Social Problems: Community, Policy, and Social Action / Edition 4

by Anna Leon-Guerrero

Overview

Empower your students to become part of the solution.

The new Sixth Edition of Anna Leon-Guerrero’s Social Problems: Community, Policy, and Social Action goes beyond the typical presentation of contemporary social problems and their consequences by emphasizing the importance and effectiveness of community involvement to achieve real solutions. With a clear and upbeat tone, this thought-provoking text challenges readers to see the social and structural forces that determine our social problems; to consider various policies and programs that attempt to address these problems; and to recognize and learn how they can be part of the solution to social problems in their own community.

New to This Edition

• Many of the social policy discussions (including immigration, LGBTQ rights, the Affordable Care Act, and Internet neutrality) have been updated to reflect the most recent government actions and debates.
• More recent data, and new data sources, have been incorporated throughout, both in the main narrative and in the "Exploring Social Problems" features.
• New “Voices in the Community” subjects on gender, work and the economy, and war and terrorism appear in several chapters.
• New “In Focus” topics include Black Lives Matters, assault weapons, and college drug problems.
• The chapter on gender has been substantially updated with new or expanded coverage of binary/cisgender/transgender identification, gender nonconformity discrimination, sexual misconduct on college campuses, and the rights of trans and intersex individuals.
• Other new or expanded coverage elsewhere includes economic anxiety, robotization in the workplace, white nationalists, feminist theories about race, “fake” news, net neutrality, community policing, gentrification and segregation in U.S. cities, and the immigration and environmental policies of the Trump administration.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781452205434
Publisher:	SAGE Publications
Publication date:	04/02/2013
Edition description:	Fourth Edition
Pages:	531
Product dimensions:	8.00(w) x 9.90(h) x 0.90(d)

About the Author

Anna Leon-Guerrero is a professor of sociology at Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma, Washington. A recipient of the university’s Faculty Excellence Award and the K. T. Tang Award for Excellence in Research, she teaches courses on statistics, sociological theory, and social problems. As a social service program evaluator and consultant, she has focused her research on welfare reform, employment strategies for the working poor, and program assessment. She is the coauthor of Social Statistics for a Diverse Society and Essentials of Social Statistics for a Diverse Society (with Chava Frankfort-Nachmias).

Table of Contents

Preface
Acknowledgments
About the Author
1. Sociology and the Study of Social Problems
Using Our Sociological Imagination
What Is a Social Problem?
The History of Social Problems
Understanding the Sociological Perspective
The Science of Sociology
The Transformation From Problem to Solution
Making Sociological Connections
Chapter Review
Key Terms
Study Questions
Part I. The Bases of Inequality
2. Social Class
What Does It Mean to Be Poor?
Sociological Perspectives on Social Class and Poverty
The Consequences of Poverty
Responding to Class Inequalities
Chapter Review
Key Terms
Study Questions
3. Race and Ethnicity
Defining Race and Ethnicity
Patterns of Racial and Ethnic Integration
Sociological Perspectives on Racial and Ethnic Inequalities
The Consequences of Racial and Ethnic Inequalities
Responding to Racial and Ethnic Inequalities
Chapter Review
Key Terms
Study Questions
4. Gender
Sociological Perspectives on Gender Inequality
The Consequences of Gender Inequality
Gender Nonconformity Discrimination
Intimate Partner Violence and Sexual Assault
Responding to Gender Inequalities
Chapter Review
Key Terms
Study Questions
5. Sexual Orientation
Sociological Perspectives on Sexual Orientation and Inequality
Sexual Orientation and Inequality
Responding to Sexual Orientation Inequalities
Chapter Review
Key Terms
Study Questions
6. Age and Aging
Our Aging World
Sociological Perspectives on Age, Aging, and Inequality
The Consequences of Age Inequality
Responding to Age Inequalities
Chapter Review
Key Terms
Study Questions
Part II. Our Social Institutions
7. Families
Myths of the Family
Sociological Perspectives on the Family
Problems in the Family
Community, Policy, and Social Action
Chapter Review
Key Terms
Study Questions
8. Education
The New Educational Standard
Sociological Perspectives on Education
Problems and Challenges in Education
Community, Policy, and Social Action
Chapter Review
Key Terms
Study Questions
9. Work and the Economy
The Changing Nature of Work
Sociological Perspectives on Work
Problems in Work and the Economy
Community, Policy, and Social Action
Chapter Review
Key Terms
Study Questions
10. Health and Medicine
Sociological Perspectives on Health, Illness, and Medicine
Health Inequalities and Problems
Community, Policy, and Social Action
State Prescription Drug Plans
Chapter Review
Key Terms
Study Questions
11. The Media
Sociological Perspectives on the Media
The Media and Social Problems
Community, Policy, and Social Action
Chapter Review
Key Terms
Study Questions
Part III. Our Social and Physical Worlds
12. Alcohol and Drug Abuse
Sociological Perspectives on Drug Abuse
What Is Drug Abuse?
The Problems of Drug Abuse
Community, Policy, and Social Action
Chapter Review
Key Terms
Study Questions
13. Crime and Criminal Justice
Sociological Perspectives on Crime
Sources of Crime Statistics
Types of Crime
The Inequalities of Crime—Offenders and Victims
Our Current Response to Crime
Community, Policy, and Social Action
Chapter Review
Key Terms
Study Questions
14. Urbanization and Population Growth
Urban Sociology and Demography
The Processes of Urbanization and Suburbanization
Population Growth and Composition
Sociological Perspectives on Urbanization and Population Growth
The Consequences of Urbanization and Population Growth
Community, Policy, and Social Action
Chapter Review
Key Terms
Study Questions
15. The Environment
Environmental Problems Are Human Problems
Sociological Perspectives on Environmental Problems
Social Problems and the Environment
Community, Policy, and Social Action
Chapter Review
Key Terms
Study Questions
16. War and Terrorism
Defining Conflict
Sociological Perspectives on War and Terrorism
The Problems of War and Terrorism
Community, Policy, and Social Action
Chapter Review
Key Terms
Study Questions
Part IV. Individual Action and Social Change
17. Social Problems and Social Action
Understanding Social Movements
How Do Social Movements Begin?
How Have Reform Movements Made a Difference?
Making the Last Connection
Chapter Review
Key Terms
Study Questions
Glossary
References
Index

Editorial Reviews

"This text is an excellent resource for undergraduates who hope to gain a deeper understanding of social problems, and possible ways of getting involved to work towards solutions."

Corby Caffrey-Dobosh