Exploring Sociology: A Canadian Perspective, 5th edition

For courses in Introductory Sociology.

Through its distinctive approach to the field, its readability, and its relevance to students’ lives, Exploring Sociology: A Canadian Perspective helps professors develop the sociological imagination in their students by encouraging them to see sociology through multiple lenses. Topics are presented in ways that allow students to engage with the material and to exercise their sociological imaginations.

Hallmark features of this title

• Why Should We Care? These boxes explore many of today's pressing social issues, such as honour killings, evolution and social Darwinism, Trans Day of Remembrance, Canada's record on Indigenous children, Syrian refugees in Canada, Black-focused schools, the anti-vaccination movement, discrimination in the criminal justice system, and more.
• Issues in a Global Context. These boxes showcase and investigate issues around the world, for example, the Rwandan genocide, anti- and pro-natalist policies around the world, women's literacy, religion and politics in the Middle East, digital black markets, global media ownership, and fresh water as a commodity.
• That Was Then, This Is Now. These boxes capture how society changes over time—what the Industrial Revolution can teach us about society today, the commercialization of academic research, soup kitchens in Canada, Viagra and masculinity, corporal punishment of children, credential inflation, being a Muslim in Canada, and Canadians' standard of living in historical perspective.

The 5th edition of Ravelli will retire on June 1, 2026. Please speak to your rep about updating your course to the new 6th edition.

New and updated features of this title

• Indigenous Council. We are fortunate to be able to continue to learn and grow from the advice and support of our Indigenous Council colleagues. At every stage of the revision process they were steadfast in their desire to use our textbook to promote understanding and compassion, and celebrate diverse Indigenous insights and perspectives. There were many times when their comments gave us pause, made us stop and reflect on our own positionality, and by doing so made our writing more informed and, hopefully, less colonial.  
• For this edition, we created a series of new “From the Indigenous Council” boxes to highlight issues and topics that were particularly relevant and engaging to them. Topics explored in these boxes include the sexualization of Indigenous women, Indigenous views on traditional family structures, the use of terminology around race, dismantling colonial barriers within education, Indigenous access to health care, and the Idle No More social movement in Canada.
• Our interest in highlighting the human–animal dynamic is inspired, in part, by the excellent work being done in the area of Critical Animal Studies, especially in Brock University's Department of Sociology, and we aim to recognize and celebrate the existing and emerging literature in this area of study.