Contemporary Society

This best-selling text offers an integrated social science view of the world, emphasizing that social and cultural change are the pervasive realities of our era. One of the main themes of Contemporary Society is that the transition from an industrial to a post-industrial order in the modern world is fraught with difficulties, as was the transition from an agricultural to an industrial order in an earlier era. Within this framework, we can observe the increasing fragmentation of the social order, which tends to lead people away from community and a common purpose and often invites conflict and disunity. At the same time, countervailing social forces are also at work, providing some stability, some shelter in the storm. Finally, societies are faced with the rapid and transformative power of information technology, a fact that propels separate groups of people into a global entity.

ISBN 0205578675   Pages 624 ISBN13 9780205578672 (What's this?)   Volumes 1 Publisher Pearson Education (US)   Weight (grammes) 930 Imprint Pearson Education (US)   Published in Upper Saddle River Format Paperback   Previous ISBN 9780205458844 Publication date 27 Feb 2008   Height (mm) 235 Library of Congress 2008005036   Width (mm) 191 DEWEY 301   Spine width (mm) 22 DEWEY edition DC22   Academic level Professional / Scholarly

IN THIS SECTION: 1.) BRIEF 2.) COMPREHENSIVE BRIEF TABLE OF CONTENTS: Chapter 1: Through the Lens of Science Chapter 2: In the Beginning ... Chapter 3: Culture: Product and Guide to Life in Society Chapter 4: Group Interaction: From Two to Millions Chapter 5: Becoming a Person: The Birth of Personality Chapter 6: Deviance and Criminality: The Need for Social Control Chapter 7: The Great Divide: Ranking and Stratification Chapter 8: Minority Status : Race and Ethnicity Chapter 9: Minority Status: Age, Gender, and Sexuality Chapter 10: From the Plow to the Computer: Change, Collective Behavior, and Social Movements Chapter 11: Population, Urbanization, and Environment Chapter 12: Pivotal Institutions: Marriage and the Family Chapter 13: Pivotal Institutions: Religion and Education Chapter 14: Government: The Institution and the Ideologies That Underlie It Chapter 15: The Government of the United States of America Chaper 16: Democracy in Action: We the People! Chapter 17: The Economy: Concepts and History Chapter 18: Principles of Economic Behavior : Microeconomics and Macroeconomics Chapter 19: Nation Among Nations: Perspectives on International Relations COMPREHENSIVE TABLE OF CONTENTS: *Every chapter concludes with "The Chapter in Brief," "Terms to Remember," "Suggested Reading," and "Websites of Interest." 1. Through the Lens of Science The Social Sciences The Social World Seen through the Lens of Science The Scientific Method The Social Science Disciplines Research Methods in the Social Sciences 2. In the Beginning ... The Beginnings of Life The Emergence of the Theory of Evolution Genetics The Long Trek: Human Evolution Modern Humans: The Road to Homo Sapiens Agriculture: Cultivation and Domestication The Evolution of Human Nature 3. Culture: Product and Guide to Life in Society Culture: Concept and Importance The Symbolic Nature of Culture Language: The Most Important System of Symbols The Content of Culture The Components of Nonmaterial Culture: Cognitive and Normative Pivotal Institutions Ethnocentrism and Cultural Relativity Cultural Differences and Universals 4. Group Interaction: From Two to Millions How Is the Social System Organized and Structured? The Multiplicity of Statuses and Roles Groups Primary and Secondary Groups Society Interaction and Social Processes Formal Organizations Bureaucracy 5. Becoming a Person: The Birth of Personality Personality Becoming Human: Socialization Goals and Functions of Socialization Theories of Socialization Agents of Socialization Socialization through the Life Cycle Some Conclusions 6. Deviance and Criminality: The Need for Social Control Deviance The Relative Nature of Deviance Explaining Deviance Mental Disorders Deviance as Seen from a Sociological Perspective Crime: Deviance that Hurts Crime Statistics: How Much Crime, and Who Commits It? 7. The Great Divide: Ranking and Stratification Social Differentiation, Ranking, and Stratification Stratification Theoretical Views on Stratification Dimensions of Stratification: Class, Status, and Power Systems of Stratification Determining Social Class Social Classes in the United States Social Class and its Consequences Social Mobility 8. Minority Status : Race and Ethnicity Majority - Minority Relations: Defining the Terms Common Characteristics of Minorities The Making of Pluralist Society Majority and Minorities: Processes of Coexistence In the Way: Obstacles to Pluralism Racial Minorities Ethnic and Religious Minorities The New Face of America 9. Minority Status: Age, Gender, and Sexuality The Aging Society Women: Differentiation According to Gender The Cultural Construction of Gender Sexuality Explanatory Theories of Homosexuality 10. From the Plow to the Computer: Change, Collective Behavior, and Social Movements Society and Change Processes of Social and Cultural Change The Industrial Revolution Modernization Collective Behavior Social Moveme

"Most students from diverse disciplines have never taken a course that provided them with an integrated approach to the social sciences. I use this book to provide that experience." Ann Creighton-Zollar Virginia Commonwealth University "This course is taught in the psychology, politics, economics and sociology departments. We need a book that fits the needs of each department. I believe this book is the most appropriate for this course. It is a very comprehensive book because it addresses the commonalities found in each discipline and it dedicates one to two chapters to each field." Margaret Tseng Marymount University

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