Product Description
Gender is one of the most important topics in the field of sociology, and as a system of social practices it inspires a multitude of theoretical approaches. The Sociology of Gender offers an introductory overview of gender theory and research, offering a unique and compelling approach.

• Treats gender as a multilevel system operating at the individual, interactional, and institutional levels.
  
• Stresses conceptual and theoretical issues in the sociology of gender.
  
• Offers an accessible yet intellectually sophisticated approach to current gender theory and research.
  
• Includes pedagogical features designed to encourage critical thinking and debate.
  
• Closer Look readings at the end of each chapter give a unique perspective on chapter topics by presenting relevant articles by leading scholars.

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“A great source for kinesthetic learning activities. I’ve used the book for designing my course for multiple learning styles.”
-Megan Thiele, University of California, Irvine

This student workbook is designed to allow you to easily integrate multiple active learning exercises into your Introduction to Sociology courses. Many teachers want to use “active learning” in their class, but don’t have the materials commensurate with that pedagogy. These 51 active learning exercises have been carefully selected from a nationwide search of the best class-tested active learning material available in sociology. Affordably priced, this workbook provides the best that sociology has to offer!

Key and New Features

• Offers many fresh exercises-about 40% of the assignments are new to this edition
• Features tear-out worksheets for ease of submission and grading
• Presents a wide variety of exercises in terms of content, time required, usefulness for individual or group completion, and relevance for in-class or out-of-class practice

Accompanied by High-Quality Ancillaries!
Instructor Resources on CD provide detailed information on using, grading, and adapting the exercises. In addition the CD also includes commentary from the contributing authors explaining their experiences with the exercises, including how they promote specific learning goals and how current instructions to students facilitate the assignment. This CD-ROM features new components to the summary chart for instructors that indicate which assignments have web components, which have global aspects, and other criteria to help professors select the most useful exercises for their teaching needs. Qualified instructors may receive a copy by contacting SAGE at 1-800-818-SAGE (7243) between 6 am – 5 pm, PST.

Intended Audience
The book is designed as the ideal active learning companion to virtually all Introduction to Sociology texts, making it an ideal supplemental text for any undergraduate Introduction to Sociology or Principles of Sociology course.

Contributor to the SAGE/Pine Forge ASA Teaching Innovations & Professional Development Awards Fund

Customer Reviews (2)

Teacher's Guide
Prior to ordering this product I called the customer service department (1-800-818-SAGE) to make sure I could obtain a teacher's guide for the workbook.I was told because I teach high school sociology, not at the university level, I cannot obtain a teacher's guide.Needless to say I will not be purchasing this item.Please be cautious before ordering.

Wonderful Resource for Active Learning Oriented Instructors
In this book and its essential companion, The Instructor's Manual, McKinney, Beck, and Heyl have provided an amazing resource for instructors who use an active learning perspective (versus the old, "sage on the stage" one-way talk method).The student handbook presents instructions and worksheets (when needed) for 50 exercises in 10 topic areas and 2 more general classroom process areas: theory & methods, culture, socialization and interaction, groups and social influence, stratification, organizations and bureaucracy, race & gender & sexual orientation, deviance & crime, collective behavior, social institutions, multi-topic assignments, and course structure & process.

Each set of short instructions follows the same format: rationale, instructions on actually doing the exercise, and how it will be graded.Some exercises require worksheets, which are included.The exercises were contributed by faculty who actually developed and tested them, and so most of the bugs have already been worked out.Instructors who use these exercises can modify them to suit their own classes, but they are so well-designed that I suspect most will just use them "as is."

The accompanying instructor's manual is an absolute necessity. The table of contents gives a short description of each exercise, as well as a chart indicating whether the exercise is for individuals or groups, and how much time is needed for the exercise.Each contributor has provided several pages of background for each exercise, following the same format: history and context, purpose, instructions for facilitating the exercise, other suggestions, and hints about time use.

An entire introductory sociology course could be designed around this book, or entire sections of it could be used for specific courses, e.g. on stratification or social movements.With this book and some rich supplementary readings, your students would probably not need a textbook.

The authors have provided a wonderful resource for those of us teaching from an active-learning perspective.I highly recommend the book AND the instructor's manual. ... Read more

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MySearchLab provides students with a complete understanding of the research process so they can complete research projects confidently and efficiently. Students and instructors with an internet connection can visit www.MySearchLab.com and receive immediate access to thousands of full articles from the EBSCO ContentSelect database. In addition, MySearchLab offers extensive content on the research process itself—including tips on how to navigate and maximize time in the campus library, a step-by-step guide on writing a research paper, and instructions on how to finish an academic assignment with endnotes and bibliography.

Comprehensive, contemporary, and cross-cultural in perspective, this book provides a sociological approach to education-- from several theoretical approaches and their practical application, to current educational issues, to the structure and processes that make education systems work. Using an open systems model as a framework, it shows the formal organization of schools with structure, goals and processes; the informal organization with hidden curriculum, organization climate, etc.; the external environment that influences what goes on in the school, including financing, parent(s), community interest groups, etc.; processes such as stratification and change; higher education. Diagrams show interrelationships between topics. For educators and anyone interested in the sociology of education and schools.

Customer Reviews (3)

Somewhat Useful
This book didn't quite cater to the needs of my Sociology programme at school.I did use it on occasion and found it to be a good alternative.I wouldn't recommend it as your main Sociology reference though.

Very good
the book was excellent but there are some bruises on the front page. this happen for a book i have purchased before also.

Mistitled
I bought this book hoping to gain some insight into the social nature of education in order to back up some research that I am currently conducting on the Japanese education system.However, I was a bit disappointed that this book covers social and political issues in regards to the American education system.If you're interested in that kind of information, then this might be of use to you, but if you're looking for a book on the sociology of education, then this is not it.It should be retitled "The Sociology of the American Education System".Another complaint is that the writing style is not very academic--what you might expect from a high school AP course or perhaps a community college course.I really recommend trying another textbook if you want in depth analysis of the sociology of education. ... Read more

Product Description

It isn't always obvious what a college major can offer to the workplace. Great Jobs books helpstudents and recent college graduates explore the possibilities in their majors and provide:

• Guidance on how to present a major as a workplace asset during an interview
• A primer for new college grads on how to conduct a job search
• Ways to use a college major in the real world ... Read more

  Customer Reviews (2)

  Excellent, Practical Book
  Bought this for my Sociology Major daughter, especially since I had also been a Liberal Arts major graduating into a recession. I previewed this book, and thought it had excellent tips on punching up your resume to focus on your transferrable skills. Also great ideas on how to handle interviews. Seemed very well-organized, too.

  Sociology?What is it?Is it for you?
  Great Jobs for Sociology Majors offers help in deciding if sociology is a major for you and has comments on expanding your knowledge while in school, job searching, networking, and the possibilities of graduate school.The other half of the book describes job opportunities in a variety of areas and help with career paths for advancement.A comprehensive book you'll come away more knowledgable and with great ideas for your future. ... Read more

Product Description
Organizations are a defining feature of the modern world, and the study of organizations (Organization Studies) has become well established in both sociology departments and professional schools, most notably business and management schools.

Organization Studies has long drawn inspiration from foundational work in sociology. The sociological lens affords depth of insight into the technological, economic, cultural, and political forces that shape organizations from both within and without. In particular, "classical" works in sociology have long energized organizational research, primarily by suggesting ways of making sense of the ever-accelerating pace of social change. In recent decades, however, the field has lost interest in these sociology classics. This trend reflects and reinforces an increasingly academic focus of contempory Organization Studies. Not only does this trend weaken Organization Studies' engagement with the big social issues of our time, but it isolates the field from the broader field of the social sciences.

The aim of this Handbook is to re-assert the importance of classical sociology to the future of Organization Studies. Alongside several thematic chapters, the volume includes chapters on each of nearly two dozen major European and American theorists, each of these chapter addressing: (a) the ideas and their context, (b) the impact of these ideas on the field of Organization Studies, and (c) the potential future research these ideas might inspire. The goal is not reverential exegesis, but rather to examine how the classics can energize organizational research.

This wide-ranging Handbook, with contributions from leading American and European scholars, will be a vital, informative, and stimulating resource for anybody undertaking research in, teaching, or interested in learning more about Organization Studies today.

About the Series
Oxford Handbooks in Business & Management bring together the world's leading scholars on the subject to discuss current research and the latest thinking in a range of interrelated topics including Strategy, Organizational Behavior, Public Management, International Business, and many others. Containing completely new essays with extensive referencing to further reading and key ideas, the volumes, in hardback or paperback, serve as both a thorough introduction to a topic and a useful desk reference for scholars and advanced students alike. ... Read more

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Examining the role of mass media and information technology in contemporary society

This specially priced comprehensive introductory text emphasizes the increasing diversity and globalization of societies everywhere, and the special role of mass media and information technology in contemporary society.

Customer Reviews (1)

Society in Focus Book
I recieved the book later than all of my other books that I purchased on the same day, but still got it within the 14 day period. ... Read more

Product Description
The Sociology of News offers a brief, but comprehensive account of the origins, structures, operating practices, codes, and cultures of the contemporary news media, analyzing the question of the consequences of news on society—and politics, in particular. Michael Schudson treats soberly and skeptically a great deal of what passes for wisdom about the press in popular opinion, academic research, and journalists' own self-understanding. The book's ultimate objective is not to settle controversies involving the press, but to define them and to characterize the role that news institutions play in the formation of modern public consciousness.

The Sociology of News is part of the Contemporary Societies series. This series marks the coming of age of a generation and a discipline. It has been half a century since the world's leading sociologists engaged in a collective effort to make their cutting-edge thinking and research so concise and so widely accessible. What has changed in the meantime? Just about everything! Theoretical hegemony has given way to plurality. Disengagement has given way to relevance, and a provincial focus on America has opened up to the currents of globalization. Running through all these transformations has been the cultural turn, the recognition that meaning dynamics-codes, narratives, metaphors, values, and beliefs-remain central features of even the most contemporary societies. In this series, the world's leading sociologists show how these developments have transformed their specialties. They do so by engaging a genre that has almost disappeared from the social sciences today-the essay. Well-written, clear-minded, and elegant, these brief compositions are major creative endeavors in their own right, even as they bring the ideas of the world's most advanced thinkers into the world of the lay reader. ... Read more

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This book aims to productively engage the pioneering work of Queer theorists and point toe way towards a new sociological Queer studies.

• First book to bring the works of theorists and researchers in the social sciences to Queer theory which is distinctively dominated by the Humanities.


• Uses classic sociological essays that shaped lesbian, gay and bisexual studies and recent original works and applies these to the discursive approach of Queer Theory to create a productive dialogue between the disciplines.

Customer Reviews (1)

Great Book
This is a great book. I always enjoy Steven Seidman's work. He is one of the best sociologists and social theorists writing on queer themes. Sociologists actually make the best analysts of gay and lesbian thought, life, culture, behavior, identity, etc. The so-called "queer theorists" working in English and Comparative Lit. departments never seem to get it right. The reason is simple: if you want to truly study something you need sociological skills like knowing how to do ethnographies and quantitative research. Compt lit people can't do any of that. All they can do (like the philosophy people) is just speculate. That doesn't quite cut it. ... Read more

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Randall Collins traces the movement of philosophical thought in ancient Greece, China, Japan, India, the medieval Islamic and Jewish world, medieval Christendom, and modern Europe.What emerges from this history is a social theory of intellectual change, one that avoids both the reduction of ideas to the influences of society at large and the purely contingent local construction of meanings.Instead, Collins focuses on the social locations where sophisticated ideas are formed: the patterns of intellectual networks and their inner divisions and conflicts.Amazon.com Review
In just under 900 pages (with another 100 or so pages of notes and bibliography), sociologist Randall Collins elaborates upon his proposed model for how intellectuals--"people who produce decontextualized ideas"--work among one another. Borrowing Erving Goffman's concept of the "interaction ritual," Collins discusses how "intellectuals gather, focus their attention for a time on one of their members, who delivers a sustained discourse. The discourse itself builds on elements from the past, affirming and continuing or negating." Or, to put it more simply, intellectuals attend a lot of lectures and have discussions afterwards.

General readers may be put off by a hefty tome with chapters given such titles as "The Post-revolutionary Condition: Boundaries and Philosophical Puzzles" (which includes the subsection "The Vienna Circle as a Nexus of Struggles"), but those with a dedicated interest in the history of philosophy will find much to enjoy in the multicultural examples Collins draws upon. Ancient China, classical Greece, medieval Islam, and the French existentialists are just the tip of the iceberg illustrating his theory that intellectual progress is made through the personal interaction of philosophers and other thinkers. "Great intellectual work," Collins writes, "is that which creates a large space on which followers can work," and The Sociology of Philosophies certainly qualifies. --Ron Hogan ... Read more

Customer Reviews (11)

Comprehensive and painstaking
I was very impressed by the breadth and scope of this work. Collins demonstrates a remarkable grasp of the history of ideas, refusing to gloss over any historical period or important thinker. To fully appreciate this book, however, the reader will need a sufficient introduction to the history of philosophy. Before reading this, I had read, among other things, F.C. Copleston's multi-volume history of western philosophy. This gave me an adequate background for Collins' coverage of Greek, Hellenistic, Medieval, and European philosophy. However, I had no background in Chinese or Indian philosophy, so I couldn't appreciate Collins' coverage of these traditions. I had to turn elsewhere to get an overview of their history. This is a historical analysis, directed towards those already familiar with the history of philosophy.
Collins is a non-Marxist conflict theorist as well as a constructivist. His analysis reflects this worldview, but he takes great pain to construct his theories on the historical record; it would be difficult to accuse him of bending history to support his ideas. An essential read for those interested in philosophy.

A beginner's guide

Randall Collins has provided a comprehensive overview of the major philosophical ideas that interested non philosophers can use as an introduction without fear of missing anything important. As a physician grappling daily with the issues of knowledge assessment, the extensive overview was well worth the few weeks it took to read the book. Many descriptions are nevertheless brutally summarized so that I often used on line encyclopedias to provide necessary background. Bertrand Russell's " A History of Western Philosophy" is more accessible, but is now out of date, and not nearly as comprehensive. By dividing philosophers into schools by century and location, providing easily understandable charts of the interconnections of various schools, and brief summaries of their positions, one builds a very humanized, inclusive picture. The description of science as rapid discovery based primarily on technological innovation certainly resonated strongly and came as a new insight in spite of spending the last 40 years in such an endeavor. The same arguments aboutknowledge growth are repeatedly emphasized, but at least there is a slight difference in perspective. Summarizing the big problems of ontology and epistemology by how and when they appeared in Western, Islamic, Chinese, Japanese, and Indian cultures gives an excellent overview. The final chapter on sociological realism based on the previous discussion provided a sound foundation for building the arguments, and placing the ideas in perspective. I came away with a better idea of where to go next and that even though the search for enlightenment is unending, a few successes, no matter how minor, can be very satisfying.

A new way to view philosophy
I have a Ph.D. in history of philosophy, but I now follow it as an interested layman rather than a professional.In short, this review is written from the viewpoint of someone whose background and interests lie in philosophy rather than sociology.

For me, this was an interesting and useful book for a couple of reasons:

1. It discusses philosophers in the context of social networks, where the thinkers are linked by relationships such as: was the student of, reacted against, was married to the sister of, etc.

Often, philosophy is taught (or studied) by looking only at the works of philosophers, in isolation from the philosophers' relationships with others around them.Placing a philosopher in the context of a network of relationships helps considerably in understanding what the philosopher is trying to do, and why.In short, it can help you better to understand any particular philosopher that you are studying.

2. I found the author's notion of an "attention space" very interesting.The notion of an "attention space" in the history of philosophy seems to me similar to Thomas Kuhn's notion of a "paradigm" in the history of science.Philosophers' roles in the history of philosophy are described as moving the attention space, or elaborating within the attention space, and so on, where moving the attention space is comparable to Kuhn's "paradigm shift" and elaborating within the attention space is comparable to Kuhn's "normal science".This approach to the history of philosophy is, I think helpful.It gives you genuine insight into the history of philosophy.

I recommend this book.You may not wish to read it all -- Ididn't -- but if you dip into it here and there, at spots that look interesting to you, you will encounter ideas and concepts that are useful, stimulating and thought-provoking.

Great classroom reference
I received this welcome book free in the mail years ago with the suggestion that it be a text book for a philosophy course. While it certainly is an important, interesting book on philosophy, it offers little as a philosophy text book. But over the years I have found lots of opportunities to refer to it in class as a resource.
Some specific things I find come up frequently:
1. The concept of the sociological cogito -- this strikes me as a wonderful way of applying Augustine, via Descartes' cogito via Leibniz, Hegel, Wittgenstein (private language argument) to interest the class on what we know for certain. It was the first I saw the argument presented this lucidly.
2. Applying the template of social networks to the development of ideas - and this I connect to current complex systems work such as Kennedy's Swarm Intelligence. I love passing the book around so everyone can see the network charts.
3. The relationship between points of view moving through intellectual space following standard patterns, much as Hegelian dialectic describes, but in easier terms.
4. Since I also routinely discuss sociologizing sociology, it certainly is fair that I discuss sociologizing philosophy as well.

There is a disappointment: the book stops. Understood, the effort would have been a tremendous one as the information explosion changes the patterns. But this is precisely the concern. What changes with the information explosion? We did not have to touch Quine to be strongly influenced though meeting him was certainly an event to be remembered. This is an approach I would like to see explored further.

Reading Global History of Philosophy With a Thesis
For all interested in global history of philosophy, this is the book to get.

First, each section on a particular philosophical tradition (e.g. ancient Greece, Indian, Medieval Islamic, Chinese, Modern) is an interesting high-level history of tradition in its own rights.This alone makes the price tag worthwhile.

More importantly, Collins included very interesting insights about individual period that is not covered by other general histories:
1) How some schools of thoughts become popular not because they are correct but because they are extreme
2) Parallelisms that occur in different periods of the same tradition (e.g. Post-Shankara positions in India has its parallel during the hey-day of Buddhist philosophy)
3) Parallelisms that occur across traditions (e.g. compelling coverage of how medieval Christian & Islamic philospophy shares a similar structure)

With these characteristics, I think this book clearly satisfies the need us interested in global history of philosophy, for which Collins is clearly very passionate about.

On the sociology theoretical piece, I think the theory is fine: it articulates a lot of aspects of which most students of philosophy has a vague sense.The theory is almost 'common sense'-- just that it doesn't seem to have been clearly articulated that way in academic circles.As such, the theory piece is less interesting, but it is not intruding and it provides a sound umbrella thesis for Collins' insights on individual traditions.

Lastly, one point about the 'data' that Collins use-- the 'maps' that link the different philosophers in networks.I think it is interesting to read (because it includes a lot of interesting names-- familiar or otherwise), but they don't really provide the 'data' on which the sociological theory can be based. I think Collins himself recognized this-- and thus his appendix about the important 'isolates' like Ibn Sina. ... Read more

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A resounding best seller, this series of classic articles written by key sociologists and social thinkers will compliment any introductory sociology textbook. This reader serves as a foundation where students can read original works that teach the fundamental ideas of sociology. Priced right as a stand-alone and free when bundled with Wadsworth introductory texts, this brief reader is a convenient and painless way to bring the "great thinkers" to your students. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

classic reading sociology
I purchased this book for my sociology class. It was a very educative book. It has different readings from different brilliant authors. It is a wonderful book that explains alot about our social structure.

Excellent introductory book
I had to use this book for my Intro to Sociology class, it gives great classic articles about sociology, and then asks review questions at the end to help you understand what you've read. I enjoyed it. ... Read more

Product Description
This welcome new edition builds on the strengths of its predecessor in its thematic coherence, clarity of exposition and analytical depth. It is carefully structured to cover all the main substantive topics studied at an introductory level within a framework that engages with exciting contemporary debates about modernity, globalization, and social identity. Key features of the new edition include: a completely new chapter on the media; extended coverage of social divisions to include disability, youth, old age, class, gender and race; and clearer treatment of social theory, incorporating discussion of work by such contemporary theorists as Habermas, Giddens, and Beck.
... Read more

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Exam Copy Version Known for it's unique blend of style and substance, this complete yet manageable introduction to sociology uses a balanced and systematic application of sociological theory to help students see the difference between myths and realities about society. Topics new to the Sixth Edition include: *The section on U.S. class structure in Chapter 7 has been revised to make more of a distinction between upper middle class and middle class and offers more focus on the plight of the working poor. *New social maps, figures, and tables show the following: women's participation in the Olympics (Chapter 1), the vocabulary of teen-speak (Chapter 3), parental concern about risk-taking behavior by their teenage children (Chapter 3), global Internet usage (Chapter 4), the military as both a coercive and normative organization (Chapter 5), U.S. class structure (Chapter 7), and world-wide deaths from smoking (Chapter 13). *New discussions of suicide bombings (Chapter 6), post-9/11 threats to civil rights and privacy (Chapter 5), and the University of Michigan Affirmative Action case (Chapter 8 ).Student Copy Version Students, study smarter--not harder--with these grade-boosting supplements from Allyn & Bacon!Study Guide Featuring journal activities, key term crosswords, and self-tests with answer justifications, the Study Guide will help you prepare for quizzes and exams. Also includes Flashcards of the key terms for every chapter. Companion Website Visit http://www.ablongman.com/thio6e today to take your learning a step beyond the pages of your text. Brush up on key concepts for each chapter with learning objectives, interactive practice quizzes, Web links, and more. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Excellent Service
The book arrived before any of the other books i bought and was just like the seller explained. ... Read more

Product Description
This supplementary text helps students and professors answer the often-asked question, "What can I do with a degree in sociology?" It provides meaningful answers to a specific, targeted audience: typical students, 18 to 20 years old, taking their first sociology courses. The book presents a series of biographies, "Character Profiles," which serve as a template for career development on the basis of a degree in sociology. They include discussions of what can be done with a B.A., M.A., and Ph.D., or a combination of degrees (e.g. Sociology and Business). An appendix, "A Workbook for Job Seekers in Sociology" takes students step by step through job search tactics and career development strategies. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

helpful
I haven't really looked at the book to much.From what I see I like it, and it will be helpful down the rode.I am starting my first few semesters to become a Sociologist. ... Read more

Product Description
Sociologists who study the arts have focused on constructing images of "the artist" as a social type and have, therefore, been criticized by art professionals for a lack of attention to the creative process and individual artistic personalities.In this book, the author examines the diverse theoretical approaches to the study of the arts and develops a sociological approach that acknowledges the importance of aesthetic imperatives and the individual creative process while also assessing the institutional, economic, and political influences on the creation of art. The author focuses on the ways in which people become artists, the institutions in which their careers unfold, the public they need to please, and the institutional and political pressures with which they must contend. Particular subjects covered include the differing relations of art to primitive and industrialized societies; the process by which works are "recreated" at different times for new social purposes; the role of the audience in the realization of artistic experiences; and the reasons for the evolution of artistic styles.This book makes a major contribution to the development of a sociology of the arts at a time when the role of the arts in society has become a subject of increasing concern to social scientists. ... Read more

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The most student-oriented book available for environmental sociology courses, Twenty Lessons in Environmental Sociology introduces undergraduates to the subject in a groundbreaking new way. Instead of compiling articles from professional journals, this innovative reader presents twenty classroom-tested "lessons" from dedicated, experienced teachers. These diverse readings examine key topics in the field, from the social construction of nature to the growing influence of global media on our understanding of the environment.

Building this collection on the model of a successful undergraduate classroom experience, coeditors Kenneth A. Gould and Tammy L. Lewis asked the contributors to choose a topic, match it with their favorite class lecture, and construct a lesson to reflect the way they teach it in the classroom. The result is an engaging, innovative, and versatile volume that presents the core ideas of environmental sociology in concise, accessible chapters. Each brief lesson is designed as a stand-alone piece and can be easily adapted into an existing course syllabus.

Ideal for any course that looks at the environment from a sociological perspective, Twenty Lessons in Environmental Sociology offers an insightful introduction to this dynamic subject. ... Read more

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In today's world, people's perceptions of various individuals, countries, races, genders, schools, and even companies are often affected by the sports they watch, read about, or listen to. The impact of sport on these perceptions is covered extensively in Contemporary Issues in Sociology of Sport. This text provides some of the best contemporary writing and research on the sociology of sport.

The text is organized into 12 learning units and includes 34 articles from writers and researchers with varied backgrounds. Introductions are provided for each of the units. They include brief summaries of the articles that follow and probing study questions that challenge the reader to think critically about the material.

Edited by Andrew Yiannakis, PhD, and Merrill J. Melnick, PhD, Contemporary Issues in Sociology of Sport includes
-an exploration of topics and themes that have received limited attention in other sociology of sport texts but have been long-standing social concerns,

-a review of the attitudes toward female athletes and the anti-homosexual phobias present in sport,

-an in-depth look at the impoverishment of children's games in America,

-an overview of high school sport participation,

-a study of the challenges and benefits of the big-time collegiate sport experience,

-a critique of television's impact on sport and its portrayal of gender and race, and

-a review of sport and globalization.
Unit I provides the reader with a historical background on the development of sociology of sport and addresses several critical issues about the relationship between sociology, physical education, and sociology of sport. The text includes an explanation of the growth of the sociology of sport field since 1980, the emergence and growth of the New Physical Education, and a review of the emerging field of sport pedagogy.

Unit II illustrates the power and influence of sport on American values, attitudes, behaviors, and cultural practices and its manifestations in our interpersonal and gender relations.

Unit III examines whether adult-controlled sport programs are good for children. The authors explore the Little League phenomenon, which they contrast and compare with the spontaneous culture of free play.

Unit IV examines the positive and negative effects of high school sport participation, in relationship to other extracurricular activities, on the educational and developmental experiences of student-athletes.

Unit V explores the realities, demands, and opportunities created by commercialized, high-visibility collegiate sports and their effects on athletes and universities.

Unit VI illustrates and examines how race-related discriminatory practices continue to manifest themselves in the world of sport. Specific topics include the allocation of playing positions by race, the use of racially insensitive team names, and racial stratification in professional sport.

Unit VII focuses on the social construction of feminine, masculine, and heterosexualized bodies within exercise and sport-related contexts.

Unit VIII explores the ways sport produces and reproduces the gender order while serving as “contested terrain” with respect to the construction of feminine and masculine gender scripts.

Unit IX explores the mass media's coverage of selected athletes and their sports, and how heavily mediated representations influence perceptions of race, class, gender, and sexuality.

Unit X examines the underlying causes of deviance in sport and focuses on such activities as larceny, drug use, and aggression outside of sport.

Unit XI explores the role and structure of alternative sport communities, especially in creating and maintaining personal identity, in satisfying psychological needs, and in providing contexts for resistance to dominant sport ideologies.

Unit XII reviews the influence of Americanization and globalization processes on local sport cultures and practices.

Contemporary Issues in Sociology of Sport is a must-read for anyone interested in a better understanding of the social significance of sport.

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THE SOCIOLOGY OF HEALTH, ILLNESS, AND HEALTH CARE: A CRITICAL APPROACH presents a comprehensive overview that examines health and illness in a narrative style, engaging readers and challenging them to question previously held beliefs about health, illness, and health care. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Must Have Text for Social Disparities In Illness
I have to believe that this is the number one text in studying the field of Medical Sociology that exists in the market. It gives a comprehensive and thorough view of the health care system, with particular reference to the USA. It's viewpoint is that disease, a biological condition, and illness, how society reacts to disease is a social construction. This book takes aim at how society as a whole victimizes and discriminates against the disabled and ill, based upon subjective prejudices. It pays close attention to gender, race, age, and socio-economic status and how those interweaved factors, play into the fate of an indivduals health over a life time. Very easy to read, and the authors knowledge on the topic is superb. I would recommend this text to anyone in the health care industry.

Interesting text
I'm glad to have had the opportunity to read this text.I appreciate the organization of the text and found it to be a very interesting and informative read. ... Read more

Product Description

Available in paperback 4-color for the first time!

This economical paperback text is theoretically balanced, offers global perspectives, shows how sociology is applied to real problems, and contains a built-in study guide.

This introduction to sociology uses the three major theoretical perspectives–functionalist, conflict, and interactionist–as tools for examining the social world. The author uses illuminating examples to show how society works and how human behavior is shaped by cultural, structural, and institutional forces.

As in previous editions, the Eighth Edition integrates two themes that reflect contemporary trends in sociology. The first is a reemergence of interest in how sociological knowledge can be applied to social problems or to helping people improve their lives. The second is the focus on globalization and its impact on societies and cultures as they become increasingly diverse and interdependent.  The Eighth edition offers an expanded focus on the sociology of media and technology, especially the newer technologies of the internet and an online, electronic world.

Customer Reviews (1)

A good buy
The product I purchased was received on time, The product was bought in new condition at a affordable price, it was a good buy ... Read more