A classic, Human Societies differs from most texts written for the introductory sociology course, being neither a survey of contemporary Americana society nor an eclectic, encyclopedia-like collection of topics, perspectives, and conflicting theories. Taking a macrosociological, global approach, it offers an introduction to sociology that is truly comparative, cross-cultural, and historical. It compares societies over time and across environments, emphasizing the dynamics of social change. Diversity and multiculturalism are its hallmarks. Its clearly developed and strongly anchored ecological-evolutionary perspective provides a powerful theoretical framework for understanding the dizzying array of social arrangements found in human societies over the past 100,000 years, helping students see their own society (and other contemporary societies) in a broader and more meaningful way. It stresses the relationship between social arrangements and environmental and technological context, and encourages students to look for the reasons why social arrangements are the way they are, and why they change over time. The seventh edition features a new chapter on the successes and failures of Marxist societies as social experiments, as well as an increased focus on comparisons between industrial and nonindustrial societies.
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About the Author:
Patrick D. Nolan (Ph.D. Temple University, 1978) is a Professor in the Department of Sociology at the University of South Carolina. Gerhald Lenski is Professor Emeritus of Sociology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and author of Power and Privilege and The Religious Factor. He is a recent recipient of the ASA Distinguished Career Award.
Review:
"'This is a well-written and carefully researched book that never panders to students, but also does not lose them with too much complexity.' Peter Kivisto, Augustana College"
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- PublisherMcGraw-Hill College
- Publication date1994
- ISBN 10 007037631X
- ISBN 13 9780070376311
- BindingHardcover
- Number of pages560