College of Humanities & Social Sciences - Open & Free Materials by Course: Sociology

Introduction to Sociology 2e adheres to the scope and sequence of a typical, one-semester introductory sociology course. It offers comprehensive coverage of core concepts, foundational scholars, and emerging theories.

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It is no accident that many sociology instructors and students are first drawn to sociology because they want to learn a body of knowledge that could help them make a difference in the world at large. Sociology: Understanding and Changing the Social World is designed for this audience. It presents a sociological understanding of society but also a sociological perspective on how to change society, while maintaining the structure and contents of the best mainstream texts.

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Introduction to Sociology adheres to the scope and sequence of a typical introductory sociology course. In addition to comprehensive coverage of core concepts, foundational scholars, and emerging theories, we have incorporated section reviews with engaging questions, discussions that help students apply the sociological imagination, and features that draw learners into the discipline in meaningful ways.

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Social Problems: Continuity and Change is a realistic but motivating look at the many issues that are facing our society today. As this book’s subtitle, Continuity and Change, implies, social problems are persistent, but they have also improved in the past and can be improved in the present and future, provided that our nation has the wisdom and will to address them.

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"The book encourages further inspection of the ways in which data is collected, interpreted, and analyzed on a variety of social justice issues... It also attempts to reveal how the misuse of data can reinforce inequities... Whether an intended or unintended consequence, irresponsible data use can contribute to racist impressions of people and communities."

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"Social science research methods are those skills and techniques we use to build knowledge about social phenomena. In this text, we are specifically interested in empirical social science research methods as a way of building knowledge. When using empirical methods, we are building knowledge based on systematic observations."

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"The book encourages further inspection of the ways in which data is collected, interpreted, and analyzed on a variety of social justice issues... It also attempts to reveal how the misuse of data can reinforce inequities... Whether an intended or unintended consequence, irresponsible data use can contribute to racist impressions of people and communities."

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Published by the American Anthropological Association

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OpenStax Introduction to Anthropology is a four-field text integrating diverse voices, engaging field activities, and meaningful themes like Indigenous experiences and social inequality to engage students and enrich learning. The text showcases the historical context of the discipline, with a strong focus on anthropology as a living and evolving field. There is significant discussion of recent efforts to make the field more diverse-in its practitioners, in the questions it asks, and in the applications of anthropological research to address contemporary challenges. In addressing social inequality, the text drives readers to consider the rise and impact of social inequalities based on forms of identity and difference (such as gender, ethnicity, race, and class) as well as oppression and discrimination. The contributors to and dangers of socioeconomic inequality are fully addressed, and the role of inequality in social dysfunction, disruption, and change is noted.

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As information and communications technology (ICT) evolve families and the professionals who work with them are best armed with tools that enable their intentional use. From the perspective of a long time family practitioner, researcher, and educator, and technology innovator, this textbook offers the first comprehensive view of technology in the family for college students, professionals and the public. Each chapter offers content and a complete reference list, learning activities, ideas for critical blog posting and additional readings. Overall, the textbook covers foundational information about our societal use of information and communications technology, family theories and ways of understanding families, and how families differ in their use and access to ICT.

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