This book aims to help college students understand how their lives are shaped by the complexities of global social forces in our new century. It will enable students to develop an approach to thinking about social issues and evaluating claims and arguments. It demonstrates the power and value of thinking sociologically about societies today and helps teach the process of investigation, the sociological craft of research, critical thinking, and careful analysis.

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Preface
1. A Global View of Society. How Can Sociology Help Us Understanding Global Trends - Y.W. Bradshaw
The Interconnected World
Sociology¿s Contribution to Understanding Global Issues
A Global Perspective
The Book¿s Themes: Global Trends
A Look Forward
Key Concepts
Active Learning
Topical Essay. My Personal Journey to a Global Perspective - T.J. Dawson
2. Sociology and Society. How Does Sociological Theory Help Us Interpret the World - J.F. Healey
The Origins of Sociology
The Sociological Perspective
The Continuing Relevance of Marx, Weber, and Durkheim
Conclusion
Key Concepts
Active Learning
Topical Essay. The Globalization of Taste - N. Hart
3. Sociology and Science. How Do Sociologists Investigate Questions about Society? - J.F. Healey
Using Science to Examine a Social Problem: Is American Society Disintegrating?
Approaching the Problem: The Scientific Method
Gathering Data
Conclusion
Key Concepts
Active Learning
4. Culture and Society. Can Local Culture Coexist with Global Culture? - J.F. Healey
A Sociological Perspective on Culture
Culture and Community
Elements of Culture
The Construction of Culture
Culture Change
The Globalization of Culture
Conclusion
Key Concepts
Active Learning
Topical Essay. How Culture Shapes Schooling - S. Brint
Topical Essay. Loal Gods and Universal Faiths - L.R. Kurtz
5. Inequality. Are the Rich Getting Richer and the Poor Getting Poorer? - J.F. Healey
Sociological Perspective on Inequality
The Evolution of Inequality
Increasing Inequality in the United States
Inequality around the Globe
Conclusion
Key Concepts
Active Learning
6. Assimilation and Pluralism. Will Racial and Ethnic Groups Persist? - J.F. Healey
Global Species Consolidation: Analyzing Race and Ethnicity
Social Relations in a Differentiated World
Contact Situations: Conquest and Colonization
Contact Situations: Immigration
Conclusion
Key Concepts
Active Learning
7. Gender. How Is Globalization Affecting Inequalities between Women and Men? - P. Fernandez-Kelly & K.M. Fallon
Sociological Perspectives on Gender Relations
Gender Inequality Today: A Global Concern
Gender in Comparative Perspective
Conclusion
Key Concepts
Active Learning
Topical Essay. Sex as a Global Commodity - J. Nagel
8. Families. What Is Happening to Families in a Changing World? - D. Lye and Y.W. Bradshaw
A Sociological Approach to the Family
Recent Trends in Family Life
The Causes of Family Change
The Conseuquences of Family Change
Conclusion
Key Concepts
Active Learning
9. Crime and Punishment. Can Crime be Controlled? - J.F. Healey
Defining and Measuring Crime
Theorizing about the Causes of Crime
Controlling Crime
Conclusion
Key Concepts
Active Learning
10. Economics and Politics. Does Democracy Have a Future? - J. Markoff
The Rise of the Modern State
Globalization and the State, Yesterday and Today
Challenges to the Economic and Political Status Quo
Threatened Democracy
Attempts by States (and Their Citizens) to Control Globalization
Conclusion
Key Concepts
Active Learning
Topical Essa. Activists Crusade against Sweatshops - G.W. Seidman
PART II. AT ISSUE: SOCIOLOGY EXAMINES A NEW CENTURY
11. The Changing Face of War - Y.W. Bradshaw
Yugoslavia, 1990s: Lessons Unlearned
Voices of War
The Responsibility to Stop Someone Else¿s War
The Limitations of Peacekeeping
Five Recommendations for Ending War
Thinking about the Topic of War
12. The Future of Work - K.T. Leicht
Workplace Change and Your Labor Market Prospects
The Social Consequences of the Changing Workplace
The Hopes and Fears of the New Workplace
Thinking about the Topic of Work
13. Can the World Develop and Sustain Its Environment? - M.M. Bell
We Consuming Humans
Owning Up to What We Own
The Sociology of Environmental Inaction
The Social Organization of Consumption
Social Power and the Social Organization of Consumption
Virtual Environmentalism and the Social Reorganization of Consumption
Thinking about the Topic of Sustainable Development
14. How Many People Is Too Many People? - D. Lye
How Does Population Grow?
How Many People Can Earth Support?
Can We Slow Population Growth?
A Reality Check
Thinking about the Topic of Population Growth
15. The Global Healthcare Challenge - N. Mbugua
The Grim Reality of Healthcare in Lower-Income Countries
The Great Divide: Haves versus Have-nots
The Healthcare Challenge of the Twenty-First Century
Thinking about the Topic of Healthcare
16. Creating Positive Social Change - Y.W. Bradshaw
What Solutions Does Sociology Suggest?
What Can Individuals Do?
Thinking about the Topic of Positive Social Change
Authors and Contributors
References
Photo Credits
Glossary/Index
Appendix: A Sociologist¿s Atlas - K.M. Fallon

York W. Bradshaw is Professor and Chair of Sociology at the University of Memphis. Prior to this position, he was Director of African Studies and Professor of Sociology at Indiana University, Bloomington. He has also taught and lectured at a number of African universities in Kenya, Zambia, and South Africa. Professor Bradshaw has written and taught on a number of topics, including education and health in developing countries, debt and economic adjustment in poor regions, and African and Asian development. His most recent book is The Uncertain Promise of Southern Africa (edited with Stephen Ndegwa).