TY - BOOK AU - Ballantine, Jeanne H. TI - Our Social World: Introduction to Sociology SN - 9781412980043 U1 - 301 JEA 23 PY - 2010/// CY - Thousand Oaks, California : Pine Forge Press, PB - an imprint of SAGE Publications KW - Globalization KW - Social institutions KW - Social structure KW - Sociology N2 - Our Social World: Introduction to Sociology is a comprehensive introductory textbook that helps students understand how individuals interact with social institutions, communities, cultures, and global systems. Using the Social World Model, the authors explain sociology through three interconnected levels of analysis—micro (individuals and small groups), meso (organizations and communities), and macro (societies and global structures). The book introduces the fundamental concepts, theories, and methods of sociology while examining major social institutions such as family, education, religion, politics, economy, and health care. It explores issues including culture, socialization, gender, race and ethnicity, social stratification, deviance, population, urbanization, globalization, technology, and environmental change. Throughout the text, contemporary examples and international perspectives encourage students to connect sociological theory with everyday life. Written for undergraduate sociology courses, the text promotes critical thinking, sociological imagination, and analytical skills through case studies, discussion questions, illustrations, and practical applications. It demonstrates how social forces influence personal experiences and how sociology can be used to understand and address modern social problems ER -