The Sociological Perspective
New Levels of Reality
The Sociological Imagination
Microsociology and Macrosociology

The Development of Sociology
Auguste Comte: The Founder of Sociology
Harriet Martineau: Feminist and Methodologist
Herbert Spencer and Social Darwinism
Karl Marx: The Role of Class Conflict
Émile Durkheim: Social Integration and Social Facts
Max Weber: Subjectivity and Social Organization
American Sociology
Contemporary Sociology

Theoretical Perspectives
The Functionalist Perspective
The Conflict Perspective
The Interactionist Perspective
Using the Three Perspectives

Conducting Research
The Logic of Science
How Do Sociologists Collect Data?
Steps in the Scientific Method: A Close-up Look
Research Ethics
Box 1.1 Social Inequalities: Tally’s Corner in the 21st Century
Box 1.2 Doing Social Research: Studying Global Inequality Right Here at Home