Essentials of Sociology

This brief introduction to sociology helps readers understand that issues of diversity affect each of us on a daily basis. The authors examine the implications on diversity while looking at the intersection of race, class, and gender throughout. Learners will explore the crossover between theory and applications in their everyday life and will be exposed to today's most relevant issues without losing track of the classical theoretical work that defines the core of the discipline. Keeping these three core beliefs, this book delivers a view of sociology that truly develops a strong sociological perspective. Chapter topics cover culture; social structure and formal organizations; socialization and social interaction throughout the life course; sexuality; deviant behavior; crime and criminal justice; stratification in modern societies; racial and ethnic minorities; gender; the family and religion; education and health; politics, economics, and work; population, urbanization, and the environment; and collective behavior, social movements, and social change. For individuals interested in an introduction to sociology.