The Real World: An introduction to Sociology. Second Edition

Abstract

It’s time for a new Introductory Sociology textbook that is really new. After years of experience in college and university classrooms, teaching Introductory Sociology to thousands of students from all backgrounds and walks of life, we had learned a lot about what works and what doesn’t when it comes to making sociology exciting and effective. As seasoned instructors, we had developed an approach to teaching and learning that reflected our passion for the subject and our concern with pedagogy. But we were having trouble finding a textbook that encompassed all the elements we had discovered and that made such a difference in our experience. We were tired of the same old formulas found in almost every textbook. And we fi gured we were not alone. Other students and instructors were probably equally frustrated with repetitive formats, stodgy styles, and seemingly irrelevant materials. That is a great misfortune, for sociology, at its best, is a discipline that is both intellectually stimulating and personally resonant. While the impetus to write this textbook began as a way of answering our own needs, our goal became to create a textbook of even greater benefit to others who might also be looking for something new.