Essentials of Research Methods: A Guide to Social Science Research

Essentials of Research Methods is a concise and accessible introduction to research methods in the social sciences. Written by an expert of research methods teaching, this book takes extraordinary care to focus the reader on experiences in his or her everyday life as a way of understanding and performing research methods. <ul> <li>Introduces students to research methods with clear, concise, and accessible prose. 
</li> <li>Focuses the reader on everyday life as a way to understand research methods. 
</li> <li>Covers ethics, data gathering and analysis, and statistics. 
</li> <li>Includes further reading lists, graphs, exercises, study questions, a glossary, and an annotated list of web resources.</li> </ul>

Politics & Social Sciences

Ruane, Janet M.

Social Sciences

Wiley/Blackwell

Dreams of a Lifetime: How Who We Are Shapes How We Imagine Our Future

Review\n“For those who like to see America as a field of dreams writ large, this book is tonic. Cerulo and Ruane correct the record on dreaming, revealing why it is not an equal opportunity activity. Engrossing.”―Sherry Turkle, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, author of The Empathy Diaries\n“Dreams of a Lifetime compellingly argues that dreams tell us about our essences―who we are and who we want to be. By treating dreams as cultural scripts, Cerulo and Ruane reveal surprising patterns that inform debates about narrative, cognition, values, and the self. With richly textured analyses of dreams dashed, deferred, and desired, Cerulo and Ruane write with empathy and compassion. Dreams of a Lifetime is an engaging book that makes important sociological contributions.”―Terence E. McDonnell, coauthor of Measuring Culture\n“This is an intensely wonderful book. Cerulo and Ruane open a new door into both the personal and the social psyches, offering us wholly new understandings of American culture and the ways different sorts of people live their lives. It is not to be missed.”―John Levi Martin, author of Social Structures\n“With insight and care, Cerulo and Ruane vividly demonstrate that dreams are not the unique imaginings of individuals but rather patterned states of mind that reflect one’s place in an unequal social landscape. This pioneering book shows how where we stand shapes what we dream, and uncovers the rich possibilities people imagine when they are invited to envision the life they wish they could have.”―Kathleen Gerson, New York University\nHow social status shapes our dreams of the future and inhibits the lives we envision for ourselves\nMost of us understand that a person’s place in society can close doors to opportunity, but anything is possible when we dream about what might be, or so we think. Dreams of a Lifetime reveals that what and how we dream―and whether we believe our dreams can actually come true―are tied to our social class, gender, race, age, and life events.\nKaren Cerulo and Janet Ruane argue that our social location shapes the seemingly private and unique life of our minds. We are all free to dream about possibilities, but not all dreamers are equal. Cerulo and Ruane show how our social position ingrains itself on our mind’s eye, quietly influencing the nature of our dreams, whether we embrace dreaming or dream at all, and whether we believe that our dreams, from the attainable to the improbable, can become realities. They explore how inequalities stemming from social disadvantages pattern our dreams for ourselves, and how sociocultural disparities in how we dream exacerbate social inequalities and limit the life paths we believe are open to us.\nDrawing on a wealth of original interviews with people from diverse social backgrounds, Dreams of a Lifetime demonstrates how the study of our dreams can provide new avenues for understanding and combatting inequality―including inequalities that precede action or outcome.

Health, Fitness & Dieting

Cerulo, Karen A.

Psychology & Counseling

Princeton University Press

Second Thoughts, Second Edition, offers a ′tried and true′ approach to nurturing sociological thinking in the undergraduate student. Twenty chapters examine popular conceptions on important social subjects, accepted by many in society as ′conventional wisdom′.

Second Thoughts: Seeing Conventional Wisdom Through the Sociological Eye

Sage Publications, Inc.

The Third Edition of Second Thoughts: Seeing Conventional Wisdom Through the Sociological Eye addresses the disparities that exist between conventional wisdom and social life. Through twenty-two essays, authors Janet M. Ruane and Karen A. Cerulo examine popular conceptions of important social subjects that we may accept as commonly held beliefs. This book illuminates how reviewing conventional wisdom with a sociological eye can lead to a more insightful understanding of social life.

Introducing Social Research Methods: Essentials for Getting the Edge

Introducing Social Research Methods: Essentials for Getting the Edge is a concise and student-friendly introduction to research methods that uses examples from around the world to illustrate the centrality of social science research in our everyday lives. <ul>
<li>Explains complex, multi-faceted concepts and methodologies in straightforward prose</li> <li>Designed for students who are new to or skeptical of social science research methods as useful tools for approaching real-world challenges</li> <li>Persuasively argues that social scientific proficiency unlocks an array of personal and professional opportunities beyond the realms of academia</li> <li>A supplementary website features a glossary, test bank, Power Point presentations, a comprehensive list of web resources, a guide to relevant TED lectures and much more</li> </ul>

The Third Edition of Second Thoughts: Seeing Conventional Wisdom Through the Sociological Eye addresses the disparities that exist between conventional wisdom and social life. Through twenty-two essays, authors Janet M. Ruane and Karen A. Cerulo examine popular conceptions of important social subjects that we may accept as commonly held beliefs. This book illuminates how reviewing conventional wisdom with a sociological eye can lead to a more insightful understanding of social life. Features of This Text Highlights the key terms, ideas, and theories in each chapter that are defined in the glossary; Includes exercises that reinforce the ideas discussed in each chapter and help students apply sociology beyond the classroom; Contains an annotated guide that recommends both traditional and Internet resources for further reading.New to the Third Edition Two new essays have been added on addressing individualism and community issues (Essay 7) and exploring technology′s impact on our lives (Essay 21); Updated essays incorporate new sociological issues, such as terrorism, new communication technologies, and corporate ethics; Revised chapters that include the latest census data and the most recent statistical reports. Second Thoughts, Third Edition is an excellent supplementary textbook for Introductory Sociology and Social Problems courses. It offers a tried-and-true approach to nurturing critical analysis in undergraduate sociology students taking courses such as introductory sociology, social problems, organizations, institutions, and structures, and social theory.  Social Problems: Community, Policy, and Social Action offers a sociological perspective on the social problems discussed. It also provides an awareness that our personal experiences with problems that may arise in families, the workplace, health and medicine, the media, cities and suburbs, or with drug abuse, poverty, crime, the environment, and war and terrorism are caused by structural or social forces. Unlike other texts, the book offers a balanced view through examining both the problems and attempts to resolve these pervasive social issues. Key Features:Each social problem is viewed through the Functionalist, Conflict, Interactionist, and Feminist perspectives to give students a full understanding of each issue"Voices in the Community" sections provide testimony from individuals that express personal experiences of social problems both as victims and help-giversThemes of race, class, and gender are integrated throughout the book to provide a multicultural perspective on social problems"Putting It Together" exercises within chapters encourage students to do further analysis in their own communities, on their own campuses, or on the Web"Taking a World View" boxes in chapters provide a comparative perspective on related social problems in other countries "Visual Essays" have been developed for each chapter to highlight a particular social problem or solution. In some essays, real families and individuals facing the problems under study in the chapter are introduced.Companion Student Study Site: http://www.pineforge.com/leonguerrerostudy offers unique learning tools such as electronic flash cards, interactive quizzes, Web site resources, a community policy guide and projects, along with service learning activities to encourage student awareness of effective community responses to social problemsSocial Problems is a timely text that ties into recent discussions within the discipline on the commitment to "public sociology." This book takes students out of the classroom, away from their texts, and into their communities. It will serve as a vital and invaluable text for students in social problems courses in sociology or social work.

Second Thoughts by Ruane & Cerulo and Social Problems by Leon-Guerrero, Bundle

Sociology

Do birds of a feather flock together or do opposites attract? Does haste make waste or should you strike while the iron is hot? Adages like these—or conventional wisdoms—shape our social life. This Fifth Edition of Second Thoughts reviews several popular beliefs and notes how such adages cannot be taken at face value. 
This unique text encourages students to step back and sharpen their analytic focus with 24 essays that use social research to expose the gray areas of commonly held beliefs, revealing the complexity of social reality and sharpening students’ sociological vision.

Second Thoughts: Sociology Challenges Conventional Wisdom

Anthropology

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Ruane, Janet M.. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Books by Ruane, Janet M.

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Ruane, Janet M.. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Essentials of Research Methods: A Guide to Social Science Research

Essentials of Research Methods: A Guide to Social Science Research

Dreams of a Lifetime: How Who We Are Shapes How We Imagine Our Future

Dreams of a Lifetime: How Who We Are Shapes How We Imagine Our Future

Second Thoughts: Seeing Conventional Wisdom Through the Sociological Eye

Second Thoughts: Seeing Conventional Wisdom Through the Sociological Eye

Introducing Social Research Methods: Essentials for Getting the Edge

Introducing Social Research Methods: Essentials for Getting the Edge

Second Thoughts by Ruane & Cerulo and Social Problems by Leon-Guerrero, Bundle

Second Thoughts: Sociology Challenges Conventional Wisdom