Contents

1. Publisher Information

2. Chapter 1: Understanding Social Problems

   1. 1.1 What Is a Social Problem?

   2. 1.2 Sociological Perspectives on Social Problems

   3. 1.3 Continuity and Change in Social Problems

   4. 1.4 Doing Research on Social Problems

   5. 1.5 End-of-Chapter Material

3. Chapter 2: Poverty

   1. 2.3 Explaining Poverty

   2. 2.2 Who the Poor Are: Social Patterns of Poverty

   3. 2.1 The Measurement and Extent of Poverty

   4. 2.4 The Consequences of Poverty

   5. 2.5 Global Poverty

   6. 2.7 End-of-Chapter Material

   7. 2.6 Reducing Poverty

4. Chapter 3: Racial and Ethnic Inequality

   1. 3.1 Racial and Ethnic Inequality: A Historical Prelude

   2. 3.2 The Meaning of Race and Ethnicity

   3. 3.3 Prejudice

   4. 3.4 Discrimination

   5. 3.5 Dimensions of Racial and Ethnic Inequality

   6. 3.6 Explaining Racial and Ethnic Inequality

   7. 3.7 Reducing Racial and Ethnic Inequality

   8. 3.8 End-of-Chapter Material

5. Chapter 4: Gender Inequality

   1. 4.1 Understanding Sex and Gender

   2. 4.2 Feminism and Sexism

   3. 4.3 Dimensions of Gender Inequality

   4. 4.4 Violence against Women: Rape and Sexual Assault

   5. 4.5 The Benefits and Costs of Being Male

   6. 4.6 Reducing Gender Inequality

   7. 4.7 End-of-Chapter Material

6. Chapter 5: Sexual Orientation and Inequality

   1. 5.1 Understanding Sexual Orientation

   2. 5.3 Inequality Based on Sexual Orientation

   3. 5.2 Public Attitudes about Sexual Orientation

   4. 5.4 Improving the Lives of the LGBT Community

   5. 5.5 End-of-Chapter Material

7. Chapter 6: Aging and Ageism

   1. 6.1 The Concept and Experience of Aging

   2. 6.2 Perspectives on Aging

   3. 6.3 Life Expectancy and the Graying of Society

   4. 6.4 Biological and Psychological Aspects of Aging

   5. 6.5 Problems Facing Older Americans

   6. 6.6 Reducing Ageism and Helping Older Americans

   7. 6.7 End-of-Chapter Material

8. Chapter 7: Alcohol and Other Drugs

   1. 7.7 End-of-Chapter Material

   2. 7.1 Drug Use in History

   3. 7.2 Drugs and Drug Use Today

   4. 7.3 Social Patterning of Drug Use

   5. 7.4 Explaining Drug Use

   6. 7.5 Drug Policy and the War on Illegal Drugs

   7. 7.6 Addressing the Drug Problem and Reducing Drug Use

9. Chapter 8: Crime and Criminal Justice

   1. 8.1 The Problem of Crime

   2. 8.2 Types of Crime

   3. 8.3 Who Commits Crime?

   4. 8.4 Explaining Crime

   5. 8.7 End-of-Chapter Material

   6. 8.5 The Criminal Justice System

   7. 8.6 Reducing Crime

10. Chapter 9: Sexual Behavior

    1. 9.1 An Overview of Heterosexuality

    2. 9.2 Teenage Sex and Pregnancy

    3. 9.3 Abortion

    4. 9.4 Prostitution

    5. 9.5 Pornography

    6. 9.6 End-of-Chapter Material

11. Chapter 10: The Changing Family

    1. 10.1 Overview of the Family

    2. 10.2 Sociological Perspectives on the Family

    3. 10.3 Changes and Problems in American Families

    4. 10.4 Families in the Future

    5. 10.5 End-of-Chapter Material

12. Chapter 11: Schools and Education

    1. 11.1 An Overview of Education in the United States

    2. 11.2 Sociological Perspectives on Education

    3. 11.3 Issues and Problems in Elementary and Secondary Education

    4. 11.4 Issues and Problems in Higher Education

    5. 11.5 Improving Schools and Education

    6. 11.6 End-of-Chapter Material

13. Chapter 12: Work and the Economy

    1. 12.1 Overview of the Economy

    2. 12.2 Sociological Perspectives on Work and the Economy

    3. 12.3 Problems in Work and the Economy

    4. 12.4 Improving Work and the Economy

    5. 12.5 End-of-Chapter Material

14. Chapter 13: Health and Health Care

    1. 13.1 Sociological Perspectives on Health and Health Care

    2. 13.2 Global Aspects of Health and Health Care

    3. 13.3 Problems of Health in the United States

    4. 13.4 Problems of Health Care in the United States

    5. 13.5 Improving Health and Health Care

    6. 13.6 End-of-Chapter Material

15. Chapter 14: Urban and Rural Problems

    1. 14.1 A Brief History of Urbanization

    2. 14.2 Sociological Perspectives on Urbanization

    3. 14.3 Problems of Urban Life

    4. 14.4 Problems of Rural Life

    5. 14.5 Improving Urban and Rural Life

    6. 14.6 End-of-Chapter Material

16. Chapter 15: Population and the Environment

    1. 15.1 Sociological Perspectives on Population and the Environment

    2. 15.3 The Environment

    3. 15.2 Population

    4. 15.4 Addressing Population Problems and Improving the Environment

    5. 15.5 End-of-Chapter Material

17. Chapter 16: War and Terrorism

    1. 16.1 Sociological Perspectives on War and Terrorism

    2. 16.2 War

    3. 16.3 Terrorism

    4. 16.4 Preventing War and Stopping Terrorism

    5. 16.5 End-of-Chapter Material

18. Supplementary materials