the arts, non-profit sector, manufacturing, and the bicycle industry. Her research and publications have focused on social movements, teaching methods, resource management, globalization, and sustainability.