9780133909593

For courses in Social Problems

Frame social problems, and identify solutions, through the lens of politics.
Always controversial, and ever more polarizing in today’s political climate, social problems take up a huge chunk of our cultural bandwidth. Rather than simply presenting social problems as a series of facts, the sixth edition of Social Problems focuses on how people construct problems, and how they develop potential solutions, based on their political attitudes.

Analyzing issues from liberal, radical-left, conservative, and libertarian points of view, author John Macionis explains why people disagree about what the problems are, and how one person’s “problem” may well be another’s “solution.” Once you understand how social problems are defined politically, you'll be able to develop your own positions, and you'll have the knowledge you need to engage in solving social problems through activism and political discussion.

Social Problems, Sixth Edition is also available via REVEL™, an immersive learning experience designed for the way today's students read, think, and learn. Learn more.

John J. Macionis was born and raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He earned a bachelor’s degree from Cornell University and a doctorate in sociology from the University of Pennsylvania.

John Macionis' publications are wide-ranging, focusing on community life in the United States, interpersonal intimacy in families, effective teaching, humor, new information technology, and the importance of global education.

In addition, John Macionis and Nijole V. Benokraitis have edited the best-selling anthology Seeing Ourselves: Classic, Contemporary, and Cross-Cultural Readings in Sociology. Macionis and Vincent Parrillo have written the leading urban studies text, Cities and Urban Life (Pearson). Macionis’ most recent textbook is Social Problems (Pearson).

John Macionis is Professor and Distinguished Scholar of Sociology at Kenyon College in Gambier, Ohio, where he has taught for almost thirty years. During that time, he has chaired the Sociology Department, directed the college’s multidisciplinary program in humane studies, presided over the campus senate and the college’s faculty, and taught sociology to thousands of students.

In 2002, the American Sociological Association presented Macionis with the Award for Distinguished Contributions to Teaching, citing his innovative use of global material as well as the introduction of new teaching technology in his textbooks.

Professor Macionis has been active in academic programs in other countries, having traveled to some fifty nations. He writes, “I am an ambitious traveler, eager to learn and, through the texts, to share much of what I discover with students, many of whom know little about the rest of the world. For me, traveling and writing are all dimensions of teaching. First, and foremost, I am a teacher–a passion for teaching animates everything I do.”

At Kenyon, Macionis teaches a number of courses, but his favorite class is Introduction to Sociology, which he offers every semester. He enjoys extensive contact with students and invites everyone enrolled in each of his classes to enjoy a home-cooked meal.

The Macionis family–John, Amy, and children McLean and Whitney–live on a farm in rural Ohio. In his free time, Macionis enjoys tennis, swimming, hiking, and playing oldies rock-and-roll (he recently released his first CD). Macionis is as an environmental activist in the Lake George region of New York’s Adirondack Mountains, working with a number of organizations, including the Lake George Land Conservancy, where he serves as president of the board of trustees.

I. SOCIOLOGY’S BASIC APPROACH
1. Sociology: Studying Social Problems

II. PROBLEMS OF SOCIAL INEQUALITY
2. Poverty and Wealth
3. Racial and Ethnic Inequality
4. Gender Inequality
5. Aging and Inequality

III. PROBLEMS OF DEVIANCE, CONFORMITY, AND WELL-BEING
6. Crime, Violence, and Criminal Justice
7. Sexuality
8. Alcohol and Other Drugs
9. Physical and Mental Health

IV. PROBLEMS OF SOCIAL INSTITUTIONS
10. Economy and Politics
11. Work and the Workplace
12. Family Life
13. Education
14. Urban Life

V. GLOBAL PROBLEMS
15. Population and Global Inequality
16. Technology and the Environment
17. War and Terrorism

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Social Problems, 6e

Social Problems, 6e

013390959X

Summary

Author Biography

Table of Contents

Supplemental Materials