Like its predecessors, the tenth edition of this text reflects Rick Schaefer's mission to bring readers a comprehensive, up-to-date presentation that teaches them how to think critically about society and their own lives from a wide range of classical and contemporary perspectives. Combining balanced coverage of theory with current research findings, distinctive social policy sections, examples of interest to students, and abundant learning aids and exercises, this text will help students develop a sociological imagination.

"The introductory sociology class provides the ideal laboratory in which to study our own society and those of our global neighbors. The distinctive emphasis on social policy found in this text shows students how to use the sociological imagination in examining such public policy issues as sexual harassment, the AIDS crisis, welfare reform, the death penalty, and privacy and censorship in an electronic age." Richard T. Schaefer

New to this edition

• Greatly increased coverage of globalization includes new sections on thinking globally (Chapter 1); transnational crime (Chapter 8); the impact of global immigration (Chapter 11); war, peace, and terrorism (Chapter 17); the impact of globalization on population and the environment (Chapter 21); privacy and censorship in a global village (Chapter 23); and more. In addition, a new endpaper world map points out key globalization sections, two new "Social Policy" sections address offshoring service jobs and transnationals, and a new "Sociology in the Global Community" box discusses the global response to the 2004 tsunami.
• Evidenced by its coverage of the latest events, including Hurricane Katrina in Chapters 1, 9, and 22, this edition has been thoroughly updated. It includes the most recent data and research findings, much of which were published in the last three years. Recent data from the Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Population Reports, the Population Reference Bureau, the World Bank, the United Nations Development Programme, and the Centers for Disease Control have been incorporated. For a more complete, chapter-by-chapter listing of the most significant new material in this edition, please see the text's Preface.
• Six new chapter-opening excerpts, drawn from sociological writings, convey the excitement and relevance of sociological inquiry: Paradise Laborers: Hotel Work in the Global Economy by Patricia A. Adler and Peter Adler (Chapter 2); Born to Buy: The Commercialized Child and the New Consumer by Juliet B. Schor (Chapter 3); The Working Poor: Invisible in America by David K. Shipler (Chapter 9); ?Arnold Schwarzenegger, Ally McBeal, and Arranged Marriages: Globalization on the Ground in India,? by Steve Derné (Chapter 10); Lipstick Jihad: A Memoir of Growing Up Iranian in America and America in Iran by Azadeh Moaveni (Chapter 12); and Unequal Childhoods: Class, Race, and Family Life by Annette Lareau (Chapter 14).
• Six new "Social Policy" sections help students apply sociological principles and theories to important social and political issues currently under debate by policymakers and the general public: racial profiling (Chapter 11), gay marriage (Chapter 14), the "No Child Left Behind" Act (Chapter 16), global offshoring (Chapter 18), disability rights (Chapter 22), and transnationals (Chapter 23).
• A brand-new, modern design and layout for the tenth edition achieves a contemporary look and feel for presenting the content of sociology. Three new photo essays help spark students’ interest in sociology: "Are You What You Eat?" (Chapter 3), "Why Do We Gather Together?" (Chapter 5), and "What Is a Family?" (Chapter 14).
• Reel Society Interactive Movie CD-ROM 2.0 icons highlight related material on the Reel Society Interactive Movie CD-ROM, available with this book.
• Four new U.S. maps illustrate important sociological trends and developments.
• New Online Learning Center website features interactive quizzes, video clips with accompanying essay questions, interactive maps, two interactive games (Name That Sociologist and What Perspective Am I?), diagnostic midterm and final exams, links to additional information about the chapter-opening excerpts and their authors, and SurveyMaker--software that allows students to construct and electronically disseminate their own polls for class research projects.