This Fourth Edition of George Ritzer’s Introduction to Sociology shows students the relevance of sociology to their lives. While providing a rock-solid foundation, Ritzer illuminates traditional sociological concepts and theories, as well as some of the most compelling contemporary social phenomena: globalization, consumer culture, the digital world, and the “McDonaldization” of society. With examples on every page from current events and contemporary research, and stories about “public” sociologists who are engaging with the critical issues of today, the text demonstrates the power of sociology to explain the world, and the diversity of questions that sociologists seek to answer. New to this Edition New “Trending” boxes focus on influential books written by sociologists that have become part of the public conversation about important issues. Replacing “Public Sociology” boxes, these boxes demonstrate the diversity of sociology's practitioners, methods, and subject matter, and feature such authors as: Michelle Alexander (The New Jim Crow) Elizabeth Armstrong and Laura Hamilton (Paying for the Party) Randol Contreras (The Stick-Up Kids) Matthew Desmond (Evicted) Kimberly Hoang (Dealing in Desire) Arlie Hochschild (Strangers in Their Own Land) Eric Klinenberg (Going Solo) C.J. Pascoe (Dude, You're a Fag) Lori Peek and Alice Fothergill (Children of Katrina) Allison Pugh (The Tumbleweed Society)Updated examples in the text and "Digital Living" boxes keep pace with changes in digital technology and online practices, including Uber, bitcoin, net neutrality, digital privacy, WikiLeaks, and cyberactivism. New or updated subjects apply sociological thinking to the latest issues including: the 2016 U.S. election Brexit the global growth of ISIS climate change President Trump's proposed Mexican border wall further segmentation of wealthy Americans in the "super rich" transgender people in the U.S. armed forces charter schools the legalization of marijuana the Flint water crisis fourth-wave feminism

From the future of work to the nature of our closest relationships, how do we understand the links between our personal troubles and wider public issues in society today? Now into its fourth edition, Public Sociology continues to highlight the relevance of a grounded sociological perspective to Australian social life, as well as encouraging students to apply a sociological gaze to their own lives and the communities in which they live. Public Sociology presents a wide range of topics in a user-friendly and accessible way, introducing key theories and research methods, and exploring core themes, including youth, families and intimate relationships, class and inequality and race and ethnic relations. All chapters have been extensively revised to bring them up to date in a fast-changing social world, reflecting the latest sociological debates in response to changing lifestyles and evolving political landscapes. In addition to updated statistics and research findings, an expanded glossary and the latest citations to the scholarly literature, the text features a completely new chapter on gender and sexualities with expanded discussion of LGBTIQ+. This new edition also explores contemporary issues ranging from the #MeToo movement to marriage equality, fake news and 'alt facts'. This is the essential sociological reference to help students make sense of a complex and challenging world. NEW TO THE FOURTH EDITION: * A new chapter on gender and sexualities and expanded discussion of intersectionality * Exploration of the latest social issues including #MeToo, rising inequality, and the 'post-truth' age * All chapters thoroughly revised and updated with the latest research * Updated book website with extra readings, YouTube clips, and case studies * A new feature, Visual Sociology, helps the reader analyse the power of visual messaging 'With a firm base in the richest traditions of the discipline and with a remarkably approachable format, this book offers an excellent introduction to a wide array of sociology's concerns, making it suitable for all Australian social science undergraduates.' Gary Wickham, Emeritus Professor of Sociology, Murdoch University 'A sophisticated yet accessible introduction to social identities, differences and inequalities, and social transformations.' Jo Lindsay, Professor in Sociology, Monash University 'Sweeping and lucid...communicates with ease and simplicity.' Toni Makkai, Emeritus Professor, College of Arts and Social Sciences, Australian National University

"This text is intended for a one-semester introductory course."--Page 1.

This Fourth Edition of George Ritzer’s Introduction to Sociology shows students the relevance of sociology to their lives. While providing a rock-solid foundation, Ritzer illuminates traditional sociological concepts and theories, as well as some of the most compelling contemporary social phenomena: globalization, consumer culture, the digital world, and the “McDonaldization” of society. With examples on every page from current events and contemporary research, and stories about “public” sociologists who are engaging with the critical issues of today, the text demonstrates the power of sociology to explain the world, and the diversity of questions that sociologists seek to answer. New to this Edition New “Trending” boxes focus on influential books written by sociologists that have become part of the public conversation about important issues. Replacing “Public Sociology” boxes, these boxes demonstrate the diversity of sociology's practitioners, methods, and subject matter, and feature such authors as: Michelle Alexander (The New Jim Crow) Elizabeth Armstrong and Laura Hamilton (Paying for the Party) Randol Contreras (The Stick-Up Kids) Matthew Desmond (Evicted) Kimberly Hoang (Dealing in Desire) Arlie Hochschild (Strangers in Their Own Land) Eric Klinenberg (Going Solo) C.J. Pascoe (Dude, You're a Fag) Lori Peek and Alice Fothergill (Children of Katrina) Allison Pugh (The Tumbleweed Society)Updated examples in the text and "Digital Living" boxes keep pace with changes in digital technology and online practices, including Uber, bitcoin, net neutrality, digital privacy, WikiLeaks, and cyberactivism. New or updated subjects apply sociological thinking to the latest issues including: the 2016 U.S. election Brexit the global growth of ISIS climate change President Trump's proposed Mexican border wall further segmentation of wealthy Americans in the "super rich" transgender people in the U.S. armed forces charter schools the legalization of marijuana the Flint water crisis fourth-wave feminism

"In every chapter, Ferris and Stein use examples from everyday life and pop culture to draw students into thinking sociologically and to show the relevance of sociology to their relationships, jobs, and future goals. Data Workshops in every chapter give students a chance to apply theoretical concepts to their personal lives and actually do sociology.

A comprehensive textbook on the tools of mathematical sociology and their applications Mathematical models and computer simulations of complex social systems have become everyday tools in sociology. Yet until now, students had no up-to-date textbook from which to learn these techniques. Introduction to Mathematical Sociology fills this gap, providing undergraduates with a comprehensive, self-contained primer on the mathematical tools and applications that sociologists use to understand social behavior. Phillip Bonacich and Philip Lu cover all the essential mathematics, including linear algebra, graph theory, set theory, game theory, and probability. They show how to apply these mathematical tools to demography; patterns of power, influence, and friendship in social networks; Markov chains; the evolution and stability of cooperation in human groups; chaotic and complex systems; and more. Introduction to Mathematical Sociology also features numerous exercises throughout, and is accompanied by easy-to-use Mathematica-based computer simulations that students can use to examine the effects of changing parameters on model behavior. Provides an up-to-date and self-contained introduction to mathematical sociology Explains essential mathematical tools and their applications Includes numerous exercises throughout Features easy-to-use computer simulations to help students master concepts