Social Problems: An Introduction to Critical Constructionism

Social Problems: An Introduction to Critical Constructionism synthesizes conflict theory and social constructionism to help students think critically about social problems. A concise, student-friendly alternative to all-encompassing standard textbooks, this book examines a single theoretical paradigm in depth, demonstrating how theory can be used to understand a range of critical social issues.

New to the Fourth Edition:

* A new chapter on inequality of life chances in the U.S., with updated material on race, a new discussion of gender inequality, fresh material on health care, and a new section on education and inequality
* Chapter 4 on family includes a new section on same-sex marriage
* Chapter 5 on crime and deviance provides a new section introducing the sociological concept of social control as it relates to the medicalization of deviance
* New discussions of the "Great Recession," the Occupy Wall Street movement, and the U.S. Supreme Court decision in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission

Robert Heiner is Professor and Coordinator of Sociology at Plymouth State University. He is editor of Deviance Across Cultures (OUP, 2007) and a number of other anthologies.