Our Social World: Introduction

Co-authored by two leaders in the teaching and learning movement....

"The photos, charts, and diagrams looked great and made you want to flip through to find more."

―Student

"Our Social World is a highly integrated, analytic text that encourages deep learning by challenging and transforming students′′ understanding of the world around them.  It is pedagogically interesting, theoretically informed, and practical.  It encourages synthesis of micro- to macro-level analyses, explores global stratification from a comparative perspective, and actively engages its readers.  Ballantine and Roberts have written an extraordinary book that will appeal to both students and teachers alike."

―Catherine Forbes and Laura von Wallmenich, Alma College
TEACHING SOCIOLOGY


"This is my first time teaching this course, but I know the strong reputation of this text and it therefore was my first choice when I started prepping my Intro class."

―Ervin (Maliq) Matthew, The Ohio State University


Students love Our Social World....

"I really enjoyed how it started off with a story as an example of what sociology is…I formed a picture in my mind that stayed there throughout the chapter."

"I liked that it explains what careers come from sociology. I love the real life examples to explain key words. This really helped me understand how sociology applied to life."

"It helped me relate my life and personal experiences to the concepts in sociology…it made me concentrate on what was happening to others instead of worrying if I could get through all the reading. I stayed focused."

"I felt the text was speaking ′my language."

"The ′Thinking Sociologically′ questions are a great way to stop and reflect because you remember what you read so much better when you have a chance to make it personal."

"Overall, I found this to be one of the most interesting things I have ever been forced to read, and I mean that in a good forced way."

Professors love Our Social World too....

"Unlike most textbooks that I have read, the breadth and depth of coverage…is very impressive. This text forces the students deep into the topics covered and challenges them to see the interconnectedness of them."

―Keith Kerr, Texas A&M University

"I love the global emphasis, the applied material, and the emphasis on solutions to social problems."

―Gina Carreno, Florida Atlantic University

"Finally, a text that brings Sociology to life! .... This is so well written I′m not sure the students will even realize they are learning theory!"

―Dr. Martha Shockey, St. Louis University



Our Social World: Introduction to Sociology introduces the discipline of sociology to the contemporary student and provides an integrated, comprehensible framework from which to view the world. In each chapter, authors Jeanne H. Ballantine and Keith A. Roberts provide an organizing theme that is not exclusively tied to one theoretical paradigm to help students see relationships between topics. Our Social World presents the perspective of students living in the larger global world.

Key Features:

• Offers a strong global focus: A global perspective is integrated into each chapter to encourage students to think of global society as a logical extension of their own micro world.
• Illustrates the practical side of sociology: Boxes highlight careers and volunteer opportunities for those with a background in sociology as well as policy issues that sociologists influence.
• Encourages critical thinking: This book provides various research strategies and illustrates concrete examples of the method being used to help students develop a more sophisticated epistemology.
• Presents "The Social World Model" in each chapter: This organizing framework helps students understand the interrelatedness of core concepts.
  

Accompanied by High Quality Ancillaries:

• Instructor′s Resources on CD-ROM are available to all adopters. Contact us for more information. IRCDs are available for qualified instructors only. To request an IRCD for this book please contact Customer Care at 1.800.818.7243 (6 am – 5 pm Pacific Time) or by emailing info@sagepub.com with course name and enrollment and your university mailing address to expedite the process.
• Student study site at www.pineforge.com/ballantinestudy This study site includes e-Flashcards to reinforce key concepts, self-quizzes, web exercises, NPR′s This American Life radio segments, and more.
• Free online access to the 21st Century Sociology: A Reference Handbook to adopters of Our Social World: Plus guides to using that Handbook in conjunction with Our Social World in the classroom - preview them now by clicking ′Sample Chapters and Materials′ at left or clicking here!

Teaching Tips
As an adopter, you are also entitled to receive Teaching Tips for Teaching from a Global Perspective and Teaching Tips for Teaching the Social World Model (with emphasis on the meso level). Contact Customer Care at 1.800.818.7243 (6am – 5pm PT) for more information.

Choose OUR SOCIAL WORLD and a portion of royalties automatically go towards the new SAGE Pine Forge Award!
SAGE and Pine Forge Press have developed an Awards Fund in partnership with the American Sociological Association, participating authors, and regional sociological societies to defray costs for graduate students and untenured faculty (by amounts of $500 each) who wish to attend the ASA′s annual pre-conference on Preparing Future Faculty.

JUST PUBLISHED AND ALREADY IN THE CLASSROOM!
Some of the many universities already using Our Social World: The Ohio State University, Ball State University, Austin Peay State University, Florida Atlantic University, and more!

Intended Audience: This is an ideal text for undergraduate courses in introductory sociology such as Introduction to Sociology and Principles of Sociology.

Jeanne H. Ballantine is Emerita Professor of Sociology at Wright State University, a state university of about 17,000 students in Ohio. She has also taught at several 4-year colleges, including an “alternative” college and a traditionally Black college, and at international programs in universities abroad. She has been teaching introductory sociology for more than 30 years with a mission to introduce the uninitiated to the field and to help students see the usefulness and value in sociology. She has been active in the teaching movement, shaping curriculum, writing and presenting research on teaching, and offering workshops and consulting in regional, national, and international forums. She is a Fulbright Senior Scholar and serves as a Departmental Resources Group consultant and evaluator.

 

Jeanne has written several textbooks, all with the goal of reaching the student audience. As the original director of the Center for Teaching and Learning at Wright State University, she scoured the literature on student learning and served as a mentor to teachers in a wide variety of disciplines. Local, regional, and national organizations have honored her for her teaching and for her contributions to helping others become effective teachers. In 1986, the American Sociological Association’s Section on Undergraduate Education (now called the Section on Teaching and Learning in Sociology) recognized her with the Hans O. Mauksch Award for Distinguished Contributions to Teaching of Sociology. In 2004, she was honored by the American Sociological Association with its Distinguished Contributions to Teaching Award. In 2010, the North Central Sociological Association awarded her the J. Milton Yinger Award for Distinguished Career in Sociology.

Keith A. Roberts (1947-2018) was Professor Emeritus of Sociology at Hanover College in Indiana. In 2000, he received the Hans O. Mauksch Award for Distinguished Contributions to Undergraduate Sociology from the ASA Section on Teaching and Learning, and in 2010, his work in the scholarship of teaching and learning was recognized with the American Sociological Association’s Distinguished Contributions to Teaching Award.