SOCIOLOGY: THE ESSENTIALS, Eighth Edition, uses the theme of debunking myths to look behind the facades of everyday life, encourage you to question common assumptions, and help you better understand how society is constructed and sustained. This thorough yet streamlined text provides exceptional coverage of diversity, including social factors such as age, religion, sexual orientation, and region of residence, in addition to race, ethnicity, class, and gender. Updated with coverage of the latest findings, trends, and themes, this new edition's reader-friendly presentation teaches you the concepts, methods, and research that will sharpen your "sociological imagination" and help you view the world from a different perspective.