Introduction to Sociology: Understanding and Changing the Social World

Reviewed by Victor Perez, Assistant Professor, University of Delaware on 2/1/18

Comprehensiveness rating: 5

Like many introductory textbooks, this book covers all of the core topics of sociology in short, relatively straightforward ways. It is extremely similar to most other textbooks in this respect, and does not necessarily provide any novel or new insights that would make these chapters stand apart from competing texts. It does, though, present most of the topics that faculty teach introductory sociology through to provide a basis for students to move on to other upper-level sociology courses (with a basic understanding of core concepts, theories, methods, and social issues). To be fair, as a free and open textbook, this is reasonable supplemental reading for faculty to selectively use, though I am not sure how much more students will get from it once these key ideas are discussed/presented in class. The comprehensiveness of these texts, historically, was problematic because rarely can faculty teach all of these topics (and probably shouldn't), at the cost of depth and nuance.

Content Accuracy rating: 5

I would say that the book is very accurate in its use of the core concepts and presentation of data. From time to time, I did have some differences in opinion in how best to present a certain issue (e.g., how medicalization is presented), but overall the references to the classics are all there and presented well. There is, conversely, much less emphasis on several of the newer, most recent developments in the field, for the sake of presenting the foundations of the sociological imagination.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 4

The content is generally up to date, but I think that it will be exceedingly difficult to update that vast amount of data provided throughout the chapters. I thoroughly enjoy the empirical emphasis, but it is very data heavy. Using this text will require the instructor to draw the theoretical, conceptual, and methodological components from the readings and update the statistics provided for relevant (and selected) examples. This can be problematic for faculty because they themselves will have to seek out and collect, and then present data similarly as the textbook. One advantage is how clearly the text's material is cited. Also, it is close to 10 years old, which may dissuade faculty from adopting it upon initial review.

Clarity rating: 5

I find the book highly readable. At no point would I think that an early undergraduate student would have any difficulty reading this new conceptual framework. To that end, I think that the book would also be useful for any non-native English speakers who may have difficulty learning sociology (and its often jargon-filled texts) with (if) only a modest command of the English language.

Consistency rating: 5

The book's format is very consistent. After reading it for a while, you come to cognitively expect the content in a particualr sequence. This can be very beneficial for introductory students, even though it may constrain the development of their sociological imagination. To balance this, though, the more personalized scenarios at the end of chapters do make students engage with the material to solve an issue with the sociological skills and knowledge they just read about, which is a great form of learning, using, then remembering.

Modularity rating: 3

I think that this varies according to topic. For example, the first chapter on understanding society seems disjointed to me. The emphasis on Mills and Durkheim is a classic approach to getting students to think sociologically, but a basic definition of "society" is missing, and it jumps around through social structure, debunking, and public issues/private troubles. I have a similar issue with the chapters on society and environment and politics and government. Many other chapters are generally collated well, allowing faculty to choose more material that reflects the organizational, theoretical, structural, practical, or stratified elements of different substantive topics.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 4

I would that the topics are presented in a clear fashion, but I'm sure how any textbooks can be deemed having a "logical flow" to them. The vast, vast majority follow the same format, presenting the sociological imagination through Durkheim and Mills, then theory (if its own chapter), then methods, and a blend of the core social processes: culture, socialization, and social control. Beyond that, arguably, it probably wouldn't matter what order the rest of the chapters were in, unless you were deliberately trying to move from the local to the global or to emphasize social movements and social change.

Interface rating: 4

As a PDF, you can easily zoom in to see much more clearly some of the maps, for example, that are difficult to read on a page-by-age basis (page 6 map on suicide rates, for example). As a web-based document, it is more challenging at times to most clearly view and use some of the visuals. I could not navigate the PDF without having to identify page numbers that connect to PDF page numbers, as links within the pages to other chapters did not take you directly to those chapters. The bookmarks and other options in the PDF, though, were helpful to navigate quickly to sections and/or specific pages. Overall, not too difficult.

Grammatical Errors rating: 5

I found it grammatically sound and easy to read.

Cultural Relevance rating: 4

I think that the book does attempt to provide more racial, gender, and intersectionality approaches than other books, but none provide due diligence to the many sociologists of color and women sociologists (as well as Queer Theorists and others) that are a more accurate reflection of the totality of sociological thinking. It does make use of examples from many cultural and racial backgrounds, and focuses on disparities in ways that are demeaning or unintentionally stigmatizing. I would suggest a trigger warning or two, especially when showing images of lynching.

The book’s title suggests that it also motivates the student to act on their newly gained sociological imagination. This is something that (historically) many introductory textbooks that I have seen don’t explicitly provide. Students will often say "this is interesting, but seems idealistic --- what can I do?” One standout at the end of the chapters in this textbook that I enjoyed were the "Sociology Making a Difference" sections that showed how the insight that the sociological perspective provides can and is being put into practice to alleviate social problems. In this way, it does use the objective, evidence-based knowledge to alleviate social injustices, which I find refreshing. Though the book's defining theme is not social activism, these snippets are motivating.

I would add more material on how sociology is increasingly an interdisciplinary field of scholarship. For example, in the chapter on environment, there are great references to Bullard and other classic pieces in environmental justice and environmental racism. At this point, the chapter could talk more about the growth in interdisciplinary work with environmental and other natural scientists.

A topic that is sorely lacking is climate change. If I read it correctly, a single paragraph on "global climate change" is not sufficient, given the crucial role that sociologists play and will increasingly play in the coming decades and centuries with forced migration, increased disparities in health, sea level rise, and other fundamental climate change impacts that are radically re-structuring global and local societies.

A final topic that could be included is science in society.