Introduction to Sociology

Description

Why are today's youth soccer players of the national teams often born in January and rarely in December? Why are many people satisfied with their own life, but think the world is getting worse? Why is binge drinking so common in college, whereas the majority of students are against it? Why are your friends so similar to you? Why are citizens of the United States more religious than those in Western Europe? Sociology is a science that studies a wide range of fascinating topics such as these. This textbook addresses not only foundational sociological work, but also integrates key insights from contemporary sociological research. It is written primarily as an introduction to sociology, and it covers a rich diversity of sociological topics and social problems, such as crime, immigration, race and ethnicity, media, education, family, organizations, gender, poverty, modernization, and religion. This textbook presents in a highly accessible and engaging way key knowledge in sociology, introducing students to core concepts, theories, perspectives, methods and findings. Furthermore, it helps students learning to think like a sociologist. It offers students a 'sociological toolkit', a set of useful insights, tools and principles, which will enable them to do research like a sociologist themselves. Being able to think like a sociologist helps students to analyze any sociological topic and any contemporary social problem - even those with which one is yet unfamiliar. Cover Half Title Title Page Copyright Page Table of Contents Preface Acknowledgments About the author Abbreviations Part 1: Thinking like a sociologist 1. Questions 1.1. The sociological perspective 1.2. Social problems 1.3. Three aims of sociology 1.4. Three types of sociological questions 1.5. The art of asking good sociological questions 1.6. Sociology and common sense 1.7. Sociology as cumulative science 1.8. Chapter resources 2. Theories 2.1. Birth month and success in sports 2.2. Theories and explanations 2.3. What are useful sociological theories? 2.4. Durkheim’s theory of suicide 2.5. Concepts 2.6. Causality 2.7. Conceptual models 2.8. Formal models 2.9. Chapter resources 3. Methods 3.1. Is your smartphone making you stupid? 3.2. Measurement quality 3.3. External validity 3.4. Internal validity 3.5. Exploratory research 3.6. Qualitative and quantitative methods 3.7. Case study research 3.8. Administrative research 3.9. Survey research 3.10. Big data research 3.11. Experimental research 3.12. Replication 3.13. Chapter resources 4. Perspectives 4.1. The origins of sociological perspectives 4.2. Sociological themes and topics 4.3. Causal explaining or subjective understanding? 4.4. Multilevel framework 4.5. Chapter resources Part 2: Culture 5. Opinions 5.1. Why is Harry Potter so popular? 5.2. Self-fulfilling prophecy 5.3. Conformity 5.4. Informational and normative social influence 5.5. Social learning theory 5.6. Popularity of cultural products 5.7. Diffusion of innovations 5.8. Chapter resources 6. Norms 6.1. College binge drinking: a social problem? 6.2. What are social norms? 6.3. Social control theory 6.4. Internalized norms 6.5. Legal norms 6.6. Why do norms emerge? 6.7. Cultural maladaptation and norm change 6.8. The dynamics of group distinction 6.9. Chapter resources Part 3: Social relations 7. Networks 7.1. The friendship paradox 7.2. Personal networks 7.3. Network size and hubs 7.4. Network density and transitivity 7.5. The small-world phenomenon 7.6. Network change: loss-of-community? 7.7. Networks and social cohesion 7.8. Networks and social capital 7.9. Chapter resources 8. Groups 8.1. Groups unite and divide 8.2. Group segregation 8.3. The causes of group segregation 8.4. In-group favoritism 8.5. Social context and in-group favoritism 8.7. Chapter resources Part 4 Inequality 9 Stratification and mobility 9.1. What makes you happy? 9.2. Social class and status 9.3. Income and wealth 9.4. Long-term changes in stratification 9.5. Social mobility 9.6. Ascription and achievement 9.7. Modernization and mobility theory 9.8. Cultural reproduction theory 9.9. The Great Gatsby Curve 9.10. Chapter resources 10. Resources 10.1. Human capital 10.2. Social capital 10.3. Group affiliation and discrimination 10.4. Inequality of outcomes, opportunities and returns 10.5. Gender inequality 10.6. Chapter resources Part 5: Topics 11. Immigration and integration 11.1. Immigration and integration: a social problem? 11.2. International migration 11.3. Integration: what does it mean? 11.4. Integration: changes over time? 11.5. Integration: social context effects? 11.6. Case study: culture of honor 11.7. Integration: selective or spillover effects? 11.8. The dynamics of residential segregation 11.9. Chapter resources 12. Modernization 12.1. Is the world getting worse? 12.2. Wealth and health 12.3. Peace and safety 12.4. Rationalization 12.5. Technological progress 12.6. Scientization 12.7. McDonaldization 12.8. Value change 12.9. Population change 12.10. The dynamics of modernization 12.11. Chapter resources 13 Religion 13.1. What is religion? 13.2. Did religions solve the problem of human cooperation? 13.3. The stickiness factor of religion 13.4. Secularization in Western Europe 13.5. Modernization and secularization 13.6. Existential insecurity theory 13.7. Chapter resources Glossary Index