A textbook for introductory sociology courses, this fully revised edition maintains the comprehensive coverage and numerous student features. These are supplemented with up-to-date empirical material and new sections on key issues.

Sociology For Dummies helps you understand the complex field of sociology, serving as the ideal study guide both when you're deciding to take a class as well as when you are already participating in a course. Avoiding jargon, Sociology For Dummies will get you up to speed on this widely studied topic in no time. Sociology For Dummies, UK Edition: Provides a general overview of what sociology is as well as an in-depth look at some of the major concepts and theories. Offers examples of how sociology can be applied and its importance to everyday life Features an in-depth look at social movements and political sociology Helps you discover how to conduct sociological research Offers advice and tips for thinking about the world in an objective way

Introduction to Sociology 3e aligns to the topics and objectives of many introductory sociology courses. It is arranged in a manner that provides foundational sociological theories and contexts, then progresses through various aspects of human and societal interactions. The new edition is focused on driving meaningful and memorable learning experiences related to critical thinking about society and culture. The text includes comprehensive coverage of core concepts, discussions and data relevant to a diverse audience, and features that draw learners into the discipline in powerful and personal ways. Overall, Introduction to Sociology 3e aims to center the course and discipline as crucial elements for understanding relationships, society, and civic engagement; the authors seek to lay the foundation for students to apply what they learn throughout their lives and careers. This is an adaptation of Introduction to Sociology 3e by OpenStax. You can access the textbook for free at openstax.org. Minor editorial changes were made to ensure a better reading experience. Textbook content produced by OpenStax is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

This engaging two-volume study pursues a balance between theoretical and practical sociology. The authors are aware of the impasse often deliberately created by the self-conscious language of sociological theory. The primary concern of the applied sociologist is to adapt theoretical knowledge to actual human situations, using it to formulate social policy, investigate domestic and international social problems and create a pragmatic 'sociology of possibility'. Volume I, subtitled 'Theoretical Perspectives', focuses on the problems and prospects of applied sociology in an era of globalization. The essays emphasize the close association of applied sociology with altruism, identity formation, race and ethnicity. They evaluate the empirical 'truths' of sociological theories and examine their relevance for contemporary research, poverty, demographic issues and social policies. The authors agree that the ultimate test of theory is the extent to which it can produce knowledge that 'works'.

The collection tells the story of early American sociology from the vantage point of women, racial, ethnic, regional, and religious minorities, outsiders, and important representatives of intellectual movements that were not merged into the mainstream of the discipline.

"If a student researcher had only one handbook on their bookshelf, Miller and Salkind′s Handbook would certainly have to be it. With the updated material, the addition of the section on ethical issues (which is so well done that I′m recommending it to the departmental representative to the university IRB), and a new Part 4 on "Qualitative Methods", the new Handbook is an indispensable resource for researchers." --Dan Cover, Department of Sociology, Furman University " I have observed that most instructors want to teach methodology "their way" to imbue the course with their own approach; Miller-Salkind allows one to do this easily. The book is both conceptually strong (e.g., very good coverage of epistemology, research design and statistics) and at the same time provides a wealth of practical knowledge (scales, indices, professional organizations, computer applications, etc.) In addition, it covers the waterfront of methodology." --Michael L. Vasu, Director of Information Technology, North Carolina State University "A unique and excellent reference tool for all social science researchers, and a good textbook for graduate students and senior year undergraduate classes. These students are about to enter the real life of research, and need a handy and comprehensive tool as a starting point that offers shortcuts for getting into real research projects. For a small project, the book offers enough information to get the project started. For big projects, the book is ideal for information on where to look for things and examples." --Jianhong Liu, Department of Sociology, Rhode Island College The book considered a "necessity" by many social science researchers and their students has been revised and updated while retaining the features that made it so useful. The emphasis in this new edition is on the tools graduate students and more advanced researchers need to conduct high quality research. Features/Benefits: Provides step-by-step instruction for students′ research training by beginning with how to find a creative idea, a middle-range theory, and initial hypothesis and proceeds through design, proposal, collection and analysis of data followed by writing, reporting and publication Section on scales and indices are organized so that readers can quickly locate and find the type of scale or index in which they may be interested All sections are now followed by useful and well-considered reference sections so that readers can read more about each topic Includes updated coverage on new scales, internal and external validity, and new analytic techniques with extensive references on each Presents extensive coverage of how to prepare manuscripts for publication, including a list of all journals covered by Sociological Abstracts along with the editorial office address and URL for each entry Discusses the importance of policy research with presentation and discussion of specific models as an adjunct to both applied and basic research techniques Provides extensive coverage of funding opportunities including those offered by the National Institutes of Health, the National Science Foundation, and a directory of private funding sources including relevant contact information New to this edition: New Part 4 by John Creswell and Ray Maietta provides a comprehensive introduction to qualitative methods including a review of existing computer applications for collecting and analyzing data New and more current reviews and commentaries have replaced dated or no longer relevant excerpts Thousands of new references on the assessment of important sociological variables as well as references to such topics as statistical analysis, computer applications, and specific topics Thoroughly updated information on the use of computers and online research techniques, including beginning and intermediate material about the Internet and its use by the modern research scientist Coherent and thoughtful review of the most popular statistical analysis software packages New guidelines and discussion of ethical practices in social and behavioral science research, including extensive coverage of institutional review board procedures and activities Expansion of social indicators to include international coverage Plus, there is an extensive and well-organized table of contents with four levels of headings; and, for the first time in the history of the book, a comprehensive index.

This book approaches grassroots governance and democracy from a sociological perspective, focusing on the interaction between the community and the State. It explores the interrelationship between state, governance and community and demonstrates the performativity aspects of both political actors and citizens in various elections in India. It also highlights the need to understand the dynamics of governance in a multi-ethnic society and democracy like India both at the micro and macro levels. Offering detailed explanations of formal and informal governance in people’s everyday lives, it reviews some of the key debates on governance with respect to the engagement of the community. This book is intended for academics, researchers, activists, planners and policymakers from a range of disciplines, such as sociology, public policy, social anthropology, development studies, politics and regional development, interested in governance and development in India.

Describes 250 occupations which cover approximately 107 million jobs.

Written by a star cast of contributors, this introductory undergraduate text provides students with a rich, stimulating and authoritative account of key debates and issues in sociology today. Carefully structured and edited to take account of the undergraduate student reader's needs, the essays explore sociological understandings of a range of core topics and critically examines what key issues have emerged for debate from past and current research.