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For instance, since the first edition there have been major cultural shifts within the Middle East and Arab world—a movement still underway called the Arab Spring—changes that are now incorporated into our coverage on social movements and social unrest (Chapter 21, “Social Movements and Social Change”). New issues in immigration, in the United States and across the world, have been brought to the forefront of the second edition, as rising income gaps and modern transportation are responsible for trends in Europe (fears of Islamic conservatism and economic recession) and political debates in the U.S. (such as border security, universal education and health care).
Since the first edition in 2012, technology and social media has ushered in new forms of communication, and, of course, these changes are altering the fabric of social life around the world. The benefits and downfalls of new technologies are reflected in new material in Chapter 4, “Society and Social Interaction,” where we discuss how social media is changing classical models of social stratification and prestige.
In addition to updating critical facts, data, and policies from the first edition, we have expanded on essential topics, including:
Feminism and feminist theory | Health care legislation |
US social stratification | Minimum wage policies |
Transgender issues and changes to the DSM-V | Global statistics on education |
Marriage and pay equality | Competing theories of tolerance |
The use of charter schools | Cyberbullying |
Impact of economy on population segments | Climate change debates |
Use of technology and social media by | Global population and demographic shifts |
individuals and groups | Net neutrality, online privacy and security |
Other topics received a light update for relevance and student engagement. The racial tensions that have come about through the cases of Trayvon Martin and Michael Brown, as well as the legalization of marijuana are two examples of such additions.
We have retained and updated the special features of the original text for this updated version.
This textbook is organized on Connexions ( (External Link) ) as a collection of modules that can be rearranged and modified to suit the needs of a particular professor or class. That being said, modules often contain references to content in other modules, as most topics in sociology cannot be discussed in isolation.
Every module begins with a set of clear and concise learning objectives. These objectives are designed to help the instructor decide what content to include or assign, and to guide the student with respect to what he or she can expect to learn. After completing the module and end-of-module exercises, students should be able to demonstrate mastery of the learning objectives.
The following features show students the dynamic nature of sociology:
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