Introduction to Sociology - 2nd Canadian Edition

Reviewed by Shirley A Jackson, Professor, Portland State University on 9/18/23

Comprehensiveness rating: 5 see less

I found the addition of The History of Sociology in Chapter 1 to be more comprehensive than I can recall seeing in other texts. This was refreshing. I really liked the thoroughness of the chapter on Culture (Chapter 3). The historical references were a nice addition as they helped to better understand the past and the present. In Chapter 7, should research ethics be discussed when mentioning Fallon's breaking the seal about a research subject's identity? (I can imagine students asking about this.) The chapters have a slightly different order from some sociology texts. I think in some cases, chapters might be merged to provide a more cohesive organization of the information. Overall, it was quite comprehensive.

Content Accuracy rating: 4

When discussing "doing gender" in Chapter 5, the author should be citing Candace West and Don Zimmerman. 1987. "Doing Gender." Gender and Society 1(2):125-151.
My eye tends to gravitate to different kinds of typos or missing information, so I will attempt to narrow down these concerns/questions in providing this review. Chapter 10 seems a bit on the brief side. It was almost as though there was not enough to say. Thus, does it really need to be there, or need to be there in its current form? I wonder...
I noticed in Chapter 11 when referencing internal colonialism, the source of this concept, Robert Blauner, and the author of the article, Internal Colonialism and Ghetto Revolt (1969) is not mentioned.
There appears to be a dearth of images in the Making Connections sections in the chapter on Gender, Sex, and Sexuality in comparison to other chapters. Thus, anyone who wants to make this chapter more impactful might consider adding their own during class discussions.
In the discussion of Black North American women and the fact they are less likely to marry, the MMPI (marriageable male pool index) might be included. This is something that I know I have included in the past when discussing marriage and the family with my students. In doing so, I have also attempted to connect the importance of lower incomes and difficulty in wealth generation for Black North American women raising children alone.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 3

There are a number of examples drawn from different time periods. Some are examples that one could easily grasp the significance of which makes it less likely one would need to update entire chapters of the text, but a small section or paragraph, perhaps.
I was not sure why Afghanistan was singled out in the chapter on education. Race, gender, and class and their intersection with education are lacking. This chapter was one of the weaker ones, in my opinion.

Clarity rating: 5

The writing style and examples are clear and interesting. They capture what a student might want or need to know about the discipline.

Consistency rating: 5

A wide array of sociologists, anthropologists, and others are included to help give breadth and depth to the text. Good use of examples drawn from a variety of areas (social, political, etc.). It was easy to see the connection between concepts and ideas through the referencing of what was mentioned in previous chapters. The chapters on gender and age, respectively, for instance, not only talk about the LGBTQ community as a community but also as an aging community. Similarly, the chapter on aging brought in a discussion about aging while incarcerated. However, I don't recall gay marriage being covered in the chapter on Marriage and Family.
The term "black" (lowercase) is used throughout the book but in Chapter 14, Black North American is used (in the paragraph preceding Figure 14.10).

Modularity rating: 5

The text was arranged such that it might be easy to have students read or reread sections at various times during the term. This was certainly the case when reading the chapter on research methods. One might be able to have students revisit this section at various points in the term after reading the chapters on specific topics found in the remaining chapters.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 5

For the most part, readable for students at the introductory level. There were some areas where the discussion was a bit "dense" (e.g., philosophical discussion found earlier in the book) but these were rare. The chapters are clearly outlined and ordered. Each of the chapters provided clear summaries of the major learning objectives at the beginning and a review of the main terms at the end. [Note: I did have a concern about one of the questions (#14) at the end of Chapter 1 asking a question that students may be unable to answer correctly as the information on research methods does not appear until Chapter 2. I found it problematic that the section on dying appeared in the chapter on aging and the elderly as though younger people do not die. Maybe it could be added to Chapter 18 on Sociology of the Body: Health and Medicine.
I was wondering if it might be more appropriate to include the Chapter on religion after the chapter on Culture. Connect the photo at the start of Chapter 17 with the box on Arab Spring. For some reason, the connection between Mohamed Bouazizi's actions and the rise of the Arab Spring in several countries is not clear.
Finally, the last chapter, Social Interaction, might work better earlier in the text.

Interface rating: 4

Some of the headings were too small and did not stand out as much as they probably should. This is when the headings are on the center of a given page. A good example is the one that immediately follows Table 6.1.

Figures 2.7 and 6.16 are a bit too small to read. The distortion of image 4.17 could pose a problem for some readers. Image 4.13 was not really necessary. Figures 5.1, 6.8, 6.11. and 9.3 are blurry as is 14.6.

Reformatting so that the image itself is enlarged might be considered for Figures 7.12, 7.13, 9.22, 13.4, 13.6, and 13.7. Figure 14.3 was really difficult to read and should also be reformatted so the reader can grasp its significance. Figures 17.14 and 17.15 should also be enlarged.

Why use the drawing of Foucault in 17.21 instead of a photo? The photo of Goffman (22.10) brings me to ask the same question. They just seem out of place.

In some chapters, the titles of books are in especially large font which looks odd. Example from Chapter 7: Garland, D. (1985). Punishment and welfare: [A history of penal strategies. Brookfield, VT: Gower Publishing] The bracketed area is quite large in the actual chapter references list.

Figure 9.10 source is missing.

Table 16.1 is overly large.

Grammatical Errors rating: 5

I saw no grammatical errors.

Cultural Relevance rating: 5

As a scholar in the U.S., the use of Canadian examples was not only appropriate but made me realize how perhaps all textbooks should strive for examples beyond the country in which the text was written. The chapter on Media and Technology has a lot of information that could be connected to the chapter on Culture. This happened in several other places as well, making the book easy for students to be able to connect the material in different locations in the book and during the term.

Comments

I'm not sure why the author chose to use a "dictionary" definition of sociology without specifying which dictionary--lay versus sociology dictionary. It's minor, but something that caught my eye. I found the terminology sections at the end of each chapter to be clear and thorough. Peter Berger passed in 2017 so this should be updated in Chapter 15 (15.19)
Overall, I found the writing clear, examples were appropriate and interesting. The inclusion of theorists, historical references, and wide range of examples from different sources, cultures, and countries made this a nicely presented text.

Reviewed by Martin Laubach, Professor , Marshall University on 2/18/20

Comprehensiveness rating: 4 see less

This textbook appears overall to be adequate for faculty who supplement it with readings and with lecture notes. My teaching philosophy follows that so I can see adopting it for future Introductory courses. However, there are a number of weaknesses. For example, the text pretty much ignores rational choice (in its various forms like exchange theory) until the chapter on religion, and then to introduce Stark & Bainbridge’s treatment in a box but leaves out their essential concept of supernatural compensators. The text is very weak on sociological social psychological concepts like the development and use of the self and definition of the situation, despite a focus on Goffman and on social construction. While it offers a good discussion of the scientific process, it is weak of qualitative research asserting that field research is “about correlations” and ignores that it develops meanings from the community under study.

Content Accuracy rating: 4

generally good, but there are points where I will have to disagree like in the research chapter. While it offers a good discussion of the scientific process, it is weak of qualitative research asserting that field research is “about correlations” and ignores that it develops meanings from the community under study.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 4

The content is relatively up to date, but for sociology I think offering updated examples is part of the job of the instructor, not the textbook.

Clarity rating: 5

this is as clear as any introductory textbook I have seen

Consistency rating: 5

the book is consistent

Modularity rating: 4

I appreciate the modularity of the textbook because i will need to move chapters around.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 4

I found its sequencing odd, with discussion of concepts like rationalization, protestant work ethic, alienation, anomie in the chapter on social interaction instead of the chapter on organizations, a topic which gets short treatment by being lumped together in a chapter with groups. I also found that I will need to resequence chapters, like put technology and media closer to social change, and start the section on institutions with government and work like most of the introductory textbooks.

Interface rating: 4

I did not find any technical issues with navigation or display of charts on either my desktop computer or my netbook.

Grammatical Errors rating: 5

I did find the first misspelling in Chapter 18: “Recent Economic Cconditions.”

Cultural Relevance rating: 5

I appreciate the broad cultural discussions in the various sections, it helps the course's designation as multicultural.

Comments

This textbook appears overall to be adequate for faculty who supplement it with readings and with lecture notes. My teaching philosophy follows that so I can see adopting it for future Introductory courses. However, there are a number of weaknesses. For example, the text pretty much ignores rational choice (in its various forms like exchange theory) until the chapter on religion, and then to introduce Stark & Bainbridge’s treatment in a box but leaves out their essential concept of supernatural compensators. The text is very weak on sociological social psychological concepts like the development and use of the self and definition of the situation, despite a focus on Goffman and on social construction. It has a discussion of the “genetic roots of our temperament and behavior” from the twin studies that seems odd for a sociology text. While it offers a good discussion of the scientific process, it is weak of qualitative research asserting that field research is “about correlations” and ignores that it develops meanings from the community under study. I found its sequencing odd as well, with discussion of concepts like rationalization, protestant work ethic, alienation, anomie in the chapter on social interaction instead of the chapter on organizations, a topic which gets short treatment by being lumped together in a chapter with groups. I also found that I will need to resequence chapters, like put technology and media closer to social change, and start the section on institutions with government and work like most of the introductory textbooks. Again, though, overall the textbook does a good job of introducing the basic concepts as needed so my classes can focus on exercises and discussions of the current topics that always seem to hit at the right time for classes.

Reviewed by Alison Bambridge, Lecturer, Staffordshire University, UK on 2/1/18

Comprehensiveness rating: 5 see less

This Introduction to Sociology is both extremely comprehensive and well designed. The initial chapters locate sociology as a necessary area of study in an increasingly complex global landscape. The topics cover all aspects of social life and society, drawing on real world issues to realise the theoretical approaches. As a sport sociologist I would have liked a separate section on sport but sport as an agent of socialisation is embedded throughout the book.

Content Accuracy rating: 5

I did not find any issues with accuracy although some statistics were from 2010 so perhaps more recent Pew surveys would reveal changes in trends.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 5

As a textbook, Introduction to Sociology is extremely relevant for students within all areas of the humanities. It introduces a variety of themes and topics which can be applied to different degree pathways. Students of communication and media would benefit from a number of these chapters and instructors in current courses in policing and crime would find a number of sections useful to inform particular modules. Whilst this is the Canadian edition and many of the statistics are based on Canadian data sources the book also draws on wider examples from North America and Europe which makes it useful for an international audience. The sections that underline Sociology in the Real World that draw on contemporary examples are self contained in a way that makes them easily modifiable.

Clarity rating: 4

The prose is accessible and when more esoteric language and terms are introduced these are explained well. The Key Terms boxes at the end of each chapter are excellent for reinforcing learning outcomes and checking knowledge. Useful contexts are included and even the selection of images shows the careful consideration. The choice of the TV show Dexter to open the chapter on Deviance not only situates the topic within a cultural framework students can relate to but by itself, invites them to consider the subjectivity of crime before the chapter has even started. This makes the rationale clear. I did find the History section rather elongated and wonder whether this might lose the students focus.

Consistency rating: 5

There was a consistent formula in that each chapter signposted the learning outcomes, provided a summary and allowed testing of knowledge through quizzes. Chapters used the same structure with multiple sections and examples. Key terms are highlighted in bold.

Modularity rating: 5

The book covers a wide range of themes and sub themes and manages to do this coherently due to the structure. The modules are in essence autonomous learning blocks and many sociology courses would benefit from an inbuilt ability to select certain chapters as standalone teaching material. The thorough nature of each section also means they incorporate a number of sub-topics allowing them to be taught as mini modules, something which would be useful for short-course teaching.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 5

The organisation was clear and appropriate. The first three chapters were by necessity placed at the start to provide an explanation of a sociologist’s remit and where the study of the social began. As readers tend to infer importance from the order of chapters, I think the structure replicated this well as the first six chapters could provide a very robust understanding of sociology in the modern world. I would have liked though to see the chapter on Social Interaction feature far earlier as I feel this fits really well with the introductory section.

Interface rating: 3

The only issue I found was using the search facility. A search for a word takes you to the beginning of the chapter only. As this book is so comprehensive and each chapter is very long this renders the search facility inadequate.

Grammatical Errors rating: 5

No issues at all.

Cultural Relevance rating: 5

The textbook is relevant to Western cultures, more so than just North America and Canada. It tackles a wide variety of cultural issues including sexuality, ethnicity and technological interactions. As a modern/post-modern text it focuses throughout on issues of social mobility through a solid deconstruction of inequality and an endemic problem. As a Canadian text it may well be skewed towards a more liberal and tolerant audience and as such, for less enlightened readers, I would have liked a more thorough analysis of the Creationist movement and the impact of the Flat Earth believers on the idea of knowledge.

Comments

I will definitely use this in teaching undergraduate modules.

Reviewed by Erika Giesen, Social Science Instructor, Rogue Community College on 8/15/17

Comprehensiveness rating: 5 see less

Quite comprehensive. Each chapter is quite lengthy and not only addresses the standard topics covered in Intro to Soc courses, but goes above and beyond.

At first I was concerned that there was no separate chapter on poverty or social class, but these concepts are well integrated into the chapter on social inequality.

Each chapter ends with definitions of the key terms, which have been bolded throughout the chapter, and with brief summaries of each section. Additionally, each chapter includes a review quiz for students, including answers. Multiple, high quality "short answer" questions have been provided for each chapter, though these would be more useful for homework assignments, in-class discussion generators or group work than test questions.

Content Accuracy rating: 5

I see no issues with this text's accuracy.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 5

The content is very relevant to students. Examples of key concepts are used liberally, and in engaging ways, including people's personal stories. The author encourages students to interact with the material and with sociology through his writing style, such as using the film Dawn of the Planet of the Apes to illustrate political concepts.

As a teacher in a community college in the United States, I'm quite sure my students would find the Canadian focus not only relevant, but interesting. Additionally, there is a substantial amount of statistics on North America in general, and the U.S. specifically.

Clarity rating: 5

Very clearly written and includes well-explained concepts such as neoliberalism.

Consistency rating: 5

Very consistent structure and framework across chapters.

Modularity rating: 5

For those who like to supplement assigned chapters with articles or other sources, this text is very easily broken up since it's sectioned off and well-organized.

As noted in the book's preface, "This textbook is organized on Connexions (http://cnx.org) as a collection of modules that can be rearranged and modified to suit the needs of a particular professor or class. That being said, modules often contain references to content in other modules, as most topics in sociology cannot be discussed in isolation."

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 5

Quite well organized. It is quite similar in content flow to most introductory textbooks.

Interface rating: 5

Very well organized and displayed. Visual choices are appropriate and interesting.

Grammatical Errors rating: 5

I only found a missing "the" in one section. Otherwise, impeccable.

Cultural Relevance rating: 3

Makes use of some quality examples that are inclusive of a variety of groups; for example, the explanation of trans folks in the gender chapter is well done and some chapters foreground a global perspective. For example, this is the first textbook I've come across that notes the first sociologist was the Berber scholar Ibn Khaldun. More diversity in examples and in images in the second half of the text would make this section stronger. For example, including sections on variations in religious and political behaviors and experiences by class, gender and race.

Comments

Very well done. A lot of research and planning went into the creation of this textbook. We are lucky it is an OER.

Reviewed by James Pasto, Senior Lecturer, Boston University on 4/11/17

Comprehensiveness rating: 5 see less

The text has 22 comprehensive chapters, from the opening Introduction to Sociology, through key areas such as Gender and Sex, Race and Ethnicity, Religion, Health and Medicine, etc. Each chapter begins by stating the learning objectives and key terms, and concludes with section summaries and quizzes, suggestions for further research, and references. Each chapter contains colorful photos, tables, and diagrams.

Content Accuracy rating: 5

The text is well informed through classical sociological theory and current developments. While generally progressive in tone, it is comprehensive in presenting historical and diverse perspectives on things such as crime, social organization, gender, identity, etc.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 4

The book provides a thorough review of past social theory, covering all of the foundational theories (e.g., functionalism, labeling) and figures (Durkheim, Mills), while presenting in a comprehensive and integrated manner current theories (e.g., cyber-bullying, interesectionism). There are some gaps. For example, something on Assemblage theory as recently articulated by Emanuel DeLanda would be a welcome addition. But this is minor omission. Current examples focused on Canada are intermixed with the "big picture" and cross-cultural references.

Clarity rating: 5

Extremely lucid and well written. The text flows well from introducing conceptual information to providing examples from past and current events. The key terms are highlighted and explained in enough detail to help the reader understand the content without becoming tangential.

Consistency rating: 5

Each chapter keeps to a common structure, creating a sense of familiarity that aids overall clarity.

Modularity rating: 5

The chapter sections are generally short, ranging from a few paragraphs to ten. Each section has a prominent and relevant heading/subheading. Special topic sections do not interrupt the flow but rather enhance the subject matter of the chapter and are always relevant and interesting.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 5

The book is very well organized. The sections summaries at the end of each chapter provide a useful review as do the quizzes.

Interface rating: 5

The interface is excellent. The text is highly readable, with clear and colorful images and effective hyperlinks.

Grammatical Errors rating: 5

Well written.

Cultural Relevance rating: 5

The book is Canada-focused and cognizant of ethnic/racial, gender, as well as class and regional differences. It avoids generalizations beyond those necessary for sociological theory and analysis.

Comments

Highly recommended as central text for introductory sociology courses as well as courses in higher level social sciences that seek specific chapters to present introductory concepts.