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Contemporary Society: An Introduction to Social Science

ISBN: 9780673981158 | 0673981150
Format: Paperback
Publisher: Pearson College Div
Pub. Date: 9/1/1996

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Table of Contents
Prefacexxii
CHAPTER 1 Through the Lens of Science
1(24)
The Social Sciences
2(1)
... MORE
The Social World Seen Through the Lens of Science
3(3)
Concepts
4(1)
Theories
5(1)
Research
5(1)
The Scientific Method
6(3)
Steps of the Scientific Method
7(2)
The Scientific Spirit: Skepticism, Objectivity, Relativity
9(1)
The Social Science Disciplines
9(5)
Anthropology
10(1)
Economics
11(1)
Geography
12(1)
History
12(1)
Political Science
12(1)
Psychology
13(1)
Sociology
13(1)
Research Methods in the Social Sciences
14(4)
Sample Survey
15(1)
Case Study
15(1)
Participant Observation
15(2)
The Experiment
17(4)
Statistical Analysis
21
Box 1.1 The Sample Survey
18(5)
The Chapter in Brief
23(1)
Terms to Remember
23(1)
Suggested Reading
24(1)
CHAPTER 2 In the Beginning...
25(24)
The Beginnings of Life
27(2)
The Emergence of the Theory of Evolution
29(2)
A Revolution in Thought: Darwin and His Theory
30(1)
Natural Selection
31(1)
The Role of Heredity
32(1)
Genetics
32(3)
Population Genetics: Factors for Change
32(3)
The Long Trek: Human Evolution
35(5)
Split Between Chimpanzee and Human Lines
37(3)
The Road to Homo Sapiens
40(1)
Homo Sapiens: Modern Humans
40(1)
Agriculture: Cultivation and Domestication
41(2)
The Evolution of Human Nature
43
Biological Foundations
44
Box 2.1 Adaptation: Not a Perfect Process
36(8)
Box 2.2 Some Effects of Agriculture: Stress and Infectious Diseases
44(2)
The Chapter in Brief
46(1)
Terms to Remember
47(1)
Suggested Reading
48(1)
CHAPTER 3 Culture: Product and Guide to Life in Society
49(29)
Culture: Concept and Importance
51(6)
Biological Predispositions to Culture
53(1)
The Birth of Culture
53(1)
Cultural Evolution and Sociobiology
54(2)
What, Then, Is Culture?
56(1)
The Symbolic Nature of Culture
57(2)
The Necessity of Sharing Symbols
57(2)
Language: The Most Important System of Symbols
59(2)
Does Language Create Reality?
60(1)
The Content of Culture
61(1)
Material Culture
61(1)
Nonmaterial Culture
62(1)
The Components of Nonmaterial Culture: Cognitive and Normative
62(6)
The Normative System
63(3)
Categories of Norms: Folkways, Mores, Taboos, and Laws
66(1)
The Need for Social Control
66(2)
Overt and Covert, Real and Ideal Norms
68(1)
Traits, Complexes, and Institutions
68(1)
Pivotal Institutions
68(2)
Ethnocentrism and Cultural Relativity
69(1)
Cultural Differences and Universals
70
Subcultures and Countercultures
72(1)
Subcultures
72(1)
Countercultures
73
Box 3.1 The Biology of Violence
56(15)
Box 3.2 Roots of Ethnic Conflict
71(3)
Box 3.3 Cultural Differences
74(1)
The Chapter in Brief
75(1)
Terms to Remember
76(1)
Suggested Readings
77(1)
CHAPTER 4 Group Interaction: From Two to Millions
78(29)
The Social System: Structure and Organization
80(4)
Elements of Social Structure: Statuses and Roles
82(2)
Statuses: Ascribed and Achieved
84(1)
The Multiplicity of Statuses and Roles
85(2)
Real and Ideal Roles
86(1)
Conflict, Strain, and Confusion in Roles
86(1)
Groups
87(3)
Group Size
89(1)
Primary and Secondary Groups
90(2)
Additional Classification of Groups
91(1)
Society
92(4)
Classification of Societies
92(1)
Classification According to Chief Mode of Subsistence
92(1)
Classification According to Social Organization
95(1)
Interaction and Social Processes
96(2)
Formal Organizations
98(3)
Formal Organizations and Institutions Distinguished
99(1)
Characteristics of Formal Organizations
99(1)
Types of Formal Organizations
99(1)
Normative Organizations
100(1)
Coercive Organizations
101(1)
Utilitarian Organizations
101(1)
Bureaucracy
101
Dynamic Quality
102(1)
Informal Side of Bureaucracy
102
Box 4.1 From Gemeinschaft to Gesellschaft in the US
97(6)
Box 4.2 Bureaucracy in the Postindustrial Era: From Vertical to Horizontal and Beyond
103(1)
The Chapter in Brief
103(2)
Terms to Remember
105(1)
Suggested Reading
106(1)
CHAPTER 5 Becoming a Person: The Birth of Personality
107(37)
Personality
108(5)
Personality: A Social Product on a Biological Basis
108
Heredity and Environment
110(2)
Becoming Human: Socialization
113(3)
Goals and Functions of Socialization
113(3)
Theories of Socialization
116(2)
The Looking-Glass Self: Cooley
116(1)
The Self in Society: Mead
116(2)
The Self and the Unconscious: Freud
118(4)
The Transitional Self: Erikson
120(1)
Developmental Theories: Piaget
120(1)
Moral Development: Kohlberg
121(1)
Agents of Socialization
122(4)
The Family
122(1)
The School
123(1)
The Peer Group
124(1)
The Media
124(1)
Occupational Groups
125(1)
Reverse Socialization
125(1)
Resocialization
125(1)
Socialization Through the Life Cycle
126(4)
Childhood
127(1)
Adolescence
127(1)
Adulthood
128(1)
Old Age
130(1)
Personality Disorders and Deviance
130(2)
Deviance
131(1)
The Relative Nature of Deviance
132(1)
Functions of Deviance
132(1)
Explaining Deviance
132(3)
Biological Explanations
133(1)
Psychological Explanations
134(1)
Personality Disorders
134(1)
Sociological Explanations of Deviance
135(3)
Social Integration and Anomie
136(1)
Cultural Transmission (Differential Association)
137(1)
Labeling Theory
137(1)
Some Conclusions
138
Box 5.1 The Isolated and/or Feral Child
111(7)
Box 5.2 The Importance of Play
118(11)
Box 5.3 New Passages: A Second Adulthood After 45
129(11)
The Chapter in Brief
140(1)
Terms to Remember
141(2)
Suggested Reading
143(2)
CHAPTER 6 The Great Divide: Ranking and Stratification
144(34)
Social Differentiation, Ranking, and Stratification
145(1)
Stratification
146(1)
Theoretical Views on Stratification
147(3)
Structural-Functionalist Perspective
147(2)
Conflict Perspective
149(1)
Dimensions of Stratification: Class, Status, and Power
150(4)
Class
150(1)
Difinitions of Class: Marx and Weber
151(1)
Status
151(3)
Power
154(1)
Systems of Stratification
154(2)
The Closed Society or the Caste System
155(1)
The Estate System
155(1)
The Open Society: Class System
156(1)
Determining Social Class
156(1)
Socioeconomic Status
157(1)
Social Classes in the United States
157(9)
The Upper Classes
157(1)
The Middle Class
158(1)
The Working Class
159(1)
The Poor
160(1)
The Working Poor
161(1)
The Homeless
163(1)
The Underclass
164(1)
The "New Class"
164(1)
The "Overclass"
165(1)
Social Class and Its Consequences
166(3)
Family Life
166(1)
Child Rearing
167(1)
Education
167(1)
Religion
167(1)
Politics
167(1)
Health
168(1)
Arrest and Conviction
168(1)
Values
169(1)
Social Mobility
169(3)
The Upwardly Mobile: Who Are They?
169(1)
Social Mobility in the United States
170(2)
The Rich and the Poor
172
Box 6.1 Are the Poor Really Poorer?
162(11)
Box 6.2 Would We Rather Be All Equally Poor?
173(2)
The Chapter in Brief
175(1)
Terms to Remember
176(1)
Suggested Reading
177(1)
CHAPTER 7 Minority Status: Race, Ethnicity, Gender, Age
178(42)
Majority and Minorities
179(4)
Defining Terms
180(2)
Common Characteristics of Minorities
182(1)
Bases of Minority Status: Ethnicity, Religion, and Race
182(1)
The Making of a Pluralist Society
183(3)
Ideologies Regarding the Treatment of Minorities
183(3)
Majority and Minorities: Processes of Coexistence
186(1)
In the Way: Obstacles to Pluralism
187(4)
Racism
187(1)
Prejudice
188(1)
Why Are We Prejudiced?
189(1)
Discrimination
190(1)
Racial Minorities
191(7)
Native Americans
191(1)
African Americans
193(2)
Asian Americans
196(2)
Ethnic and Religious Minorities
198(5)
White Ethnics
199(1)
Jewish Americans
200(1)
Hispanic Americans
201(2)
The New Face of America
203(1)
Women: Biological Differences
203(9)
Cultural Differences
204(1)
Sex Roles
205(2)
Agents of Socialization
207(2)
Inequality and the Ideology of Sexism
209(1)
The Effects of Women in the Work Force
209(1)
The Women's Movement and Changing Sex Roles
210(2)
The Aging Society
212
Age Stratification
212(1)
Ageism
213
Box 7.1 Statistical Look at Mixed Marriage
187(2)
Box 7.2 The Many Faces of Racism
189(21)
Box 7.3 What Caused Sex Roles to Change?
210(6)
The Chapter in Brief
216(1)
Terms to Remember
217(1)
Suggested Reading
218(2)
CHAPTER 8 Change: The Emergence of the Information Society
220(30)
Society and Change
222(1)
Levels of Change
222(2)
Processes of Social and Cultural Change
224(3)
Social Change: Planning, Reform, Revolution
225(1)
Cultural Change: Innovation and Diffusion
225(2)
The Sources of Change
227(4)
The Physical Environment
227(1)
Ideas or Belief Systems
228(2)
Random Events
230(1)
Technology
231(1)
Results of the First Technological Revolution
231(1)
The Industrial Revolution
231(1)
Inventions and Discoveries of the Industrial Revolution
232(1)
Industrialism
232(1)
Technology and Social Change
233(4)
Modernization
235(2)
Developed and Developing Nations
237(2)
The World System
238(1)
Theories of Sociocultural Change
239(1)
Evolutionary Theories
239(1)
Cyclical Theories
240(3)
Technological Determinism and Cultural Lag Theories
241(1)
Functionalist Theories
242(1)
Conflict Theories
242(1)
The Postindustrial Information Society
243(2)
The Theory of Mass Society
243(2)
Mass Communication as an Instrument of Social Change
245
Where Will Change Lead Us?
246
Box 8.1 A Consequence of Rapid Social Change in China: Divorce
229(16)
Box 8.2 The Mismatch Between Our Genetic Makeup and the Modern World
245(2)
The Chapter in Brief
247(1)
Terms to Remember
248(1)
Suggested Reading
249(1)
CHAPTER 9 Population, Urbanization, and Environment
250(40)
Demographic Processes: Dynamics of Population Change
251(6)
Birthrates
252(2)
Death Rates
254(2)
Migration
256(1)
Immigration
256(1)
Characteristics and Composition of a Population
257(4)
Sex Ratio
257(1)
Age Structure
258(2)
Tomorrow's America
260(1)
Population Around the World
261(1)
Malthus and Marx
261(1)
Demographic Transition
262(2)
How the Demographic Transition Works
263(1)
Zero Population Growth
263(1)
Population Policies
264(3)
The Urban Society
267(1)
Urbanization
268(1)
The Industrial Revolution and the Growth of Cities
268
Urbanism
269(1)
American Cities
270(3)
Suburbia
273(2)
The Impact of the Consumer Culture
273(2)
Metropolitanization and Megalopolis
275(3)
Megalopolis
277(1)
The Urban Crisis
278(2)
Slums and Ghettos
278(1)
Population Drain
279(1)
Attempts to Reclaim the City
280(2)
Urban Renewal
280(1)
The Future of Cities
281(1)
The Natural Environment
282
The World We Live In
282(1)
The Ecosystem
282(1)
Ecology
283(1)
Disruption of Ecosystems
284(1)
Environmental Pollution
284
Box 9.1 The New White Flight
258(13)
Box 9.2 Urban Theories
271(16)
The Chapter in Brief
287(1)
Terms to Remember
288(1)
Suggested Readings
289(1)
CHAPTER 10 Collective Behavior and Social Movements
290(28)
Crowds
293(1)
Masses
294(1)
Mobs and Riots
295(4)
Rumors
295(1)
Fashions, Fads, and Crazes
296(2)
Panics and Mass Hysteria
298(1)
Theories of Collective Behavior
299(1)
Publics and Public Opinion
299(2)
Public Opinion
301(1)
How Public Opinion Is Formed
301(2)
The Mass Media
301(2)
Measuring Public Opinion
303(1)
Sampling
303(1)
Interpretation
304(1)
Propaganda and Censorship
304(2)
Social Movements
306
Types of Social Movements
307(1)
Reformist Movements
308(2)
Revolutionary Movements
310(1)
Factors Encouraging Revolutionary Movements
310(2)
Stages in Social Movements
312(1)
Theories Explaining the Rise of Social Movements
312
Box 10.1 Rumors
297(14)
Box 10.2 Old Elite for New
311(5)
The Chapter in Brief
316(1)
Terms to Remember
316(1)
Suggested Readings
317(1)
CHAPTER 11 Ideologies and Their Consequences
318(28)
The Role of Ideology in Social Movements
319(3)
Political Ideology
320(2)
Autocratic Ideologies
322(2)
Authoritarianism and Totalitarianism
323(1)
Totalitarianism
323(1)
Totalitarianism of the Right: Fascism and Nazism
324(3)
The Elements of Fascism
325(2)
Totalitarianism of the Left: Communism
327(3)
The Marxist Foundation: Materialism
327
Historical Prediction Through the Method of the Dialectic
328(1)
Communism and the USSR
329(1)
Fallen Idols
330(3)
China
333(3)
Democracy
336(3)
Democratic Capitalism
339(1)
Socialism
340
Democratic Socialism
341
Box 11.1 White Racists and the Nation of Islam
322(14)
Box 11.2 Beyond the Rules: Terrorism
336(7)
The Chapter in Brief
343(1)
Terms to Remember
344(1)
Suggested Readings
345(1)
CHAPTER 12 Government: The Institution and Theories
346(16)
Institutions
347(1)
The Pivotal Institution of Government
348(2)
Government and Politics
350(2)
The Purpose of Government
350(1)
The Functions of Government
350(2)
Political Power: Legitimacy and Authority
352(2)
Legitimacy
352(1)
Authority
353(1)
Types of Legitimate Authority
353(1)
The State
354(3)
The Relationship of State and Government
354(2)
Theoretical Views of the State
356(1)
The Nation-State
357(2)
Nationalism
358(1)
Box 12.1 The Dark Side of Nationalism
359(1)
The Chapter in Brief
360(1)
Terms to Remember
361(1)
Suggested Reading
361(1)
CHAPTER 13 The Government of the United States of America
362(29)
The Constitutional Convention
364(2)
Goals of the Constitutional Convention
364(2)
What is a Constitution?
366(1)
The Constitution of the United States
366(1)
Federalism
367(5)
How Federalism Has Worked
367(3)
Trend Toward Centralization
370(1)
Impact of Federal Government
371(1)
Separation of Powers
372(3)
How Checks and Balances Work
373(1)
Criticism of the Separation of Powers
373(2)
The Presidency: The Executive Branch
375(2)
The Nature of the Presidency
375(1)
The Roles of the President
375(2)
The Presidency: The Person and the Office
377(1)
Congress: The Legislative Branch
378(4)
The Issue of Representation
379(1)
Congressional Committees
380(1)
The Subordinate Role of Congress
381(1)
The Supreme Court: The Judicial Branch
382(2)
The Court System
384(2)
Functions of the Judicial System
384(2)
The Importance of Limited Government
386
Box 13.1 Constitutional Limits and Obligations
368(20)
Box 13.2 From "The Deadlock of Democracy" to "The Frozen Republic"--Critiques of the American Political System
388
The Chapter in Brief
387(2)
Terms to Remember
389(1)
Suggested Readings
389(2)
CHAPTER 14 Democracy in Action: We, the People
391(34)
American Democracy
392(1)
How is America Governed?
392(6)
Elitism
394(2)
Pluralism
396(1)
Conflict and Consensus
396(1)
A Realistic Democracy
397(1)
Interest Groups
398(8)
Functions of Interest Groups
398(2)
Formation and Growth of Interest Groups
400(1)
Lobbyists
401(1)
PACs
401(3)
Shortcomings of Interest Groups
404(2)
Political Parties
406(8)
Purpose of Political Parties
407(1)
Functions of Political Parties
408(1)
Features of the American Party System
408(1)
Winner Take All
409(1)
Third Parties
409(1)
The Party System in Decline
410(1)
Dealignment or Realignment?
411(3)
The High Cost of Campaigning
414(3)
Participating in the Political Process Through the Vote
417(1)
Voting
418(2)
The Nonvoters
418(2)
Political Opinion Making
420
Public and Political Opinion
420(1)
The Mass Media
420(2)
Sound Bites
422
Box 14.1 The Ties That Bind: Government and Special Interests
402(10)
Box 14.2 The Radical Center or the Moderate Middle?
412(10)
The Chapter in Brief
422(1)
Terms to Remember
423(1)
Suggested Reading
423(2)
CHAPTER 15 The Economy: Concepts and History
425(32)
The Institution of the Economy
426(5)
Economic Decision Making
427(1)
Basic Elements of the Economy
428(1)
Factors of Production
428(1)
Economic Choices and Opportunity Costs
429(1)
Limits to Output: The Production Possibilities Frontier
429(1)
Specialization of Labor
430(1)
Trade, Barter, and Money
430(1)
Contemporary Economic Systems: How Choices Are Made
431(1)
Western Economies in Historical Perspective
432(1)
The Birth of Capitalism
432(1)
Aspects of Industrial Capitalism
433(4)
The Corporate Form of Industrial Organization
434(2)
From Competition to Advertising
436(1)
Diversification and Multinationalism
437(1)
The Nature of Work in the Industrial Society
438(3)
Shifting Sectors
439(1)
Professionalization
440(1)
The Corporate Bureaucracy
441(1)
The Executive
441(1)
Middle Management: White-Collar Workers
442(1)
Industrial Workers
442(3)
The Factory System
444(1)
The American Labor Movement
445(4)
Collective Bargaining
446(1)
The Labor Movement Today
446(1)
Growth of Public-Sector Unions
448(2)
Decline of Unionism
448(1)
American Labor Versus the Global Economy
449(3)
Productivity and Wages
450(2)
New Styles of Production and Management
452
Past Methods of Production: Craft and Mass
453(1)
The Current System of Lean Production
453
Box 15.1 The Japanese Management Model
443(4)
Box 15.2 An American Icon: Walter Reuther
447(7)
The Chapter in Brief
454(1)
Terms to Remember
455(1)
Suggested Reading
456(1)
CHAPTER 16 Economics: Micro and Macro Views
457(23)
The Small Picture and the Large Picture
458(4)
Market Mechanisms
458(1)
Who Makes Decisions?
459(1)
Who Participates in the Economy?
460(1)
Markets
460(1)
The Circular Flow
460(2)
Market Forces
462(4)
Demand, Supply, and Price
463(2)
Price Elasticity
465(1)
The Principle of Laissez-Faire and Public Needs
465(1)
A Macroview
466(7)
The Public Interest: Socioeconomic Goals
466(1)
Full Employment
467(2)
Desirable Mix of Output
469(1)
High and Equitably Distributed Incomes
470(1)
Reasonable Price Stability
470(2)
Adequate Growth
472(1)
Box 16.1 The Winner-Take-All Economy
473(4)
The Chapter in Brief
477(1)
Terms to Remember
478(1)
Suggested Readings
479(1)
CHAPTER 17 Government and the Economy: A Marriage Made in Heaven?
480(21)
Instruments of Public Policy
481(3)
Fiscal Policy
482(1)
The Function of Price and Employment Stabilizers
483(1)
The Federal Budget
483(1)
Fiscal Decision Making
484(1)
Monetary Policy
484(2)
Banks
484(1)
Interest Rates
485(1)
Regulating Banks
485(1)
The Federal Reserve, or the "Fed"
485(1)
Incomes Policy
486(6)
Economic Problems and Government Response
487(2)
Business Cycles
489(1)
Demand-Side Theories
490(1)
Supply-Side Theories
490(1)
Eclectic Theories
490(1)
Theory and Reality
491(1)
Evaluating the Economy: Instruments and Criteria
492(1)
The GDP and Other Measurements
492(1)
The American Economy: A Summation
493(3)
Fitting into the Global Economy
496(1)
Box 17.1 Individualism or Communitarianism?
496(2)
The Chapter in Brief
498(1)
Terms to Remember
499(1)
Suggested Readings
500(1)
CHAPTER 18 Nation Among Nations: Perspectives on International Relations
501(37)
Theoretical Perspectives on International Relations
504(1)
Realism
504(1)
Contemporary Perspectives
505(2)
Pluralism
505(1)
Globalism
506(1)
Neorealism
506(1)
Participants in the International System
507(1)
Actors
507(1)
The State and the Nation
508(3)
Classification of States
509(2)
The Goals of States
511(2)
The Competition of Objectives
512(1)
Means of Achieving Goals: Foreign Policy
513(2)
Types of Foreign Policy Decisions
514(1)
American Foreign Policy
515(1)
Goals
515(1)
The Role of Ideology
516(1)
US Foreign Policy in Historical Perspective
516(5)
Interventionism
517(1)
Internationalism
517(1)
Postwar Period: Containment
517(1)
The Atomic Age
518(1)
Vietnam
518(3)
Values, Roles, and Instruments of Foreign Policy
521(5)
The United Nations
521(2)
Foreign Aid
523(1)
Collective Security
523(1)
The Military
524(1)
Propaganda
526(1)
Diplomacy and Diplomats
527(4)
Treaties and Alliances
528(1)
Morality in Foreign Policy
529(1)
Power
530(1)
The Balance-of-Power System
531(2)
The Multipolar System
531(1)
The World Wars
532(1)
The Bipolar System
532(1)
And Tomorrow?
533
Box 18.1 Diplomacy
528(7)
The Chapter in Brief
535(1)
Terms to Remember
536(1)
Suggested Reading
537(1)
Appendix538(12)
References550(12)
Credits562(1)
Index563

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