Sociology For Dummies
2. Edition May 2021
384 Pages, Softcover
Wiley & Sons Ltd
Further versions
Understand how society works--and how to make it better
It's impossible to exist in the contemporary world without being aware that powerful social forces, ideas, and movements--#MeToo, climate change, and Black Lives Matter to name just a few--are having far-reaching impacts on how we think and live. But why are they happening? And what are their likely effects? The new edition of Sociology For Dummies gives you the tools to step back from your personal experience and study these questions objectively, testing the observable phenomena of the human world against established theories and making usable sense of the results.
In a friendly, jargon-free style, sociologist and broadcaster Jay Gabler introduces you to sociology's history and basic methods, and--once you have your sociological lens adjusted--makes it clear how to survey the big questions of culture, gender, ethnicity, religion, politics, and crime with new eyes. You'll find everything you need to succeed in an introductory sociology class, as well as to apply sociological ideas to give you extra insight into your personal and professional life.
* Get a working knowledge of Sociology 101
* Understand how human communities work
* Engage more deeply with debates on social justice, healthcare, and more
* Interpret and use sociological methods and research
Whether you're studying sociology at school or just want to gain deeper insight into our collective life, Sociology For Dummies gives you the tools to understand the mechanisms of the human world--and the knowledge to influence how they work for the better.
Part 1: Getting the Basic Basics 7
Chapter 1: Getting Your Head around Sociology 9
Chapter 2: Knowing Why Sociology Matters 21
Chapter 3: Conflict and Cooperation: The History of Sociology 37
Chapter 4: Understanding the Research Methods: You Can't Put Society in a Test Tube 59
Part 2: Seeing Society Like a Sociologist 83
Chapter 5: Getting Some Culture: How Socialization Works 85
Chapter 6: Studying Sociology at Its Smallest: Microsociology 105
Part 3: Equality and Inequality in Our Diverse World 125
Chapter 7: Social Stratification: We're All Equal, But Some of Us Are More Equal Than Others 127
Chapter 8: Race and Ethnicity: What Others See, Who We Are 147
Chapter 9: Sex and Gender: Beyond the Binary 167
Chapter 10: Getting Religion: Faith in the Modern World 183
Chapter 11: Crime and Deviance: Who's in Control? 201
Part 4: All Together Now: The Ins and Outs of Social Organization 219
Chapter 12: Knowing What Works (and Doesn't): Sociology and Organizations 221
Chapter 13: Getting into It: Political Sociology 241
Chapter 14: Recognizing Why Density and Demographics Matter 263
Part 5: Sociology and Your Life 285
Chapter 15: Exploring Family and the Life Course as Social Constructs 287
Chapter 16: Understanding Social Change 307
Part 6: The Part of Tens 325
Chapter 17: Ten Sociology Books That Don't Feel Like Homework 327
Chapter 18: Ten Ways to Use Sociological Insight in Everyday Life 335
Chapter 19: Ten Myths About Society Busted by Sociology 345
Index 355
