Observes social structures and inequalities with a critical, conflict perspective.
Taking a conflict approach, top-selling Social Problems 12e focuses on the underlying features of the social world in an effort to help students to understand today's social problems.
A consistently sociological approach in Social Problems Census Update establishes a coherent framework that allows students to view social problems as interrelated. The authors help students grasp society’s role in the creation and perpetuation of social problems by incorporating five major themes throughout the text, including: structural causes of social problems; role of the United States in global social problems; centrality of class, race, and gender as sources of division, inequality, and injustice; critical examination of society; and a progressive plan to solve problems.
The Census Update program incorporates 2010 Census data into a course–simply and easily. The components of the Census Update Program include an updated census edition with all charts and graphs–to reflect the results of the 2010 Census. In addition, A Short Introduction to the U.S. Census is available and an updated MySocLab.
Teaching & Learning Experience
- Personalize Learning – The new MySocLab delivers proven results in helping students succeed, provides engaging experiences that personalize learning, and comes from a trusted partner with educational expertise and a deep commitment to helping students and instructors achieve their goals.
- Improve Critical Thinking - Feature questions encourage students to think globally about both current and impending social problems.
- Engage Students – Personal challenges regarding social problems are highlighted within the text in addition to opportunities for student involvement.
- Explore Theory – A progressive plan to solve social problems is proposed.
- Understand Diversity – The centrality of class, race, and gender as sources of division, inequality, and injustice is integrated heavily throughout the text.
- Support Instructors - Written activities and assessment in MySocLab offer instructors supplemental materials to help their students succeed.
Note: MySocLab does not come automatically packaged with this text. To purchase MySocLab, please visit: www.mysoclab.com or you can purchase a ValuePack of the text + MySocLab (at no additional cost). ValuePack ISBN-10: 0205172431 / ValuePack ISBN-13: 9780205172436
Table of Contents:
IN THIS SECTION:
1. BRIEF
2. COMPREHENSIVE
BRIEF TABLE OF CONTENTS:
Part I: Political Economy of Social Problems
Chapter 1: The Sociological Approach to Social Problems
Chapter 2: Wealth and Power: The Bias of the System
Part II: Problems of People, the Environment, and Location
Chapter 3: World Population and Global Inequality
Chapter 4: Threats to the Environment
Chapter 5: Demographic Changes in the United States: The Browning and Graying of Society
Chapter 6: Problems of Place: Urban, Suburban, and Rural
Part III: Problems of Inequality
Chapter 7: Poverty
Chapter 8: Racial and Ethnic Inequality
Chapter 9: Gender Inequality
Chapter 10: Sexual Orientation
Chapter 11: Disability and Ableism
Part IV: Social Structure and Individual Deviance
Chapter 12: Crime and Justice
Chapter 13: Drugs
Part V: Institutional Problems
Chapter 14: The Economy and Work
Chapter 15: Families
Chapter 16: Education
Chapter 17: The Health Care System
Chapter 18: National Security in the Twenty-First Century
Part VI: Solutions
Chapter 19: Progressive Plan to Solve Social Problems
COMPREHENSIVE TABLE OF CONTENTS:
Part I: Political Economy of Social Problems
Chapter 1: The Sociological Approach to Social Problems
History of Social Problems Theory
Toward a Definition of Social Problems
Types of Social Problems
Norm Violations
Social Conditions
The Sociological Imagination
Social Structure as the Basic Unit of Analysis
Person-Blame Approach versus System-Blame Approach
Reasons for Focusing on the System-Blame Approach
Sociological Methods: The Craft of Sociology
Sociological Questions
Problems in Collecting Data
Sources of Data
Organization of the Book
Chapter 2: Wealth and Power: The Bias of the System
U.S. Economy: Concentration of Corporate Wealth
Monopolistic Capitalism
Transnational Corporations
Concentration of Wealth
Political System: Links between Wealth and Power
Government by Interest Groups
Financing of Political Campaigns
Candidate Selection Process
Bias of the Political System
Consequences of Concentrated Power
Subsidies to Big Business
Trickle-Down Solutions
The Powerless Bear the Burden
Foreign Policy for Corporate Benefit
Reprise: The Best Democracy Money Can Buy
Part II: Problems of People, the Environment, and Location
Chapter 3: World Population and Global Inequality
World Population Growth
Demographic Transition
Family Planning
Societal Changes
Poverty
Food and Hunger
Sickness and Disease
The New Slavery
Concentration of Misery in Cities
U.S. Relations with the Developing World
Transnational Corporations
United States in the Global Village
Chapter 4: Threats to the Environment
Worldwide Environmental Problems
Degradation of the Land
Environmental Pollution and Degradation
Global Environmental Crises
Fossil Fuel Dependence, Waste, and Environmental Degradation
Destruction of the Tropical Rain Forests and Other Forms of Deforestation
Global Warming
Sources of U.S. Environmental Problems
Cultural Sources
Structural Sources
Solutions to the Environmental Crises
Probusiness Voluntaristic Approach
Egalitarian/Authoritarian Plan
Control of Resource Use
International Implications of Environmental Problems
Chapter 5: Demographic Changes in the United States: The Browning and Graying of Society
Profile of the U.S. Population
New Immigration and the Changing Racial Landscape
Immigration and Increasing Diversity
Consequences of the New Immigration
Immigration and Agency
Effects of Immigration on Immigrants: Ethnic Identity or Assimilation?
The Aging Society
Demographic Trend
Demographic Portrait of the Current Elderly Population
Problems of an Aging Society
Social Security
Paying for Health Care
Elderly Abuse
Responses by the Elderly
Chapter 6: Problems of Place: Urban, Suburban, and Rural
Urban Problems
Urban Job Loss
Disinvestment
Federal Abandonment
Urban Poverty
Urban Housing Crisis
Decaying Infrastructure
Transportation, Pollution, and the Environment
Health and Health Care
Urban Schools
Crime, Drugs, and Gangs
Suburban Problems
Suburban Sprawl
Automobile Dependency
Social Isolation in the Suburbs
Rural Problems
Poverty
Jobs in Rural Areas
Environment
Health Care and Delivery
Small-Town Decline
Crime and Illicit Drugs
Part III: Problems of Inequality
Chapter 7: Poverty
Extent of Poverty
Racial Minorities
Nativity
Gender
Age
Place
The New Poor
The Working Poor
The Near Poor
The Severely Poor
Myths about Poverty
Refusal to Work
Welfare Dependency
The Poor Get Special Advantages
Welfare Is an African American and Latino Program
Causes of Poverty
Deficiency Theories
Structural Theories
Costs of Poverty
Elimination of Poverty
Chapter 8: Racial and Ethnic Inequality
How to Think About Racial and Ethnic Inequality
Racial and Ethnic Minorities
Racial Categories
Differences among Ethnic Groups
Explanations of Racial and Ethnic Inequality
Deficiency Theories
Bias Theories
Structural Discrimination Theories
Discrimination Against African Americans and Latinos: Continuity and Change
Income
Education
Unemployment
Type of Employment
Health
Contemporary Trends and Issues in U.S. Racial and Ethnic Relations
Growing Racial Strife
More Racially Based Groups and Activities
Social and Economic Isolation in U.S. Inner Cities
Racial Policies in the New Century
Chapter 9: Gender Inequality
Women and Men Are Differentiated and Ranked
Is Gender Biological or Social?
Gender and Power
What Causes Gender Inequality?
Socialization versus Structure: Two Approaches to Gender Inequality
Learning Gender
Children at Home
Children at Play
Formal Education
Socialization as Blaming the Victim
Reinforcing Male Dominance
Language
Interpersonal Behavior
Mass Communications Media
Religion
The Law
Politics
Structured Gender Inequality
Occupational Distribution
The Earnings Gap
Intersection of Race and Gender in the Workplace
Pay Equity
How Workplace Inequality Operates
Gender in the Global Economy
Costs and Consequences of Sexism
Who Benefits?
The Social and Individual Costs
Fighting the System
Feminist Movements in the United States
Women’s Struggles in the Twenty-First Century
Chapter 10: Sexual Orientation
Social Deviance
Gay and Lesbian Community: An Overview
Defining Homosexuality
Roots of Homosexuality
Numbers: How Many Gays and Lesbians?
Interpersonal Relationships and Domestic Arrangements among Gays and Lesbians
Discrimination
Ideological Oppression
Legal Oppression: The Law and the Courts
Occupational Discrimination
Fighting the System: Human Agency
Chapter 11: Disability and Ableism
Definitions
Individual Model of Disability
Social Model of Disability
Toward a More Complete Definition of Disability
People with Disabilities as a Minority Group
Defined as Different
Derogatory Naming
Minority as a Master Status
Categorization, Stigma, and Stereotypes
Exclusion and Segregation
Matrix of Domination
Discrimination
Issues of Gender, Sexual Behavior, and Fertility
Gender Stereotyping
Sexual Relationships
Physical and Sexual Abuse
Abortion Issue
Agency
Disability Rights Movement
Americans with Disabilities Act
Conclusion
Part IV: Social Structure and Individual Deviance
Chapter 12: Crime and Justice
Crime in Society
What Is Crime?
Crime Rates
Demographic Characteristics of People Arrested for Crimes
Categories of Crime
Unjust System of Justice
Laws
Police
Judicial Process
Correctional System
The Criminal Label
Stopping the Cradle to Prison Pipeline
Chapter 13: Drugs
The Politics of Drugs
Historical Legality of Drugs
Factors Influencing Drug Laws and Enforcement
Drug Use in U.S. Society
Commonly Abused Illegal Drugs
Legal but Dangerous Drugs
Drug Use Patterns by Class, Race, and Gender
Why Use Drugs?
U.S. Official Policy: A War on Drugs
Consequences of Official Drug Policies
Is the Drug War Racist?
Alternatives
Regulation of Trade or Use through Licensing and Taxation
Noninterference
Address the Social Causes of Drug Use
Part V: Institutional Problems
Chapter 14: The Economy and Work
Capitalism and Socialism
Capitalism
Socialism
Mega Economic Trends
The Structural Transformation of the Economy
Globalization
The Great Recession
Work and Social Problems
Control of Workers
Alienation
Worker Compensation
Dangerous Working Conditions
Sweatshops
Unions and Their Decline
Unemployment
Job Insecurity
Benefits Insecurity
Increased Workload
Worker Compensation
Chapter 15: Families
The Mythical Family in the United States
U.S. Families in Historical Perspective: The Family in Capitalism
Stratification and Family Life: Unequal Life Chances
Changing Families in a Changing World
Economic Transformation and Family Life
Today’s Diverse Family Forms
Balancing Work and Family with Few Social Supports
Single Parents and Their Children
Societal Response to Disadvantaged Children
Divorce
Consequences of Divorce
Children of Divorce
Violence in U.S. Families
Violence and the Social Organization of the Family
Intimate Partner Violence
Child Abuse and Neglect
Chapter 16: Education
Characteristics of Education in the United States
Education as a Conserving Force
Mass Education
A Fragmented Educational System
Local Control of Education
A Lack of Curricular Standardization
“Sifting” and “Sorting” Function of Schools
Preoccupation with Order and Control
Education and Inequality
Financing Public Education
Family Economic Resources
Higher Education and Stratification
Segregation
Tracking and Teachers’ Expectations
Possibilities for Promoting Equality of Opportunity
Provide Universal Preschool Programs
Offer Free Education
Set National Education Standards
Reduce Funding Disparities Across States and Districts
Reducing Class and School Size
Attract and Retain Excellent Teachers
Extend the School Day and Year
Hold Educators Accountable
Reform the Educational Philosophy of Schools
Restructure Society
Chapter 17: The Health Care System
The Crisis in Health Care: Cost, Coverage, and Consequences
Rising Health Care Costs
Does the High Cost of Health Care Translate into Good Health Consequences?
The Health Care System in the United States
Different Plans for Different Categories
Private Insurance
For Profit Hospitals
Managed Care Networks.
Unequal Access to Health Care
Social Class
Race/Ethnicity
Gender
HIV/AIDS: The Intersection of Class, Race, and Gender
Models for National Health Care: Lessons from Other Societies
The Bismarck Model
The Beveridge Model
The National Health Insurance Model
Reforming the Health Care System in the United States
The Politics of Health Reform
The Obama Plan
Chapter 18: National Security in the Twenty-First Century
The U.S. Military Establishment
The Size of the U.S. Military
The Cost of Maintaining U.S. Military Superiority
The Threat of Nuclear Weapons
The Terrorism Threat
Domestic Terrorism
International Terrorism
U.S. National Security and the War on Terror
The Precipitating Event
A Rush to War
The War in Iraq
The Iraq War: An Evaluation
Consequences of the U.S. Responses to 9/11
The Costs of the War
The Legacy of the War
Strategies to Combat the New Terrorism
Lesson 1: Military Might Alone Does Not Make a Nation Secure
Lesson 2: Vengeance Is Self-Defeating
Lesson 3: The Solution to Terrorism Is to Address Its Root Causes
Lesson 4: In Planning for War, the Question Guiding the Plan Must Be, How Does the Conflict End?
Lesson 5: The U.S. Goal of Spreading Democracy in the Middle East Will Likely Fail
Lesson 6: The Path to the Moral High Ground Goes through International Organizations and International Law
Part VI: Solutions
Chapter 19: Progressive Plan To Solve Social Problems
Sociology, Social Problems, and Social Change
The Sociological Imagination and Social Problems
Sociological Paradox: Structure and Agency
Sociological Dilemma: Recognition and Rejection
Progressive Principles to Guide Public Policy
Is a Progressive Social Policy Possible?
Should a Progressive Plan Be Adopted by U.S. Society?
Financing the Progressive Agenda
Is There Any Hope of Instituting a Social Agenda Based on Progressive Principles?
Human Agency: Social Change from the Bottom Up
Individuals Protesting and Organizing for Change
About the Author :
D. Stanley Eitzen (Ph.D. University of Kansas) is professor emeritus in sociology from Colorado State University, where previously he was the John N. Stern Distinguished Professor. Among his books are Social Problems (with Maxine Baca Zinn and Kelly Eitzen Smith)and Diversity in Families (with Maxine Baca Zinn and Barbara Wells), both of which received McGuffey Awards from the Text and Academic Authors Association for excellence and longevity over multiple editions. He is also the author and co-author of four Solutions to Social Problems volumes with Allyn & Bacon; Paths to Homelessness: Extreme Poverty and the Urban Housing Crisis (with Doug A. Timmer and Kathryn Talley); Sociology of North American Sport (with George H. Sage); and Fair and Foul: Rethinking the Myths and Paradoxes of Sport. He has served as the president of the North American Society for the Sociology of Sport and as editor of The Social Science Journal.
Maxine Baca Zinn (Ph.D. University of Oregon) is Professor Emeritus in sociology at Michigan State University. She received her Ph.D. from the University of Oregon. Her main research interests are racial inequality, gender, and family life. She is the author and co-author of many other books, including Diversity in Families (with D. Stanley Eitzen and Barbara Wells),Social Problems (with D. Stanley Eitzen and Kelly Eitzen Smith), Women of Color in U.S. Society, Gender Through the Prism of Difference, and Globalization: The Transformation of Social Worlds. In 2000, she received the ASA Jessie Bernard Career Award.
Kelly Eitzen Smith received her Ph.D. in Sociology from the University of Arizona. She is currently the director of the Center for Applied Sociology and a lecturer at the University of Arizona. At the Center for Applied Sociology she has conducted research in the areas of day labor, homelessness, poverty, urban housing and neighborhood development. Her sociological interests include gender, family, sexuality, stratification, and social problems. She is also the co-author of Experiencing Poverty (with D.Stanley Eitzen), andSocial Problems (with D. Stanley Eitzen and Maxine Baca Zinn).
