Sociology

The founders of sociology in the United States wanted to make a difference. A central aim of the sociologists of the Chicago school was to use sociological knowledge to achieve social reform. A related aim of sociologists like Jane Addams, W.E.B. DuBois, and Ida B. Wells-Barnett and others since was to use sociological knowledge to understand and alleviate gender, racial, and class inequality.

It is no accident that many sociology instructors and students are first drawn to sociology because they want to learn a body of knowledge that could help them make a difference in the world at large. Sociology: Understanding and Changing the Social World is designed for this audience. It presents a sociological understanding of society but also a sociological perspective on how to change society, while maintaining the structure and contents of the best mainstream texts.

Several pedagogical features of the book convey the sociological perspective and change theme:

Almost every chapter begins with a Social Issues in the News story from recent media coverage that recounts an event related to the chapter's topic and proceeds with thought-provoking discussion about the social issue related to the event. Additional discussion elsewhere in the chapter helps students understand the basis for this issue and related issues. This dual treatment of the news story will help students appreciate the relevance of sociology for newsworthy events and issues.

Three types of boxes in almost every chapter reflect the U.S. founders' emphasis on sociology and social justice. The first box, Sociology Making a Difference, discusses a social issue related to the chapter's topic and shows how sociological insights and findings have been used, or could be used, to address the issue and achieve social reform. The second box, Learning from Other Societies, discusses the experience in another nation(s) regarding a social issue related to the chapter; this box helps students appreciate what has worked and not worked in other nations regarding the issue and thus better understand how social reform might be achieved in the United States. The third box, What Sociology Suggests, summarizes social policies grounded in sociological theory and research that hold strong potential for addressing issues discussed in the chapter.

In addition, many chapters contain tables called Theory Snapshots. These tables provide a quick reference tool for students to understand the varying theoretical approaches to the sociological topic that the chapter is discussing.

Finally, almost every chapter ends with a Using Sociology vignette that presents a hypothetical scenario concerning an issue or topic from the chapter and asks students to use the chapter's material in a decision-making role involving social change. These vignettes help students connect the chapter's discussion with real-life situations and, in turn, to better appreciate the relevance of sociological knowledge for social reform.

Drawing on these features and other discussion throughout the book, a brief and unique final chapter, "Conclusion: Understanding and Changing the Social World,"sums up what students have learned about society and themselves and reviews the relevance of sociology for achieving social change.

Sociology: Understanding and Changing the Social World makes sociology relevant for today's students by balancing traditional coverage with a fresh approach that ironically takes them back to sociology's American roots in the use of sociological knowledge for social reform.

Hi, my name is Ron J. Hammond. I earned a Ph.D. in Sociology-Family Studies in 1991. I wrote this book for you because I have a deep and abiding commitment to make knowledge available to all people of the world no matter their race, color, sex, creed, income, national origin, life style, or other personal traits that might work against them unfairly. I wrote this book because I love sociology as a profession, a science, and a way of approaching life with a sense of personal confidence that isn't there for those who never get to take a sociology course. More about author and book can be found here: https://socialsci.libretexts.org/Bookshelves/Sociology/Introduction_to_Sociology/Introduction_to_Sociology_(Hammond_et_al.)/00%3A_Front_Matter/About_the_Authors_and_Book

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This sociology course was curated by Lumen Learning and based off of the OpenStax Sociology course, whose contributing authors can be seen here.

This course is also available as a Waymaker course.

This course opens the door to students in their understanding of how to research and engage with the field of sociology. A wealth of performance assessments and writing assignments qualify students’ understanding of the material. Key concepts include the sociological imagination and perspectives, scientific research methods, culture and society, socialization and interaction, deviance, crime and social control, inequality, race and ethnicity, gender, sex and sexuality, marriage and family, religion and education, health and aging, urbanization, the environment, government, work and the economy, and media. Faculty members may also readily adapt the course’s OER content to include new developments and research to equip students with what that they need to have success in their sociological journey.

This text is modeled after OpenStax Sociology 2.0 although it includes more recent social updates and events, including the legalization of same-sex marriage. A few of the chapters have been reorganized and/or combined. Nothing from OpenStax is excluded (except introductions, summaries, and outdated content in certain places), but instead, sections have been broken down into smaller, more manageable chunks for students and aligned with learning outcomes. The content has been enhanced with examples, tons of videos, and more application. Each module also includes a “Why It Matters” introductory page that introduces students to the importance of the concepts in that section as well as a “Putting It Together” page that reviews many of the concepts from the module.

There are a few major themes that come up over and over again during the course of classical sociological theory’s development. All three classical theorists were writing at a time when sociology was a new and emerging discipline. This new discipline was called forth by momentous social changes taking place in European (and American) society during this time period. These changes were related to the rise of capitalism, industrialization, and new political representation for the majority of people (or, at least, a desire for such by many). Calls for socialism emerged as a response to recognition of new social divisions. Each of the three theorists you will read here weighed in on these historical changes, theorizing the contours and dynamics of this new “modern” society.

This Open Education resource, “Cases on Social Issues: For Class Discussion – 2nd Edition”, includes valuable cases for student use on issues of discrimination, diversity, equity, inclusion and general social issues in the workplace. Included are cases for discussion on workplace scenarios as follows: homophobia; working with Indigenous communities; oil and gas pipelines and the family ranch; invisible disabilities; employee anxiety; safety for women, transgender women and non-binary people; and the bullying of new immigrants and refugees. The critical events portrayed in the cases are realistic and emotional, and most feature the experiences of under-represented and marginalized people. These thoughtful, contemporary cases pose ethical dilemmas about social issues that encourage post-secondary students and instructors to have stimulating, inclusive, and compassionate discussions. Inspired by input from post-secondary students and authored by students and people who are usually under-represented in education material, this resource is designed for upper-level undergraduate or graduate students in the humanities, social sciences, business, healthcare, science, agriculture, environmental studies, Indigenous studies, land use studies, law and more. Each case is supplemented with modifiable discussion prompts, notes for teaching strategies, and a short reading list.

Originally written by Ron Hammond and Paul Cheney in 2010. The current version of this book has been rewritten and edited to include substantial contributions from passionate professors dedicated to keeping education accessible to students.