Sociology - A Critical Approach (Paperback, New edition)

This book encourages students to develop what C. Wright Mills called a "sociological imagination," enabling them to see how their position in society and in history shapes their personal lives. Using a critical approach, the authors raise analytical questions and explore the social forces (from global social systems, to institutions, to gender, age and race) that affect each individual's life and life chances. While focusing on the influence of power and privilege on society's haves and have-nots, the authors suggest the need for social change. After an initial chapter describing the sociological imagination, students are introduced to the core concepts used to analyze the organization and operation of society, covering topics from the "macro" (the importance of a society's place in the world system) to the "micro" (the impact of socialization on the individual). Part 2 focuses on the institutions that play a central role in people's lives. The text teaches students to use the sociological imagination to see how the institutions they have taken for granted affect their lives for better or for worse. In Part 3, a unique final chapter focuses on four emerging issues: globalization; environmental racism; the impact of the Internet on society and the world system; and the globalization of militarism and the rising threat of global terrorism.