Henslin's best-selling brief paperback text shares the excitement of sociology–its acclaimed "down-to-earth" approach and personal writing style highlight the sociology of everyday life and its relevance to readers' lives. The author has a unique ability to engage readers. With wit, personal reflection, and illuminating examples, Henslin shares with readers a passion for sociology unmatched by any other introductory text.

Table of Contents:
Brief Table of Contents   Part I The Sociological Perspective   Chapter 1  The Sociological Perspective Chapter 2  Culture Chapter 3  Socialization Chapter 4  Social Structure and Social Interaction   Part II Social Groups and Social Control   Chapter 5  Social Groups and Formal Organizations Chapter 6  Deviance and Social Control   Part III Social Inequality   Chapter 7  Global Stratification Chapter 8  Social Class in the United States Chapter 9  Inequalities of Race and Ethnicity Chapter 10  Inequalities of Gender and Age   Part IV Social Institutions   Chapter 11  Politics and the Economy Chapter 12  Marriage and Family Chapter 13  Education and Religion   Part V Social Change   Chapter 14  Population and Urbanization Chapter 15  Social Change: Technology, Social Movements, and the Environment       Full Table of Contents   Part I    The Sociological Perspective   Chapter 1     The Sociological Perspective     Seeing the Broader Social Context Origins of Sociology     Tradition Versus Science     Auguste Comte and Positivism     Herbert Spencer and Social Darwinism     Karl Marx and Class Conflict     Emile Durkheim and Social Integration     Max Weber and the Protestant Ethic Sexism in Early Sociology     Attitudes of the Time     Harriet Martineau and Early Social Research Sociology in North America     Early History: The Tension Between Social Reform and Sociological Analysis     Jane Addams and Social Reform     Down-to-Earth Sociology: Early North American Sociology: Du Bois and Race Relations     W. E. B. Du Bois and Race Relations     Talcott Parsons and C. Wright Mills: Theory Versus Reform     The Continuing Tension and the Rise of Applied Sociology     Down-to-Earth Sociology: Careers in Sociology: What Applied Sociologists         Do     Down-to-Earth Sociology: Capturing Sadaam Hussein: A Surprising Example of Applied Sociology Theoretical Perspectives in Sociology     Symbolic Interactionism     Functional Analysis     Conflict Theory     Levels of Analysis: Macro and Micro     Putting the Theoretical Perspectives Together     How Theory and Research Work Together Doing Sociological Research     A Research Model     Down-to-Earth Sociology: Enjoying a Sociology Quiz—Sociological Findings         Versus Common Sense Research Methods     Surveys     Down-to-Earth Sociology: Loading the Dice: How Not to Do Research     Participant Observation (Fieldwork)     Secondary Analysis     Documents     Experiments     Unobtrusive Measures Ethics in Sociological Research     Protecting the Subjects: The Brajuha Research     Misleading the Subjects: The Humphreys Research     Values in Sociological Research Summary and Review   2        Culture What Is Culture?     Culture and Taken-for-Granted Orientations to Life     Practicing Cultural Relativism     Cultural Diversity Around the World: You Are What You Eat? An Exploration in Cultural Relativity Components of Symbolic Culture     Gestures     Language     Down-to-Earth Sociology: Emoticons: “Written Gestures” for Expressing Yourself Online     Cultural Diversity in the United States: Miami—Language in a Changing City     Language and Perception: The Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis     Cultural Diversity in the United States: Race and Language: Searching for Self- Labels     Values, Norms, and Sanctions     Folkways and Mores Many Cultural Worlds     Subcultures     Countercultures Values in U.S. Society     An Overview of U.S. Values     Mass Media in Social Life: Why Do Native Americans Like Westerns?     Value Clusters     Value Contradictions and Social Change     Emerging Values     Culture Wars: When Values Clash     Values as Blinders     “Ideal” Versus “Real” Culture Technology in the Global Village     The New Technology     Cultural Lag and Cultural Change     Technology and Cultural Leveling Summary and Review   3          Socialization What Is Human Nature?     Feral Children     Isolated Children     Institutionalized Children     Down-to-Earth Sociology: Heredity or Environment? The Case of Oskar and Jack, Identical Twins     Deprived Animals Socialization into the Self and Mind     Cooley and the Looking-Glass Self     Mead and Role-Taking     Piaget and the Development of Reasoning     Global Aspects of the Self and Reasoning Learning Personality and Emotions     Freud and the Development of Personality     Socialization into Emotions     Cultural Diversity Around the World: Do You See What I See?: Eastern and Western Ways of Perceiving and Thinking     Society Within Us:  The Self and Emotions as Social Control Socialization into Gender     Gender Messages in the Family     Gender Messages From Peers     Gender Messages in the Mass Media Agents of Socialization     The Family     Mass Media in Social Life: From Xena, Warrior Princess, to Lara Croft, Tomb Raider: Changing Images of Women in the Mass Media     The Neighborhood     Religion     Day Care     The School and Peer Groups     Cultural Diversity in the United States: Caught Between Two Worlds     The Workplace Resocialization     Total Institutions     Down-to-Earth Sociology: Boot Camp as a Total Institution Socialization Through the Life Course     Childhood (From Birth to About Age 12)     Adolescence (Ages 13-17)     Transitional Adulthood (Ages 18-29)     The Middle Years (Ages 30-65)     The Older Years (About 65 on) Are We Prisoners of Socialization? Summary and Review   4          Social Structure and Social Interaction Levels of Sociological Analysis     Macrosociology and Microsociology The Macrosociological Perspective: Social Structure     Down-to-Earth Sociology: College Football as Social Structure     Culture     Social Class     Social Status     Roles     Groups     Social Institutions     Societies—and Their Transformations     Biotech Society: Is a New Type of Society Emerging?     Sociology and the New Technology: “So, You Want to Be Yourself?” Cloning in the Coming Biotech Society     What Holds Society Together?     Cultural Diversity in the United States: The Amish: Gemeinschaft Community         in a Gesellschaft Society The Microsociological Perspective: Social Interaction in Everyday Life     Stereotypes in Everyday Life     Personal Space     Down to Earth Sociology: Beauty May Be Only Skin Deep, But Its Effects Go On Forever: Stereotypes in Everyday Life     Dramaturgy: The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life     Mass Media in Social Life: You Can’t Be Thin Enough: Body Images and the Mass Media     Ethnomethodology: Uncovering Background Assumptions     The Social Construction of Reality     Social Interaction on the Internet The Need for Both Macrosociology and Microsociology     Sociology and the New Technology: When Worlds Collide: Virtual Reality and the Real World     Through the Author's Lens: When a Tornado Strikes    Summary and Review   Part II Social Groups and Social Control   5          Social Groups and Formal Organizations Social Groups     Primary Groups     Secondary Groups     In-Groups and Out-Groups     Reference Groups     Social Networks     Down-to-Earth Sociology: Facebooking: The Lazy (But Efficient) Way to Meet Friends     A New Group: Electronic Communities Bureaucracies     The Characteristics of Bureaucracies     Cultural Diversity in the United States: How Our Own Social Networks Perpetuate Social Inequality     The Perpetuation of Bureaucracies     The Rationalization of Society     Coping with Bureaucracies     Down-to-Earth Sociology: The McDonaldization of Society Working for the Corporation     Stereotypes and the “Hidden” Corporate Culture     Thinking Critically: Managing Diversity on the Workplace     U.S. and Japanese Corporations Group Dynamics     Effects of Group Size on Stability and Intimacy     Effects of Group Size on Attitudes and Behavior     Leadership     The Power of Peer Pressure: The Asch Experiment     The Power of Authority: The Milgram Experiment     Thinking Critically: If Hitler Asked You to Execute a Stranger, Would You? The Milgram Experiment     Global Consequences of Group Dynamics: Groupthink Summary and Review   6          Deviance and Social Control What Is Deviance?     Cultural Diversity Around the World: Human Sexuality in Cross-Cultural Perspective     How Norms Make Social Life Possible     Sanctions     Thinking Critically: Is It Rape, or Is It Marriage? A Study in Culture Clash     Competing Explanations of Deviance: Sociobiology, Psychology, and         Sociology The Symbolic Interactionist Perspective Differential Association Theory     Control Theory     Labeling Theory The Functionalist Perspective     Can Deviance Really Be Functional for Society?     Strain Theory: How Social Values Produce Deviance     Illegitimate Opportunity Structures: Social Class and Crime     Down-to-Earth Sociology: Islands in the Street: Urban Gangs in the United         States The Conflict Perspective     Class, Crime, and the Criminal Justice System     Power and Inequality     The Law as an Instrument of Oppression Reactions to Deviance     Street Crime and Prisons     Thinking Critically: “Three Strikes and You're Out!”: Unintended Consequences of Well-Intended Laws     The Decline in Crime     Recidivism     The Death Penalty and Bias     Down-to-Earth Sociology: The Killer Next Door: Serial Murderers in Our         Midst     Legal Change     Thinking Critically: Changing Views: Making Hate a Crime     The Medicalization of Deviance: Mental Illness     The Homeless Mentally Ill     The Need for a More Humane Approach Summary and Review   Part III Social Inequality   7          Global Stratification Systems of Social Stratification     Slavery     Mass Media in Social Life: What Price Freedom? Slavery Today     Caste     Class     Global Stratification and the Status of Females What Determines Social Class?     Karl Marx: The Means of Production     Max Weber: Property, Prestige, and Power Why Is Social Stratification Universal?     The Functionalist Perspective: Motivating Qualified People     The Conflict Perspective: Class Conflict and Scarce Resources     Lenski’s Synthesis How Do Elites Maintain Stratification?     Ideology Versus Force Comparative Social Stratification     Social Stratification in Great Britain     Social Stratification in the Former Soviet Union Global Stratification: Three Worlds     The Most Industrialized Nations     The Industrializing Nations     Thinking Critically: Open Season: Children as Prey     The Least Industrialized Nations     Through the Author's Lens: The Dump People How Did the World’s Nations Become Stratified?     Colonialism     World System Theory     Thinking Critically: When Globalization Comes Home: Maquiladores South of the Border     Culture of Poverty     Evaluating the Theories Maintaining Global Stratification     Neocolonialism     Multinational Corporations     Technology and Global Domination     A Concluding Note Summary and Review   8          Social Class in the United States What Is Social Class?     Property (Wealth)     Power     Prestige     Down-to-Earth Sociology: How the Super-Rich Live     Status Inconsistency Sociological Models of Social Class     Down-to-Earth Sociology: The Big Win: Life After the Lottery     Updating Marx     Updating Weber     Social Class in the Automobile Industry Consequences of Social Class     Family Life     Education     Religion     Politics     Physical Health     Mental Health     Thinking Critically: Mental Illness and Inequality in Health Care Social Mobility     Three Types of Social Mobility     Cultural Diversity in the United States: Social Class and the Upward Mobility of African Americans     Women in Studies of Social Mobility     The New Technology and Fears of the Future Poverty     Drawing the Poverty Line     Who Are the Poor?     Down-to Earth Sociology: Exploring Myths About the Poor     Children of Poverty     Thinking Critically: The Nation's Shame: Children in Poverty     The Dynamics of Poverty     Welfare Reform     Why Are People Poor?     Where Is Horatio Alger? The Social Functions of a Myth Summary and Review   9          Inequalities of Race and Ethnicity Laying the Sociological Foundation     Race: Myth and Reality     Ethnic Groups     Cultural Diversity in the United States: Tiger Woods and the Emerging Multiracial Identity: Mapping New Ethnic Terrain     Minority and Dominant Groups     Down-to-Earth Sociology: Can a Plane Ride Change Your Race?     How People Construct Their Racial-Ethnic Identity     Learning Prejudice     Individual and Institutional Discrimination Theories of Prejudice     Psychological Perspectives     Sociological Perspectives Global Patterns of Intergroup Relations     Genocide     Population Transfer     Internal Colonialism     Segregation     Assimilation     Multiculturalism (Pluralism) Race and Ethnic Relations in the United States     Cultural Diversity in the United States and Around the World: “You Can Work for Us, But You Can’t Live Near Us”     European Americans     Latinos     Down-to-Earth Sociology: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack: Exploring Cultural Privilege     African Americans     Thinking Critically: Reparations for Slavery: Justice or Foolishness?     Down-to-Earth Sociology: Stealth Racism in the Rental Market: What You Reveal by Your Voice     Asian Americans     Native Americans Looking Toward the Future     The Immigration Debate     Cultural Diversity in the United States: Glimpsing the Future: The Shifting U.S. Racial–Ethnic Mix     Affirmative Action     Toward a True Multicultural Society Summary and Review   10        Inequalities of Gender and Age Inequalities of Gender Issues of Sex and Gender     Gender Differences in Behavior: Biology or Culture?     Through the Author's Lens: Gender and Work: Women at Work in India     Opening the Door to Biology How Females Became a Minority Group     The Origins of Patriarchy     Cultural Diversity Around the World: “Psst. You Wanna Buy a Bride?” China in Transition Gender Inequality in the United States     Fighting Back: The Rise of Feminism     Gender Inequality in Education     Down-to-Earth Sociology: The Gender Gap in Math and Science: A National Debate     Gender Inequality in Health Care     Gender Inequality in the Workplace     Down-to-Earth Sociology: Cold-Hearted Surgeons and Their Women Victims     Sexual Harassment—And Worse     Gender and Violence     Cultural Diversity Around the World: Female Circumcision The Changing Face of Politics     Glimpsing the Future—with Hope Inequalities of Aging Aging in Global Perspective     The Social Construction of Aging     Industrialization and the Graying of the Globe     The Graying of America The Symbolic Interactionist Perspective     Ageism: The Concept     Shifting Meanings of Growing Old     The Influence of the Mass Media     Mass Media in Social Life: Shaping Our Perceptions of the Elderly The Functionalist Perspective     Disengagement Theory     Activity Theory     Continuity Theory The Conflict Perspective     Social Security Legislation     Intergenerational Conflict Looking Toward the Future     Thinking Critically: How Long Do You Want to Live? Approaching         Methuselah Summary and Review   Part IV Social Institutions   11        Politics and the Economy Politics: Establishing Leadership Power, Authority, and Violence     Authority and Legitimate Violence     Traditional Authority     Rational-Legal Authority     Charismatic Authority     The Transfer of Authority Types of Government     Monarchies: The Rise of the State     Democracies: Citizenship as a Revolutionary Idea     Dictatorships and Oligarchies: The Seizure of Power The U.S. Political System     Political Parties and Elections     Voting Patterns     Lobbyists and Special-Interest Groups Who Rules the United States?     The Functionalist Perspective: Pluralism     The Conflict Perspective: The Power Elite     Which View Is Right? War and Terrorism: Ways of Implementing Political Objectives     War     Down-to-Earth Sociology: Prisoner Abuse at Abu Ghraib: A Normal Event     Terrorism     The Economy: Work in the Global Village The Transformation of Economic Systems     Preindustrial Societies: The Birth of Inequality     Industrial Societies: The Birth of the Machine     Postindustrial Societies: The Birth of the Information Age     Down-to-Earth Sociology: Is Big Brother Knocking on the Door? Civil Liberties and Homeland Security     Down-to-Earth Sociology: Your Author Is a Suspect!     Biotech Societies: The Merger of Biology and Economics     Implications for Your Life     Ominous Trends in the United States     Through the Author's Lens: Small TownUSA     World Economic Systems     Capitalism     Socialism     Ideologies of Capitalism and Socialism     Criticisms of Capitalism and Socialism     The Convergence of Capitalism and Socialism Capitalism in a Global Economy     Corporate Capitalism     Multinational Corporations     A New World Order?     Cultural Diversity Around the World: Doing Business in the Global Village Summary and Review   12        Marriage and Family Marriage and Family in Global Perspective     What Is a Family?     Common Cultural Themes Marriage and Family in Theoretical Perspective     The Functionalist Perspective: Functions and Dysfunctions     The Conflict Perspective: Gender and Power     Thinking Critically: The Second Shift—Strains and Strategies     The Symbolic Interactionist Perspective: Gender and Housework The Family Life Cycle     Love and Courtship in Global Perspective     Cultural Diversity Around the World: East Is East and West Is West: Love and Arranged Marriage in India     Marriage     Childbirth and Child Rearing     Family Transitions in Later Life Diversity in U.S. Families     African American Families     Latino Families     Asian American Families     Native American Families     Single-Parent Families     Families Without Children     Blended Families     Gay and Lesbian Families Trends in U.S. Families     Postponing Marriage and Childbirth     Cohabitation     Unmarried Mothers     Down-to-Earth Sociology: “You Want Us to Live Together? What Do You Mean By That?”     Grandparents as Parents     The Sandwich Generation and Elder Care Divorce and Remarriage     Problems in Measuring Divorce     Children of Divorce     Down-to-Earth Sociology: “What Are Your Chances of Getting Divorced?”     Grandchildren of Divorce     The Absent Father and Serial Fatherhood     The Ex-Spouses     Remarriage Two Sides of Family Life     The Dark Side of Family Life: Battering, Child Abuse, and Incest     Down-to-Earth Sociology: “Why Doesn’t She Just Leave?” The Dilemma of Abused Women     The Bright Side of Family Life: Successful Marriages The Future of Marriage and Family Summary and Review   13        Education and Religion Education: Transferring Knowledge and Skills Education in Global Perspective     Education and Industrialization     Education in the Most Industrialized Nations: Japan     Down-to-Earth Sociology: Community Colleges: Challenges Old and New     Education in the Industrializing Nations: Russia     Education in the Least Industrialized Nations: Egypt The Functionalist Perspective: Providing Social Benefits     Teaching Knowledge and Skills     Cultural Transmission of Values     Social Integration     Down-to-Earth Sociology: Home Schooling: The Search for Quality and         Values     Gatekeeping The Conflict Perspective: Perpetuating Social Inequality     The Hidden Curriculum     Tilting the Tests: Discrimination by IQ     Stacking the Deck: Unequal Funding The Symbolic Interactionist Perspective: Fulfilling Teacher Expectations     The Rist Research     How Do Teacher Expectations Work? Problems in U.S. Education—And Their Solutions     Problems: Mediocrity and Violence     Solutions: Safety and Standards     Thinking Critically: Breaking Through the Barriers: Restructuring the         Classroom Religion: Establishing Meaning What Is Religion? The Functionalist Perspective     Functions of Religion     Down-to-Earth Sociology: Religion and Health: What We Know and Don't         Know     Dysfunctions of Religion The Symbolic Interactionist Perspective     Religious Symbols     Down-to-Earth Sociology: Terrorism and the Mind of God     Rituals and Beliefs     Religious Experience The Conflict Perspective     Opium of the People     A Legitimation of Social Inequalities Religion and the Spirit of Capitalism Types of Religious Groups     Cult     Sect     Church     Ecclesia     Variations in Patterns Religion in the United States     Characteristics of Members     Characteristics of Religious Groups     Secularization and the Splintering of U.S. Churches The Future of Religion Summary and Review   Part V Social Change   14        Population and Urbanization Population in Global Perspective A Planet with No Space to Enjoy Life?     The New Malthusians     The Anti-Malthusians     Who Is Correct?     Why Are People Starving? Population Growth     Down-to-Earth Sociology: How the Tsunami Can Help Us to Understand Population Growth     Why the Least Industrialized Nations Have So Many Children     Implications of Different Rates of Growth     The Three Demographic Variables     Problems in Forecasting Population Growth     Cultural Diversity Around the World: Killing Little Girls: An Ancient and Thriving Practice Urbanization The Development of Cities     Through the Author's Lens:  A Walk Through El Tiro     The Process of Urbanization     U.S. Urban Patterns From Country to City     Down-to-Earth Sociology: Reclaiming Harlem: “It Feeds My Soul”     The Rural Rebound     Models of Urban Growth City Life     Alienation and Community     Who Lives in the City?     Urban Sentiment: Finding a Familiar World     The Norm of Noninvolvement and the Diffusion of Responsibility Urban Problems and Social Policy     Suburbanization     Down-to-Earth Sociology: Urban Fear and the Gated Fortress     Disinvestment and Deindustrialization     The Potential of Urban Revitalization Summary and Review   15        Social Change: Technology, Social Movements, and the Environment How Social Change Transforms Social Life     The Four Social Revolutions     From Gemeinschaft to Gesellschaft     Capitalism, Modernization, and Industrialization     Conflict, Power, and Global Politics Theories and Processes of Social Change     Cultural Evolution     Natural Cycles     Conflict over Power     Ogburn’s Theory How Technology Changes Society     The Cutting Edge of Change: The Computer     Cyberspace and Social Inequality Social Movements as a Source of Social Change     Down-to-Earth Sociology: The Coming Star Wars     Types of Social Movements     Propaganda and the Mass Media     Down-to-Earth Sociology: “Tricks of the Trade”—Deception and Persuasion in Propaganda     The Stages of Social Movements     Thinking Critically: Which Side of the Barricades? Prochoice and Prolife as a Social Movement The Growth Machine Versus the Earth     Environmental Problems in the Most Industrialized Nations     Down-to-Earth Sociology: Corporations and Big Welfare Bucks: How to Get Paid to Pollute     Environmental Problems in the Industrializing and Least Industrialized Nations     The Environmental Movement     Thinking Critically: Ecosabotage     Cultural Diversity Around the World: The Rain Forests: Lost Tribes, Lost Knowledge     Environmental Sociology Summary and Review   Glossary     Suggested Readings     References   Name Index     Subject Index       Optional Online Chapters (Available on MySocLab) The Sociology of Human Sexuality Health and Medicine