America's Problems: Social Issues and Public Policy

by Elliott Currie, Jerome H. Skolnick

Professors Currie and Skolnick place special emphasis on the underlying economic causes of social problems and the social policies that fail to address them. The text's research-oriented approach introduces students to the empirical aspects of sociology by discussing how research is done and how data is compiled and analyzed. A comparative perspective on major topics exposes students to American social problems in context to other nations. This edition provides in-depth coverage of current social and political issues, such as downsizing, the growing gap between the rich and the poor, and the crisis in health care.

461 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1984

About the author

Dr. Elliott Currie is Professor of Criminology, Law, and Society at the University of California, Irvine. A leading expert on crime, social inequality, and criminal justice policy, he has written extensively on juvenile delinquency, drug abuse, and violence in American society. His acclaimed book Crime and Punishment in America was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in General Nonfiction, while Whitewashing Race: The Myth of a Colorblind America was a finalist for the C. Wright Mills Award and winner of the Benjamin L. Hooks Institute Book Award. He has served as a consultant for numerous organizations in the United States and abroad on issues of crime prevention, justice reform, and civil rights.