Down to Earth Sociology: Introductory Readings - 12th ed - book review

Adolescence, Spring, 2003

HENSLIN, James M. (Ed.). Down to Earth Sociology: Introductory Readings (12th ed.). New York: The Free Press, 2003. 576pp. $19.95 (p).

For more than thirty years, James Henslin's Down to Earth Sociology has opened new windows onto the social realities that shape our world. Now in its twelfth edition, this anthology includes new articles on our changing world while also retaining its classic, must-read essays. Focusing on social interaction in everyday life, the forty-five selections bring students face-to-face with the twin projects of contemporary sociology: understanding the individual's experience of society and analyzing social structure. The twelfth edition's new readings include selections on the unspoken rules of social interaction, the shocking disparities between upper- and lower-class life, America's changing attitudes toward work and family and the roles they fulfill, and the "McDonaldization" of American society. Together with these essential new articles, the selections by Peter Berger, Herbert Gans, Erving Goffman, Donna Eder, Zella Luria, C. Wright Mills, Deborah Tannen, Barrie Thorne, Sidney Katz, Philip Zimbardo, and many ot hers provide firsthand reporting that gives students a sense of "being there." Henslin also explains basic methods of social research, providing insight into how sociologists explore the social world. The selections in Down to Earth Sociology highlight the most significant themes of contemporary sociology, ranging from the sociology of gender, power, politics, sports, and religion, to the contemporary crises of racial tension, crime, rape, poverty, and homelessness.