Sociology (13th Edition) [Hardcover]

John J. Macionis (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0205735746 | ISBN-13: 978-0205735747 | Publication Date: October 5, 2009 | Edition: 13

Seeing Sociology in Everyday Life

  

John Macionis shares his enthusiasm, excitement and teaching experience with a clear and engaging writing style that connects with students. Macionis', Sociology, 13th edition is designed to help students see the relevance of the sociological theories and ideas that inform their own lives.

 

Four main themes are found throughout the text:

Seeing Sociology in Everyday Life

Social Diversity

Global Comparisons

Critical Thinking

 

The new edition has an innovate new design, contemporary and compelling student applications, plus a wealth of author-written and author-managed supplemental material. This revision elevates Sociology's high standard of excellence, ensuring that it remains one of the foremost introductory sociology resources for students and instructors alike.

 

Editorial Reviews

Review

Thank you to the reviewers of the new edition:

Rebecca Riehm, Jefferson Community College

William Wood, California State University Fullerton

Rudy Harris, Des Moines Area Comm. College

Judi Kessler, Monmouth College

Dale Howard, NorthWest Arkansas Community College

Robert Atkins, North Seattle Community College

Richard Sweeney, Modesto Junior College

Dave Conz, Arizona State University

Robert Brainerd, Highland Community College

 

 

 

“Allows the reader to appreciate the relevance of sociology in everyday life."

Boyejo Adefuye

Collin County Community College 

  

"Macionis provides tables, charts, and several visuals summaries that other texts do not. These tools not only assist students towards understanding how sociology "works" in society, but they also facilitate an understanding of "why" social inequities exist in the US and abroad."

Anita Gardner

Mitchell Community College

 

"Macionis is visually stunning."

Patricia Gibbs

Foothill College

 

"Engaging, accessible narrative and illustrations / learning tools."

Patricia Gibbs

Foothill College

 

"Good definitions, nicely organized...students do not have to go "searching" for information during the process of studying for exams."

Christine Janis

Northern Illinois University

 

"I like the way this text “backed” into the theory by first presenting concepts/empirical evidence and then theory."

Chalane Lechuga

University of New Mexico, Albuquerque 

 

"I like how well balanced the text is between, structural-function, conflict, and symbolic interaction perspectives."

Chalane Lechuga

University of New Mexico, Albuquerque 

"Text is well supported by online student materials, in text review, and an excellent study guide."

J Beth Mabry

Indiana University of Penn

 

"Crisp writing, excellent examples, and visually interesting."

J Beth Mabry

Indiana University of Penn

 

"Deals with everyday events and material students can relate to."

Sondra McKinney

Southwest Missouri State University

 

"Macionis is a very good book for stimulating discussion and explaining basic concepts. In many cases, it makes students want to go beyond it and learn more."

Kendra Murphy

University of Memphis

 

"Making the Grade is a big asset. My students need constant reinforcement and this provides it immediately."

Meryl Nason

University of Texas, Dallas

 

"This is a fantastic book, based on my opinion as well as the favorable reports that I get from my students!"

Juanita Ortiz

University of Oklahona, Norman

 

"I like how the author of the text keeps the students in mind when writing the text."

Timothy Sexton

Chippewa Valley Technical College

 

"The topics are broad however simple enough for the students to gain knowledge in each of the areas of interest."

Timothy Sexton

Chippewa Valley Technical College

 

"I like the critical thinking questions presented throughout the text."

Timothy Sexton

Chippewa Valley Technical College

 

"The pages are colorful and full of valuable information."

Timothy Sexton

Chippewa Valley Technical College
  

"Since 1985, I have taught sociology courses at diffent institutions at various levels. I have used a varietyof texts for my courses. On the topic of Family and Religion, this chapter (in this book) is one of the best."

Boyejo Adefuye

Collin County Community Colleg

From the Back Cover

Sociology 13/e shows students how sociology is relevant in their daily lives. The new edition has an innovate new design, contemporary and relevant student applications, plus a wealth of supplemental material. This revision elevates Sociology's high standard of excellence, ensuring that it remains one of the foremost comprehensive introductory sociology resources for students and instructors alike.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 744 pages
• Publisher: Prentice Hall; 13 edition (October 5, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0205735746
• ISBN-13: 978-0205735747
• Product Dimensions: 11 x 9.2 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 2.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #10,846 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

John J. Macionis was born and raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He earned a bachelor's degree from Cornell University and a doctorate in sociology from the University of Pennsylvania.

John Macionis' publications are wide-ranging, focusing on community life in the United States, interpersonal intimacy in families, effective teaching, humor, new information technology, and the importance of global education. In addition, John Macionis and Nijole V. Benokraitis have edited the best-selling anthology Seeing Ourselves: Classic, Contemporary, and Cross-Cultural Readings in Sociology. Macionis and Vincent Parrillo have written the leading urban studies text, Cities and Urban Life (Pearson). Macionis' most recent textbook is Social Problems (Pearson).

John Macionis is Professor and Distinguished Scholar of Sociology at Kenyon College in Gambier, Ohio, where he has taught for almost thirty years. During that time, he has chaired the Sociology Department, directed the college's multidisciplinary program in humane studies, presided over the campus senate and the college's faculty, and taught sociology to thousands of students. In 2002, the American Sociological Association presented Macionis with the Award for Distinguished Contributions to Teaching, citing his innovative use of global material as well as the introduction of new teaching technology in his textbooks.

Professor Macionis has been active in academic programs in other countries, having traveled to some fifty nations. He writes, "I am an ambitious traveler, eager to learn and, through the texts, to share much of what I discover with students, many of whom know little about the rest of the world. For me, traveling and writing are all dimensions of teaching. First, and foremost, I am a teacher--a passion for teaching animates everything I do."

At Kenyon, Macionis teaches a number of courses, but his favorite class is Introduction to Sociology, which he offers every semester. He enjoys extensive contact with students and invites everyone enrolled in each of his classes to enjoy a home-cooked meal.

The Macionis family--John, Amy, and children McLean and Whitney--live on a farm in rural Ohio. In his free time, Macionis enjoys tennis, swimming, hiking, and playing oldies rock-and-roll (he recently released his first CD). Macionis is as an environmental activist in the Lake George region of New York's Adirondack Mountains, working with a number of organizations, including the Lake George Land Conservancy, where he serves as president of the board of trustees.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the Best Intro Sociology Textbooks Ever Written, August 10, 2010

By 

Martha E. Lang (GREENSBORO, NC, US) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Sociology (13th Edition) (Hardcover)

As a Sociology professor I have used and reviewed dozens of introductory sociology textbooks over the years, and Macionis Sociology is the one I always come back to. Although it is not perfect, it is simply one of the best. Why? Here are the major reasons:

1) Clear writing that is easily understood by students who are at a basic learning level and yet challenging to advanced students.
2) Comprehensive coverage of all major areas of the discipline of sociology with very thorough citation of most of the essential scholars in the field, including scholars with a variety of viewpoints.
3) Outstanding use of art, photography, graphs, maps and tables to engage visual learners.
4) Practical, real world examples to engage concrete learners.
5) An extensive and exhaustive bibliography that serves as an invaluable research tool for students.
6) Concise chapter summaries that serve as effective study guides for tests and exams.
7) Evenhanded discussion and debate guidelines for controversial topics.
8) Exceptional incorporation of international sociology and international examples.

In short, you will find intro textbooks that are more advanced, others that are more basic, but few as comprehensive as Macionis Sociology. There is a reason it is now in its 13th Edition.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I needed it for class, February 10, 2011

By 

Erika L. Minjarez "E Minjarez" - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Sociology (Paperback) (13th Edition) (Paperback)

I needed this book for class and decided to just get it online. The book itself is pretty interesting. There are a lot of graphics and very useful review pages at the end of each chapter.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Good Introduction for Young Students, February 20, 2011

By 

Lisa Shea "medieval swordfighting enthusiast" - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (TOP 50 REVIEWER)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Sociology (Paperback) (13th Edition) (Paperback)

I'll first say that I am 42 years old and I am finally finishing my degree after many years away. I imagine because of this that I found many of the examples in the book to be simplistic and geared towards what they think a young barely-adult student might be interested in. The book is filled with large, colorful pictures of rock stars and models. It could probably be half as large if they cut out all the meaningless photos. They have "stories" you read to understand issues, but these stories are often set up between fairly inane students who are being snide to each other. The stereotype is a little heavy.

There are certainly interesting issues covered. They explain that when you try to survey a group of people to find out how they feel, the very act of you surveying them may affect their answers. The group can be biased by how you ask the questions. Statistics can be manipulated and packaged to be misleading. The book is trying to get you to think critically about issues and to evaluate them - even when it comes to this very book. Everything is open to interpretation.

But amongst the quite useful foundation information are entire pages on symbols used in instant messaging, pictures of American Idol contestants, and pictures of Spider-Man. I really don't think the use of the pages for this content was worth the extremely high price I paid for the textbook. I'd rather have half the textbook, pay half as much, and learn the same information.

The book makes a good attempt to present multiple sides to issues. Yes, industrialization was good, in that it brought more products to the masses. But it was also bad, because human workers began to be treated like machines and dehumanized. Yes, some people use sociology to help other people live more happy lives. But others use sociology to find ways to control people and make sure they keep quiet. There are always two sides (or more!) to stories.

There are discussions that anybody could use, for example on the roles we juggle in life and how we prioritize the different demands placed on us. We all have to deal with non-verbal communication and dealing with impressions others have of us.

There are also issues which some will find challenging, and this gets into areas where some people will think it is "OK" to discuss the issues and others feel it is "not appropriate". For example, chapter 8 is on sexuality. It talks about transsexuals, the incest taboo, and sexual orientation. If a person feels that only monogamous, male-female sex is OK, then any of the other discussions are going to be very uncomfortable. If a person is interested in learning how different cultures view these topics, and learning about how these topics are handled around the world, then it's almost necessary to talk about them. So you could certainly say it's "liberal" to have a chapter that includes transgenders and bisexuals / homosexuals in its discussion of sexuality. On the other hand, though, you could say that having a book about the world's views on sex, and then to only include what male-female-only oriented people have to say on the topic, would be a book which did not adequately cover the topic.

Similarly, there are discussions about social class and how things like personal wealth, skin color, gender, and family background affect how people feel you rank in their society. Is this liberal or conservative to say these things happen? The book doesn't make judgments in general about any of this being "good" or "bad". It just seems to look at what happens and examine the changes in different countries or different time periods.

I agree that sometimes issues are explained in simplistic terms, just as they are accompanied by photos of bikini-clad teen girls ogling the camera. I imagine they're trying to cater to what they feel their target audience wants to see. I wish they'd give that audience a bit more credit. I think college students of all ages can appreciate a maturely presented set of material. But I don't see any overreaching problem with the actual text presented; unlike other reviewers, I don't see a massive liberal slant. If you take the point of view that even just discussing homosexuals and similar topics is a liberal thing to do, then I suppose you will probably be stuck if you read any sociology text.