Book Description

Based on over twenty years of classroom experience, Revealing Our Social World: An Introduction to Sociology is written with the teaching sociologist in mind. Humorous, accessible, and informal, the book introduces non-major students to the basic theories, concepts, and terms of sociology. Revealing Our Social World: A Brief Introduction to Sociology is organized into four sections, the first of which discusses the basics of the sociological perspective and imagination, along with the development of sociology as a discipline. In the second section the material examines how people fit into their social landscapes. This section features topics such as culture, socialization, groups, social institutions, and deviance. The third section addresses various forms of inequality, while the fourth examines the structure of "the daily grind" as it applies to marriage and family, religion, education, politics, and the economy. Each chapter lays out the basic elements of the topic using vivid cross-cultural examples and includes suggested readings, practical activities, and a section titled "There's an App for That." Revealing Our Social World: A Brief Introduction to Sociology is a fresh and engaging text for introductory sociology courses at the undergraduate level. Mark Plume earned his Ph.D. in sociology at the University of Southern California. Dr. Plume has been teaching sociology for more than twenty years and is currently a professor at Reynolds Community College, where he teaches traditional and on-line courses in introductory sociology, marriage and family, and cultural and physical anthropology. Dr. Plume also teaches sex and gender and research methods at Virginia Commonwealth University. His research interests include alcoholic families, gender, and social class. His most recent work examines millennials and their belief in the afterlife. He is a member of the American Sociological Association and the Gerontological Society of America. Dr. Plume, his wife, and their miniature schnauzer make their home in central Virginia.