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Social Problems
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Social Problems
Community, Policy, and Social Action

Eighth Edition
Available with:
Learning platform
January 2025 | 512 pages | SAGE Publications, Inc
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In Social Problems: Community, Policy, and Social Action, Anna Leon-Guerrero provides a thorough exploration of the social problems that permeate our world today. The book is designed around three key connections: the link between sociology and the study of social problems, the relationship between social problems and their solutions, and the personal connection readers can make in recognizing and addressing social problems in their own communities. Each chapter focuses on a specific social problem, examining its roots in social inequality and its manifestations in various social policies and programs.

The Eighth Edition is enriched with personal stories of ordinary individuals who have accomplished extraordinary feats in their communities, providing readers with inspiration and guidance on how they too can make a difference.
 
Preface
 
Acknowledgments
 
About the Author
 
Chapter 1 Sociology and the Study of Social Problems
Using Our Sociological Imagination

 
What Is a Social Problem?

 
Understanding the Sociological Perspective

 
The Science of Sociology

 
The Politics of Social Problems

 
Chapter Review

 
Key Terms

 
Study Questions

 
 
Part I: The Bases of Inequality
 
Chapter 2 Social Class
Income and Wealth in the United States

 
Sociological Perspectives on Social Class and Poverty

 
The Consequences of Poverty

 
Responding to Class Inequalities

 
Chapter Review

 
Key Terms

 
Study Questions

 
 
Chapter 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

 
 
Chapter 4 Gender
Sex, Gender, and Identity

 
Sociological Perspectives on Gender Inequality

 
The Consequences of Gender Inequality

 
Responding to Gender Inequalities

 
Chapter Review

 
Key Terms

 
Study Questions

 
 
Chapter 5 Sexual Orientation
Defining Sexual Orientation

 
Sociological Perspectives on Sexual Orientation and Inequality

 
Sexual Orientation and Inequality

 
Responding to Sexual Orientation Inequalities

 
Chapter Review

 
Key Terms

 
Study Questions

 
 
Chapter 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
 
Chapter 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

 
 
Chapter 8 Education
Sociological Perspectives on Education

 
Problems and Challenges in Education

 
Community, Policy, and Social Action

 
Chapter Review

 
Key Terms

 
Study Questions

 
 
Chapter 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

 
 
Chapter 10 Health and Medicine
Epidemiology

 
Sociological Perspectives on Health, Illness, and Medicine

 
Health Inequalities and Problems

 
Community, Policy, and Social Action

 
Chapter Review

 
Key Terms

 
Study Questions

 
 
Chapter 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
 
Chapter 12 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

 
 
Chapter 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

 
 
Chapter 14 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

 
 
Chapter 15 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
 
Chapter 16 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

Supplements

Instructor Site
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LMS cartridge included with this title for use in Blackboard, Canvas, Brightspace by Desire2Learn (D2L), and Moodle

The LMS cartridge makes it easy to import this title’s instructor resources into your learning management system (LMS). These resources include:
  • Test banks
  • Editable chapter-specific PowerPoint® slides
  • Lecture notes
Don't use an LMS platform?

You can still access the online resources for this title via the password-protected Instructor Resource Site.
Key features
NEW TO THIS EDITION:
  • The new edition is available in Sage Vantage, an intuitive learning platform that integrates quality Sage textbook content with assignable multimedia activities and auto-graded assessments to drive student engagement and ensure accountability. Unparalleled in its ease of use and built for dynamic teaching and learning, Vantage offers customizable LMS integration and best-in-class support.
    • Flashcards and note-taking tools help students better prepare for class.
    • NEW! Audiobook Player allows students to listen to text content, boosting comprehension and retention. It offers flexible, on-the-go access, engaging both reluctant readers and auditory learners, improving the overall reading experience.
    • The Offline Reading option in the Student Dashboard offers greater accessibility to Vantage’s reading content, regardless of where students are or how strong their internet connection may be.
  • Expanded sociological perspectives with additional material incorporated in several chapters.
  • Updated discussions on significant social policy decisions and debates, including immigration, transgender rights, LGBQ rights, sexual harassment, reproductive health and maternal care, police reform, harm reduction drug programs, and e-waste.
  • Examination of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
  • Updated data sources and new research findings for a closer empirical examination of social problems.
KEY FEATURES:
  • A focus on social inequalities, examining how social class, race and ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, and age determine our life chances and contribute to our experience of social problems.
  • A unique emphasis on social policy and social action, with each chapter discussing relevant social policies or programs and highlighting how individuals or groups have made a difference in their communities.
  • Personal stories from professionals and ordinary individuals who have made significant contributions to their communities, providing inspiration for readers to take action.
  • A concluding chapter titled "Social Problems and Social Action" that identifies ways readers can become more involved.
  • Each chapter includes a Sociology at Work feature, reviewing the invaluable workplace skills sociology majors develop and presenting stories of sociology graduates who continue to rely on their sociological imaginations in their field of work.

Sample Materials & Chapters

Chapters 1 and 2

Vantage Reference: 
Social Problems Vantage Learning Platform

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