OER Text materialTheoretical Perspectives on CultureChapter 3, subsection 3.4. According to functionalists, societies need culture to exist. Cultural norms function to support the fluid operation of society, and cultural values guide people in making choices. In addition, culture exists to meet its members’ basic needs. Conflict theorists view social structure as inherently unequal, based on power differentials related to issues like class, gender, race, and age. For a conflict theorist, culture is seen as reinforcing issues of "privilege" for certain groups based upon race, sex, class, etc. Symbolic interactionism is mostly concerned with the face-to-face interactions between members of society. Interactionists see culture as being created and maintained by the ways people interact and in how individuals interpret each other’s actions.

OER Text materialWhat is Culture?Chapter 3, subsection 3.1Culture is defined as shared beliefs, values, and practices, that participants in a society must learn. Sociologically, we examine in what situation and context certain behavior is expected, and in which situations perhaps it is not. Rules are created and enforced by people who interact and share culture. Culture consists of thoughts (expectations about personal space, for example) and tangible things (bus stops, trains, and seating capacity).General Comments:Types of sanction should be clearly identifiedSymbol should be defined in more detail. It should be made clear that symbols, like the American flag, represent something else. Thus, the American flag is not just a piece of cloth; rather, it represents American pride, etc.   

OER Text materialElements of CultureChapter 3, subsection 3.2. This learning objective is addressed variously in the chapter. For example, under elements of culture, beliefs, values, idea culture, real culture, norms, etc. are addressed. Values are defined as a culture’s standard for discerning what is good and just in society. Values are deeply embedded and critical for transmitting and teaching a culture’s beliefs. Beliefs are the tenets or convictions that people hold to be true.

OER Text materialCultural ChangeChapter 3, subsection 3.3. The concepts of innovation, discovery, and invention are used to explain cultural change. An innovation refers to an object or concept’s initial appearance in society—it is innovative because it is markedly new. There are two types of innovation: discovery and invention. Discoveries make known previously unknown but existing aspects of reality. Inventions result when something new is formed from existing objects or concepts—when things are put together in an entirely new manner.

OER Text materialCrime and the LawChapter 7, subsection 7.3. At this subsection various types of crimes – violent crimes, non-violent crimes, street crimes, corporate crimes, and victimless crimes – are compared and contrasted. In addition, primary and secondary deviance are compared and contrasted.

OER Text materialDeviance and ControlChapter 7. In this chapter, several concepts related to deviance are defined and explained. Such concepts include deviance, social control, sanctions, and social order.General Comments on this Section:Data on hate crime is too old – 2009/10Two typos in the chapter at pages 142 AND 144The concept of “Formal sanctions” is used in the chapter. It should be added that formal sanctions are the same as lawsA Table is needed for Merton’s Mode of Adaptation

OER Text materialCrime and the LawChapter 7, subsection 7.3. The society’s solution to the problems of deviance is through the criminal justice system. This involves the use of the police, the courts, and the corrections system. The police are a civil force in charge of enforcing laws and public order at a federal, state, or community level. A court is a system that has the authority to make decisions based on law. The corrections system, more commonly known as the prison system, is charged with supervising individuals who have been arrested, convicted, and sentenced for a criminal offense.

OER Text materialDeviance and ControlChapter 7, subsection 7.1. In this subsection examples are given of behaviors that were considered deviant some time ago but now considered normal, and vice versa. For example, in some states the use of marijuana which was considered deviants is now considered normal. Throughout the chapter, examples of changes in the definition of deviance are given.

OER Text materialTheoretical Perspectives on DevianceChapter 7, subsection 7.2. In this section, functionalism, conflict theory, and symbolic interactionism are used to explain deviance. Theories under functionalism are Émile Durkheim’s The Essential Nature of Deviance, Robert Merton’s Strain Theory, Social Disorganization Theory, and Clifford Shaw and Henry McKay’s Cultural Deviance Theory. Under conflict theory are theories like Karl Marx’s An Unequal System, and C. Wright Mills’ The Power Elite. Under symbolic interactionism are Labeling Theory, Edwin Sutherland’s Differential Association, and Travis Hirschi’s Control Theory.

OER Text MaterialUnderstanding Social ChangeTypes of Collective Behavior Sociology: Understanding and Changing the Social World, 20.1 & 21.1The first part of the 20.1 section of Sociology defines social change. This text does not discuss other forms of collective behavior.  Section 21.1 defines collective behavior and identifies different forms of collective behavior, including types of crowds, protests and riots. This section defines social movements and discusses disasters, rumors, mass hysteria, moral panics, and fads and crazes.

OER Text materialPolitics in the United StatesSociology: Understanding and Changing the Social World. 14.4.2, 14.4.3 The influence of felony disenfranchisement law and the existence of PACs and lobbying on political policy and economy are briefly reviewed.

OER Text MaterialPower and AuthorityTheories of Power and SocietyUnderstanding and Changing the Social World, 14.1.2 explains Weber’s three types of authority and 14.1.3 explains the difficulty of maintaining charismatic authority.

OER Text materialPopulation Growth and DeclineSociology: Understanding and Changing the Social World, 19.2.1. This section introduces Mathusian ideas on population growth and the means to sustain that population (i.e. food production).  It also provides evidence that the growth Malthus anticipated has not been realized and critiques those who have adopted Malthusian theories as veiled forms of racism in the 1970s. The only alternative theory to Malthusian theory provided is demographic transition theory, which links population growth to technological development. Additionally, this section discusses the declines in birthrates, and policies that encourage women to have more children.

OER Text materialEconomic Inequality and Poverty in the United StatesSociology: Understanding and Changing the Social World Chapter 8 Section 4. Section 8.4 provides a good discussion of inequality and poverty, but it does not adequately discuss the consequences of social class. Overall this textbook misses the point that social class is economics plus lifestyle. Concepts such as cultural capital and everyday class consciousness,, although related to economics, impact lifestyle differences between classes; however, these concepts are not included in the textbook. Instructors wishing to make this case would benefit from including one or more of the following supplemental materials.