The Key to (Almost) Everything: Sociology for All of Us

by James Wright

Overview

The Key to (Almost) Everything is an engaging, contemporary and concise approach to sociology written for adults, students and just about anybody who could profit from knowing about the discipline of sociology. It is expertly written by an author drawing on 40 years of teaching on the fundamental social structures and processes characteristic of human societies. Each of the book’s chapters is modeled on the courses found in the sociology curriculum. These chapters are not course or lecture notes, rather they are engaging lessons on topics such as political sociology, urban sociology, religion in sociology, crime and guns, poverty, the American family, public opinion, wealth and power.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781538124598
Publisher:	Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.
Publication date:	04/29/2019
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	352
File size:	1 MB
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

James D. Wright is an author, educator, and the Provost’s Distinguished Research Professor Emeritus in the Department of Sociology at the University of Central Florida. Before his retirement in 2018, Wright also served as director of the UCF Institute for Social and Behavioral Sciences, as editor-in-chief of the journal Social Science Research, and as editor-in-chief of the International Encyclopedia of the Social and Behavioral Sciences. His latest book is Hunger in the Land of Plenty: A Cricail Look at Food Insecurity (with Amy Donley and Sara Vega).

Table of Contents

Preface

One Hundred Sixty-Eight Important Lessons You Can Learn by Studying Sociology

1 Introduction to Sociology

2 Theory and Perspectives

3 Research Methods and Statistics

4 Sociology of Contemporary American Society

5 Political Sociology

6 Public Opinion and Attitude Change

7 Wealth, Power, and Inequality

8 The Working Class

9 American Social Problems: Crime, Poverty, and Population

10 Sociology of the American Family

11 Sociology of Religion

12 Sociology of Alcohol and Drugs

13 Guns, Crime, and Violence

14 Homelessness

15 Urban Sociology

16 Social Inequalities and Health

17 Social Policy and Evaluation Research

18 Postscript: My Life as a Sociologist

Index

Editorial Reviews

The overall idea—to provide a comprehensive yet accessible and entertaining introduction to sociology for adults—is brilliant. The writing style of the authors matches this goal; it is precise and substantively informative, yet easy to follow and draws in the reader.

Barbara Prainsack

James Wright is one of the most brilliant people I’ve ever met, and if decision-makers listened to what he has to say, we would undoubtedly live in a better world. Accordingly, everyone should read The Key to (Almost) Everything.

Richard Whatmore

This book’s originality lies in its manner of presentation and witty, engaging style that manages to be entertaining while at the same time providing a remarkably coherent overview of the field of sociology based on Wright's 40 years of teaching, research, and reading on the fundamental structures and processes that prevail in human societies.

Douglas S. Massey