• Chapter 1 introduces the topic of social problems.

• Chapter 2 explains how social movements address social problems and describes sociological explanations for the development of social movements.
• Chapter 3 describes the power frameworks that participants in social movements must deal with in order to achieve success.
• Each following chapter presents overviews of social problems and provides examples of how working together can bring about positive change.
• Social Movements and Special Topics boxes provide information on aspects of specific social problems as well as how people organize and work together to solve them.

List of Boxes
Preface
Acknowledgments
About the Authors

Chapter 1 The Sociology of Social Problems
WHAT IS A SOCIAL PROBLEM?
The Social Context of Social Problems
Opposing Explanations for Social Problems
USING THE SOCIOLOGICAL IMAGINATION TO ADDRESS SOCIAL PROBLEMS
SOCIOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVES ON SOCIAL PROBLEMS
Structural-Functional Perspective
Conflict Perspective
Symbolic-Interactionist Perspective
The Benefit of a Combined Perspective
SOCIOLOGICAL RESEARCH ON SOCIAL PROBLEMS
Survey Research
Experiments
Field Research
Focus Groups
Secondary Data Analysis
Historical and Comparative Research
Chapter Review | Key Terms | Discussion Questions

Chapter 2 The Sociology of Social Movements
WHAT IS A SOCIAL MOVEMENT?
Student Participation in Movements for Social Change
WHY DO SOCIAL MOVEMENTS BEGIN?
Absolute Deprivation and Relative Deprivation Theories
Resource Mobilization Theory
Political Opportunities Theory
Leadership Theory
Framing Theory
Multi-Factor Theory
STAGES OF SOCIAL MOVEMENTS
Incipiency
Coalescence
Institutionalization
Fragmentation
Demise
Revival
SOCIAL MOVEMENTS AND SOCIAL CHANGE
Chapter Review | Key Terms | Discussion Questions

Chapter 3 The Sociology of Power: Economics, Wealth, and Politics
GOVERNMENT TYPES
ECONOMIC AND CLASS SYSTEMS
Capitalism
Socialism
The Reality of Blended Systems
Are There Links between Types of Economies and Types of Political Systems?
THE GROWTH OF THE SIZE AND POWER OF CORPORATIONS
Modern Concentrated Economic Power
CLASS AND ECONOMIC INEQUALITY IN THE UNITED STATESTHE U.S. SOCIAL CLASS SYSTEM
Upper Class
Upper-Middle Class
Middle Class
Working Class
Lower Classes
ECONOMIC INEQUALITY
Income Inequality
Income Inequality Internationally
Wealth Inequality
SOCIAL MOBILITYPOWER IN THE UNITED STATES
The Power Elite
A Ruling Class?
THE POLITICAL SYSTEM AND POLITICAL POWER
Money and Elections
Who Votes?
STRUCTURAL FLAWS IN THE POLITICAL SYSTEM
The Impact of the 2010 Midterm Elections
THE ARMED FORCESECONOMIC AND POLITICAL POWER AND MOVEMENTS FOR CHANGE
Chapter Review | Key Terms | Discussion Questions

Chapter 4 Poverty
WHAT IS POVERTY?
Definition and Measurement of Poverty in the United States
A Profile of the Poor
CONSEQUENCES OF POVERTY
Health
Family Troubles
Limited Education
Poor Housing Conditions
Homelessness
Crime
Barriers to Political Participation
POWERLESSNESS OF THE WORKING POOR
CAUSES OF POVERTY
Individual Characteristics
Social Structure
Cultural Factors
SOCIOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVES ON POVERTY
Structural-Functional Perspective
Symbolic-Interactionist Perspective
Conflict Perspective
PROPOSED SOLUTIONS TO POVERTY
Encourage Personal Reliance
More Effective Government Programs
Change Social Structure
EXISTING ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS
The Great Depression and Social Welfare
Welfare Reform of 1996
Other Assistance Programs
Childbirth-Related Leave Policies and Publicly Supported Child Care
Chapter Review | Key Terms | Discussion Questions

Chapter 5 Race, Ethnicity, and Immigration
RACE, ETHNICITY, AND RACISM
What are Race, Ethnicity, and Racism?
Racial and Ethnic Diversity in the United States
IMMIGRATION
The American Nativist Movement Against Immigration in the Nineteenth and Early Twentieth Centuries
The Elimination of Immigration Quotas in the 1960s
The Continuing Debate over Immigration
TYPES OF RACIAL/ETHNIC RELATIONS
Mutually Beneficial Trade and Cultural ExchangesGenocide
Slavery
Removal and Segregation
Colonialism
Assimilation
Racial and Ethnic Pluralism/Multicultural Pluralism
PREJUDICE AND DISCRIMINATION
Prejudice and Stereotypes
Discrimination
White Privilege
Institutional Discrimination
CAUSES OF PREJUDICE
Personality TypeSituation
Culture
Social Structure
SOCIOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVES ON PREJUDICE AND DISCRIMINATION
Structural-Functional Perspective
Conflict Perspective
Symbolic-Interactionist Perspective
PROPOSED SOLUTIONS TO PREJUDICE AND DISCRIMINATION
The Role of EducationEconomic Reform
Political Reform
Chapter Review | Key Terms | Discussion Questions

Chapter 6 Gender and Sexual Orientation
SEX, GENDER, AND SEXUAL ORIENTATION
SOCIOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVES ON GENDER AND SEXUAL ORIENTATION INEQUALITY
Structural-Functional Perspective
Conflict Perspective
Symbolic-Interactionist Perspective
GENDER INEQUALITY AND DISCRIMINATION
CULTURAL SEXISM: SEXIST TRADITIONS, STEREOTYPES, VALUES, NORMS, AND SYMBOLS
Family
Schools
Language
Media
Religion
INSTITUTIONAL SEXISM
EducationWork and Income
Politics and Government
The Military
POPULATION ESTIMATES: LESBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL, AND TRANSGENDER PERSONS
WHAT CAUSES SEXUAL ORIENTATION?
CULTURAL BIAS AGAINST LGBT
Religion
Family and Peers
Schools and Media
INSTITUTIONAL (STRUCTURAL) BIAS AGAINST LGBT
FamilyEducation
Work
Politics, Government, and the Military
Chapter Review | Key Terms | Discussion Questions

Chapter 7 The Family
WHAT IS A FAMILY?
FAMILIES AND MARRIAGE AROUND THE WORLD
Family Authority Types
Types of Marriage
CHANGES IN THE U.S. FAMILY
Age at First Marriage and Cohabitation Divorce
Children Born Outside of Marriage and Single-Parent-Headed Households
Race/Ethnic and Class Differences
SINGLE-PARENT FAMILIES
Mass Incarceration and the American Black Family
GAY AND LESBIAN FAMILIES
VIOLENCE AND ABUSE IN INTIMATE PARTNER RELATIONSHIPS
Intimate Partner Abuse and Violence
Income and Racial/Ethnic Differences
Effects of Intimate Partner Violence
Decline in Intimate Partner Violence since 1994
CHILD ABUSE
Demographic Characteristics of VictimsPerpetrators and Risk Factors
Effects of Child Abuse
Increase and Decrease of Child Abuse Reports
ELDER ABUSE AND NEGLECT
Incidence and Correlates of Elder Abuse
PREVENTING FAMILY VIOLENCE
Economic
Political
Cultural
Individual Characteristics
Providing Safety for Abuse Victims
TEEN PREGNANCIES AND PARENTHOOD
Causes of Teen Pregnancies
Consequences of Teen Pregnancies
Preventing Teen Pregnancies
SOCIOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVES ON FAMILY PROBLEMS
Structural-Functional Perspective
Conflict Perspective
Symbolic-Interactionist Perspective
Chapter Review | Key Terms | Discussion Questions

Chapter 8 Education and Media
SOCIOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVES ON EDUCATION
Structural-Functional Perspective
Conflict Perspective
Symbolic-Interactionist Perspective
UNEQUAL EDUCATIONAL ACHIEVEMENT WORLDWIDE
UNEQUAL EDUCATIONAL ACHIEVEMENT IN THE UNITED STATES
The Problem of American Students’ Academic Performance
Class, Race, Ethnicity, and Gender Impacts on Academic Performance
The Dropout Problem
Functional Illiteracy
The School Segregation Problem
School Crime, Bullying, and Discipline Problems
Soaring College Tuition and Student Debt
APPROACHES TO IMPROVING BASIC PUBLIC EDUCATION
Criticisms of the Public School System
Distinctive Points of View
The No Child Left Behind Program
Protests and Strikes by Teachers
MEDIASOCIOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVES ON MEDIA
Structural-Functional Perspective
Conflict Perspective
Symbolic-Interactionist Perspective
MEDIA ISSUES
Newsworthiness and News Objectivity
Digital Divide
Media and Crime
MEDIA AND SOCIAL MOVEMENTS
Chapter Review | Key Terms | Discussion Questions

Chapter 9 Health Care and Well-Being
HEALTH AND HEALTH PROBLEMS WORLDWIDE
GLOBALIZATION AND HEALTH
Effects of Global Travel and Trade
A Major Global Infectious Threat: HIV/AIDS
HEALTH PROBLEMS IN THE UNITED STATES
Inequities in HealthRising Costs of Health Care
Consequences of the High Cost of Health Care
PREVENTABLE ONGOING RISKS TO HEALTH
Smoking
Obesity
Environmental Poisoning
MENTAL HEALTH
Causes of Mental Illness and Links to Gender, Race, and Class
Treatments for Mental Illness
Deinstitutionalization
SOCIOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVES ON HEALTH
Structural-Functional Perspective
Conflict Perspective
Symbolic-Interactionist Perspective
GOVERNMENT HEALTH CARE PROGRAMS
Medicaid
Children’s Health Insurance Program
Military Health Care
Medicare
STATE AND FEDERAL HEALTH CARE REFORM
State Reforms
The Affordable Health Care Act
Chapter Review | Key Terms | Discussion Questions

Chapter 10 Crime and Criminal Justice
WHAT IS CRIME?
MEASURING THE EXTENT AND FORMS OF CRIME
Official Crime Statistics
Victimization Surveys
Self-Report Studies
STREET CRIME
Violent Street Crime
Street Property Crime
VICTIMLESS CRIME
ORGANIZED CRIME
WHITE-COLLAR CRIME
Occupational Crime
Corporate Crime
Punishment for White-Collar Crime
CYBERCRIME
POLITICAL CRIME
Assassinations
Burglaries
Hacking Political Campaigns and Elections
CHARACTERISTICS OF CRIMINALS
Age
Gender
Social Class
Race and Ethnicity
EXPLAINING CRIME: BIOLOGICAL, PSYCHIATRIC, AND SOCIOLOGICAL THEORIES OF CRIMINAL BEHAVIOR
Biological Factors
Psychiatric Factors
Sociological Factors
Chapter Review | Key Terms | Discussion Questions

Chapter 11 Globalization, Technology, and Global Inequalities
GLOBALIZATION
TECHNOLOGY AND GLOBALIZATION
Transporting People
Transporting Goods and Resources
Communication, Finance, News, Entertainment
GLOBALIZATION: POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE VIEWS
Positive Views of Globalization
Negative Views of Globalization
GLOBALIZATION, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, AND GLOBAL INEQUALITIES
Poverty
Income and Wealth Inequality
SOCIOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVES ON GLOBALIZATION AND GLOBAL INEQUALITIES
Structural-Functional Perspective
Conflict Perspective
Symbolic-Interactionist Perspective
DEALING WITH THE PROBLEMS OF GLOBAL INEQUALITY
Chapter Review | Key Terms | Discussion Questions

Chapter 12 Population, Urbanization, and Aging
POPULATION
Population Growth Worldwide: Past, Present, and Future
Regional Differences in Population Growth
Population Growth in the United States
The Effect on Population of Immigration to the United States
Social Problems Related to Excessive Population Growth Worldwide
URBANIZATION
Urbanization Worldwide
Urbanization in the United States
Urban Problems Worldwide
Urban Problems in the United States
AGING
Aging Worldwide
Aging in the United States
Aging Problems Worldwide
Aging Problems in the United States
RESPONSES TO SOCIAL PROBLEMS RELATED TO POPULATION, URBANIZATION, AND AGING
Reduce Population Growth in High-Birth-Rate Countries by Improving Women’s Education and Employment Levels
Reduce Problems Related to Urbanization Worldwide
Reduce Problems Related to Urbanization in the United States
Worldwide Responses to Aging Problems
Responses to Aging Problems in the United States
SOCIOLOGICAL APPROACHES TO POPULATION, URBANIZATION, AND AGING
Structural-Functional Perspective
Conflict Perspective
Symbolic-Interactionist Perspective
Chapter Review | Key Terms | Discussion Questions

Chapter 13 The Environment
ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS
Global Warming
Impacts of Increasing Global Energy Use
Air Pollution
Land Pollution
Hazardous Waste
E-Waste
Radioactive Material
Wars and the Environment
Water Availability and Quality
Dangers to Biodiversity
ENVIRONMENTAL INJUSTICE
SOCIOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVES ON THE ENVIRONMENT
Structural-Functional Perspective
Conflict Perspective
Symbolic-Interactionist Perspective
CAUSES OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS
Population Growth
Technological Progress, Urbanization, and Economic Development
Militarism and International Competition
Materialist Consumerism
Excessive Individualism
RESPONDING TO ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS
Environmental Education
Environmental Activism
Green Energy and Technology
Carbon Capture and Storage
International Government Policies
U.S. Government Policies
Chapter Review | Key Terms | Discussion Questions

Chapter 14 Drug Abuse and Human Trafficking
WHAT IS A DRUG?
Extent of Drug Use Internationally
Drug Use in the United States
Alcohol
Tobacco and Nicotine
Cannabis: Marijuana, Hashish
Cocaine
Methamphetamine
Heroin and Other Opioids
Prescription Drugs
Hallucinogens: LSD, Peyote, and MDMA
Steroids
Inhalants
PROBLEMS RELATED TO DRUG ABUSE
Crime
Drugs and the Family
WHY DO PEOPLE USE DRUGS?
SOCIOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVES ON DRUG ABUSE
Structural-Functional Perspective
Conflict Perspective
Symbolic-Interactionist Perspective
SOCIAL RESPONSES TO THE DRUG PROBLEM
The War on Drugs
Destroying Foreign Production
Interdiction
Prosecution and Punishment
Education
Treatment
Attacking Root Causes of Drug Abuse
An Alternative to the War on Drugs
WHAT IS HUMAN TRAFFICKING?
Dimensions of Human Trafficking
CAUSES OF HUMAN TRAFFICKING
SOCIOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVES ON HUMAN TRAFFICKING
Structural-Functional Perspective
Conflict Perspective
Symbolic-Interactionist Perspective
SOCIAL RESPONSES TO HUMAN TRAFFICKING
InternationalUnited States: Federal and States
THE MOVEMENT AGAINST HUMAN TRAFFICKING
Chapter Review | Key Terms | Discussion Questions

Chapter 15 War, Rebellion and Terrorism
BASIC CONCEPTS: WAR, REBELLION, AND TERRORISM
America’s Wars
SOCIOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVES ON WAR AND REBELLION
Structural-Functional Perspective
Conflict Perspective
Symbolic-Interactionist Perspective
CAUSES OF WAR AND REBELLION
WAR, REBELLION, REVOLUTION, AND SOCIAL CHANGE
The U.S. Volunteer Armed Forces
Private Military Companies (PMCs)
Blackwater
Deaths and Injuries of War
Economic Devastation and Political Impacts
War Crimes
STRATEGIES TO ESTABLISH AND MAINTAIN PEACE
Deterrence
Improved Defensive Capabilities
Disarmament and Nuclear Nonproliferation
Resolving Underlying Conflicts through Mediation and Oversight by the United Nations or other Unbiased Parties
Fairer Distribution of Resources
TERRORISM
How Many Terrorists Are There?
Types of Terrorism
THE ROOT CAUSES OF TERRORISM
Inequality, Poverty, and Perception of Unfair Treatment
Extremist Ideologies
Asymmetry of Power
COMBATING TERRORISM
Defend against Terrorism
Deny Terrorists Sanctuary
Make No Deals with Terrorists
Kill or Capture Terrorists
Address the Causes of Terrorism
Chapter Review | Key Terms | Discussion Questions

Glossary
References
Index