Includes bibliographical references (p. 517-545) and indexes.

Pt. 1. The sociological perspective -- Understanding sociology -- Sociological research -- Pt. 2. Organizing social life -- Culture -- Socialization and the life course -- Social interaction and social structure -- Groups and organizations -- The mass media -- Deviance and social control -- Pt. 3. Social inequality -- Stratification and social mobility in the United States -- Global inequality -- Racial and ethnic inequality -- Stratification by gender -- Stratification by age -- Pt. 4. Social institutions -- The family and intimate relationships -- Religion -- Education -- Government and politics -- The economy and work -- Health, medicine, and the environment -- Pt. 5. Changing society -- Population, communities, and urbanization -- collective behavior and social movements -- Social change in the global community.

While still maintaining its well-balanced coverage of the 3 perspectives, this new revision has a strong focus on encouraging the student to think about their world with a sociological imagination. Through its strong coverage of globalization, race and ethnicity, careers in sociology and current topics like mass media and social policy, Sociology provides students with knowledge they can use at school, at work, in their neighborhoods, and in the global community.