This text uses an eclectic and comprehensive blend of theoretical viewpoints to analyze contemporary problems, helps students see how social problems are socially constructed, and provides many cross-cultural examples of problems in other societies.

Parrillo uses an eclectic and comprehensive blend of theoretical viewpoints to analyze contemporary problems, shows how social problems are socially constructed, and provides many cross-cultural examples of problems in other societies. Brief sociohistorical perspectives at the beginning of each chapter show how the extent of problems in the U.S., as well as our perception of them, have changed over time.