Understanding Society: An Introductory Reader

by Margaret L. Andersen, Kim A. Logio, Howard F. Taylor

UNDERSTANDING SOCIETY: AN INTRODUCTORY READER, Fourth Edition, contains a collection of classic and contemporary sociological readings selected for their timeliness, diversity, and interest. The emphasis of this collection is on articles that students will both understand and also find intriguing. UNDERSTANDING SOCIETY: AN INTRODUCTORY READER, Fourth Edition, includes the most up-to-date selection available today. Out of sixty-eight total articles, thirty-eight are new in this edition. The new articles were selected to engage student interest, to reflect the richness of sociological thought, and to add articles that address issues that have emerged since the publication of the last edition (such as the economic recession, the Haiti earthquake, and the increasing racial segregation of schools, to name a few). As always, the editors have included the top names in the field. Five themes run throughout the text: classical sociological theory, contemporary research, diversity, globalization, and the application of the sociological perspective.

624 pages, Paperback

First published August 22, 2000

About the author

Margaret Andersen is professor of Sociology and Women's Studies at the University of Delaware. She is the author of THINKING ABOUT WOMEN: SOCIOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVES ON SEX AND GENDER; SOCIOLOGY: UNDERSTANDING A DIVERSE SOCIETY (with Howard F. Taylor); SOCIOLOGY: THE ESSENTIALS (with Howard F. Taylor); UNDERSTANDING SOCIETY: READINGS IN SOCIOLOGY (with Kim A. Logio and Howard F. Taylor); and SOCIAL PROBLEMS (with Frank R. Scarpitti and Laura L. O'Toole). She is the former president of the Eastern Sociological Society and has served as the editor of Gender and Society. She is the recipient of the University of Delaware's Excellence in Teaching Award and is one of three faculty members who recently received a grant from the Hewlett Foundation to transform undergraduate education through the development of new introductory level courses across the curriculum. She has recently served as Dean of the College of Arts and Science at the University of Delaware, where she is also the former Vice Provost for Academic Affairs. She currently serves as Acting Chair of the National Advisory Board for the Stanford University Center for Comparative Study in Race and Ethnicity.

Reviews

[Kai · Rating 4 out of 5]

A well formatted text book with many interesting topics and sections that expand upon one another. I found it to be a very interesting read.

[Nathaniel Mathews · Rating 3 out of 5]

As a collection of essays, Understanding Society is prone to inconsistency. Some excerpts are fantastic, while others are dry or fail to demonstrate anything groundbreaking or otherwise fundamental. The sheer breadth of understanding Anderson et al. provide is undoubtedly helpful, but there were times where I found myself wondering whether the time investment was worth the information included.