Overview

The approach offered by this book is threefold: 1.) to humanize the social problems with voices of experience, i.e. the poverty stricken, to the voices of change, i.e. the social workers, policy makers, student community volunteers; 2.) each chapter will address the consequences and responses to a social problem; 3.) to provide an effective platform for discussion thru the use of boxed features, learning checks integrated into chapter presentations, discussion questions, and the use of a limited virtual classroom on a companion website. The hallmarks of the book will be its integrated theme of race, class, and gender; emphasis on 'service learning' (which focuses on student awareness of effective community responses to social problems); critical thinking and active learning thru the text presentation and pedagogy to go beyond the often disheartening parade of social problems; and the use of the internet and unique print supplements to expand on what is intended to be a briefer book than most. The book is intended to have a strong U.S. focus with a global perspective interwoven where appropriate.Social Problems offers the following unique features and benefits: Voices in the Community u a section in each chapter offering testimony from those experiencing or doing something about social problems Visual Essays in each section to highlight a particular social problem or solution in the context of actual family and individual experiences. Chapters will have photos interspersed.Internet and community exercises at the end of each chapter to present the opportunity for further research and to give students a chance to explore chapter concepts in a direct way in the community What Does it Mean to Me? A feature intended to bring the analysis of the problem being studied down to the level of the individual.Inclusion of four theoretical perspectives for each problem studied: conflict, social interactionist, functionalist and feminist perspectives End of chapter Community, Policy and Social Action sections focuse on social policy, advocacy, and community innovation in response to social problems. This feature encourages students to examine and become a part of their own community. This is a unique, service learning-oriented benefit taking students out of the classroom, away from their texts, and into their community. Podcasts recorded by the author for each chapter reviews concepts and focuses on a specific case studya

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9781452205434

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Author Information

Anna Leon-Guerrero is a professor of sociology at Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma, Washington. A recipient of the university's Faculty Excellence Award and the K. T. Tang Award for Excellence in Research, she teaches courses on statistics, sociological theory, and social problems. As a social service program evaluator and consultant, she has focused her research on welfare reform, employment strategies for the working poor, and program assessment. She is the coauthor of Social Statistics for a Diverse Society and Essentials of Social Statistics for a Diverse Society (with Chava Frankfort-Nachmias).

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