Introduction to Sociology

About the Book

Join the conversation with one of sociology′s best-known thinkers.

It′s the 21st century and the world is changing. Today′s students have instant access to anyone, anything, anywhere, anytime. They want to be enlightened, entertained, and informed on their terms. They want to be shown the relevance of the introductory sociology course to their lives.

Who better than George Ritzer, one of sociology′s best-known thinkers, to do just that? While providing a rock-solid foundation of sociology, Ritzer illuminates traditional sociological concepts and theories, as well as some of today′s most compelling social phenomena: globalization, consumer culture, and the internet. As technology flattens the globe, students are challenged to apply a sociological perspective to their world. Ritzer brings students into the conversation by bridging the divide between the outside world and the classroom.

Table of Contents:
1: An Introduction to Sociology in the Global Age The Changing Nature of the Social World—and Sociology Central Concerns for a Twenty-First-Century Sociology Sociology: Continuity and Change Sociology’s Purpose: Science or Social Reform? Sociology, the Other Social Sciences, and Common Sense 2: Thinking Sociologically Classical Sociological Theory Contemporary Sociological Theory 3: Researching the Social World The Scientific Method The Development of Scientific Knowledge Sociological Research Secondary Data Analysis Issues in Social Research 4: Culture A Definition of Culture The Basic Elements of Culture Cultural Differences Emerging Issues in Culture 5: Socialization and Interaction The Individual and the Self Socialization Interaction Micro-Level Social Structures 6: Organizations, Societies, and the Global Organizations The Global 7: Deviance and Crime Deviance Theories of Deviance Crime 8: Social Stratification Dimensions of Social Stratification Economic Inequality Poverty in the United States Social Mobility Theories of Social Stratification Consumption and Social Stratification Globalization and Stratification 9: Race and Ethnicity The Concepts of Race and Ethnicity Majority-Minority Relations Racism Race and Ethnicity in Global Context 10: Sex and Gender Sex and Sexuality Gender Sex, Gender, and Globalization 11: The Family Family, Marriage, and Intimate Relationships Broad Changes in Marriage and the Family Theorizing the Family Problems in the Family Global Families 12: Politics and the Economy Politics: Power and Control Types of Government The U.S. Political System Who Rules the United States? Implementing Political Objectives: Legitimate Violence, War, and Terrorism Global Politics The Economy: Production, Consumption, and Leisure Historical Changes in the Economy Work, Working, and Not Working Globalization and the Economy Consumption Leisure 13: The Body, Medicine, Health, and Health Care The Body The Sociology of Health and Medicine 14: Population, Urbanization, and the Environment Population Urbanization The Environment 15: Social Change, Social Movements, and Collective Behavior Social Movements Collective Behavior Globalization, Consumption, the Internet, and Social Change 16: Religion and Education Religion What Is Religion? Components of Religion Types of Religious Organizations Theorizing Religion Religion and Globalization Fundamentalism Education Thinking about Education Education and Consumption Inequality in Education

About the Author :
George Ritzer is Distinguished University Professor at the University of Maryland, where he has also been a Distinguished Scholar-Teacher and won a Teaching Excellence Award. He was awarded the Distinguished Contributions to Teaching Award by the American Sociological Association, an honorary doctorate from LaTrobe University in Australia, and the Robin Williams Lectureship from the Eastern Sociological Society. His best-known work, The McDonaldization of Society (8th ed.), has been read by hundreds of thousands of students over two decades and translated into over a dozen languages. Ritzer is also the editor of McDonaldization: The Reader; and author of other works of critical sociology related to the McDonaldization thesis, including Enchanting a Disenchanted World, The Globalization of Nothing, Expressing America: A Critique of the Global Credit Card Society, as well as a series best-selling social theory textbooks and Globalization: A Basic Text. He is the Editor of the Encyclopedia of Social Theory (2 vols.), the Encyclopedia of Sociology (11 vols.; 2nd edition forthcoming), the Encyclopedia of Globalization (5 vols.), and is Founding Editor of the Journal of Consumer Culture. In 2016 he will publish the second edition of Essentials of Sociology with SAGE.

Review :
I loved the clear prose, focus on globalization, and inclusion of many current topics(internet, social media, consumption culture, etc.) The book introduces students to key concents and issues in sociology. Whilst not all the content is directly relevant to Sports Studies students, it offers a useful starting point for sociological concepts and theories. Some of the ′bite size′ case studies and examples are very useful for stimulating seminar discussions. A very good comprehensive sociology textbook for undergraduate students. Great links to on-line material and examples for both students and lecturers. I cannot recommend a book that describes ETA as a separatist group and not a terrorist organization, p. 457. It is a very strong mistake and it is not acceptable.
Apart from this, the book is too focused on United States of America for our interests.
Thank you. This is an excellent text which I will recommend my students to read and make use of. However, most examples are very US-focussed which would make learning difficult for students iin the UK if used as a main text. Shame really, as I really like Ritzer′s work. This is an extremey lucid, clear and motivating text. The up-to-date, student-friendly style will give students confidence to approach a whole range of issues.
it is a very good idea to have the cross referenced generic ′feature′ themes (globalisation, digital living etc.) as it is illustrative and interesting. The summaries are useful and the ′thinking about sociology′ questions are an excellent revision method for students! The book is full of relevant and helpful picturs, charts etc. This is an essential text for those who are interested in careers in applied social sciences Excellent intro to sociology, but it didn′t cover all of the nuances that I wanted it to. Also the cost has proved to be challenging with regard to students actually purchasing the book.

Thanks Excellent text. Useful to both students in yrs 1 & 2 and tutors too. Good use of examples and a wide range of relevant information. Excellent, a must for all those new to sociology. Interactive and thought provoking. Good, all-round approach to the topic. The author shares my own approach to a variety of issues and provides a good introduction to traditional sociological theory. Provided a well-rounded introductory text that is understandable. Furthermore, the text is updated with current events, as well as promotes present-day sociologists and their theories. Recommended for our new degree awaiting validation A very useful book for first year students with a lot of examples. It is too broad a book for the particular course I ordered it for, albeit I refer to the chapters on Globalisation within lecture material. I am looking to recommend some chapters to dissertation students and criminology students for them to get a grounding of sociological knowledge. A great introductory text to sociology. Its clear and accessible for 1st year students and has contemporary examples and debate. I found this book to be so useful for young students who live in the "internet age". Throughout the text, opportunities are made to make connections between traditional sociological concepts and modern life, in a way that is accessible to these sorts of students. The inclusion of addional resources for students and teachers is a great idea, allowing for instructors to inlcude a variety of teaching tools when addressing a topic, and allowing the student to engage in their own further research by pointing the way towards useful resources. In criticism, I would say that the material is presented in such a way that perhaps it is almost a simplification of some concepts but nonetheless it has managed to produce an introductory text that is manageable and accessible for first time students of Sociology. Some topics are skewed towards the American experience, particularly the chapter dealing with religion, but teachers should be easily able to adapt to other audiences. The course being taught requires the study of Sociology in the UK society and this book bases itself in America. George Ritzer simplified sociological terminology with everyday observable phenomena. It is easy to relate. The incorporation of a globalization is attractive as I am teaching in Japan, but in English. Most of the textbooks currently available are contextualized solely or mostly in the United States. The structure of classes is different in Japan-- students take 10+ courses at one time, and each course meets only once a week. It is almost impossible to require them to use a textbook fully. However, it will be useful as a reference for supplementary reading. The book is not challenging enough. There are many references to pop culture and not enough substance.