21 Feb Use your textbook, any related videos listed on t
Use your textbook, any related videos listed on the course homepage and related powerpoint presentations posted on the course homepage to respond to all ASSIGNMENT QUESTIONS. Responses should be thorough, include definitions, examples, and demonstrate clear understanding of conceptual objectives listed on the Syllabus. Each response should be 3-4 pages in length and double spaced. APA FORMAT
Match the correct chapter readings with the topics below. Depending on what edition you use the chapter numbers may be different. So, read the correct chapter according to each question topic.
FOR ASSIGNMENT 2:
Chapter 2 – Studying Social Life: Sociological Research Methods
Please read chapter on research methods in sociology and related PowerPoint and videos on Course Homepage to address the following question. Be sure to use terms from your textbook and posted review sheets on the course homepage, as well as information gleamed from the powerpoint presentation.
Describe in detail each of the seven steps of the sociological research process (as outlined in the course powerpoint): (describe what is involved in each step and give examples from major sociological studies cited in the related websites).
1. define the variables (dependent and independent variables; cause vs. correlation)
2. write a hypothesis
3. conduct literature review
4. select a research design (observation, experiment, survey, case study, content analysis)
5. collect the data (do the research)
6. analyze the data
7. draw conclusions (generalizations and inferences)
Stanford Prison Experiment
Black Like Me
https://www.ferris.edu/HTMLS/news/jimcrow/question/2011/may.html
Tally’s Corner
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/02/26/AR2011022603483.html
http://www.irp.wisc.edu/publications/focus/pdfs/foc251e.pdf
AND SEE POWERPOINT PRESENTATION ON COURSE HOMEPAGE:
RESEARCH METHODS IN SOCIOLOGY
Video for Chapter 2
The Real World SIXTH EDITION
n W. W. NORTON
NEW YORK • LONDON
The Real World An Introduction to Sociology
SIXTH EDITION
Kerry Ferris | Jill Stein
W. W. Norton & Company has been independent since its founding in 1923, when William Warder Norton and Mary D. Herter Norton first published lectures delivered at the People’s Institute, the adult education division of New York City’s Cooper Union. The firm soon expanded its program beyond the Institute, publishing books by celebrated academics from America and abroad. By midcentury, the two major pillars of Norton’s publishing program— trade books and college texts— were firmly established. In the 1950s, the Norton family transferred control of the company to its employees, and today— with a staff of four hundred and a comparable number of trade, college, and professional titles published each year— W. W. Norton & Company stands as the largest and oldest publishing house owned wholly by its employees.
Copyright © 2018, 2016, 2014, 2012, 2010, 2008 by Kerry Ferris and Jill Stein
All rights reserved Printed in Canada
Editor: Sasha Levitt Project Editor: Diane Cipollone Editorial Assistants: Miranda Schonbrun, Erika Nakagawa Managing Editor, College: Marian Johnson Managing Editor, College Digital Media: Kim Yi Production Manager: Eric Pier- Hocking Media Editor: Eileen Connell Media Project Editor: Danielle Belfiore Media Editorial Assistant: Grace Tuttle Marketing Manager, Sociology: Julia Hall Design Director: Rubina Yeh Photo Editor: Ted Szczepanski Permissions Manager: Megan Schindel Permissions Clearer: Bethany Salminen Composition: Jouve Illustrations: Alex Eben Meyer Manufacturing: Transcontinental
Permission to use copyrighted material begins on p. C- 1.
ISBN: 978-0-393-63930-8
W. W. Norton & Company, Inc., 500 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10110-0017
wwnorton.com
W. W. Norton & Company Ltd., 15 Carlisle Street, London W1D 3BS
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0
v
KERRY FERRIS is Associate Professor of Sociology at Northern Illinois University. She uses ethnographic methods and a symbolic interactionist approach to study celebrity as a system of social power. Her past studies have included analyses of fan- celebrity relations, celebrity sightings, celebrity stalking, red- carpet celebrity interviews, and the work lives of professional celebrity impersonators. Her current project examines small- market television newscasters in the American Midwest and their experiences of celebrity on a local level. Her work has been published in Symbolic Interaction, Journal of Contemporary Ethnography, The Journal of Popular Culture, and Text & Performance Quarterly. She is the coauthor, with Scott R. Harris, of Stargazing: Celebrity, Fame, and Social Interaction.
JILL STEIN is Professor of Sociology at Santa Barbara City College, which was recently named the top community college in the United States by the Aspen Institute. She teaches introduction to sociology in both face- to- face and online formats every semester. In addition, she is involved in many student- success initiatives at the local and state levels. Her research examines narrative processes in twelve- step programs, the role of popular culture in higher learning, and group culture among professional rock musicians. Her work has been published in Symbolic Interaction, Youth & Society, and TR AILS (Teaching Resources and Innovations Library).
About the Authors
vii
Contents PREFACE xxiii
CHANGES IN THE SIXTH EDITION xxix
PART I: Thinking Sociologically and Doing Sociology 2
CHAPTER 1: Sociology and the Real World 6
How to Read This Chapter 9
Practical vs. Scientific Knowledge 9
What Is Sociology? 9
The Sociological Perspective 10 Beginner’s Mind 10
DATA WORKSHOP: Analyzing Everyday Life: Doing Nothing 11
IN RELATIONSHIPS: It’s Official: Men Talk More Than Women 12
Culture Shock 12 The Sociological Imagination 13
Levels of Analysis: Micro- and Macrosociology 14
IN THE FUTURE: C. Wright Mills and the Sociological Imagination 15
Sociology’s Family Tree 16 Sociology’s Roots 16
Macrosociological Theory 19 Structural Functionalism 19 Conflict Theory 21
GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE: Eurocentrism and Sociological Theory 23
Weberian Theory 25
ON THE JOB: Famous Sociology Majors 26
Microsociological Theory 27 Symbolic Interactionism 28
CONTENTSviii
DATA WORKSHOP: Analyzing Media and Pop Culture: Theories of Celebrity Gossip 31
New Theoretical Approaches 33 Postmodern Theory 33 Midrange Theory 34
Closing Comments 35
CHAPTER 2: Studying Social Life: Sociological Research Methods 38
How to Read This Chapter 41
An Overview of Research Methods 41 The Scientific Approach 41 Which Method to Use? 43
Ethnography/Participant Observation 45 Advantages and Disadvantages 47
DATA WORKSHOP: Analyzing Everyday Life: Watching People Talk 47
Interviews 48 Advantages and Disadvantages 49
IN THE FUTURE: Action Research 50
Surveys 50 Advantages and Disadvantages 52
DATA WORKSHOP: Analyzing Media and Pop Culture: Media Usage Patterns 53
Existing Sources 54 Advantages and Disadvantages 55
Experimental Methods 56 Advantages and Disadvantages 57
Social Network Analyis 57
IN RELATIONSHIPS: Social Networking Sites as Sources of Data 58 Advantages and Disadvantages 59
Issues in Sociological Research 59 Nonacademic Uses of Research Methods 59 Values, Objectivity, and Reactivity 60
ON THE JOB: Sociology, Market Research, and Design Strategy 61
Research Ethics 63
GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE: The Nuremberg Code and Research Ethics 64
Closing Comments 65
CONTENTS ix
PART II: Framing Social Life 68
CHAPTER 3: Culture 72
How to Read This Chapter 75
What Is Culture? 75 How Has Culture Been Studied? 75 Ethnocentrism and Cultural Relativism 75
ON THE JOB: The Sharing Economy and Unlikely Cultural Ambassadors 77
Components of Culture 78 Material Culture 78 Symbolic Culture 79 Values, Norms, and Sanctions 81
IN RELATIONSHIPS: Individual Values vs. University Culture 82
DATA WORKSHOP: Analyzing Everyday Life: Seeing Culture in a Subculture 84
Variations in Culture 85 Dominant Culture 85 Subcultures and Countercultures 85
GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE: Otaku Culture and the Globalization of Niche Interests 86
Culture Wars 87 Ideal vs. Real Culture 88
DATA WORKSHOP: Analyzing Media and Pop Culture: How the Image Shapes the Need 89
Cultural Change 90 Technological Change 90 Cultural Diffusion and Cultural Leveling 90 Cultural Imperialism 91
American Culture in Perspective 91
IN THE FUTURE: Online Radicalization 92
Closing Comments 93
CONTENTSx
CHAPTER 4: Socialization, Interaction, and the Self 96
How to Read This Chapter 99
What Is Human Nature? 99 The Nature vs. Nurture Debate 99
The Process of Socialization 99
IN THE FUTURE: Genetics and Sociology 100
Social Isolation 100
Theories of the Self 102 Psychoanalytic Theory: Sigmund Freud 103 The Looking- Glass Self: Charles Cooley 104 Mind, Self, and Society: George Herbert Mead 105 Dramaturgy: Erving Goffman 106
DATA WORKSHOP: Analyzing Everyday Life: Impression Management in Action 108
Agents of Socialization 109 The Family 109 Schools 110 Peers 110 The Media 111
DATA WORKSHOP: Analyzing Media and Pop Culture: TV as an Agent of Socialization 112
Adult Socialization 113
IN RELATIONSHIPS: Sister Pauline Quinn and Training Dogs in Prison 114
Statuses and Roles 115 Multiple Roles and Role Conflict 115
Emotions and Personality 116 The Social Construction of Emotions 116
Interacting Online 116
GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE: Cross- Cultural Responses to Grief 117
ON THE JOB: The Wages of Emotion Work 118
Closing Comments 119
CONTENTS xi
CHAPTER 5: Separate and Together: Life in Groups 122
How to Read This Chapter 125
What Is a Group? 125 Primary and Secondary Groups 125 Social Networks 126
Separate from Groups: Anomie or Virtual Membership? 127
IN THE FUTURE: What Happens to Group Ties in a Virtual World? 128
DATA WORKSHOP: Analyzing Media and Pop Culture: “Who’s in Your Feed?” 130
Group Dynamics 131 Dyads, Triads, and More 131
IN RELATIONSHIPS: Social Networking: You’re Not the Customer— You’re the Product 132
In- Groups and Out- Groups 132 Reference Groups 133
DATA WORKSHOP: Analyzing Everyday Life: The Twenty Statements Test: Who Am I? 134
Group Cohesion 135
Social Influence (Peer Pressure) 136 Experiments in Conformity 137
GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE: Group vs. Individual Norms: Honor Killings 138
Working Together: Teams and Leadership 141 Teamwork 141
ON THE JOB: Teamwork and the Tour de France 142
Power, Authority, and Style 142
Bureaucracy 144 The McDonaldization of Society 145 Responding to Bureaucratic Constraints 146
Closing Comments 147
CHAPTER 6: Deviance 150
How to Read This Chapter 153
Defining Deviance 153
Deviance across Cultures 153
GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE: Body Modification 154
Theories of Deviance 155 Functionalism 155
CONTENTSxii
Conflict Theory 156 Symbolic Interactionism 157
IN RELATIONSHIPS: Cyberbullying, Trolls, and Online Deviance 158
The Stigma of Deviance 161 Managing Deviant Identities 162
ON THE JOB: Is “Cash Register Honesty” Good Enough? 163
DATA WORKSHOP: Analyzing Everyday Life: AA’s Pioneer Women 164
Studying Deviance 165 The Emotional Attraction of Deviance 165
The Study of Crime 165 Crime and Demographics 167
DATA WORKSHOP: Analyzing Media and Pop Culture: Norm Breaking on Television 169
The Criminal Justice System 170
IN THE FUTURE: American vs. Scandinavian Prisons 171
Reconsidering Deviance? 172
Closing Comments 173
PART III: Understanding Inequality 176
CHAPTER 7: Social Class: The Structure of Inequality 180
How to Read This Chapter 184
Social Stratification and Social Inequality 184
Systems of Stratification 184 Slavery 184 Caste 185
GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE: Systems of Stratification around the World 186
Social Class 188
Social Classes in the United States 188 The Upper Class 188 The Upper- Middle Class 189 The Middle Class 189
CONTENTS xiii
The Working ( Lower- Middle) Class 190 The Working Poor and Underclass 190 Problematic Categories 190
Theories of Social Class 191 Conflict Theory 191 Weberian Theory 191 Structural Functionalism 192 Postmodernism 193 Symbolic Interactionism 193
DATA WORKSHOP: Analyzing Everyday Life: Everyday Class Consciousness 195
Socioeconomic Status and Life Chances 195 Family 195
IN RELATIONSHIPS: Socioeconomic Status and Mate Selection 196
Health 196 Education 197 Work and Income 198 Criminal Justice 199
Social Mobility 200
Poverty 201 Social Welfare and Welfare Reform 202 The “Culture of Poverty” and Its Critics 204
ON THE JOB: Get a Job! Minimum Wage or Living Wage? 205
The Invisibility of Poverty 206
Inequality and the Ideology of the American Dream 209
IN THE FUTURE: Why We Can’t Afford the Rich 210
DATA WORKSHOP: Analyzing Media and Pop Culture: Advertising and the American Dream 212
Closing Comments 213
CHAPTER 8: Race and Ethnicity as Lived Experience 216
How to Read This Chapter 219
Defining Race and Ethnicity 219 “Ethnic Options”: Symbolic and Situational Ethnicity 221
DATA WORKSHOP: Analyzing Everyday Life: Displaying Ethnicity 222
The U.S. Population by Race 223 What Is a Minority? 223
CONTENTSxiv
Racism in Its Many Forms 224 Prejudice and Discrimination 224 White Nationalism 225 White Privilege and Color- Blind Racism 226 Microagressions 227 Cultural Appropriation 227 Reverse Racism 229 Antiracist Allies 229
IN THE FUTURE: Whose Lives Matter? 230
Theoretical Approaches to Understanding Race 230 Structural Functionalism 230 Conflict Theory 231 Symbolic Interactionism 232
IN RELATIONSHIPS: From the Lovings to Kimye: Interracial Dating and Marriage 234
Race, Ethnicity, and Life Chances 236 Family 236 Health 237 Education 238 Work and Income 238
ON THE JOB: Diversity Programs: Do They Work? 239
Criminal Justice 240 Intersectionality 241
DATA WORKSHOP: Analyzing Media and Pop Culture: Does TV Reflect the Realities of Race? 241
Intergroup Relations: Conflict or Cooperation 243
Genocide 243 Population Transfer 243 Internal Colonialism and
Segregation 244 Assimilation 244
GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE: “The Biggest Humanitarian and Refugee Crisis of Our Time” 245
Pluralism 246
Closing Comments 247
CONTENTS xv
CHAPTER 9: Constructing Gender and Sexuality 250
How to Read This Chapter 253
Sex and Gender 253 Sex 253
GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE: Different Societies, Different Genders 254
Gender 254
Sexuality and Sexual Orientation 256 “Queering the Binary” 257
Socialization: Sex, Gender, and Sexuality 257 Families 257
IN RELATIONSHIPS: Rape Culture and Campus Social Life 258
Schools 259 Peers 260 The Media 260
DATA WORKSHOP: Analyzing Media and Pop Culture: The Fashion Police: Gender and the Rules of Beauty 261
Prejudice and Discrimination 262 Gendered Language and Microaggressions 264
Sociological Theories of Gender Inequality 264 Functionalism 264 Conflict Theory 265 Interactionism 265 Feminist Theory 266
Gender, Sexuality, and Life Chances 266 Families 267 Health 267 Education 268
ON THE JOB: Female Athletes and the Battle for Equal Pay 268
Work and Income 269
DATA WORKSHOP: Analyzing Everyday Life: The Second Shift: Gender Norms and Household Labor 271
Criminal Justice 273
IN THE FUTURE: Human Trafficking 274
Intersectionality 275
Social Movements 276 Women’s Movements 276 Men’s Movements 277 LGBTQ Movements 277
Closing Comments 279
CONTENTSxvi
PART IV: Social Institutions and the Micro- Macro Link 282
CHAPTER 10: Social Institutions: Politics, Education, and Religion 286
How to Read This Chapter 289
What Is Politics? 289 Political Systems: Government 289 The American Political System 291 Who Rules America? 292 The Media and the Political Process 295
DATA WORKSHOP: Analyzing Media and Pop Culture: Satirical News Shows 298
Patriotism and Protest 300 Politics: The Micro- Macro Link 302
What Is Education? 302 A Brief History of Modern Education 302 Education and the Reproduction of Society 303 Classic Studies of Education 305
IN THE FUTURE: A College Degree: What’s It Worth? 306
The Present and Future of Education 306
ON THE JOB: For- Profit Colleges: At What Cost? 310
Education: The Micro- Macro Link 312
What Is Religion? 313 Theoretical Approaches to Religion 313 Religion in America 315 Religious Trends 315
GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE: Thou Shalt Not Kill: Religion, Violence, and Terrorism 316
DATA WORKSHOP: Analyzing Everyday Life: Measures of Religiosity 318
A Secular Society? 319
IN RELATIONSHIPS: Can a Relationship with God Improve Your GPA? 320
Religion: The Micro- Macro Link 321
Closing Comments 321
CONTENTS xvii
CHAPTER 11: The Economy and Work 324
How to Read This Chapter 327
Historical and Economic Changes 327 The Agricultural Revolution 327 The Industrial Revolution 328 The Information Revolution 330
DATA WORKSHOP: Analyzing Media and Pop Culture: The World of Work and Workers as Seen on TV 331
World Economic Systems 332 Capitalism 332 Socialism 333 The U.S. Economy 333
ON THE JOB: Internships: Free Menial Labor or a Leg Up? 334
The Nature of Work 335 Agricultural Work 335 Industrial Work 335 Postindustrial Work 336
Resistance Strategies: How Workers Cope 339 Individual Resistance: Handling Bureaucracy 339 Collective Resistance: Unions 340
IN RELATIONSHIPS: The Value of Break Time 342
The Conscience of Corporate America 343 GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE: World of Warcraft and “Gold Farming” in
China 344
The Economics of Globalization 345 International Trade 346 Transnational Corporations 346 Global Sweatshop Labor 348
DATA WORKSHOP: Analyzing Everyday Life: Are Your Clothes Part of the Global Commodity Chain? 349
Outsourcing 350
Different Ways of Working 351 Professional Socialization in Unusual Fields 351
IN THE FUTURE: Will Your Job Be “ Uber- ized”? 352
The Contingent Workforce 354 The Third Sector and Volunteerism 355
Time for a Vacation? 356
Closing Comments 357
CONTENTSxviii
CHAPTER 12: Life at Home: Families and Relationships 360
How to Read This Chapter 363
What Is the Family? 363
Sociological Perspectives on Families 363
GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE: Talking about Kin 364
Structural Functionalism 364 Conflict Theory 365 Symbolic Interactionism 365 Feminist and Queer Theory 366
Mate Selection 367
Relationship Trends 368 Unmarried Life 368 Single and Solo Parenting 369 Blended Families 370 Childfree Living 371
Breaking Up 371 ON THE JOB: When Building Families Is Part of Your Job 372
Custody, Visitation, and Child Support 373
The Work of Family 373 DATA WORKSHOP: Analyzing Everyday Life: Comparative
Mealtime 374
Gender, Sexuality, and Family Labor 375
Family and the Life Course 376 IN RELATIONSHIPS: From Boomerang Kids to the Sandwich
Generation 377
Aging in the Family 378
Trouble in Families 378 Intimate Partner Violence 379
DATA WORKSHOP: Analyzing Media and Pop Culture: Family Troubles in Film 380
Child and Elder Abuse 381
IN THE FUTURE: Trends in Baby Making: Back to the Future? 382
Postmodern Families: The New Normal 383
Closing Comments 383
CONTENTS xix
CHAPTER 13: Leisure and Media 386
How to Read This Chapter 389
A Sociology of Leisure 389 What Is Leisure? 389 Trends in Leisure 390 ON THE JOB: Professional Musicians: Playing Is Work 392
The Study of Media 393 The Media and Democracy 393 The Structure of Media Industries 394
DATA WORKSHOP: Analyzing Media and Pop Culture: Blockbuster Hits and the Business of Movies 394
The Regulation of Media Content 398
Culture and Consumption of Media 399 High, Low, and Popular Culture 399
IN THE FUTURE: The Return of Free- Range Kids? 400
Media Effects and Audiences 401 Theories of Media Effects 402 Active Audiences: Minimal Effects Theories 402 Interpretive Strategies and Communities 403
Leisure and Relationships 405 GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE: The Other Football 406
Leisure and Community 407 Collectors and Hobbyists 408 Hangouts: The Third Place 409
IN RELATIONSHIPS: Fan– Celebrity Relations 410
DATA WORKSHOP: Analyzing Everyday Life: Now Go Hang Out 410
Travel and Tourism 412
Closing Comments 413
CHAPTER 14: Health and Illness 416
How to Read This Chapter 419
The Sociology of Medicine, Health, and Illness 419
Defining Health and Illness 420 Types of Illnesses 420 Approaches to Medical Treatment 421
DATA WORKSHOP: Analyzing Everyday Life: Student Health Issues Survey 421
CONTENTSxx
The Process of Medicalization 423 The Social Construction of Mental Illness 423
IN THE FUTURE: Solving the Mystery of Autism 424
Epidemiology and Disease Patterns 425
Social Inequality, Health, and Illness 427 Intersections of Class 427
GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE: Zika Virus: Women and Children Last 428
Intersections of Race 429 Intersections of Gender 429
IN RELATIONSHIPS: Better Living through Chemistry 430
Inequality and the Problem of Food Deserts 430
Medicine as a Social Institution 432 Institutional Contexts 433 Doctor– Patient Relations 433
ON THE JOB: Cultural Competence in Health Professions 434
The Sick Role 436
DATA WORKSHOP: Analyzing Media and Pop Culture: Medicine on Television 437
Issues in Medicine and Health Care 438 Health Care Reform in the United States 438 Complementary and Alternative Medicine 439 Medical Ethics 440 End of Life 441
Closing Comments 441
PART V: Envisioning the Future and Creating Social Change 444
CHAPTER 15: Populations, Cities, and the Environment 448
How to Read This Chapter 451
Population 451 Demography 451
IN THE FUTURE: Living to 150 453
Theories of Population Change 454
CONTENTS xxi
Cities 456 Trends in Urbanization 458
ON THE JOB: Agriculture: From the Country to the City 459
DATA WORKSHOP: Analyzing Media and Pop Culture: Imagining the Cities of Tomorrow 460
Living in the City 462
IN RELATIONSHIPS: Encounters with Strangers 464
The Environment 465 Environmental Problems 466
GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE: Water, Water Everywhere but Not a Drop to Drink 470
Environmental Sociology 471
DATA WORKSHOP: Analyzing Everyday Life: Student Attitudes on Environmentalism 472
Closing Comments 477
CHAPTER 16: Social Change 480
How to Read This Chapter 483
What Is Social Change? 483 ON THE JOB: Helping Professions: Agents of Social Change 484
Collective Behavior 485 Crowds 485 Mass Behavior 487
Social Movements 489 Promoting and Resisting Change 489
IN RELATIONSHIPS: Hashtag Activism: #Resist with #Indivisible 491
Theories of Social Movements 492
DATA WORKSHOP: Analyzing Everyday Life: Activist Groups Get Organized 494
Stages in a Social Movement 495
Technology and Social Change 496 IN THE FUTURE: Utopia— or Doomsday? 497
DATA WORKSHOP: Analyzing Media and Pop Culture: The “Unplug” Experiment 498
Technology in the Global Village 499
CONTENTSxxii
GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE: Bhutan and Gross National Happiness 500
Living in a Postmodern World 502
Closing Comments 503
GLOSSARY G- 1
REFERENCES R- 1
CREDITS C- 1
INDEX I- 1
xxiii
Preface
Welcome to the Sixth Edition of The Real World: An Introduction to Sociology. We hope you will appreciate what is new not only in the textbook’s fresh look and updated materials, but also what is new in the innovative ways it goes about teaching sociology. That’s exactly what we set out to do when we first embarked on the original project of writing this textbook, and it’s what we continue to do here in the Sixth Edition.
At the beginning, we had had years of experience in college and university class- rooms, teaching introductory sociology to thousands of students from all backgrounds and walks of life; we had discovered a lot about what works and what doesn’t when it comes to making sociology exciting and effective. As seasoned instructors, we had developed an approach to teaching and learning that reflected our passion for the sub- ject and our concern with best practices in pedagogy. But we were having trouble finding a textbook that encompassed all the elements we had identified and that made such a difference in our own experience. We were tired of seeing the same old formulas found in almost every textbook. And we figured we were not alone. Other students and instruc- tors were probably equally frustrated with repetitive formats, stodgy styles, and seem- ingly irrelevant or overly predictable materials. That is a great misfortune, for sociology, at its best, is a discipline that holds great value and is both intellectually stimulating and personally resonant. Although the impetus to write this textbook began as a way of answering our own needs, our goal became to create a textbook of even greater benefit to others who might also be looking for something new.
We are gratified by the response The Real World has received from instructors and students alike, so we are preserving many of the features that have made the textbook a success. At the same time, we have done more than just simply revise the textbook. In this edition, you will find significant new content and added features that will further enhance the teaching and learning process, and keep us as close to the cutting edge as possible. Many of the original elements we developed for students and instructors appear again in these pages. As a foundation, we have maintained a writing style that we hope is accessible and interesting as well as scholarly. One of the core pedagogical strengths of this textbook is its focus on everyday life, the media, technology, and pop culture. We know that the combination of these themes is inherently appealing to students, and that it relates to their lives. And because both new generations and more experienced soci- ology instructors might also be looking for something different, another of this book’s strengths is an integrated emphasis on critical thinking and analytic skills. Rather than merely presenting or reviewing major concepts in sociology, which can often seem dry and remote, we seek to make the abstract more concrete through real- world examples and hands- on applications.
In this text we take a fresh and accessible theoretical approach appropriate to our con- temporary world. While we emphasize the interactionist perspective, we cover a range of theoretical thought, including postmodernism. We also build innovative methodo- logical exercises into each chapter, giving students the opportunity to put into practice what they are learning. We present material that is familiar and relevant to students in a way that allows them to make profound analytic connections between their individual
PREFACExxiv
particular real- world case study. This serves as a simple, practical model for students to then make their own applica- tions and analyses.
Bolded In- Text Terms As a student of sociology, you will be learning many new concepts and terms. Throughout each chapter, you will see a number of words or phrases in bold type. You may already recognize some of these from their more common vernacu- lar use. But it is important to pay special attention to the way that they are used sociologically. For this reason you will find definitions in the margins of each page, where you can refer to them as you read. You should consider these bolded words and phrases your conceptual “tools” for doing sociology. As you progress through the chapters in this textbook, you will be collecting the contents of a toolkit that you can use to bet- ter understand yourself and the world around you. The bolded terms can also be found in the Glossary at the back of the book.
Relevance Boxes In each chapter you will find Relevance Boxes with three different themes: On the Job, In Relationships, and In the Future. Relevance Boxes allow students to see the practi- cal implications and personal value of sociology in their lives. On the Job explores the ways different people use sociological training or insights in a variety of work set- tings. In Relationships looks at how sociology can help us to better understand our friendships, intimate partnerships, and family relations. In the Future provides a glimpse into emerging trends in a rapidly changing society, and what stu- dents might expect to encounter on the horizon. We include these boxes to show how taking this course could bear fruit in your life (and in the lives of others) beyond just fulfilling your college requirements.
Data Workshops Data Workshops are designed to give students the opportu- nity to gain hands- on experience in the practice of sociology while they are learning. We think this is one of the most fun parts of being a sociologist. Each chapter features two Data Workshops, one on “Analyzing Everyday Life” and one on “Analyzing Media and Pop Culture.” Students will use one of the research methods covered in Chapter 2 to deal with actual data from the real world— whether it’s data they col- lect themselves or raw data provided from another source. The Data Workshops lead students through the process of analyzing data using the related conceptual tools they have just acquired in the chapter. For the Sixth Edition, we now offer online tutorials for eight of the in- text Data Workshops, which we hope will make these popular exercises easier to assign and grade. Each Data Workshop is also included in the Interactive Instructor’s Guide (IIG).
lives and the structure of their society. We provide instruc- tors with ways to reenergize their teaching, and we give even general education students a reason to be fascinated by and engrossed in their sociology courses. We do this by staying in touch with our students and the rapidly changing real world, and by bringing our insight, experience, and intellectual rigor to bear on a new way of teaching introductory sociology.
Whether you are a student or an instructor, you have prob- ably seen a lot of textbooks. As authors, we have thought very carefully about how to
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