Living Sociologically: Concepts and Connections

by Ronald N. Jacobs, Eleanor Townsley

Overview

Living Sociologically is built around a contemporary, applied framework that is designed to help students find their place in a complex and contradictory social world. Students who enroll in today's introductory sociology courses are already familiar with such concepts as inequality, privilege, conflict, power, and structure—yet they do not realize how a sociological understanding of these concepts can help them to make sense of and enact change in their diverse social worlds.

Living Sociologically pairs central sociological concepts together—Power and Resistance; Inequality and Privilege; Solidarity and Conflict; Structure and Contingency; and Global and Local—giving students a framework and a set of tools to help them develop their sociological imaginations. For example, to understand the sociological and cultural meaning of wealth, you also need to understand the sociological and cultural meaning of poverty. These pairings, illustrated and reinforced through abundant contemporary examples and case studies, offer students relevant opportunities for thinking intersectionally and discovering the many ways in which sociological forces are at play in their lives.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780197755433
Publisher:	Oxford University Press
Publication date:	02/15/2025
Edition description:	2nd ed.
Pages:	696
Product dimensions:	7.53(w) x 9.22(h) x 1.46(d)

About the Author

Ronald N. Jacobs (Ph.D, UCLA) is Professor of Sociology at the University at Albany, State University of New York.

Eleanor Townsley (Ph.D., UCLA) is the Andrew A. Mellon Professor of Sociology and the Director of the curriculum to career program, Nexus, at Mount Holyoke College.

Table of Contents

PART 1. THE BASICS
1. What Is Sociology?
2. American Sociology: Theory and Methods

PART 2. STRUCTURE AND CONTROL
3. Culture
4. Socialization, Social Interaction, and Group Life
5. Deviance, Crime, and Punishment

PART 3. DIFFERENCE AND INEQUALITY
6. Inequality, Mobility, and Social Change
7. Race, Ethnicity, and Immigration
8. Gender, Sexuality and the Body

PART 4. INSTITUTIONS AND ISSUES
9. Marriage, Family, and the Law
10. Science, Religion, and Knowing
11. Education, Work, and Recreation
12. Health, Illness, and Medicine
13. Politics, the Economy, and Social Movements
14. Media and Technology

PART 5. CHANGE, ISSUES, AND THE FUTURE
15. Climate Change and Sustainability

Editorial Reviews

"I like the 'paired concepts' approach to really hit home what is happening in the real world." —Nicole Farris, Texas A&M University-Commerce

"I appreciate the emphasis on intersectionality as it matches my approach and teaching focus."—Tennille Allen, Lewis University

“Living Sociologically is an excellent textbook to help you guide your students into seeing their worlds in dialectical and global perspectives.”—Kamel Ghozzi, University of Central Missouri

“Living Sociologically is highly engaging and accessible for students embarking on the study of sociology. It captures the sociological imagination of students and, I would bet, increases the number of students interested in pursuing sociology as a major or minor field of study.” —Erin Robinson, Canisius University

“Living Sociologically does a solid job of asking students critical questions with which they can better grasp and engage with the discipline of sociology. The ‘paired concepts’ (e.g. inequality and privilege; structure and contingency) serve as an anchor for understanding the complexity of social life and human behavior. At times as I was reading, I found myself getting excited, or angry or sad, about human choices and social systems (especially with the chapter on the environment and climate change). This is a positive effect because I was engaged — and I have read many introductory sociology textbooks." —Robert L. Molinar, Linn-Benton Community College

From the Publisher