Ten questions : a sociological perspective / Joel M. Charon.

Preface -- 1: How Do Sociologists Study Society?: Researching The Social World -- Concepts, themes, and key individuals -- Introduction -- Sociology -- Six thinkers -- Importance of rational proof -- Proof, science, and sociology -- Two assumptions of science -- Summary and conclusion -- Questions to consider -- References -- 2: What Does It Mean To Be Human? : Human Nature, Society, And Culture -- Concepts, themes, and key individuals -- Human beings are social beings -- Human beings are cultural beings -- Importance of it all -- Summary and conclusion -- Questions to consider -- References -- 3: How Is Society Possible?: Basis For Social Order -- Concepts, themes, and key individuals -- Society is a social organization -- Society is possible through social interaction -- Society depends on social patterns -- Society is made possible through voluntary commitment -- Conflict and change contribute to society -- Summary and conclusion -- Questions to consider -- References -- 4: Why Are People Unequal In Society?: Origin And Perpetuation Of Social Inequality -- Concepts, themes, and key individuals -- Why does inequality emerge in the first place? -- Why does inequality continue? -- Summary and conclusion -- Questions to consider -- References -- 5: Are Human Beings Free?: Power Of Society Over Human Thinking And Action -- Concepts, themes, and key individuals -- Meaning of freedom -- Freedom and the control of thought -- Freedom and the control of action -- Is any freedom possible? -- Summary and conclusion -- Questions to consider -- References -- 6: Why Can't Everyone Be Just like Us?: Value Judgments, Ethnocentrism, And Human Differences -- Concepts, themes, and key individuals -- Meaning of values -- Values and making value judgments -- Ethnocentrism: my culture is better than your culture -- Reasons ethnocentrism arises -- Human differences -- Summary and conclusion -- Questions to consider -- References -- 7: Why Is There Misery In The World?: Society As An Important Source Of Human Problems -- Concepts, themes, and key individuals -- First cause of misery: social inequality -- Second cause of misery: destructive social conflict -- Third cause of misery: socialization -- Fourth cause of misery: alienation -- Summary and conclusion -- Questions to consider -- References --

8: Does The Individual Really Make A Difference?: An Introduction To Social Change -- Concepts, themes, and key individuals -- Individual's influence on his or her own life -- Individual's influence on other individuals -- Individual versus social organization -- Social change: a sociological view -- Some implications for living -- Summary and conclusion -- Questions to consider -- References -- 9: Is Organized Religion Necessary For Society?: Tradition, Modernization, And Secularization -- Concepts, themes, and key individuals -- Defining religion -- Social functions of religion -- Is organized religion still necessary? -- Summary and conclusion -- Questions to consider -- References -- 10: Is The World Becoming One Society?: Globalization And The Creation Of A World Society -- Concepts, themes, and key individuals -- Three views of globalization -- New Technology, new communication, and new globalization -- Capitalism -- Is globalization creating a "world society"? -- Is globalization good for the world? -- Conclusion: globalization and a world society -- Questions to consider -- References -- 11: Why Study Sociology?: Understanding, Questioning, And Caring -- Concepts, themes, and key individuals -- Sociology and democracy -- Sociology is more than the study of democracy -- Summary and conclusion -- Questions to consider -- References -- Afterword: Should we generalize about people?: generalizing, categorizing, stereotyping, and the importance of social science -- Concepts, themes, and key individuals -- Categories and generalizations -- Stereotype -- Social science: a reaction to stereotypes -- Summary and conclusion -- Questions to consider -- References -- Glossary -- Bibliography-- Index.

From the Publisher: What does it mean to be human? Are human beings free? Why is there misery in the world? Ten Questions: A Sociological Perspective examines the philosophies of the classical sociologists such as Marx, Weber, Durkheim, Mead, and Berger and looks at how the field of sociology has approached these questions over the past 150 years.