There is a nice index with links to the appropriate pages, however there is no glossary with all of the key terms and definitions in one place; instead they are presented at the end of each chapter which could potentially make them difficult to find. Reviewed by Dee Malcuit, Associate Professor of Sociology, OhioLink on 12/2/18, Overall, this OER offers a general/brief overview of Introduction to Sociology content. The content appears to be very unbiased and straightforward. Nicely organized, though I would have had a better demarcation between monopolistic competition and oligopoly. The text can be used as a required text at an Introductory level Microeconomics course at College level. I have not found any major problems or concerns. For example, Black mothers not re-marrying at the same rate of White mothers. And it is rarely seen as a movement to 'resist change' (such as the Tea Party) -- but rather as a movement versus the status quo of corporate agendas & influence. . The textbook is not culturally insensitive or offensive. The organization is consistent with other introductory texts. I could imagine it being useful as a supplement to instructors who prefer to use monographs, but would like to have a foundational text available to students. The included photos are mostly of good quality, and I commend the authors for finding so many copyright-free images to include that do a good job of providing examples and context for the text. It's relatively free of interface issues. It should be easy read for first year students, non-sociology students, and laypersons.
,Well organize with plenty of flexibility to reorganize the order of the assigned material. Both societies are riven with differences that fracture social cohesion – in Canada the French-English divide is often paralleled with the differences between Blacks and Whites, and increasingly Hispanics, in the US. The text us easy to read, understand, and navigate. These tend to be the most difficult for students to grasp, however, tangible examples help ease the ambiguity for students. The consistency of the framework would make it easy to locate information during lecture and classroom activities for the instructor and provides a logical format for students as they explore the content within the chapters. It's relatively up-to-date and relevant. 18, 'Capitalism in Practice' should explain 'mixed economies' &/or 'welfare-state capitalism'; and as always, 'socialism in practice' should be distinguished from 'communism' as theory. The less expense might make students more amenable to forgoing the catchiness of the product. I did not have any issues navigating the interface of this online textbook, however I suggest downloading it into PDF format instead of using the online version as I found the PDF better quality. I have selected numerous chapters from the textbook, but do not require all of the material in the text for a principles of Sociology class. Table 1.1 reinforces the food stamps point and so the, Reviewed by Charles Quist-Adade, Chair and Faculty, Sociology Dept, Kwantlen Polytechnic University on 10/9/13, Yes. read more. The text is written in an easy-to-read manner. In chapter 10, the differences between world systems and dependency theory, in particular, are quite muddled. For example, the Ch. Examples used are unbiased/fair and all inclusive of the diverse world in which we live. Reviewed by Anna Antus, Adjunct Professor, North Hennepin Community College on 4/11/17, The textbook is very comprehensive. Why is media before stratification, race, and gender? The textbook covers all the usual topics in an introductory text for Sociology. Comparing the table of contents to other widely-used Intro texts, this text is equally comprehensive. I appreciate the comprehensiveness of the book, but it would benefit from some editing. Hyperlinks to different websites where examples came from are provided for further reading. Any updates will easily fit into the format of description and definition of concepts. This is fairly common in textbooks â writing that appeals to the authorâs demographics, rather than that of 18 year olds. It highlights the core concepts, foundational scholars, and emerging theories that any competent sociologist in BC would employ to introduce students to the discipline. Yes, the text does an excellent job of skillfully presenting each chapter as a concise learning opportunity, yet within the thematic flow of the entire text.
,Social movements in the Arab world follow different rhythms than do related movements in the industrial west. Further extensions into financial markets, income inequality, and political economy are covered well. This is a very in-depth look at the fundamentals of Sociology. groupthink, ritualism, alienation. The chapters are brief and to the point. Some are fine but others are not. If I were to use a textbook, I think this would be... The latter are arranged in a progressive path towards the learning goals. The inclusion of additional numbering/designations in the chapter's particular sections would allow easier location of material and clarity if used in a modular fashion. Each chapter section has an extensive glossary. Material in the international trade section will need to be updated by an instructor or a future edition. In Ch. read more. I do appreciate the short vignettes at the beginning of chapters or sections that introduce the main content. I have gone through many textbooks to decide on the best choice for the class that I am teaching. This text has selected relevant sociological concepts to introduce. Who is Eric? A quick Google search reveals that they both held doctorates in psychology. There are a few pieces which, as a matter of opinion, i would perhaps have changed - for example, i like to include a discussion of society alongside culture, as a means to talk about and differentiate between these two terms. The textbook is comprehensive. However, some figures are fuzzy or pixelated (cf. In a hardback, even if that is given, it is unlikely one will look it up unless they need to. Some terms are defined in one way and then used in another way in the chapter. I saw examples of all ethnicity and backgrounds. It might be that the chapters (some of them) are a little too long. The book presents the topics and examples in an easy to read formal. These are much greater in Canada than in the US. I think there is no culturally offensive content. It is self-explanatory and any student could easy break down the chapters to read or discuss at their liking. I would like to see a section on the sociology of work or labor as well as an update in the Health and Medicine chapter that includes context concerning COVID-19. The book's interface is a little less attractive than some of the textbooks from traditional publishers. Students will surely get confused as to scarcity is something like poverty. Being able to pick and choose modules very easily also makes this text very appealing, especially for newer instructors who aren't sure where to start. Reviewed by Nicole Lambert, Assistant Professor, Massachusetts Bay Community College on 6/23/20, This is a comprehensive textbook in terms of key concepts and terms that would be covered in an introductory course. I like how the cost curves and product curves are well explained in chapter 7. Some of the examples and policy applications are somewhat out-of-date. Reviewed by Fahri Ercem, Adjunct Professor, Bunker Hill Community College on 6/24/20, This textbook is comprehensive in that it provides a plethora of chapters relating to sociology, which leaves the reader with a comprehensive and encompassing introduction to sociology through an evaluation of the many subject areas within the... The subject matter is accurate and unbiased. It is consistent throughout the text and the topics flow into one another - they build a base and then expand into greater detail in the later chapters. There are some concepts that (as I referred to regarding comprehensiveness) I feel could be embellished in order to convey more abstract ideas. Each section is cut off appropriately, making an easy transition into the next chapter. In reading through the text, I did notice a few other small issues: -Page 41: Although the example of the comic writer who employed deception to make undercover observations at a dot.com firm is sociologically interesting, it is not itself sociological research, and by the standards of sociology could be seen as methodologically and maybe ethically flawed. read more,
Ch. Instructors can adopt chapters as a whole or choose to focus on relevant sections with ease. A suggestion for the future would be to also provide a brief definition in the margin of the page next to the paragraph where each key term first appears, as an aid to students who study by skimming through the chapter a second time. Ch. I also am aware that this latter experience, adapting a US text, might imply that I am in a conflict of interest in reviewing this book. The essay-style questions at the end are good stimulants to critical thinking. Learners are able to develop a pattern in reviewing the important concepts in each section, making the most of self-testing and additional resources.