Full Description
Sociological Wisdom is based on applying the basic principles of sociology to the world around us.
Sociologists study patterns of behavior in order to draw general conclusions about a social issue that transcend the effect of the problem or issue on any particular individual. This is not to say that sociologists are unconcerned about individuals and their lives, but sociology's emphasis is on the way individuals relate to others, people's positions in society, and the interdependence between society and individuals. This text teaches students that it is more important than ever to study human behavior, social groups, and society utilizing critical thinking skills and careful analysis associated with sociological wisdom.
Contents
Preface
Acknowledgments
About the Authors
1 #ThingsAreNotWhatTheySeem
Discovering Sociology
Sociological Wisdom
The Sociological Imagination
Life in a Global Society
Common Sense Versus Common Nonsense
The Importance of Science
The Structural Functionalist Perspective
The Conflict Perspective
The Feminist Perspective
The Symbolic Interactionist Perspective
Sociological Wisdom: Taking an Integrated Approach
2 #AnalyzeWithYourBrainNotWithYourHeart
Doing Sociology
How Do We Know Things Are Not What They Seem?
Sociology and Scientific Knowledge
Theory-Building Process
Scientific Method
Ethical Issues in Sociological Research
Types of Research
Quantifying Social Life
Qualitative Studies
Keeping It Scientific
3 #There'sNoSuchThingAsAnUnculturedPerson
Understanding Society and Culture
Types of Societies
Components of Culture
Ethnocentrism and Cultural Relativism
Ideal Versus Real Culture
Subcultures and Countercultures
Popular Culture
4 #WhenYouWereBornYouWereNotYetYou
Becoming a Social Being
Nature and Nurture
Developing A Social Self
Agents of Socialization
Socialization over the Life Course
Desocialization and Resocialization
5 #TheWorldRevolvesARoundTheSunAndNotYou
Interacting in Everyday Life
Personal Space and Nonverbal Communication
Statuses and Roles
Social Networks
Patterns of Social Interaction
Media and Technology: Redefining Social Interaction
6 #TheWorldIsAMessyPlace
Organizing Our Social World
Social Groups
Leaders and Leadership Styles
Formal Organizations
Bureaucracies and Us
Social Institutions
7 #SomeRulesAreMadeToBeBrokenButSomeAren't
Controlling Social Behavior
Range of Tolerance
Relativity of Deviance
Deviance and Stigma
The Power of the Media
Cyberporn, Cybersex, and Internet Addiction
Popular Explanations of Deviance
Sociological Theories of Deviance and Conformity
Social Control
8 #TheOnlyDifferenceThatMattersIsTheDifferenceThatMatters
Emphasizing Differences
Importance of Social Class
Socioeconomic Status
Race, Ethnicity, and Minority Groups
Sex and Gender
Age and Ageism
Intersectionality
9 #NothingEnduresButChange
Creating Social Change
Social Change
Sources of Social Change
Collective Behavior
Social Movements
Resistance To Change
10 #NothingLastsForever
Sustaining the Planet
Forces of Nature
Demography
Population Growth
Urbanization and Suburbanization
Ecology and the Environment
Where Do We Go From Here?
11 #SociologicalWisdomOnlyHasValueIfItIsApplied
References
Further Readings
Credits
