Social Issues in America


Book Description

More than 150 key social issues confronting the United States today are covered in this eight-volume set: from abortion and adoption to capital punishment and corporate crime; from obesity and organized crime to sweatshops and xenophobia.




Addressing Social Issues in the Classroom and Beyond


Book Description

Addressing Social Issues in the Classroom and Beyond: The Pedagogical Efforts of Pioneers in the Field is comprised of essays that delineate the genesis and evolution of the thought and work of pioneers in the field of social issues and education. The authors (many of whom, themselves, are noted professors of education and who have done significant work in the field of social issues and education) delineate and analyze the efforts (e.g., theoretical work, research, curriculum development, and teaching) of such pioneers within the larger framework of their life-story. As a result, the reader is not only introduced to the significant work of each pioneer but valuable and often fascinating insights into how his/her life experiences informed his/her thinking, beliefs, goals and work. This book constitutes a rich and unusual record of the thinking and accomplishments of those luminaries who worked tirelessly in the belief that a well-educated and well-informed populace was absolutely imperative in a democracy if the latter were to remain healthy and vibrant. Beyond current scholars and students, we believe that this book will be of great interest to a wide spectrum of individuals: teacher educators who perceive the need to avail their students of the rich history, rationales and methods for incorporating the study of social issues across the curriculum; professors who teach history of curriculum courses and/or history of education courses are likely to be drawn to the book, both for the rich stories as well as the bounty of information found in each chapter; those who specialize in autobiographical studies in the field of education are likely to find the book to be remarkably rich and valuable both for their own research as well as in their teaching; secondary level teachers in science, social studies, and English who are interested in incorporating the study of social issues into the courses they teach will glean incredibly rich insights into why and how to go about such an endeavor; and future scholars and students who care deeply about how society impacts education, education impacts society, and how individuals and groups can have a positive impact on society through their collective efforts are bound to find the book both fascinating and instructive.




Current Societal Concerns about Justice


Book Description

What role does justice play in the formation of public opinion and the scholarly debates about contemporary societal problems? This insightful volume explores this question in its examination of such issues as protection of natural ecology and resources, gender inequalities, mass unemployment, and the intergenerational contract. Important chapters discuss the conflict between justice concerns and motives and other motivations including the common welfare, self-interest, and altruism. The book features problem sets that focus on how justice motives can be used to define and solve social issues.




Ethical and Social Issues in Professional Education


Book Description

This book reflects and extends the great debates that schools, colleges, and universities are having in response to the profound moral conflicts and personal questions facing professionals today: What should we teach our students? What values should we communicate and nurture? What should be the role of the traditional liberal arts in professional education? How should schools and colleges respond to the demands of women and minorities for a more inclusive curriculum? The authors explore ongoing theoretical and practical considerations of graduate professional education through the ethical and social issues facing professionals in public service. Administrators, teachers, counselors, nurses, or lawyers are recognizing that they face similar questions about their personal and professional lives: Is it possible to sustain a set of fully human values as a practicing professional? As a member of a public organization, how does one deal with dilemmas involving conflicting priorities and ambiguous goals? The authors responses to these questions are presented as themes, describing connections between curriculum and pedagogy. They have designed an approach to ethical and social questions respectful of the contributions of adult learners and the need to provide diverse perspectives.




Social Problems in Popular Culture


Book Description

Popular culture is more than just a broad term for entertainment and frivolous diversions; it is also highly relevant to our understanding of society. This exciting book is the first to offer insights into the important, but often overlooked, relationship between popular culture and social problems. Drawing on historical and topical examples, the authors apply an innovative theoretical framework to examine how facets of popular culture--from movies and music to toys, games, billboards, bumper stickers, and bracelets--shape how we think about, and respond to, social issues, such as problems of gender, sexuality, and race. Including student features, evocative case studies, and access to online material, this book will help students explore and understand the essential connection between popular culture and social problems. Deftly combining the fun and irreverence of popular culture with critical scholarly inquiry, this timely book delivers an engaging account of how our interactions with--and consumption of--popular culture matter far more than we may think.




Social Issues in Sport, Leisure, and Health


Book Description

This book examines how social issues shape and influence our engagement with sport, leisure time physical activity, and health-promoting exercise. Connecting the personal with the public, it helps the reader understand how individual exercise, leisure, and sport participation are both facilitated and constrained by their social contexts. Presenting a series of in-depth descriptions of grassroots sport, urban lifestyle sport, physical activity across the life course, sport for children with special needs, and the development of creative climates in sport, this book seeks to encourage what C. Wright Mills described as the “sociological imagination”. Every chapter begins with an individual-level account centred on everyday challenges with accessing sport, partaking in leisure activities, and meeting guidelines for daily exercise before exploring the larger, socially determined patterns in which those experiences are located, establishing a vital template for the social scientific study of sport, leisure, and health. Touching on key contemporary themes including diversity, inclusion, health inequalities, and physical inactivity, as well as selection and intensification in sports, this book offers new case material and theoretical tools for understanding the relationships between sport, leisure, health, and the wider society. This is an indispensable companion for any course on the sociology of sport, exercise, leisure, or physical activity and health.




Maori and Social Issues


Book Description

Maori and Social Issues is a collection of essays by experts in various fields of social sciences which collectively act as a snapshot of where Maori currently sit in relation to contemporary New Zealand society as a whole.The book is the first of a series to be published on research into the state of New Zealand�s institutions and sectors of endeavour. This first book in the series focusses on Maori and social issues; the second will focus on Maori and educational endeavour. Each essay tackles the subject as it impacts on Maori now with perspectives on likely effects and solutions into the future: Maori demographics; smoking rates; educational achievement; incarceration; parenting; mental health; obesity and poverty are analysed in detail. Key statistics, past and future trends, opinion and fact are brought together in one volume to act as a reference for students, academics and others interested in New Zealand social sciences.




Social Movements for Good: How Companies and Causes Create Viral Change


Book Description

Create real change in the new social movement paradigm Social Movements for Good is a guidebook for driving change, by taking advantage of the social "currency" that makes movements go viral. Author Derrick Feldmann has spent a career showing organizations how to best reach donors, activists, and employees, and engage a new generation of supporters. In this book, he shares his secrets alongside the stories of today's most successful social good movements by companies and nonprofits. You'll learn about the leaders behind these movements, the individuals who responded, and the approaches that made it work. Modern social movements operate within a new paradigm, and this informative guide walks you through how these movements are created, why people get on board, and the strategy and support network that must be in place for it to succeed. Just going viral isn't enough to make a movement successful—there must be a plan, and the right people with the right skills to follow through with the execution. This book shows you who you need on your side, what they need to do their jobs, and which tools and methods are proving most effective every day. Read the stories of today's most successful social good movements Understand how modern social movements are created Learn how to truly activate a new generation of activists and supporters Formulate an approach that makes the public respond to your issue Effective social movements don't arise by accident. People don't spontaneously come together and effect real change. If you want your movement to succeed, you need a solid strategy and the tools to follow through. Social Movements for Good is your roadmap to viral success and the advancement of your cause.







Europe, A Political Profile [2 volumes]


Book Description

Specially written for an American audience, this accessible encyclopedic survey covers politics in every individual European nation and in the European Union. The two-volume Europe, A Political Profile: An American Companion to European Politics is the first encyclopedic survey of politics in Europe especially written for a wide American public, including high school students. The first volume places national developments and institutions in a Europe-wide context and includes tables comparing European politics with U.S. politics. The second volume discusses the individual European nations by regional group, facilitating comparison of a country with neighboring nations. All European countries are covered, including Turkey, Russia, and the Caucasian republics of Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan. Each country profile includes an introduction to the land, the people, the economy, and the culture, as well as a timeline of historic highlights. The nation's political system is discussed, as are public policies and the major political parties. Each entry also provides tables listing heads of state, the composition of the legislative body, and the political leaders.