Society in Focus: An Introduction to Sociology - Hardcover

Thompson, William E.; Hickey, Joseph V.

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0673998290 ISBN 13: 9780673998293

Publisher: Harpercollins College Div, 1996

Synopsis

This innovative introduction to sociology explores sociological concepts in a changing world using a wide variety of historical and cross-cultural examples. Society in Focus subjects social issues and controversies to critical examination, and shows how their meanings change with different sociological perspectives. A unique feature of this text is its integration of the mass media; the authors take a critical look at the media, discussing how they are controlled, who controls them, how messages are framed and distributed, and the extent to which they define society and social issues. In addition to the integrated media focus, four photo essays examine such diverse issues as media violence and the media's role in the environmental movement. The authors close each chapter by looking at the concepts presented as they are likely to apply in the twenty-first century. This unique future orientation, combined with the integration of the media and a strong scholarly foundation, sets Society in Focus apart from all other introductory texts in the field.

About this title

From the Back Cover:

----STUDENT EDITION----

HELPING YOU SUCCEED IN SOCIOLOGY

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/thompson5e)
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
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 in your bookstore, or purchase online at www.ablongman.com/sociology.

----EXAM COPY EDITION---

A balanced and comprehensive introduction to sociology, Society in Focus includes timely and highly engaging research in every chapter on the powerful influences of mass media and “technomedia,” information technologies such as computers, email, the Internet, PDAs, and wireless phones.

In this lively new edition, the authors continue to explore the increasing diversity and globalization of societies everywhere, and the special role of mass media and information technology in contemporary society.

Praise for the Fifth Edition of Society in Focus:

“Besides the overall quality of the text narrative, one of my reasons for adopting Society in Focus, Fifth Edition, was the thematic focus on the abundance of false information presented by the mass media...The maps deserve special mention, as they are particularly good...Overall, I find Society in Focus, Fourth Edition to be an outstanding introductory sociology textbook.”
—Dwight Wood, Marshall University, West Virginia

About the Author:

William E. Thompson is currently a professor of sociology and criminal justice at East Texas State University.

About this edition

• Publisher: Harpercollins College Div
• Publication date: 1996
• ISBN 10: 0673998290
• ISBN 13: 9780673998293
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 593