AE Sociology: The Essentials,
10th Edition

1. Sociological Perspective.
2. Culture.
3. Doing Sociological Research.
4. Socialization and the Life Course.
5. Social Structure and Social Interaction.
6. Groups and Organization.
7. Deviance and Crime.
8. Social Class and Social Stratification.
9. Global Stratification.
10. Race and Ethnicity.
11. Gender.
12. Sexuality.
13. Families and Religion.
14. Education and Health Care.
15. Economy and Politics.
16. Environment, Population and Social Change.

• Margaret L. Andersen

  Margaret L. Andersen (B.A., Georgia State University; M.A., Ph.D. University of Massachusetts, Amherst) is the Edward F. and Elizabeth Goodman Rosenberg Professor of Sociology at the University of Delaware, where she has also served in several senior administrative positions, including most recently as Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs and Diversity. She holds secondary appointments in Black American Studies and Women and Gender Studies. She is the author of several books, including (among others) THINKING ABOUT WOMEN, recently published in its tenth edition; the best-selling anthology, RACE, CLASS, AND GENDER (co-edited with Patricia Hill Collins, now in its ninth edition); LIVING ART: THE LIFE OF PAUL R. JONES, AFRICAN AMERICAN ART COLLECTOR; and ON LAND AND ON SEA: A CENTURY OF WOMEN IN THE ROSENFELD COLLECTION. She is a member of the National Advisory Board for Stanford University's Center for Comparative Studies in Race and Ethnicity, the Past Vice President of the American Sociological Association, and Past President of the Eastern Sociological Society, from which she received the ESS Merit Award. She has also received two teaching awards from the University of Delaware and the American Sociological Association's Jessie Bernard Award.

• Howard F. Taylor

  Howard F. Taylor has taught at the Illinois Institute of Technology, Syracuse University, and Princeton University, where he is presently Professor of Sociology and former director of the African American Studies Center. He has published over fifty articles in sociology, education, social psychology, and race relations. His books include THE IQ GAME (Rutgers University Press), a critique of hereditarian accounts of intelligence; BALANCE IN SMALL GROUPS (Van Nostrand Reinhold), translated into Japanese; and the forthcoming RACE AND CLASS AND THE BELL CURVE IN AMERICA. He has appeared widely before college, radio, and TV audiences, including ABC's Nightline. Past president of the Eastern Sociological Society, Dr. Taylor is a member of the American Sociological Association and the Sociological Research Association, an honorary society for distinguished research. He is a winner of the DuBois-Johnson-Frazier Award, given by the American Sociological Association for distinguished research in race and ethnic relations, and the President's Award for Distinguished Teaching at Princeton University. Raised in Cleveland, Ohio, he graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Hiram College and has a Ph.D. in sociology from Yale University.

• The Tenth Edition continues to present and expand upon the most complete use of race/class/gender and sexual orientation in the study of American society. There’s new and updated material on poverty, including the rise of extreme poverty in the United States and new research on immigration and poverty (Ch. 8); the rise of color-blind racism (Ch. 10); sexual assault on college campuses (multiple chapters); and the influence of money on political campaigns (Ch. 15). These are just a few of the ways the book incorporates current topics to explicate important sociological concepts and theory.

• "What Would a Sociologist Say" boxes are intended to show students the way that sociologists understand particular topics, thus moving students away from the typically more individualistic explanations of common topics. An example is the box on the Tea Party in Chapter 15 that examines the social roots of this significant political development.

• The text's theme of "debunking" encompasses looking behind the facades of everyday life, challenging common assumptions, and helping students develop critical thinking skills as well as a better understanding of how society is constructed and sustained. "Debunking Society's Myths" features in each chapter reinforce this theme in interesting and thought-provoking ways.

• Helping students maximize their study time and retention of key concepts, learning objectives are included near the beginning of every chapter, articulating what the authors expect students to learn from the chapter and matching the major chapter headings.

• "A Sociological Eye on the Media" boxes help students become savvy and discerning consumers of media messages that can be misleading or inaccurate. Topics include "Death of a Superstar," about Whitney Houston (Chapter 2); and "Idealizing Family Life," featuring images of families as portrayed on television (Chapter 13).

• "Thinking Sociologically" features in every chapter pose critical-thinking questions that encourage students to engage their sociological imaginations. Each of these develops from a highlighted sociological concept.

• "See for Yourself" features in every chapter provide several levels of detailed prompts to guide student writing exercises. This feature gives you the flexibility to tailor the length and depth of writing assignments to your students' abilities and the needs of your course.

• The text provides the most thorough coverage of diversity found in any brief introductory text on the market. The authors broadly define diversity to include social factors such as age, religion, sexual orientation, and region of residence, in addition to race, ethnicity, class, and gender. This primary focus is emphasized in the boxed feature "Understanding Diversity".

• "Doing Sociological Research" features highlight the importance of research while providing a proven, practical structure to help students learn key concepts and develop their own skills. These features build on a unique four-step approach that guides students to consider research questions, methodology, results, and implications.

• The Tenth Edition continues to present and expand upon the most complete use of race/class/gender and sexual orientation in the study of American society. There’s new and updated material on poverty, including the rise of extreme poverty in the United States and new research on immigration and poverty (Ch. 8); the rise of color-blind racism (Ch. 10); sexual assault on college campuses (multiple chapters); and the influence of money on political campaigns (Ch. 15). These are just a few of the ways the book incorporates current topics to explicate important sociological concepts and theory.

• "What Would a Sociologist Say" boxes are intended to show students the way that sociologists understand particular topics, thus moving students away from the typically more individualistic explanations of common topics. An example is the box on the Tea Party in Chapter 15 that examines the social roots of this significant political development.

• The text's theme of "debunking" encompasses looking behind the facades of everyday life, challenging common assumptions, and helping students develop critical thinking skills as well as a better understanding of how society is constructed and sustained. "Debunking Society's Myths" features in each chapter reinforce this theme in interesting and thought-provoking ways.

• Helping students maximize their study time and retention of key concepts, learning objectives are included near the beginning of every chapter, articulating what the authors expect students to learn from the chapter and matching the major chapter headings.

• "A Sociological Eye on the Media" boxes help students become savvy and discerning consumers of media messages that can be misleading or inaccurate. Topics include "Death of a Superstar," about Whitney Houston (Chapter 2); and "Idealizing Family Life," featuring images of families as portrayed on television (Chapter 13).

• "Thinking Sociologically" features in every chapter pose critical-thinking questions that encourage students to engage their sociological imaginations. Each of these develops from a highlighted sociological concept.

• "See for Yourself" features in every chapter provide several levels of detailed prompts to guide student writing exercises. This feature gives you the flexibility to tailor the length and depth of writing assignments to your students' abilities and the needs of your course.

• The text provides the most thorough coverage of diversity found in any brief introductory text on the market. The authors broadly define diversity to include social factors such as age, religion, sexual orientation, and region of residence, in addition to race, ethnicity, class, and gender. This primary focus is emphasized in the boxed feature "Understanding Diversity".

• "Doing Sociological Research" features highlight the importance of research while providing a proven, practical structure to help students learn key concepts and develop their own skills. These features build on a unique four-step approach that guides students to consider research questions, methodology, results, and implications.

Cengage provides a range of supplements that are updated in coordination with the main title selection. For more information about these supplements, contact your Learning Consultant.