PEARSON EDUCATION Sociology: A Down-to-Earth Approach: United States Edition

This best-selling comprehensive text shares the excitement of sociology with the acclaimed “down-to-earth” approach that highlights the sociology of everyday life. The seventh edition of this highly-regarded text retains all the features that have made previous editions so successful. The author has a unique ability to engage readers without sacrificing content or talking down to them. With wit, personal reflection, and illuminating examples, Henslin is able to share his passion for sociology with his readers like no other author of an introductory text can. For the seventh edition, fourteen completely new boxes reflect the most current issues and meaningful topics to students and instructors, and four new photo essays (“Through the Author¿s Lens”) based on the author's travel and research have been added to this edition. Review Comments from students"Thanks to your book, I'm considering continuing my study of sociology."― Sydney Conley, Midlands Technical College "It was a pleasure to read your work. I felt as though I became acquainted with you through your words." ― Marta A. Holliday, Marymount College "Thanks to your dedication to making the field of sociology more exciting to learn about."― Joya Gerritsma, Dordt College "I found your book to be incredibly interesting---so much that I am now reading the chapters we skipped over in class." ― Anna Maria Huertas Kormoski, Stony Brook University "Not only is it very simple to understand, it is also very interesting."― Julissa Rodriguez, Texas Pan American University "I seriously believe that reading your book has made me a better person."― Leo Chagolla, University of Toledo "I have used this text in most of my subsequent classes." ― Doug Bulson, Marquette University "Your book rocks!!! It is the most fun I have ever had reading any textbook in my life."― Kim B., Greenville Technical College "Thank you for your fine book. My college education would not have been complete without this course." ― Judy Esway, Ottawa University "...engaging and easy to follow..." ― Julie Markham, Lansing Community College From the Back Cover Dear Student: Allyn & Bacon is committed to helping you succeed in your sociology course. We are pleased to offer you resources that go beyond the book to help you study-- and to help you learn. For example: Companion Website (www.ablongman.com/henslin7e) The free, open-access website that accompanies this book features chapter reviews, practice tests, electronic flash cards, and web links for every chapter. Additional material, including interactive maps and an eThemes of the Times collection of New York Times articles, helps you explore how sociology works in our everyday lives. Study Guide Plus This comprehensive manual provides chapter summaries, chapter outlines, learning objectives, key terms and people, and self-tests for every chapter. A separate section on “Becoming a Better Student” will help you refine your study skills too! Look for the Study Guide Plus in your bookstore, or purchase online at www.ablongman.com/sociology. Guía de Estudio para Hispanohablantes: Study Guide for Native Spanish Speakers. This study guide is designed for students who are native speakers of Spanish and are taking the course in English. It includes Spanish chapter summaries and definitions of key terms. Look for the Guia de Estudio para Hispanohablantes in your bookstore, or purchase online at www.ablongman.com/sociology. About the Author James M. Henslin, who was born in Minnesota, graduated from high school and junior college in California and from college in Indiana. Awarded scholarships, he earned his Master¿s and doctorate degrees in sociology at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri. After this, he was awarded a postdoctoral fellowship from the National Institute of Mental Health, and spent a year studying how people adjust to the suicide of a family member. His primary interests in sociology are the sociology of ev