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EIGHTH EDITION

Essentiaís
of Sociology
Anthony Giddens
London School of Economics

Mitchell Duneier
Princeton University

Richard P. Appelbaum
University of California, Santa Barbara

Deborah Carr
Boston University

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Ñames: Giddens, Anthony, author. I Duneier, Mitchell, author. I Appelbaum,

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Title: Essentials of sociology / Anthony Giddens, London School of
Economics, Mitchell Duneier, Princeton University, Richard P. Appelbaum,
University of California, Santa Barbara, Deborah Carr, Boston University.
Description: Eighth Edition. I New York : W. W. Norton & Company, 2021. I
Revised edition of Essentials of sociology, [2019] I Ineludes
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Contents
PREFACE xix

Chapter i: Sociology: Theory and Method 2

WHAT IS THE "SOCIOLOGICA!. IMAGINATION"? 5

Studying Sociology 7
Developing a Global Perspective 8
Globalization by the Numbers: Opinión of the United States 9
Understanding Social Change 10

WHAT THEORIES DO SOCIOLOGISTS USE? 11

Early Theorists 11
Neglected Founders 14
Modern Theoretical Approaches 16
Digital Life: Bullying Goes Viral 19
Theoretical Thinking in Sociology 20
Levels of Analysis: Microsociology and Macrosociology 21

WHAT KINDS OF QUESTIONS

CAN SOCIOLOGISTS ANSWER? 21

WHAT ARE THE STEPS OF

THE RESEARCH PROCESS? 23

1. Define the Research Problem 23

2. Review the Evidence 23
3. Make the Problem Precise 24
4. Work Out a Design 24

Contents v
 5. Carry Out the Research
6. Interpret the Results 24
7. Report the Findings 25

WHAT RESEARCH METHODS DO SOCIOLOGISTS USE? 25

Ethnography
Surveys
Experiments 29
Comparative and Historical Research 30

WHAT ETHICAL DILEMMAS DO SOCIOLOGISTSFACE? 31

HOW DOES THE SOCIOLOGICAL IMAGINATION

AFFECT YOUR UFE? 35
Employing Your Sociological Imagination: What Can You Do
with a Socioiogy Major? 36
The Big Picture 38

Chapter 2: Culture and Society 40

WHAT IS CULTURE? 43
Defining "Culture": Nonmaterial Culture 43
Defining "Culture”: Material Culture 47
Culture and Society 48

HOW DOES HUMAN CULTURE DEVELOP? 49

Early Human Culture: Adaptation to Physical Environment 49
Nature or Nurture? 30
How Nature and Nurture Interact 51
Cultural Diversity 53
Digital Life: The Secret Power of Cultural Norms and Valúes 55
Cultural Universals 57
Culture and Social Development 58

WHAT HAPPENED TO PREMODERN SOCIETIES? 58

The Earliest Societies: Hunters and Gatherers 58
Pastoral and Agrarian Societies 59
Traditional Societies or Civilizations 60

HOW HAS INDUSTRIALIZARON SHAPED

MODERN SOCIETY? 60
The Industrialized Societies 60
Global Development 62

vi Contents
HOW DOES GLOBALIZATION AFFECT
CONTEMPORARY CULTURE? 63
Does the Internet Promote a Global Culture? 64
Globalization by the Numbers: National Identity 65
Employing Your Sociological Imagination: International Student Adviser 66
Globalization and Local Cultures 68
The Big Picture 70

Chapter y Socialization, the Life Course,

and Aging 72

HOW ARE CHILDREN SOCIALIZED? 75

Theories of Child Development 76
Agents of Socialization 78
Social Roles 82
Identity 82
Gender Socialization 83
Digital Life: New Apps Challenge Kids—and the Gender Binary 85
Race Socialization 87

WHAT ARE THE FIVE MAJOR STAGES

OF THE LIFE COURSE? 88
Childhood 88
The Teenager 88
Young Adulthood 89
Midlife or "Middle Age” 89
Later Life 90

HOW DO PEOPLE AGE? 91

The Meanings of "Age” 91
Growing Oíd: Trends and Competing Sociological Explanations 91
Globalization by the Numbers: Life Course Transitions 93

WHAT ARE THE CHALLENGES OF AGING IN

THE UNITED STATES? 95
Health Problems 96
Globalization by the Numbers: Graying of the World 97
Eider Abuse 98
Social Isolation 99
Employing Your Sociological Imagination: Activities Director
at a Nursing Home 100
Prejudice 100
The Big Picture 102

Contents v
 Chapter 4: Social Interaction
and Everyday Life in the
Age of the Internet 104
WHAT IS SOCIAL INTERACTION AND WHY STUDY IT? 106
Focused and Unfocused Interaction 108
Nonverbal Communication 1^9
Nonhumans in Social Interaction m

HOW DO WE MANAGE IMPRESSIONS IN DAILY LIFE? 112

Social Roles H2
Front and Back Regions H3
Impression Management H3

WHAT RULES GUIDE HOW WE COMMUNICATE

WITH OTHERS? 11*
Ethnomethodology 115
Digital Life: Turning Away from Face-to-Face Interaction 116
Interactional Vandalism 117
Response Cries 118
Personal Space H®
Eye Contact 119

HOW DO TIME AND SPACE AFFECT OUR INTERACTIONS? 119

Globatization by the Numbers: Who Owns a Smartphone? 121

Clock Time 122

The Compulsión of Proximity 122

HOW DO THE RULES OF SOCIAL INTERACTION AFFECT

YOUR LIFE? 124
Women and Men in Public 124
Race and the Public Sphere 126
The Big Picture 130

Chapter 5: Networks, Groups, and

Organizations 132
Digital Life: Crowdfunding and the Strength of Weak Ties 135

HOW DO WE BENEFIT FROM SOCIAL NETWORKS? 136

The Internet as Social Network 136
Globatization by the Numbers: Internet Connectivity 137

WHAT ARE SOCIAL GROUPS? 138

Groups: Variety and Characteristics 139

v¡i ¡ Contents
The Effects of Size 141
Types of Leadership 142
Conformity 143

HOW DO ORGANIZATIONS FUNCTION? 145

Theories of Organizations 146

IS BUREAUCRACY AN OUTDATED MODEL? 150

The Transformation of Management 151
Technology and Modern Organizations 152
The "McDonaldization" of Society 153

HOW DO ORGANIZATIONS AND GROUPS AFFECT

YOUR LIFE? 154
Social Capital: The Ties That Bind 154
Employing Your Sociological Imagination: From Organizational
Consultant to CEO 156
The Big Picture 158

Chapter 6: Deviance, Crime,

and Punishment 160
WHAT IS DEVIANCE? 164
Norms and Sanctions 165

WHY DO PEOPLE COMMIT DEVIANT ACTS? 166

The Biological View of Deviance 166
The Psychological View of Deviance 167
Sociological Perspectives on Deviance 168
Theoretical Conclusions 173

HOW DO WE DOCUMENT CRIME? 174

The Great Crime Decline 175
Criminal Victimization 176

WHO ARE THE PERPETRATORS? 177

Gender and Crime 177
Youth and Crime 178
Crimes of the Powerful 179
Organized Crime 181

WHAT WERE THE CAUSES AND COSTS OF THE

GREAT CRIME DECLINE? 182
Prisons 182
The Death Penalty 184

Contents ix
 Globalization by the Numbers: Incarceration Rates 185
Policing
Digital Life: Using Cameras to Pólice the Pólice 18?
The Benefits of the Crime Decline 189
Employing Your Sociological Imagination: Law Enforcement:
Pólice Officer and Civilian Employee 190

HOW DO CRIME AND DEVIANCE AFFECT YOUR LIFE? 192

The Costs of Crime 192
The Functions of Deviance 192
The Big Picture 194

Chapter y: Stratification, Class,

and Inequality 196

WHAT IS SOCIAL STRATIFICATION? 198

Slavery 199
Caste Systems 199
Class 200
Theories of Stratification in Modern Societies 202
Digital Life: Does the Digital Divide Still Matter? 203

HOW IS SOCIAL CLASS DEFINED IN

THE UNITED STATES? 207
Income 207
Wealth 207
Education 209
Employing Your Sociological Imagination: Corporate Recruiter 210
Occupation 211
A Picture of the U.S. Class Structure 211
Globalization by the Numbers: Income Inequality 214

WHAT ARE THE CAUSES AND CONSEQUENCES

OF SOCIAL INEQUALITY IN THE UNITED STATES? 216
Ethnic Minorities Versus White Americans 217
Social Mobility 218

HOW DOES POVERTY AFFECT INDIVIDUALS? 220

Measuring Poverty 221
Who Are the Poor? 222
Explaining Poverty: The Sociological Debate 225
Social Exclusión 226

HOW DOES SOCIAL INEQUALITY AFFECT YOUR LIFE? 228

The Big Picture 230

X Contents
 Chapter 8: Global Inequality 232
WHAT IS GLOBAL INEQUALITY? 235
High-lncome Countries 236
Globalization by the Numbers: Global Inequality 237
Middte-lncome Countries 238
Low-lncome Countries 238

WHAT IS DAILY LIFE LIKE IN RICH VS.

POOR COUNTRIES? 240
Health 240
Digital Life: Can Apps Heal Global Inequalities? 241
Hunger and Malnutrition 242
Education and Literacy 243
Child Labor 244

CAN POOR COUNTRIES BECOME RICH? 244

HOW DO SOCIOLOGICAL THEORIES EXPLAIN

GLOBAL INEQUALITY? 246
Neoliberal Theories 247
Dependency Theories 248
World-Systems Theory 249
Global Capitalism Theory 252
Evaluating Global Theories of Inequality 253
Employing Your Sociological Imagination:
Public Sociologist: Sociology in Action 254

WHAT DOES RAPID GLOBALIZATION MEAN FOR

THE FUTURE OF GLOBAL INEQUALITY? 257
The Big Picture 260

Chapter 9; Gender Inequality 262

ARE GENDER DIFFERENCES DUE TO NATURE,
NURTURE, OR BOTH? 265
The Role of Biology 265
Gender Socialization 267
The Social Construction of Gender 268
Cross-Cultural and Historical Findings 269

HOW DO GENDER INEQUALITIES PLAY OUT IN

SOCIAL INSTITUTIONS? 272
Education 273
Women and the Workplace 275
Globalization by the Numbers: Gender Inequality 281

Contents XI
 The Family and Gender Issues ¿°¿
Gender Inequality in Politics 28*

WHY ARE WOMEN TARGETS OF VIOLENCE? 285

Digital Life: "His” and "Hers” Apps? 286

Rape _ 287
Sexual Violence against Women: Evidence of "Rape Culture"? 288

HOW DOES SOCIAL THEORY EXPLAIN

GENDER INEQUALITY? 289
Functionalist Approaches 289
Employing Your Sociological Imagination: Domestic Violence Advócate 290
Feminist Approaches 29^

HOW CAN WE REDUCE GENDER-BASED AGGRESSION? 294

The Big Picture 296

Chapter ío: Race, Ethnicity, and Racism 298

WHAT ARE RACE AND ETHNICITY? 301
Race
Ethnicity 282
Globalization by the Numbers: Racial & Ethnic Populations 303
Minority Groups 304
Multiracial and Multiethnic Identities 305

WHY DO RACIAL AND ETHNIC ANTAGONISM EXIST? 306

Psychological Theories 306
Sociological Interpretations 308
Ethnic Antagonism: A Historical Perspective 309
Models of Ethnic Integraron 310

HOW DOES RACISM OPERATE IN AMERICAN

SOCIETY TODAY? 311
Institutional Racism 311
Interpersonal Racism 313

WHAT ARE THE ORIGINS AND NATURE OF ETHNIC

DIVERSITY IN THE UNITED STATES? 317
Early Colonization 317
Immigrant America in the Twentieth and Twenty-First Centuries 318
Blacks in the United States 320
Flispanics and Latinos in the United States 321
Asians in the United States 323

xii Contents
HOW DO RACE AND ETHNICITY AFFECT
THE UFE CHANCES OFDIFFERENT GROUPS? 323
Educational Attainment 324
Employment and Income 325
Digital Life: What Are You, Anyway? 326
Health 327
Residential Segregaron 328
Political Power 329
Gender and Race 330
Divergent Fortunes 330

HOW DO SOCIOLOGISTS EXPLAIN RACIAL INEQUALITY? 333

IQ-Based Explanations 333
Cultural Explanations 334
Economic Explanations 334
Racial Discrimination-Based Explanations 335
The Big Picture 336

Chapter 11: Families and Intímate

Relationships 338
Basic Concepts 341

HOW DO SOCIOLOGICAL THEORIES

CHARACTERIZE FAMILIES? 342
Functionalism 342
Symbolic Interactionist Approaches 343
Feminist Approaches 344

HOW HAVE FAMILIES CHANGED OVER TIME? 346

Changes in Family Patterns Worldwide 347

WHAT DO MARRIAGE AND ROMANTIC PARTNERSHIPS

IN THE UNITED STATES LOOK LIKE TODAY? 348
Dating 348
Marriage 350
Race, Ethnicity, and American Families 352
Digital Life: Dating and Mating Online 358
Social Class and the American Family 359
Divorce and Separation 360
Repartnering and Stepparenting 362
Single-Parent Households 363

Contents x
 WHY DOES FAMILY VIOLENCE HAPPEN? 364
^64
Child Abuse
Intímate Partner Víolence (IPV)
Employing Your Sociological Imagination: Marriage and Family Therapist 366

HOW DO NEW FAMILY FORMS AFFECT YOUR LIFE? 366

Cohabitaron 366
Same-Sex-Parent Familíes
Globalization by the Numbers: Maternity Leave 369

Being Single
Being Chitd-Free
The Big Picture 374

Chapter 12: Education and Religión 376

WHY ARE EDUCATION AND LITERACY SO IMPORTANT? 379
Education and Industrializaron 379
Sociological Theories of Education 381
Education and Literacy in the Developing World 383

WHAT IS THE LINK BETWEEN EDUCATION

AND INEQUALITY? 384
"Fire in the Ashes” 385
Coleman’s Study of “Between-School Effects” in American Education 386
The Resegregation of American Schools? 387
Tracking and "Within-School Effects" 388
The Social Reproduction of Inequality 389
Intelligence and Inequality 390
Education Reform in the United States 391

HOW DO SOCIOLOGISTS THINK ABOUT RELIGION? 393

Theories of Religión 395

HOW DOES RELIGION AFFECT LIFE THROUGHOUT

THE WORLD? 400
Types of Religious Organizations 400
Globalization and Religión 402
Globalization by the Numbers: Religious Affiliation 404

HOW DOES RELIGION AFFECT YOUR LIFE IN THE

UNITED STATES? 405
Trends in Religious Affiliation 405
Digital Life: From Pulpits to ¡Pads? 407
Religious Affiliation and Socioeconomic Status 409
The Big Picture 412

XIV Contents
 Chapter íy Politics and Economic Life 414
HOW DID THE STATE DEVELOP? 418
Characteristics of the State 418

HOW DO DEMOCRACIES FUNCTION? 421

Participatory Democracy 421
Monarchies and Liberal Democracies 421
The Spread of Liberal Democracy 422
Populist Authoritarianism 423
Democracy ¡n the United States 423
Employing Your Sociological Imagination: Political Activist 424
Globalization by the Numbers: Voter Turnout 427
The Political Participation of Women 429
Who Rules? Theories of Democracy 430
Democracy in Trouble? 433

WHAT IS THE SOCIAL SIGNIFICANCE OF WORK? 434

The Importance of Paid and Unpaid Work 435
Digital Life: Will a Robot Take Your Job? 436
The Importance of the División of Labor 437
Industrial Work 437

WHAT ARE KEY ELEMENTS OF THE MODERN ECONOMY? 440

Corporations and Corporate Power 441

HOW DOES WORK AFFECT EVERYDAYLIFE TODAY? 444

Work and Technology 444
Trends in the Occupational Structure 446
Unequal Pay 448
Unemployment 449
The Future of Work 450
Globalization by the Numbers: Unemployment Rates 451
The Big Picture 452

Chapter 14: The Sociology of the

Body: Health, Illness, and Sexuality 454
HOW DO SOCIAL CONTEXTS AFFECT
THE HUMAN BODY? 457
Eating Disorders 459
The Obesity Epidemic 460
Globalization by the Numbers: Obesity Rates 461

Contents xv
 HOW DO SOCIOLOGISTS UNDERSTAND
HEALTH AND ILLNESS? 463
The Sick Role 463
lllness as "Lived Experience” 464
Changing Conceptions of Health and lllness 466
Digital Life: Can Wearable Tech Keep You Healthy? 469

HOW DO SOCIAL FACTORS AFFECT

HEALTH AND ILLNESS? 470
Social Class-Based Inequalities in Health 471
Race-Based Inequalities in Health 472
Gender-Based Inequalities in Health 474
Disparities in Infectious Diseases Worldwide 475

HOW DO SOCIAL CONTEXTS SHAPE

SEXUAL BEHAVIOR? 477
The Diversity of Human Sexuality 477
Sexuality in Western Culture: A Historical OverView 479
Employing Your Sociological Imagination: Health Care Provider 482
How Does the Social Context of Bodies, Sexuality, and Health
Affect Your Life? 487
The Big Picture 488

Chapter 15: Urbanization,

Population, and the Environment 490
HOW DO CITIES DEVELOP AND EVOLVE? 493
Cities in Traditional Societies 493
Industrializaron and Urbanization 494
Theories of Urbanism 495

HOW DO RURAL, SUBURBAN, AND URBAN

LIFE DIFFER IN THE UNITED STATES? 498
The Decline of Rural America? 499
Suburbanization 499
Urban Problems 501
Gentrification and Urban Renewal 502

HOW DOES URBANIZATION AFFECT LIFE

ACROSS THE GLOBE? 502
Global Cities 503
Inequality and the Global City 503
Urbanization in the Global South 503
Globalization by the Numbers: Urbanization 504
The Future of Urbanization in the Developing World 507

XVI Contents
 WHAT ARE THE FORCES BEHIND WORLD
POPULATION GROWTH? 507
Population Analysis: Demography 508
Dynamics of Population Change 510
Malthusianism 512
The Demographic Transition 513
Employing Your Sociological Imagination: Demographer 514
Prospects for Change 515

HOW DO ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGES

AFFECT YOUR LIFE? 516
Global Environmental Threats 516
Global Warming and Climate Change 517
Digital Life: Tracking Your Ecological Footprint 518
Environmental Social Movements 521
The New Ecological Paradigm ¡n Sociology 523
The Big Picture 526

Chapter 16: Globalization in a

Changing World 528
HOW DOES GLOBALIZATION AFFECT SOCIAL CHANGE? 531
The Physical Environment 532
Political Organizaron 534
Culture 534
Economic Factors 535
Technology 536

WHY DOES TERRORISM SEEM TO BE ON

THE RISE IN THE WORLD TODAY? 537

WHAT ARE SOCIAL MOVEMENTS? 538

Classical Theories of Social Movements 539
Globalization and Social Movements 542
Technology and Social Movements 543
Digital Life: Online Activism Trends Upward 544

WHAT FACTORS CONTRIBUTE TO GLOBALIZATION? 546

Information Flows 546
Political Changes 548
Economic Changes 550
The Globalization Debate 551

Contents XVII
 HOW DOES GLOBALIZATION AFFECT YOUR LIFE? 554
cc/
The Rise of Individualism
Work Patterns
Popular Culture
Globalization and Risk
Globalization and Inequality 558
Globalization by the Numbers: Global Wealth 560
The Big Picture 564

GLOSSARY G1
BIBLIOGRAPHY 81
CREDITS C1
INDEX 11

Xvi¡¡ Contents
 Dreface
We believe that sociology plays an essential role in modern intellectual culture

> and occupies a central place within the social Sciences. We have aimed to write
a book that merges classic sociological theories with up-to-the-minute social
issues that interest sociologists today. We also believe that sociologists must
use rigorous research methods in order to study and understand human behavior. We
highlight findings from ethnographic studies to document the hows and whys of social
behavior and also present current statistical data to document important social trends.
We aim to present material in a “fair and balanced” way. Although each of the authors
has their own perspective on social theories, methods, and social policy, we have worked
hard to ensure that our treatment is unbiased and nonpartisan. We strive to present the
most complete picture of sociology possible. Given the vast array of topics encompassed
by sociology, however, we made difficult choices about what the most essential topics in
sociology are today. We hope readers are engaged, intrigued, and occasionally inspired by
the ideas presented in this book.

About the Essentials Edition

The Eighth Edition of Essentials of Sociology is based on the Twelfth Seagull Edition of
our best-selling full text íntroduction to Sociology. We created the Essentials Edition for
instructors and students who prefer a briefer book. We have reduced the length of the book
by roughly one-third, and we reduced the number of chapters from 20 to 16. Retaining
the themes that have made the full text such a successful teaching tool, we cut selected
topics to focus on the core ideas of sociology and reorganized the chapters around a “big
questions" framework. While briefer than the full text, Essentials of Sociology ineludes
some additional pedagogical aids not present in Introduction to Sociology, including a
greater number of images and current event examples, “Globalization by the Numbers”
infographics, “Employing Your Sociological Imagination” features, and “Digital Life”
features. Combined with a briefer overall exposition, these features help students under­
stand and apply key concepts and theories.

Preface XIX
 Major THienies
The book is constructed around four basic themes that provide its character. The new-
est theme is applying sociology to everyday life. Sociological thinking enables self- ^
understanding, which can in turn inspire an improved understanding of the social
world. Studying sociology can be a liberating experience: It expands our sympathies
and imagination, opens up new perspectives on the sources of our own behavior, and
creates an awareness of cultural settings different from our own. Sociological ideas
challenge dogma, teach appreciation of cultural variety, and allow us insight into the
workings of social institutions. At a more practical level, the text shows how the skills
and knowledge acquired in sociology classes can be applied to far-ranging careers, from
health care to law enforcement (“Employing Your Sociological Imagination" features in
select chapters).
Our second theme is inequalities. Throughout the text, we highlight that import-
ant resources—whether education, health, income, or social support—are not fairly
or evenly distributed to all individuáis. We highlight how gender, race, social class,
and age shape our daily lives in the United States. We also pay keen attention to global
inequalities and reveal how differences in economic and natural resources through­
out the world powerfully influence even very personal experiences—including health,
religión, and relationships.
A third theme of the book is that of social and historical context. Sociology was
born of the transformations that wrenched the industrializing social order of the West
away from the lifestyles characteristic of earlier societies. The pace of social change has
continued to accelerate, and it is possible that we now stand on the threshold of transi-
tions as significant as those that occurred in the late eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.
Sociological study helps us to chart the transformations of our past and grasp the major
lines of development taking place today. Our understanding of the past also contributes
to our understanding of institutions in the present and future.
The fourth fundamental theme of the book is globalization. For far too long, sociology
has been dominated by the view that societies can be studied as independent entities.
But even in the past, societies never really existed in isolation. Today we can see a clear
acceleration in processes of global integration. This is obvious, for example, in the expan­
sión of international trade across the world. The emphasis on globalization also con-
nects closely with the weight given to the interdependence of the industrialized and
developing worlds today. In every chapter, visually engaging full-page “Globalization by
the Numbers” infographics highlight how countries across the globe compare on key
metrics, such as incarceration rates, maternity leave benefits, voter turnout, and gender
inequality—as well as two new infographics on life course transitions and global unem-
ployment rates.
Despite these interconnections, however, societies have their own distinctive attri-
butes, traditions, and experiences. Sociology cannot be taught solely by understanding the
institutions of any one particular society. While we have slanted our discussion toward the
United States, we have also balanced it with a rich variety of materials drawn from other
regions—especially those undergoing rapid social change, such as the Middle East, Asia,
Africa, and Eastern Europe. The book also ineludes much more material on developing
countries than has been usual in introductory texts.

xx Preface
What’s New in the Eighth Edition
All of the chapters in the book have been updated and revised to reflect the most recent
available research and data. Each chapter opens with a contemporary news event or social
trend—ranging from the most local (like a confrontation between a dog walker and
bird-watcher in New York’s Central Park) to the most global (such as the rapid spread of
COVID-19). These events are used to introduce and explain the key sociological concepts,
themes, and studies that are elaborated throughout the text. New to this edition, racial and
ethnic categorizations are considered proper nouns and thus are capitalized. As Temple
University journalism professor Lori Tharps notes, “Black with a capital B refers to people
of the African diaspora. Lowercase black is simply a color” (Tharps, 2014). In the same way,
“White" as a racial category acknowledges the functions of this label in society. Racial des-
ignations are not neutral markers of skin tone but socially constructed categories whose
meanings and boundaries shift over time and place. Treating these categories as proper
nouns recognizes them as such (Appiah, 2020). Other substantive changes inelude.
Chapter 1 Sociology: Theory and Method A new chapter opening narrative draws
from a New York Times story on how COVID-19 rendered socioeconomic differences
between college students newly visible, focusing on two Haverford College students and
the different home situations they returned to at the beginning of the pandemic. The par-
enthetical discussion regarding what is considered a “Western” nation has been updated
in the “What Is the ‘Sociological Imagination?’” section. An explanation of how one would
use a sociological imagination to consider the impact of COVID-19 on one’s own household
has been added. The “Globalization by the Numbers” infographic in this chapter, “Opinión
of the United States," has been updated with 2020 data. The section discussing Herbert
Spencer has been removed. A new key term, rationalization, has been added. The “Digital
Life” box “Bullying Goes Viral" ineludes updated data regarding the number of LGBTQ
students who have been cyberbullied. Divorce rate data have been updated. Table 1.4,
“Opinión of the United States: Comparison of Selected Nations,” has been updated with
the most recent available data.
Chapter 2 Culture and Society Data regarding the number of American adults
who smoke have been updated. Data regarding the percentage of the world that lives and
works in urban areas have been updated. A new “Employing Your Sociological Imagination”
feature explores how a sociological education in culture and globalization can lend itself
well to working as an international student adviser.
Chapter 3 Socialization, the Life Course, and Aging A new key term, desocial-
ization, has been added. An explanation of how Charles Horton Cooley’s looking-glass-self
theory exemplifies core themes of symbolic interactionism has been added. Data from 2019
on how smartphone usage has surpassed televisión viewing (particularly among young
people) have been added. Research on how video games can strengthen intergenerational
relationships is now included. The “Work” section now discusses the increasing numbers
of Americans who work from home. A brief history of the pink-blue gender divide in the
United States has been added to “Gender Learning.” The chapter features a new discussion
of how recent Black Lives Matter protests have heightened the recognition that White
children should learn to recognize and fight racism. Data from the International Labour
Organization regarding the number of child laborers in the world have been added. The

Preface xx
 “Midlife or ‘Middle Age’” section now discusses high divorce rates among midlife persons.
The “Later Life" section ineludes a new discussion of how oíd age has been reinvented in
recent decades. Data on the rapidly growing older adult population have been updated. A
new “Globalization by the Numbers” infographic, “Life Course Transitions,” compares the
mean age of first marriage, first birth, and life expectancy at birth of individuáis globally,
highlighting contemporary delays in marriage and childbirth among young people, partic-
ularly in high-income countries. An additional “Globalization by the Numbers” infographic
in this chapter, “Graying of the World," reveáis growing populations of older adults around
the world and has been updated with recent data. The amount of money older adults spend
out of pocket on health care has been revised with recent numbers. The number of older
adults abused worldwide has been updated. Data concerning the number of older men
and women living alone, as well as those who have been widowed, have been updated.
A discussion concerning how social isolation became more acute for older adults during
the COVID-19 pandemic has been added. The “Employing Your Sociological Imagination”
feature, which explores the tasks of an activities director at a long-term care facility, has
been revised to account for the impact of COVID-19 on nursing homes.

Chapter 4 Social Interaction and Everyday Life in the Age of the Internet The
“Globalization by the Numbers” infographic, “Who Owns a Smartphone?,” has been updated
with the most recent available data.

Chapter 5 Networks, Groups, and Organizations The new chapter opening

narrative describes the first person to catch COVID-19 in New York. To illustrate the
sociological concept of “networks,” it follows the movement of “patient zero” through
various communities and the attendant spread of the virus. In that same vein, the defi-
nition of the key term network has been updated and revised. The section “How Do We
Benefit from Social Networks?” further explores how the concept of “networks” can apply
both to social connections and biological outbreaks. Data updates inelude the number of
American adults using the Internet as well the “Globalization by the Numbers” infographic
“Internet Connectivity,” which highlights the global digital divide by illustrating the per-
centage of each regional population that has access to the Internet. The definition of the
key term organization has been revised. The key term informal networks has been changed to
informal relations. Pew Research Center data from 2019 on the percentage of Americans that
trusts the federal government has been added. Table 5.1, “Applying Sociology to Networks,
Groups, and Organizations,” has been newly added to this chapter, highlighting contempo­
rary applications of theories discussed within the chapter.

Chapter 6 Deviance, Crime, and Punishment The beginning of the chapter dis­
cusses “Operation Varsity Blues”: a nationwide college admissions scandal in which
William Rick Singer helped his affluent clients’ children get accepted into elite institutions
under fraudulent premises. This new chapter introduction highlights the unequal distribu-
tion of justice between the rich and poor in the United States, where incarceration rates are
higher than anywhere else in the world. New Table 6.1, “Applying Sociology to Deviance,"
highlights contemporary applications of theories discussed within the chapter. Figure 6.3,
“Crime Rates in the United States, 1997-2018,” has been updated with recent data. Violent
crime data, including data on rape or sexual assault, robberies, and simple assault, have
been updated. Auto theft reporting data have been added. The discussion of hate crimes
now ineludes more recent data on the number of reported crimes in 2018. The “Gender

XXII Preface
and Crime” discussion has been updated to reflect the number of male versus female
arrestees and imprisonment rates for both groups. The “Prisons” section has been sig-
nificantly updated, with more recent data on the percentage of African American peo-
pie constituíing the total U.S. population as well as the number of executed prisoners in
the United States in 2018. Figure 6.4, “State and Federal Prison Population, 1978-2020,”
has been revised with recent data. Survey data for the percentage of U.S. adults who
support capital punishment have been updated.

Chapter 7 Stratification, Class, and Inequality The new introduction to this

chapter highlights the rise of political candidates such as Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and
Bernie Sanders and points to the increasing popularity of socialist political ideas, partic-
ularly among young adults, in the United States. The section “Theories of Stratification in
Modern Societies” now elaborates on Marx’s definition of capitalism and ineludes a new
subsection on the work and legacy of Erik Olin Wright. The “Digital Life” feature “Does the
Digital Divide Still Matter?” ineludes an updated discussion of smartphone and Internet
usage according to household income. New Table 7.1, “Applying Sociology to Stratification,”
highlights contemporary applications of theories discussed within the chapter. The discus­
sion of income now ineludes data on the percentage of total income that various income
brackets within the United States received from the 1970S to 2018, highlighting the signif-
icant and increasing income disparity between the poorest and richest groups. Figure 7.1,
“Mean Household Income by Income Group, 1967-2018,” has been updated. The “Wealth"
section compares the net worth of various income groups with more recent data and now
ineludes a 2018 study citing unequal loan denial rates between Black and White people.
Figure 7.2, “Median Earnings of Young Adults, 2018,” has been revised with current data.
The “Education” section ineludes updated data on levels of education among different racial
and ethnic groups in the United States. A new “Employing Your Sociological Imagination”
feature, “Corporate Recruiter,” discusses how a sociology degree would prove useful as a
job recruiter. A real-life example of a corporate recruiter working for a large hedge fund in
New York, this new “Employing” feature shows how sociological thinking can be used to
help companies seek out suitable job candidates. The section “A Picture of the U.S. Class
Structure” ineludes updated income brackets and new data on the proportion of the U.S.
population that falls into each socioeconomic group. It also ineludes a new discussion of
Rachel Sherman’s research on the superrich. The discussion about the “underclass” has
been removed. Median household income data between different racial and ethnic groups
have been updated. The “Globalization by the Numbers” infographic “Income Inequality,”
which highlights the unequal distribution of income across the globe, has been updated.
Figure 7.3, “Black and Latino Income as Percentage of White Income,” has been updated.
The definition of the key term absolute poverty has been expanded to account for lack of
access to health care and education. A discussion of the high childhood poverty rates in
the United States relative to the rest of the world has been added to “How Does Poverty
Affect Individuáis?” Pew Research Center data concerning the percentage of Americans
that believe poverty is beyond a person’s control have been updated. Mínimum wage infor-
mation has been updated for several States in the discussion about “The Working Poor.”
Figure 7.4, “Americans Living in Poverty, 2018,” has been updated with current data. The
discussion of “Poverty, Race, and Ethnicity” ineludes updated poverty rates among White,
Black, and Latino populations in the United States. “The Feminization of Poverty” section
has been fully updated with current data on poverty rates among female-headed households

Preface xx
 of various racial and ethnic groups. Data on the percentage of American children living in
poverty generally and according to racial and ethnic groups have been updated. Poverty
rates among elderly Americans of different racial and ethnic groups have been updated.
The discussion of “Social Exclusión” ineludes updated data on the percentages of the
homeless population in the United States that are Black, White, Hispanic, Native American,
and multiracial.

Chapter 8 Global Inequality The definitions for the key terms absolute poverty and
relative poverty have been revised. The “What Is Global Inequality?" section has been updated
to reflect recent changes in the World Bank’s standards for classifying countries by income;
the number of countries in each category has also been updated. This section has been
expanded to inelude a discussion of the informal sector and how GNI fails to inelude this
significant aspect of the global economy. A discussion of the Multidimensional Poverty
Index (MDPI) developed by the United Nations Development Programme explores the
shortcomings of purely economic measures, which fail to account for human development
by hyper-focusing on the economic output of countries. The sections on “High-Income
Countries,” "Middle-Income Countries," and “Low-Income Countries” have been updated
to reflect recent data on the percentage of the world’s population that fails into each income
level, as well as total and per-person GNI for each. A discussion of fertility rates and larger
family sizes in “Low-Income Countries” has been added, along with an exploration of why
and how the global standard of living has slowly risen. The “Globalization by the Numbers”
infographic “Global Inequality,” which highlights the systematic differences in wealth and
power that exist between nations, has been updated with the most current data avail-
able. Global Map 8.1, “Rich and Poor Countries: The World by Income in 2020,” has been
updated. The section on “Health” now discusses how low-income countries suffer the larg-
est consequences of environmental pollution and how high-income countries by and large
contribute to it. Data on the likelihood of child death and illness and overall life expectancy
for low-income countries have been updated. The “Digital Life” box “Can Apps Heal Global
Inequalities?" ineludes updated data on smartphone ownership. The number of people suf-
fering from chronic hunger has been updated in the “Hunger and Malnutrition" section,
while secondary school attendance and literacy data have been updated in “Education
and Literacy." China’s compound growth rate has been updated in “Can Poor Countries
Become Rich?" The term neoliberal has replaced market-oriented throughout the chapter, and
a new section on “Neoliberal Theories" provides a history and explanation of the concept.
The discussion of modernization theory has been revised to emphasize that modernity is a
biased term used to measure how closely a country resembles the United States and other
high-income nations. The key term dependeney theory has been revised. The discussion of
“Dependency Theories” has been expanded to highlight the exploitative nature of capital-
ism and its roots in colonialism. The “World-Systems Theory” section has been completely
rewritten to highlight global commodity chains and uses the creation of the iPhone 11
Pro Max to offer a practical example of what commodity chains look like in action. The
“Global Capitalism Theory” section has been rewritten to explore the theory of global capi-
talism and the transnational capitalist class as defined by William Robinson. New Table 8.1,
“Applying Sociology to Global Inequality,” highlights contemporary applications of theories
discussed within the chapter. A new “Employing Your Sociological Imagination” feature,
“Public Sociologist: Sociologist in Action,” highlights the career of former Brazilian presi-
dent Fernando Henrique Cardoso, who popularized the theory of dependent development.

XXIV Preface
The discussion of global capitalism theory in the section “Evaluating Global Theories of
Inequality” has been revised to emphasize an increasingly powerful transnational capital-
ist class that is reshaping the world economy in its own interests.

Chapter 9 Gender Inequality The “Social Construction of Gender" section now

further clarifies the difference between gender socialization theories and the social con­
struction of gender by comparing the two. The key term cisgender has been added. Data
regarding the number of U.S. States that issue nonbinary identification have been added.
“The Gendering of College Majors” discussion now ineludes data from a 2017 Glassdoor
study on women-dominated college majors and median salaries for careers dominated by
women and men. Table 9.1, “The Gendering of College Majors," has been updated with
more recent data. The discussion of “Women and the Workplace” ineludes updated data on
women over age 16 in the workforce as well as labor forcé statistics for married women
with preschool-aged children. Figure 9.1, “Women’s Participation in the Labor Forcé in
the United States," has been updated with current data. The “Inequalities at Work” section
ineludes updated data on occupations with the highest proportions of women. Figure 9.2,
“The Gender Pay Gap, 1979-2018,” has been updated. The number of sénior roles held by
women globally has been updated with current data. A discussion of the Japanese gov-
ernment’s goals to increase women’s representation in management is now included. New
Table 9.2, “Applying Sociology to Gender,” highlights contemporary applications of theo­
ries discussed within the chapter. The “Globalization by the Numbers" infographic "Gender
Inequality,” which uses the Gender Inequality Index to compare gender inequality through-
out the world, has been updated with current data. The discussion in “Housework and the
Second Shift" has been expanded to inelude a Pew Research Center report on the perceived
importance of sharing chores in a successful marriage. “Gender Inequality in Politics”
ineludes updated information about the number of women in the U.S. Senate and House
of Representatives. Data on the number of women leaders in UN countries and female
representation in national legislatures have been updated in “Gender and Politics: Global
Perspective.” In “Why Are Women Targets of Violence?" data on the number of women
killed or driven to suicide in dowry-related disputes have been updated, along with data
on the number of women killed by intímate partners worldwide and the number of people
subjected to forced labor as a result of human trafficking. A short definition of the term
honor killing has been added within this section as well. The “Digital Life” feature, “‘His’ and
‘Hers’ Apps?" has been revised to inelude a more recent study by the Pew Research Center
on which apps are most popular among men and women.

Chapter 10 Race, Ethnicity, and Racism A new chapter introduction recounts

bird-watcher Christian Cooper’s racist experience with dog walker Amy Cooper in the
Central Park Ramble, highlighting the power of White privilege and Cooper’s deployment
of it. The “Globalization by the Numbers” infographic “Racial & Ethnic Populations,” which
points to the variety in racial and ethnic categories globally, has been updated with current
data. A new section, “Multiracial and Multiethnic Identities,” discusses the increasing num­
ber of Americans who identify as multiracial and multiethnic. This section elaborates on
how multiracial/multiethnic people negotiate their identities among people who cling to
the view that “race” is a monolithic construct. The discussion of “Institutional Racism” has
been completely revised to describe George Floyd’s murder at the hands of the Minneapolis
pólice and the subsequent nationwide protests that brought attention to the unequal treat-
ment of Black Americans at the hands of pólice. New Table 10.1, “Applying Sociology to

Preface
Race and Ethnicity," highlights contemporary applications of theories discussed within the
chapter. The numbers of foreign-born and Hispanic individuáis in the United States and
the proportions of the population they represent have been updated. The discussion of
“Mexican Americans” has been updated with data regarding the percentages of the Mexican
American population that live below the poverty Une, speak English, and hold a bachelor’s
degree. The discussion of “Educational Attainment” ineludes updated data regarding high
school dropout rates and adults with bachelor’s degrees among different racial and ethnic
groups. Figure 10.2, “Educational Attainment by Race and Ethnicity in 2019,” has been
updated with current data. Unemployment rates for adults with bachelor’s degrees among
different racial and ethnic groups have been updated, as well as median household income
for Black and White households. The discussion of “Health” has been completely rewritten
to account for the COVID-19 pandemic and how it exacerbated preexisting health dis-
parities between racial and ethnic groups. This section was further expanded with a new
discussion of infant mortality rates among different racial and ethnic groups. Figure 10.3,
“Earnings by Race and Sex in 2018," has been updated. A new discussion of anti-Asian
prejudice during the COVID-19 pandemic has also been included.

Chapter 11 Families and Intímate Relationships This chapter has been revised to
inelude new research on dating and romantic partnerships. One of the Big Questions has
been updated to account for the primacy of romantic partnerships in the contemporary
United States. The “Basic Concepts” section has been expanded to discuss high contempo­
rary rates of polygamy and the so-called “polygamy belt” extending across various African
countries. Research from Christopher Carrington’s study on same-sex couples and “doing
gender” via household chores has been added to the “Symbolic Interactionist Approaches”
section. New Table 11.1, “Applying Sociology to Families,” highlights contemporary appli­
cations of theories discussed within the chapter. A new section on dating provides his-
torical context for dating and courtship in the West. It also discusses modern romantic
relationships and the use of apps in initiating them. In addition, this section ineludes
research on the “success rates” for arranged and autonomous marriages, and it discusses
interracial dating. A new section on marriage ineludes current data on the median ages of
marriage for men and women in the United States, projected marriage rates for millennials
and Gen Z, and a discussion of how marriage has become an institution of social and eco-
nomic advantage. This section also ineludes updated data on the percentage of households
in which women outearn their husbands and data on the number of young adults cohabi-
tating versus living with a spouse. The section on “Race, Ethnicity, and American Families”
has been thoroughly updated and now ineludes data on the number of young people who
marry someone of a different racial and/or ethnic background than themselves. Data on the
percentage of Mexicans and Cubans within the larger Hispanic population in the United
States have been updated. A discussion of the difficulties that undocumented families have
faced under the Trump administration is now included within the “Hispanic and Latinx-
Origin Families” section. A new subsection in the “Black Families” section (previously the
“African American Families” section) discusses historical and cultural differences between
Black families who have lived in the United States for generations versus Black immigrant
families. Research from one of the first sociological analyses of Black families, The Negro
Family in the United States by E. Franklin Frazier (1939), has been included. A new section
on multiracial families discusses the increasing number of young adults today who date,
cohabitate with, and marry partners from different racial and ethnic backgrounds. This
section also explores research on discrimination faced by interracial partners from family,
friends, and strangers. Figure 11.2, “Divorce Rates in the United States, 1920-2018,” has
been updated. A discussion of how scholarship has shifted from examining the effects of
divorce on children to instead studying family instability more broadly now opens the
“Divorce and Children” section. Research on the increasing number of divorced and wid-
owed people who avoid remarriage has been added. The “Child Abuse” section now high-
lights particularly high rates of child abuse among Native American children and ineludes
broadly updated data on the number of child abuse victims. The number of same-sex cou-
ples living in the United States has been updated and data on the likelihood of same-sex
and different-sex parents to have biological and/or stepehildren have been updated. The
“Globalization by the Numbers” infographic “Maternity Leave,” which compares mandated
maternity leave in 11 different countries, has been updated with more recent data. Rates of
child-free women of various racial and ethnic backgrounds have been updated.

Chapter 12 Education and Religión A new section on homeschooling discusses

the difñculties that have come with remóte learning during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Literacy rates in South and West Asia have been updated. The “Fire in the Ashes” section,
which concerns school funding costs for a low-income school in Chicago versus a wealth-
ier school in a nearby suburb, has been updated to reflect 2019 spending. The “Globalization
by the Numbers” infographic “Religious Afñliation” now ineludes updated data regard-
ing religious afñliation globally and within the U.S. population. The “Trends in Religious
Afñliation” discussion ineludes updated data for the number of Americans who identify as
Christian as well as the number of Americans who are religiously unafñliated. Research
regarding the percentage of Catholics in the United States who attend mass once a week
has been updated.

Chapter 13 Politics and Economic Life The chapter introduction ineludes updated
mínimum wage data for both States and large corporations as well as updated data on the
poverty level in the United States. A new discussion of Democrats and the Raise the Wage
Act of 2019 expands on the changes in mínimum wage discussed in the introduction.
The “Internet and Democratizaron” discussion has been revised to inelude Pew Research
Center data on Internet usage as it correlates to age, wealth, and education. This discus­
sion has been expanded to inelude research on how the Internet has started to overtake
and even replace newspapers and televisión for news. The “Political Parties” section has
been updated to reflect political party identification in the United States as of August 2020.
The discussion of voter identification laws has been updated for 2020. The “Globalization
by the Numbers” infographic “Voter Turnout” ineludes updated global voter turnout for
2018 elections. The “Interest Groups” section ineludes revised data for incumbent House
and Senate members to reflect the 2018 U.S. midterm elections. The discussion of women
in politics has been updated to reflect the increasing number of women in political posi-
tions in the United States. Military spending in the United States has been updated. Pew
Research Center data regarding the decreasing proportion of Americans who say they
trust the federal government have been updated. The section “Democracy in Trouble?” has
been extensively rewritten to highlight American perceptions of the role of the federal
government and how this varíes by demographic. A new key term, housework, has been
added. The “Importance of Paid and Unpaid Work” section now ineludes extensive research
on domestic workers, including the critical role that they play in the informal economy (in

Preface xxv
 the United States specifically) as well as the abuse and exploitation they often suffer as “off
the books” workers. Figure 13.2, “Work Stoppages, 1947-2019,” has been updated. The num-
ber of unionized workers in the United States has been updated. Annual revenues for the
2,000 largest corporations in the world have been revised with current data. The discus-
sion of corporate mergers has been extended to inelude new examples, such as Amazon's
acquisition of Whole Foods Market. The explanation of managerial capitalism has been
extended for clarity. “Transnational Corporations” has been updated with recent data con-
cerning combined revenues for the largest transnational corporations. In the “Automation
and the Skill Debate” section, the discussion of Harry Braverman’s Labor and Monopoly
Capital (1994) has been replaced by Alan Blinder’s research on the U.S. occupational struc-
ture, in which he classified hundreds of different jobs and determined the likelihood that
they would be offshored. This section has been expanded to further discuss automation
and how it affeets our economy today. New Table 13.1, “Applying Sociology to Government,
Political Power, and Social Movements," highlights contemporary applications of concepts
discussed within the chapter. A new section “Unequal Pay” discusses CEO-to-worker gaps
in pay as well as pay gaps by gender and racial or ethnic background. New Figure 13.3,
“Americans' Paychecks, 1984-2018,” charts average hourly wages from 1984 onward to
illustrate how wage rates haven’t changed significantly over decades. The “Unemployment”
section has been expanded to discuss American unemployment rates since World War II;
it also highlights the recession of 2008-2009 and its effect on unemployment rates. A
new “Globalization by the Numbers" infographic, “Unemployment Rates,” compares global
unemployment rates and breaks down unemployment data by gender, race, and educa-
tional background in the United States.

Chapter 14 The Sociology of the Body: Health, lllness, and Sexuality The
chapter introduction has been revised to discuss the COVID-19 pandemic as it illustrates
the connection between social factors and health. The discussion of “Eating Disorders”
ineludes updated data on the number of people suffering from eating disorders in the
United States. Obesity statistics have been updated according to race. The “Globalization
by the Numbers” infographic “Obesity Rates" ineludes updated obesity rates for the United
States and the United Kingdom. In “How Do Social Factors Affect Health and lllness?” a new
discussion of decreasing life expectancy in the United States has been added, as well as an
extended discussion of COVID-19 and how it has disproportionately affected economically
disadvantaged people. Recent research on life expectancy and suicide rates as they differ by
education levels has been added. Research on depression rates among Black and White peo­
ple has been added as well as cáncer rates among Black and White women. Recent research
on the gender gap in life expectancy has been added, along with research suggesting that
COVID-19 has disproportionately affected men. “Gender-Based Inequalities in Health" has
been extended to further discuss the paradox that men tend to die younger but women
report more health problems. New Table 14.1, “Applying Sociology to the Body,” highlights
contemporary applications of theories discussed within the chapter. Research concerning
life expectancy in the United States as it compares to other wealthy countries has been
added. The “Infectious Diseases Today” section now accounts for COVID-19S global pre-
dominance. The discussion of HIV and AIDS has been thoroughly updated with new data
on the number of people globally and within the United States who live with HIV as well
as updated data on the rate at which Black and Hispanic Americans are disproportionately
affected by HIV. “How Do Social Contexts Shape Sexual Behavior?” has been extended to

Xxvii i Preface
clarify terminology related to sexual orientation. Survey data concerning sexual orienta-
tion as it correlates to being bullied at school has been added. Updated data on the percent-
age of Americans who support same-sex marriage have been added. The “Employing Your
Sociological Imagination” feature, “Health Care Provider,” now references a meta-analysis
of 14 studies concerned with the varying rates at which White, Black, and Hispanic patients
received painkillers when in acute pain.

Chapter 15 Urbanizaron, Population, and the Environment The chapter intro-

duction now ineludes a discussion of COVID-i9’s effect on the world economy, with
particular attention paid to the U.S. economy. A discussion about human-made carbón
emissions in China and China’s investment in renewable energy has been added. Data
on air-pollution-related deaths in Delhi have been updated. The discussion on the most
and least urbanized regions in the world has been updated with 2019 data alongside a
new discussion of China’s increasing urbanization. The comparison between the Chicago
School and urban ecology has been shortened and streamlined. The discussion of urban
ecology has also been extended in order to take into account how race and ethnicity factor
into this approach to studying urban life. “Jane Jacobs: ‘Eyes and Ears Upon the Street’”
has been extended to point to the continued relevance of Jacobs’ ideas today. The section
“The Decline of Rural America?" now elaborates on the reasons behind population declines
in rural areas; this section’s discussion of poverty rates has also been streamlined. The
“Suburbanization" section now discusses the history of the “American Dream” and elabo­
rates on the similarities of urban and suburban life. This section is further enhanced by data
on population growth in metropolitan areas between 2010 and 2018. “Urban Problems"
now ineludes a discussion of home ownership and racism as well as research on the exploit-
ative nature of landlord-tenant relationships. The process of gentrification is explained in
“Gentrification and Urban Renewal.” Data on the projected urbanization of populations in
the Global South by 2050 have been added. A discussion of Paul Erlich’s controversial book
The Population Bomb, which warned of the dangers of global population growth, has been
added to the section “What Are the Forces behind World Population Growth?” Population
growth projections made by the United Nations for the next century have been added.
The discussion about demography has been expanded to provide greater clarity on what
the term means. The section on “Basic Demographic Concepts" now ineludes a shortened
explanation of crude birth rates and a new key term: age-specific birth rates. The discussion
of crude birth rates has been extended to inelude recent data on global crude birth rates.
The explanation of the one-child policy in China has been shortened and the discussion
about crude death rates has been extended and updated in order to inelude research on how
the U.S. crude death rate compares globally. Global infant mortality rates have also been
updated. “Dynamics of Population Change” has been extended to discuss the increasing
global population. Global Map 15.1, “Change in Population Growth Rate, 2010-2019," has
been updated. A discussion of differences in population growth between rich and poor
countries has been added. “The Demographic Transition" now ineludes a discussion of
child labor and compulsory schooling. Research from a 2019 United Nations report regard-
ing the decline of nature and the acceleration of species extinction has been added. The
discussion of “Global Environmental Threats" now highlights the role of industrialized
countries in producing trash. The section on “Global Warming and Climate Change” has
been significantly updated to inelude recent research on worldwide energy use, the rising
temperature of the planet, the rise of greenhouse gas emissions, and the State of the earth’s
 oceans, glaciers, and permafrost. A discussion of the possibilities for achieving sustain-
able development has been added, as well as data regarding the number of undernourished
people in the world. The “Digital Life" feature “Tracking Your Ecological Footprint” has
been updated to reflect former president Trump’s decisión to withdraw the United States
from the París Agreement on climate change as of 2020. A new section, “Environmental
Social Movements,” discusses the increase in social movements revolving around climate
change and highlights Greta Thunberg’s role in this regard. This new section also ineludes
recent Pew Research Center data ranging across 26 countries that measures how con­
cerned people are about climate change. A discussion of the term Anthropocene has been
added that highlights the term's significance in our current geological period. New
Table 15.1, “Applying Sociology to Population, Urbanization, and the Environment,”
highlights contemporary applications of concepts discussed within the chapter.

Chapter 16 Globalization in a Changing World The “Digital Life" feature “Online

Activism Trends Upward” now ineludes a discussion of the killing of George Floyd and
how his murder sparked a global movement calling for pólice reform, accountability, and
defunding. This feature box has been further extended to discuss the #MeToo movement
and now provides examples of powerful people who have been accused of sexual miscon-
duct since 2017. The number of satellites currently revolving around the earth has been
updated. The number of people using the Internet worldwide has been updated. The com-
bined revenues of the world’s 500 largest transnational corporations have been updated.
A discussion of the significant drop in the Dow Jones during the COVID-19 pandemic
has been added. New Table 16.2, “Applying Sociology to Globalization in a Changing
World," highlights contemporary applications of concepts discussed within the chapter.
The devastating impact of the Australian brushfires in 2020 and their connection to climate
change is now discussed in “The Spread of ‘Manufactured Risk.’” Data on wealth and which
portions of the global population hold the most of it have been updated. The “Globalization
by the Numbers” infographic “Global Wealth" has been updated to account for increas-
ing global wealth disparities. Research from the Brookings Institution on the number of
people living in extreme poverty and how much money they survive on is now included.
This discussion is further expanded by new data illustrating where the majority of the
global poor live. Data on the global total in merchandise and Service exports have
been updated. “The Campaign for Global Justice” section now accounts for the United
States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) signed in November 2018.

Organization
There is very little abstract discussion of basic sociological concepts at the beginning of
this book. Instead, concepts are explained when they are introduced in the relevant chapters,
and we have sought throughout to ¡Ilústrate them by means of concrete examples. While these
are usually taken from sociological research, we have also used material from other sources
(such as newspaper or popular magazine articles). We have tried to keep the writing style as
simple and direct as possible, while endeavoring to make the book lively and full of surprises.
The chapters follow a sequence designed to help achieve a progressive mastery of the
different fields of sociology, but we have taken care to ensure that the book can be used
flexibly and is easy to adapt to the needs of individual courses. Chapters can be skipped or
studied in a different order without much loss. Each has been written as a fairly autono-
mous unit, with cross-referencing to other chapters at relevant points.

xxx Preface
Study Aids
Every chapter in the Eighth Edition of Essentials ofSociology features:

■ Learning Goals are outlined at the start of the chapter and then recur
throughout the chapter in marginal notations at the beginning of the relevant
sections to promote active learning.
■ “Concept Checks” throughout each chapter help students assess their
understanding of the major topics in the chapter. Each “Concept Check" has
questions that range from reading-comprehension level to those that ask
students to exercise more advanced critical thinking skills.
■ “Digital Life” boxes in every chapter get students thinking critically about
how the Internet and smartphones are transforming the way we date, manage
our health, and even practice religión.
■ “Globalization by the Numbers” infographics transform raw numbers into
visually interesting displays that put the United States in a global context.
Interactive versions in the ebook make the data dynamic and inelude integrated
assignments that engage students with the data.
■ “Big Picture” Concept Maps at the end of every chapter, which intégrate the
“Big Questions,” key terms, and “Concept Checks” into a handy and visually
interesting study tool, serve as both a pre-reading guide to the chapter as well
as a post-reading review.

Acknowledgments
Many individuáis offered us helpful comments and advice on particular chapters, and, in
some cases, large parís of the text. They helped us see issues in a different light, clarified
some difñcult points, and allowed us to take advantage of their specialist knowledge in
their respective fields. We are deeply indebted to them. Special thanks go to Aleksandra
Malinowska, who worked assiduously to help us update data in all chapters and
contributed significantly to editing as well; and Dmitry Khodyakov, who wrote
thought-provoking Concept Check questions for each chapter.
We would like to thank the many readers of the text who have written us with
comments, criticisms, and suggestions for improvements. We have adopted many of their
recommendations in this new edition.

Adalberto Aguirre, University of California, Kim Brackett, Auburn University

Riverside Joy Branch, Southern Union State Community
Francis 0. Adeola, University of New Orleans College
Patricia Ahmed, South Dakota State University Helen Brethauer-Gay, Florida A&M University

Benjamín L. Augustyn, Miami Dade College Edith Brotman, Towson University

Colleen Avedikian, University of Tucker Brown, Austin Peay State University

Massachusetts, Dartmouth Cecilia Casarotti, Hillsborough Community
Debbie Bishop, Lansing Community College College / Webber International University

Sharon Bjorkman, Pikes Peak Community Susan Cody-Rydzewski, Georgia Perimeter

College College

Preface xxx
 Caroline Calogero, Brookdale Community College Timothy L. O’Brien, University of Wisconsin-
Milwaukee
Paul Calarco, Hudson Valley Community College
Daniel O'Leary, Oíd Dominion University
Giana Cicchelli, Fullerton College

Karen Coleman, Winona State University

Takamitsu Ono, Anne Arundel Community
College
w
Dawn Conley, Central Arizona College
Carolyn Pevey, Germanna Community College
Michelle N. Crist, University of Toledo
Robert Pullen, Troy University
Olga Custer, Oregon State University
Dusty Ray, Kansas State University
Raymonda Dennis, Delgado Community
Kent Redding, University of Wisconsin-
College
Milwaukee
Sarah DeWard, Eastern Michigan University
Matt Reynolds, College of Southern Idaho
Jason Dixon, Walters State Community College
James Rice, New México State University
Jonathan Fish, Trident Technical College
Fernando Rivera, University of Central Florida
Bernard Fitzpatrick, Naugatuck Valley
Dan Rose, Chattanooga State Community
Community College
College
Matthew Flynn, Georgia Southern University
Ayesha Saeed, Kansas State University
Clare Giesen, Delgado Community College
Elizabeth Scheel-Keita, St. Cloud State
Ron Hammond, Utah Valley University University
Garrison Henderson, Tarrant County College Dave Seyfert, Pikes Peak Community College
Nicole Hotchkiss, Washington College Luis Sfeir-Younis, University of Michigan

Howard Housen, Broward College John M. Shandra, Stony Brook University

Rahime-Malik Howard, El Centro College Mark Sherry, University of Toledo

Annie Hubbard, Northwest Vista College Rachel Stehle, Cuyahoga Community College

Onoso Imoagene, University of Pennsylvania Larry Stern, Collin College

Kristin Ingellis, Goodwin College Daniel Steward, University of Illinois at

Urbana-Champaign
Jennifer Jordán, University of Wisconsin-
Milwaukee Karen Stewart-Cain, Trident Technical College

Foster Kamanga, Kansas State University Richard Sweeney, Modesto Júnior College

Ryan Kelty, Washington College Adrienne Trier-Bieniek, Valencia College

Qing Lai, Florida International University Jason Ulsperger, Arkansas Tech University

Andrew Lash, Valencia College Thomas Waller, Tallahassee Community

College
Kalyna Lesyna, Palomar College
Candace Warner, Columbia State Community
Danilo Levi, Delgado Community College
College
Ke Liang, Baruch College
Tammy Webb, Goodwin College
Kathleen M. Maurice, Delaware Technical
Phyllis Welch, Florida A&M University
Community College
Debra Welkley, American River College /
Adria McLaughlin, East Tennessee State
California State University, Sacramento
University
Ron Westrum, Eastern Michigan University
Devin Molina, Bronx Community College
Jeremy White, Pikes Peak Community College
Mónita H. Mungo, University of Toledo
Jessica Williams, Texas Woman's University
Jayne Mooney, John Jay College of Criminal
Justice Kristi Williams, Ohio State University

Kendra Murphy, University of Memphis D.J. Wolover, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee

Rafael Narvaez, Winona State University Annice Yarber-Allen, Auburn University

Erica Yeager, Anne Arundel Community College

Cheryl North, Tarrant County College

XXXII Preface
We have many others to thank as well. Samantha Held did a marvelous job of copyediting
the new edition. We are also extremely grateful to project editor Caitlin Moran, who man-
aged the countless details involved in creating the book. Assistant editor Angie Merila
skillfully tracked all the moving parts that go into publishing this complicated project.
Production manager Stephen Sajdak did impressive work guiding the book through pro-
duction so that it carne out on time and in beautiful shape. We also thank Eileen Connell,
our media editor, Ariel Eaton, our associate media editor, and Alexandra Park, our media
editorial assistant for developing all of the useful supplements that accompany the book.
Agnieszka Gasparska and the entire team of designers at Kiss Me I’m Polish gave the
book a stunning design and also managed to digest a huge amount of data to create the
Globalization by the Numbers infographics throughout Essentials ofSociology.
We are also grateful to our editors at Norton—Steve Dunn, Melea Seward, Karl
Bakeman, Sasha Levitt, and Michael Moss—who have made important substantive and
Creative contributions to the book’s chapters and have ensured that we have referenced
the very latest research. We also would like to register our thanks to a number of cur-
rent and former gradúate students—many of whom are now tenured professors at pres-
tigious universities—whose contributions over the years have proved invaluable: Wendy
Cárter, Audrey Devin-Eller, Neha Gondal, Neil Gross, Black Hawk Hancock, Paul LePore,
Alair MacLean, Ann Meier, Susan Munkres, Josh Rossol, Sharmila Rudrappa, Christopher
Wildeman, David Yamane, and Katherina Zippel.

Anthony Giddens
Mitchell Duneier
Richard Appelbaum
Deborah Carr

Preface xxx