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Sociology Project, The: Essentials, 1st edition

Published by Pearson (June 8, 2018) © 2019

  • Jeff Manza New York University

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For courses in Introductory Sociology.

Spark the sociological imagination through an inquiry-based approach

The Sociology Project: Essentials sets students off on their own journeys of sociological inquiry using the big questions of the discipline as a framework.

Each chapter of this brief text has been authored by 1 or more faculty members from the NYU Sociology Department who write and teach in a specific subfield. This collaboration offers a unique approach that draws on the collective wisdom of a large, successful sociology department to reveal how individuals are shaped by the contexts in which they live.

Hallmark features of this title

  • The text's collaborative expert authorship guarantees inclusion of the most up-to-date content as well as a passionate perspective that draws students into every topic area.
  • Each chapter is organized around 3 to 5 big questions that define the subfield being discussed. This encourages student exploration, and prompts readers to ask their own questions about our world.
  • Compelling chapter-opening stories introduce the topics to follow, and set the stage for broader sociological insights.
  • Chapter-ending Revisiting the Big Questions sections enable students to review the key content presented.
  • At the beginning of each chapter, the authors provide insights into the “a-ha” moments when their own sociological imaginations were sparked, which inspires readers.

Features of Revel

  • The Pearson Originals docuseries explains contemporary issues and current events, helping students to connect with stories on a personal level and to contextualize core concepts.
  • UPDATED: Current Event Bulletins, written by the text's authors, enable students to connect key concepts with real-life current events. Our authors regularly add new or revised articles to ensure that the content remains current. New articles include the following:
    • COVID-19 and Inequality
    • Personal Liability for Police Officers?
    • Black Lives Matter and “Agenda Setting”
  • Interactive graphs, maps and activities featuring innovative Social Explorer technology allow students to explore data as they read, boosting engagement with key concepts.

I. Brief Table of Contents

  1. The Sociological Imagination
  2. Social Theory
  3. Social Interaction
  4. Social Structure
  5. Inequality and Poverty
  6. Race and Ethnicity
  7. Gender and Sexuality
  8. Families and Family Life
  9. Markets, Organizations, and Work
  10. Sociology of Religion
  11. Crime, Deviance, and Social Control
  12. Power and Politics

II. Comprehensive Table of Contents

  1. The Sociological Imagination
    • by Jeff Manza, Lynne Haney, and Richard Arum
    • The Big Questions
    • 1.1 What Is the Sociological Imagination, and Why Is It Worth Acquiring?
    • 1.2 What Are Social Contexts, and Why Do They Matter?
    • 1.3 Where Did Sociology Come From, and How Is It Different from Other Social Sciences?
    • Conclusion: Looking Ahead
    • The Big Questions Revisited 1
  2. Social Theory
    • by Jeff Manza, Thomas Ertman, Lynne Haney, and Steven Lukes, with Harel Shapira
    • The Big Questions
    • 2.1 What is Social Theory?
    • 2.2 How Did the Early Social Theorists Make Sense of the World?
    • 2.3 What Innovations in Social Theory Emerged in the Mid-Twentieth Century?
    • 2.4 How Has a New Generation of Social Theory Evolved?
    • Conclusion: Social Theory and the Sociological Imagination
    • The Big Questions Revisited 2
  3. Social Interaction
    • by Harvey Molotch
    • The Big Questions
    • 3.1 How Do We Develop a Sense of Self?
    • 3.2 How Do We Make Sense of Our Worlds?
    • 3.3 What Challenges Do We Face as We Move from One Social Context to Another?
    • Conclusion: What We Know and What We Don’t Know
    • The Big Questions Revisited 3
  4. Social Structure
    • by Jeff Manza
    • The Big Questions
    • 4.1 What Is Social Structure?
    • 4.2 How Do Roles and Social Hierarchies Shape Our Life Chances?
    • 4.3 How Do Norms and Institutions Influence Social Life?
    • 4.4 How Do Social Structures Influence Our Daily Lives and Social Interactions?
    • 4.5 Why Are Social Structures Slow to Change?
    • Conclusion: Social Structure
    • The Big Questions Revisited 4
  5. Inequality and Poverty
    • by Florencia Torche, Jeff Manza, Patrick Sharkey, and Richard Arum
    • The Big Questions
    • 5.1 What Is Inequality?
    • 5.2 Why Is America So Unequal?
    • 5.3 Do We All Have an Equal Opportunity to Succeed in Life?
    • 5.4 How Much Poverty Exists in the United States and Around the World?
    • Conclusion: Should We Be Concerned About Excessive Inequality?
    • The Big Questions Revisited 5
  6. Race and Ethnicity
    • by Ann Morning
    • The Big Questions
    • 6.1 What Is the Difference Between Race and Ethnicity?
    • 6.2 Is Race Real?
    • 6.3 What Is Racism?
    • 6.4 Do Race and Ethnicity Matter Anymore?
    • 6.5 How Are Race and Ethnicity Changing in the Twenty-First Century?
    • Conclusion: Developing a Sociological Imagination on Race and Ethnicity
    • The Big Questions Revisited 6
  7. Gender and Sexuality
    • by Paula England
    • The Big Questions
    • 7.1 Where Do Gender Differences Come from?
    • 7.2 How Have the Lives of Women and Men Changed in the Last 50 Years?
    • 7.3 How Are Our Sex Lives Shaped by Biology and Society?
    • 7.4 How Has Sexual Behavior Changed in the Last 50 Years?
    • Conclusion: The Puzzle of Gender Inequality
    • The Big Questions Revisited 7
  8. Families and Family Life
    • by Kathleen Gerson
    • The Big Questions
    • 8.1 What Is a Family?
    • 8.2 Why Are Families Changing?
    • 8.3 What Challenges Do We Face as We Develop Relationships and Balance Family and Work?
    • 8.4 What Is It Like to Grow Up in a Twenty-First-Century Family?
    • 8.5 What Social Policies Around the World Best Support Changing Families?
    • Conclusion: The Future of Families
    • The Big Questions Revisited 8
  9. Markets, Organizations, and Work
    • by Richard Arum and Jeff Manza
    • The Big Questions
    • 9.1 How Do Social Factors Impact Markets?
    • 9.2 Why Are Organizations Important for Social and Economic Life?
    • 9.3 What Is the Relationship Between Organizations and Their External Environment?
    • 9.4 How Is Work Inside Organizations Structured?
    • 9.5 How Do We Measure Work Satisfaction?
    • Conclusion: Markets, Organizations, and Work in the Twenty-First Century
    • The Big Questions Revisited 9
  10. Religion
    • by Gerald Marwell
    • The Big Questions
    • 10.1 What Is Religion, and What Are Its Functions?
    • 10.2 How Does Social Structure Impact Religious Choice?
    • 10.3 Why Are Some People More Religious Than Others?
    • 10.4 Why Do People Kill Each Other in the Name of Religion?
    • 10.5 What Is the Future of Religion?
    • Conclusion
    • The Big Questions Revisited 10
  11. Crime, Deviance, and Social Control
    • by Jeff Manza, Patrick Sharkey, and Troy Duster
    • The Big Questions
    • 11.1 What Is Deviance and Social Control?
    • 11.2 What Constitutes a Crime, and What Are the Different Offense Types?
    • 11.3 How Much Crime, Particularly Violent Crime, Exists in America?
    • 11.4 Why Is Mass Incarceration Controversial?
    • 11.5 What Are the Consequences of Mass Incarceration?
    • Conclusion
    • The Big Questions Revisited 11
  12. Power and Politics
    • by Steven Lukes and Jeff Manza
    • The Big Questions
    • 12.1 What Are the Distinct Forms of Power?
    • 12.2 What Is the State, and How Does It Distribute Power in a Society?
    • 12.3 Who Has Power in the United States Today?
    • Conclusion
    • The Big Questions Revisited 12

About our authors

Written collaboratively by members of the NYU Sociology Department, including Jeff Manza, Richard Arum, Troy Duster, Paula England, Thomas Ertman, Kathleen Gerson, Lynne Haney, Steven Lukes, Gerald Marwell, Harvey Molotch, Ann Morning, Patrick Sharkey and Florencia Torche.

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