Society: The Basics, 15th Edition

• Data-rich interactive maps, figures, and tables with Social Explorer technology let students interact with real data to explore the concepts they’ve just read about. For the Digital Update, all interactive data visualizations have been updated with the latest available data.
• UPDATED - Window on the World global maps highlight similarities and differences across continents.
• UPDATED - Seeing Ourselves national maps show social patterns in the U.S. in terms of geography, highlighting rural-urban and regional differences.
• UPDATED - Predictive graphs at the beginning of each chapter invite students to estimate social attitudes in the nation’s past or in our projected future and assess their estimate against research results.
• UPDATED - Drag-and-drop interactives offer a quick review of the insights gained by applying sociological theories to the issue at hand.
• UPDATED - Current Event Bulletins bring currency into your classroom with author-written articles that connect key concepts with real-life current events. Our authors regularly add new or revised articles to ensure that your students have relevant examples to help them engage with the course. New and updated articles include the following:
• NEW - Why We Need to Look Beyond the Individual
• NEW - E Pluribus Unum
• NEW - Toys: Teaching About Gender and Sexuality
• NEW - When Jobs Disappear
• NEW - Tracking "Big Tech"
• NEW - Race, Gender, and "Glamour Work"
• NEW - Two Words about Social Change
• NEW - Playing a New Role
• NEW - A Tax on Wealth?
• NEW - Threats to Life in Lower-Income Nations are Not Just About Money
• NEW - The ERA: Maybe This Time...
• NEW - Are We a Nation of Immigrants?
• NEW - Do Unions Make a Difference?
• NEW - Families and the Gender Gap in Pay
• NEW - Schooling for Whom?
• NEW - Scientists Sound a Warning
• NEW - Social Change: Modern and Postmodern Societies
• UPDATED - The Pearson Originals docuseries is a series of high-quality social impact videos that exemplify and humanize key sociological concepts. These videos illustrate a variety of social issues and current events, creating opportunities for students to further develop their understanding of sociology. They help students connect with stories on a personal level, view people with greater empathy, and contextualize core concepts.
• NEW - Recent examples and illustrations found in every chapter ensure the relevance of your course.
• UPDATED - The first full chapter on mass and social media in an Introductory Sociology text, Chapter 5, Mass Media and Social Media covers the evolution of mass media with major emphasis on the development of social media and how social media has reshaped society. Topics include media bias, media literacy, and how social media influences individuals, relationships, and society overall. Specific sections focus on cyber-bullying, online dating, and the digital divide.
• UPDATED - Power of Society figures present evidence of how society shapes our major life decisions. Located at the beginning of each chapter, they push students to question their belief in the importance of “personal choice.” Examples include how race and schooling guide marriage choices or how class position sets longevity.
• UPDATED - The photo and art programs have been updated to better reflect current popular culture and the diversity of our society.
• UPDATED - The inclusion of brief primary-source readings by notable sociologists allows students to engage directly with analysts and researchers.
• UPDATED - More than 2,000 different statistics included throughout the text have been reviewed and updated to the latest available data. The Digital Update contains the most recent data on inequality of income and wealth, unemployment, crime, health, and other variables.
• NEW - Voice-activated technology gives students the power to listen on Amazon Alexa-enabled or Google Assistant-enabled devices using simple voice commands.

• Thanks to the opportunities afforded by Revel™, author John Macionis has thoroughly rethought the way he creates content. Macionis has integrated enriching interactives and media throughout his narrative to keep students engaged in the content. And Macionis is the rare author who provides all the content and personally writes all the assessment questions and all the supplemental material, including the Instructor Resource Manual.
• A longtime leader in coverage of the diversity of U.S. society, John Macionis integrates analysis of race, class, and gender into every chapter. Other dimensions of social difference that receive coverage include sexual identity, including the transgender movement, and disability issues.
• Seeing Sociology In Everyday Life features highlight the relevance of sociological concepts in our world today.
• Thinking About Diversity: Race, Class, and Gender features prompt students to think critically about how differing identities intersect and impact society.
• Controversy & Debate features present key issues in the field about which experts have disagreed.
• Thinking Globally features weave stories about how societies differ across the world.
• Seeing Sociology in Your Everyday Life essays show the relevance of sociology by explaining how the material in the chapter can empower students in their personal and professional lives. These features are accompanied by writing activities that reinforce how course concepts can be applied to everyday life.
• Global Perspective boxes highlight contrasts amongst different nations. In some cases, they highlight differences between high- and low-income nations. In other cases, they highlight differences between the United States and other high-income countries.
• Diversity interactives expand the focus on race, class, gender, and other dimensions of difference within the U.S. population.
• Surveys pose timely questions about policy and politics. Students are prompted to consider what they think, and are able to compare their own attitudes to those of various populations.
• In Sociology in the Media sections, John Macionis suggests short, high-quality videos that are readily available on the Internet and current articles on sociological topics from respected publications.
• Pedagogical tools and a student-friendly framework designed to convey important lessons allow students to improve their understanding of the core narrative
• Learning objectives clearly indicate the purpose of every major section of each chapter. Listed on the first screen of each chapter, they guide students as they read.
• A Making the Grade summary at the end of each chapter, organized around these same learning objectives, prompts students to review the key takeaways of the material covered.

• Sociology on the Job videos, Sociology in Focus videos, and Social Inequalities videos draw students into the questions and controversies of our time. Instructors may assign these videos to students and track their viewing or use them to spark lively class discussion.
• The Revel mobile app lets students read, practice, and study — anywhere, anytime, on any device. Content is available both online and offline, and the app syncs work across all registered devices automatically, giving students great flexibility to toggle between phone, tablet, and laptop as they move through their day. The app also lets students set assignment notifications to stay on top of all due dates.
• The Revel audio playlist lets students listen and learn as they go.
• Assessments tied to primary chapter sections, as well as full chapter exams, test student understanding of the concepts presented in the chapter and provide immediate feedback. These assessments allow students to test their understanding of the material as they read as well as enable instructors to track progress.
• The writing functionality in Revel enables educators to integrate writing — among the best ways to foster and assess critical thinking — into the course without significantly impacting their grading burden.
• Self-paced Journaling Prompts throughout the narrative encourage students to express their thoughts without breaking stride in their reading.
• Assignable Shared Writing Activities direct students to share written responses with classmates, fostering peer discussion.
• Essays integrated directly within Revel allow instructors to assign the precise writing tasks they need for the course.
• Highlighting, note taking, and a glossary let students read and study however they like. Educators can add notes for students, too, including reminders or study tips.

• The assignment calendar allows educators to indicate precisely which readings must be completed on which dates. This clear, detailed schedule helps students stay on task by eliminating any ambiguity as to which material will be covered during each class. When they understand exactly what is expected of them, students are better motivated to keep up.
• The performance dashboard empowers educators to monitor class assignment completion as well as individual student achievement. Actionable information, such as points earned on quizzes and tests and time on task, helps educators intersect with their students in meaningful ways. For example, the trending column reveals whether students' grades are improving or declining, helping educators to identify students who might need help to stay on track.
• LMS integration provides institutions, instructors, and students easy access to their Revel courses via Blackboard Learn™, Canvas™, Brightspace by D2L™, and Moodle™. With single sign-on, students can be ready to access an interactive blend of authors' narrative, media, and assessment on their first day. Flexible, on-demand grade synchronization capabilities allow educators to control exactly which grades should be transferred to their LMS Gradebook.

• Revel gives students everything they need in an integrated digital learning environment. But if students need a loose-leaf print reference to complement their Revel experience, they can purchase one from within their Revel course at any time.

Check out the preface for a complete list of features and what's new in this edition.