In Conflict and Order: Understanding Society - Softcover

Eitzen, D. Stanley; Baca Zinn, Maxine

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0205376223 ISBN 13: 9780205376223

Publisher: Allyn & Bacon, 2003

Synopsis

This thought-provoking introduction to sociology, written from a conflict perspective, emphasizes four themes: diversity, the struggle to achieve social justice, economic and global transformations in the U.S., and a global perspective.

In Conflict and Order studies the forces that lead to both stability and change in society. The authors show how social problems are structural in origin, and challenge readers to question their own basic beliefs.

Topics new to the tenth edition include: the increasing dominance of the English language worldwide; government surveillance and the history of government repression of dissent, both before and after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001; the option of marking more than one race on the 2000 U.S. Census; United States companies outsourcing work to other countries where labor and production are less expensive; corporate malfeasance and other ethical breaches on the part of corporations; gender gaps in technology and why fewer high school girls than boys enroll in computer classes; low-paid, non-unionized workers as the fastest growing labor market sector; the importance of standardizing education funding and teacher training before standardizing tests for students; and the globalization of the world's major religions and the growth of Islam in the United States.

About this title

About the Author:

D. Stanley Eitzen (Ph.D. University of Kansas) is professor emeritus in sociology from Colorado State University, where previously he was the John N. Stern Distinguished Professor.  Among his books are Social Problems (with Maxine Baca Zinn and Kelly Eitzen Smith)and Diversity in Families (with Maxine Baca Zinn and Barbara Wells), both of which received McGuffey Awards from the Text and Academic Authors Association for excellence and longevity over multiple editions. He is also the author and co-author of four Solutions to Social Problems volumes with Allyn & Bacon; Paths to Homelessness: Extreme Poverty and the Urban Housing Crisis (with Doug A. Timmer and Kathryn Talley); Sociology of North American Sport (with George H. Sage); and Fair and Foul: Rethinking the Myths and Paradoxes of Sport.  He has served as the president of the North American Society for the Sociology of Sport and as editor of The Social Science Journal.

 

Maxine Baca Zinn (Ph.D. University of Oregon) is Professor Emeritus in sociology at Michigan State University. She received her Ph.D. from the University of Oregon. Her main research interests are racial inequality, gender, and family life. She is the author and co-author of many other books, including Diversity in Families (with D. Stanley Eitzen and Barbara Wells),Social Problems (with D. Stanley Eitzen and Kelly Eitzen Smith), Women of Color in U.S. Society, Gender Through the Prism of Difference, and Globalization: The Transformation of Social Worlds. In 2000, she received the ASA Jessie Bernard Career Award.

 

Kelly Eitzen Smith received her Ph.D. in Sociology from the University of Arizona.  She is currently the director of the Center for Applied Sociology and a lecturer at the University of Arizona.  At the Center for Applied Sociology she has conducted research in the areas of day labor, homelessness, poverty, urban housing and neighborhood development. Her sociological interests include gender, family, sexuality, stratification, and social problems.  She is also the co-author of Experiencing Poverty (with D.Stanley Eitzen), andSocial Problems (with D. Stanley Eitzen and Maxine Baca Zinn).

Review:

 OVERALL

 

The students seem to appreciate both the order perspective and the conflict perspective. Additionally, the material has a number of contemporary examples and side articles.

Chalane Lechuga

University of New Mexico

 

At the end of each term I ask students on their assessment forms to evaluate the text. The text always received hight scores; students cite its readability, the presentation of its content, the perspective of the text, the use of cartoons to illustrate the theoretical perspecitve, and its "bullet" presentation of facts.

Kate Hovey

Albuquerque Technical Vocational Institute

 

In Conflict and Order is unique as an introduction to sociology. No other book goes this far as a critical analysis of our society and the directions in which it is headed.

Joyce Johnson

Santa Rosa Junior College

 

I found the conflict perspective to be very up-front and refreshing. It can be a stimulous for good class conversations for those students who disagree. I also find the content of the text to be extremely well researched.

Kate Hovey

Albuquerque Technical Vocational Institute

 

 

The main reason for selecting it would be its concept and clarity.

Joyce Johnson

Santa Rosa Junior College

 

The authors' concept of contrasting perspectives as order and conflict in each chapter both simplifies and deepens students' understanding of sociology and of society. No small achievement!

Joyce Johnson

Santa Rosa Junior College

 

The authors' ability to clearly articulate the conflict perspective as well as its cogency, and their ability to surface the fallacies of the order model is what would primarily lead me to choose this text, over others.

Joyce Johnson

Santa Rosa Junior College

 

 

CRITICAL THINKING

 

Critical thinking is a major goal of introduction to sociology courses, and this text challenges students to think critically.

Nathan Pino

Georgia Southern University

 

This is still the best book to use for my classes because of the critical thinking material that is easily accessible and relevant to students. I like the balance in terms of the amount of material

Nathan Pino

Georgia Southern University 

 

 

WRITING STYLE

 

The writing style is accessible to students. It is not excessively wordy but still conveys important information in depth.

Nathan Pino

Georgia Southern University

 

HUMAN AGENCY BOXES

 

These sections are important to remind students that they do have an impact on their social world despite how it feels at times.

Denise Bullock

Indiana University East

 

An excellent antidote to "well, things are terrible, but we can't do anything about it," complaints from students. Our society is infused with apathy - they show that people can make a difference.

Kate Hovey

Albuquerque Technical Vocational Institute

 

I think the premise of this feature is brilliant: to alert students to the active part people play in their society.

Joyce Johnson

Santa Rosa Junior College

 

Having these boxes to use is a great asset to teaching, promoting discussion, or to assign independent research.

Joyce Johnson

Santa Rosa Junior College

 

 

GLOBALIZATION BOXES 

 

These are excellent and expand our knowledge beyond our own US borders.

Chalane Lechuga

University of New Mexico

 

These are also important pasts of the text. I have read them and they help to move along the points of each chapter in which they appear. What I like about these is the choice of topics.

Joyce Johnson

Santa Rosa Junior College

 

These sections are important to extend the students' focus beyond local, regional or national issues.

Denise Bullock

Indiana University East 

 

DIVERSITY BOXES

 

The selections here are wonderful, very informative and perfect as starting points for class discussions.

Joyce Johnson

Santa Rosa Junior College

 

 

RESEARCH METHODS BOXES

 

I find these particularly useful because they are specific to various topics. This is a real strong point in the organization of this book, for me.

Kate Hovey

Albuquerque Technical Vocational Institute

 

Students particularly like, and can benefit from, learning more about the research process. So I appreciate these boxes.

Joyce Johnson

Santa Rosa Junior College

 

 

CLOSER LOOK BOXES

 

I sometimes assign these to students for in-class discussions that the students lead and debate about.

About this edition

• Publisher: Allyn & Bacon
• Publication date: 2003
• ISBN 10: 0205376223
• ISBN 13: 9780205376223
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 608