Sociological Wisdom is based on applying the basic principles of sociology to the world around us.Sociologists study patterns of behavior in order to draw general conclusions about a social issue that transcend the effect of the problem or issue on any particular individual. This is not to say that sociologists are unconcerned about individuals and their lives, but sociologys emphasis is on the way individuals relate to others, peoples positions in society, and the interdependence between society and individuals. This text teaches students that it is more important than ever to study human behavior, social groups, and society utilizing critical thinking skills and careful analysis associated with sociological wisdom.

William E. Thompson, Texas A&M University - CommerceWilliam E. Thompson was born and raised in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and was the first member of his family to receive a high school diploma. He received his bachelors degree from Northeastern State University, a masters degree from Missouri State University, and a Ph.D. from Oklahoma State University. Professor Thompson has authored and coauthored more than 40 articles in professional journals, including several reprinted in sociology textbooks and readers. He has coauthored a textbook on juvenile delinquency that is in its ninth edition, and has coedited an anthology on juvenile delinquency. Thompson also is the author of The Glass House, a nonfiction account of his mothers two year battle with cancer and the lessons about life and living learned from her death and dying, and in 2012 authored Hogs, Blogs, Leathers, and Lattes: The Sociology of Modern American Motorcycling. For fun and relaxation Thompson plays the drums and rides motorcycles.Mica L. Thompson, Texas A&M University-CommerceMica L. Thompson, born in Kansas and raised in Texas, earned her bachelors degree from Oklahoma State University and her masters degree in sociology from Texas A& M University-Commerce. She has over twelve years of public school teaching experience and teaches introduction to sociology at the university level. Her research interests include qualitative methods, feminist theory, education, and popular culture. In addition to having collaborated on articles published in professional journals, Mica has helped proofread and made significant contributions to previous editions of Society in Focus. In her spare time, Mica teaches arts and crafts as a volunteer at a center for HIV patients, and enjoys art, fitness classes, and spending time with her best friend, her nephew.

PrefaceAcknowledgmentsAbout the Authors1 #ThingsAreNotWhatTheySeemDiscovering SociologySociological WisdomThe Sociological ImaginationLife in a Global SocietyCommon Sense Versus Common NonsenseThe Importance of ScienceThe Structural Functionalist PerspectiveThe Conflict PerspectiveThe Feminist PerspectiveThe Symbolic Interactionist PerspectiveSociological Wisdom: Taking an Integrated Approach2 #AnalyzeWithYourBrainNotWithYourHeartDoing SociologyHow Do We Know Things Are Not What They Seem?Sociology and Scientific KnowledgeTheory-Building ProcessScientific MethodEthical Issues in Sociological ResearchTypes of ResearchQuantifying Social LifeQualitative StudiesKeeping It Scientific3 #There'sNoSuchThingAsAnUnculturedPersonUnderstanding Society and CultureTypes of SocietiesComponents of CultureEthnocentrism and Cultural RelativismIdeal Versus Real CultureSubcultures and CounterculturesPopular Culture4 #WhenYouWereBornYouWereNotYetYouBecoming a Social BeingNature and NurtureDeveloping A Social SelfAgents of SocializationSocialization over the Life CourseDesocialization and Resocialization5 #TheWorldRevolvesARoundTheSunAndNotYouInteracting in Everyday LifePersonal Space and Nonverbal CommunicationStatuses and RolesSocial NetworksPatterns of Social InteractionMedia and Technology: Redefining Social Interaction6 #TheWorldIsAMessyPlaceOrganizing Our Social WorldSocial GroupsLeaders and Leadership StylesFormal OrganizationsBureaucracies and UsSocial Institutions7 #SomeRulesAreMadeToBeBrokenButSomeAren'tControlling Social BehaviorRange of ToleranceRelativity of DevianceDeviance and StigmaThe Power of the MediaCyberporn, Cybersex, and Internet AddictionPopular Explanations of DevianceSociological Theories of Deviance and ConformitySocial Control8 #TheOnlyDifferenceThatMattersIsTheDifferenceThatMattersEmphasizing DifferencesImportance of Social ClassSocioeconomic StatusRace, Ethnicity, and Minority GroupsSex and GenderAge and AgeismIntersectionality9 #NothingEnduresButChangeCreating Social ChangeSocial ChangeSources of Social ChangeCollective BehaviorSocial MovementsResistance To Change10 #NothingLastsForeverSustaining the PlanetForces of NatureDemographyPopulation GrowthUrbanization and SuburbanizationEcology and the EnvironmentWhere Do We Go From Here?11 #SociologicalWisdomOnlyHasValueIfItIsAppliedReferencesFurther ReadingsCredits