In Conflict and Order: Understanding Sociology

This thought-provoking introduction to sociology, written from a conflict perspective, emphasizes four themes: diversity, the struggle to achieve social justice, economic and global transformations in the U.S., and a global perspective. In Conflict and Order studies the forces that lead to both stability and change in society. The authors show how social problems are structural in origin, and challenge readers to question their own basic beliefs. Topics new to the tenth edition include: the increasing dominance of the English language worldwide; government surveillance and the history of government repression of dissent, both before and after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001; the option of marking more than one race on the 2000 U.S. Census; United States companies outsourcing work to other countries where labor and production are less expensive; corporate malfeasance and other ethical breaches on the part of corporations; gender gaps in technology and why fewer high school girls than boys enroll in computer classes; low-paid, non-unionized workers as the fastest growing labor market sector; the importance of standardizing education funding and teacher training before standardizing tests for students; and the globalization of the world's major religions and the growth of Islam in the United States.