Preface by Laurie Taylor. Introduction to the Second Edition. How to Use this Book. 1. Introducing Sociology. What is Sociology? Some Key Introductory Ideas. Chapter Summary. Key Terms. 2. Social Stratification. Social Stratification. Systems of Stratification. Two Views of Social Class. The Class Structure of Britain. Chapter Summary. Key Terms. Project Suggestions. 3. Social Class in Modern Britain. Class Inequalities. Changes in the Class Structure. Social Mobility. Chapter Summary. Key Terms. Project Suggestions. 4. Wealth, Income, and Poverty. Wealth and Income. Poverty. The Welfare State and Poverty. The Persistence of Poverty: Why the Poor Remain Poor. Chapter Summary. Key Terms. Project Suggestions. 5. Gender Role Socialization. Sex and Gender. Gender and Biology. Gender Stereotyping in Britain. The Sexual Division of Labour. Chapter Summary. Key Terms. Project Suggestions. 6. Women. The Changing Status of Women in Britain. Women at Work. Conclusion. Chapter Summary. Key Terms. Project Suggestions. 7. Ethnicity and Race. Race, Ethnicity, and Ethnic Minorities. The Pattern of Immigration. Who are the Ethnic Minorities? Some Inequalities Facing Ethnic Minority Groups. The Causes of Racism. Are Relations between Ethnic Groups Improving? Chapter Summary. Key Terms. Project Suggestions. 8. Power and Politics. Types of Political System. Political Parties in Britain. Influencing Decision-making in a Democracy. Influences on Voting Behaviour. Why do People Abstain in Elections? Opinion Polls and Elections. Is Britain a Democracy? Chapter Summary. Key Terms. Project Suggestions. 9. The Mass Media. The Power of the Media: Key Questions. Formal Controls on the Media. Ownership of the Mass Media. The Mass Media, Public Opinion and Social Control. What Affects the Content of the Media? Stereotyping, Scapegoating, and the Media. Crime and the Media. The Media, Labelling, and Deviancy Amplification. Bias in the Media. The Mass Media and Democracy. Into the Future. Chapter Summary. Key Terms. Project Suggestions. 10. Social Control, Deviance and Crime. Agencies of Social Control. Crime and Deviance. The Pattern of Crime. What's Wrong with the Official Crime Statistics? Is the Crime Rate Increasing? Explaining Crime and Deviance. Conclusion. Chapter Summary. Key Terms. Project Suggestions. 11. The Family and Marriage. What is the Family? Different Forms of the Family and Marriage. Changes in the Family in Britain. Critical Views of the Family. Alternatives to the Family. Are Marriage and the Family Declining Social Institutions? Chapter Summary. Key Terms. Project Suggestions. 12. Schooling in Britain. Education in Britain before 1944. Secondary Education for All: the Tripartite System. Comprehensive Schools. Streaming, Labelling, and the Self-fulfilling Prophecy. More Recent Developments in Education. The Purposes of Education. Chapter Summary. Key Terms. Project Suggestions. 13. Inequality in Education. Ethnicity and Underachievement. Gender Differences in Education: The Underachievement of Boys. Social Class and Underachievement. Compensatory Education. Private Education: The Independent Schools. Is Equality of Educational Opportunity Possible to Achieve? Chapter Summary. Key Terms. Project Suggestions. 14. Religion. A Definition of Religion. The Role of Religion in Society. Religion, Social Conflict, and Social Change. The Secularization Thesis. Conclusion. Chapter Summary. Key Terms. Project Suggestions. 15. Work and Leisure. The Importance of Work. Unemployment. Industrialization, Mechanization, and Automation. Alienation and Job Satisfaction. The Effects of Changing Technology on Society. The Changing Occupational Structure. Trade Unions. Leisure. Chapter Summary. Key Terms. Project Suggestions. 16. Population. The Importance of Information on Population. Key Terms Used in the Study of Population. Population Size. Population Change in the United Kingdom. Urbanization. Chapter Summary. Key Terms. Project Suggestions. 17. Health and Illness. What is Meant by 'Health', 'Illness' and 'Disease'? The Medical and Social Models of Health. Becoming a Health Statistic. Medicine and Social Control: The Sick Role. How Society Influences Health. The Food Industry. Inequalities in Health. Conclusion. Chapter Summary. Key Terms. Project Suggestions. 18. Doing Sociological Research. Quantitative and Qualitative Data. Primary and Secondary Sources. Social Surveys. Observation. Doing Your Own Research: Coursework. Chapter Summary. Key Terms. Appendix: Reading Statistical Data. Statistical Tables. Describing a Trend. Graphs. Bar Charts. Pie Charts. Glossary. Index.
