Majority-Minority Relations (5th Edition) [Hardcover]

John E. Farley (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0131444123 | ISBN-13: 978-0131444126 | Publication Date: October 8, 2004 | Edition: 5

For sophomore/junior level courses in Majority-Minority Relations or Race and Ethnic Relations in departments of sociology and ethnic studies and for college and university courses on diversity. This topically organized text is designed to develop students' understanding of the principles and processes that shape the patterns of relations between racial, ethnic, and other groups in society. Organized by topic, this book provides a more integrated look at the social forces that affect different racial groups.

Editorial Reviews

Review

“The Farley text is different in that it begins from a much broader perspective of understanding race as a social, cultural, and historical variable.  Granted, it is necessary to break down any discussion of different racial and ethnic groups, but the Farley text does it in a way that keeps the broader picture and structure of race in context and plain view.”

Michael Stewart, Florida State University

 

“I find the text to be very accurate and solid in terms of addressing the material in a straightforward, scholarly way.”

Michael Stewart, Florida State University

 

“The scope of this text is impressive and I would be surprised if any instructor could not find at least a few examples of what he or she deems ‘necessary’.”

Dr. Cory Blad, Southern Illinois University, Edwardsville

 

“This text does a great job of building the foundation for consideration of majority-minority relations.  It then does a great job of elaborating into different issues that are relevant to a thorough understanding of majority-minority relations.”

Juanita Ortiz, University of Oklahoma

 

[Regarding boxed features] “They are interesting and engaging.  Improve them by adding more!”

Juanita Ortiz, University of Oklahoma

 

“This book is scholarly, thorough, and highly relevant to contemporary society.”

Dr. Judy Morelock, The University of Tennessee

--This text refers to an alternate Hardcover edition.

From the Publisher

This new edition analyzes the "whys" of race and ethnic relations, paying specific attention to institutional discrimination. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 576 pages
• Publisher: Prentice Hall; 5 edition (October 8, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0131444123
• ISBN-13: 978-0131444126
• Product Dimensions: 10.1 x 8 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.7 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #136,774 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The best text on race relations, December 31, 1998

By 

[e-mail] (Scottsdale, Arizona) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Majority-Minority Relations (Hardcover)

This is the most thorough and theoretical of all the texts out there. Students that don't like to read won't like it because it is challenging material and not "dumbed down" like so many texts are (for example Shaeffer's "Racial and Ethnic Groups"). But the professor will find it quite interesting to read and so will the students who actually read it. It contains a good mix of theory, research, and examples. It is not a boring text and even contains some excellent and extensive segments from Richard Wright's "The Ethics of Living Jim Crow."

One of its strengths is the organization: instead of the usual three or four chapters on prejudice and discrimination and then endless chapters one ethnic group after another, all the chapters are about an important aspect of race relations with plenty of examples from selected groups. The emphasis is on Blacks, Mexican Americans and American Indians and their relations with the dominant group. I recommend this book to anyone who is serious about learning how race relations develope and change over time. It's explanation and usage of the conflict and functionalist perspectives is the best I have seen in any text.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Informative, September 29, 2009

By 

M. Ngo (Costa Mesa, CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Majority-Minority Relations (5th Edition) (Hardcover)

Very informative book and was at a decent price. Condition was excellent and came in on time.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A FABULOUS TEXT if you want to learn, January 29, 2007

By 

Socially Minded (Seattle, WA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Majority-Minority Relations (5th Edition) (Hardcover)

I have used this text to teach an undergraduate sociology course, specifically because it was the only text I found that approached minority-majority relations from a sociological perspective, and not from a "humanities" perspective, (not that there is anything wrong with Humanities, but I was teaching sociology, not humanities, and not race history).

Because the text is sociology, and not a compendium of racial conflicts in America, students and other readers should expect to learn new material, to acquire new concepts. This type of reading does require more time and effort than a special interest column in a newspaper. If you are looking for "edutainment," then this book is probably not for you unless you consider socioeconomics or social psychology to be entertainment. There are plenty of wonderful documentaries, history books of racial conflicts in America, and even history-based movies to fill your void if you are seeking a casual read. I would even direct you to the web site of Southern Law Poverty Center, where you can read powerful (and quick) information about current events and hate crimes.

It is not an easy weekend read. But it is a set of powerful concepts to help readers understand what underlies the complex web of minority-majority relations. The book does have many asides/side-bars of important minority-majority events, (particularly in the U.S.), but it is important to keep in mind that conveying history is not the primary intent of this text, but is rather to distill sociological knowledge from history and the disciplines of sociology, economics, political science, and social psychology. If you approach the textbook from that perspective, you will NOT be disappointed.

STUDENTS. This is not a textbook for a 100s-level introductory course or "survey" course. It is not going to have vocabulary lists or quiz questions at the ends of the chapters. You will find that fewer and fewer of the books for your upper-level courses will have such aids. The length of each chapter has been determined by the amount of pages Professor Farley needs in order to convey the concepts to you. Your professor might try to assign sections of chapters at a time in order to balance your load. But the book, unapologetically I believe, does not attempt to level chapters or to provide rich study aids. My recommendation would be to read each chapter once, attend class, and then re-read the chapter to really master the concepts. This takes longer. But these are powerful concepts, and they are not easy to acquire the first time through.

I am not just an evening Sociology prof. I am someone who has been working in business for over 12 years, in managed care and pharmaceutical research and development, including project management, computer science, and global strategic marketing. I have an MBA. And I am also an evening law student. I can distinguish useless abstract babbling from useful knowledge. The concepts in this book are powerful and useful, and I have seen the principles in this text applied to public policy, to designing educational approaches, and to international business.

If you want to learn and to apply, then this book is for you. If you are looking for "edutainment" -- and there is nothing wrong with that -- then you might want to look for PBS, Discovery Channel, Discovery Civilization, History Channel, or National Geographic programming.