Debating Social Problems emphasizes the process of debate as a means of addressing social problems and helps students engage in active learning. The debate format covers sensitive material in a way that encourages students to talk about this material openly in class. This succinct text includes activities that promote critical thinking and includes examples from current events.
Preface; Acknowledgements; Chapter 1: Understanding Social Problems; Chapter 2: Work and Economy; Chapter 3: Government and the Political System; Chapter 4: The Educational System; Chapter 5: The Family; Chapter 6: Sex and Gender; Chapter 7: Sexuality; Chapter 8: Race and Ethnicity; Chapter 9: Deviance and Crime; Chapter 10: Alcohol and Other Drugs; Chapter 11: Health Care; Chapter 12: Terrorism and War; Chapter 13: Population; Chapter 14: The Environment and Urbanization; Chapter 15: Globalization; Index
Biography
Leonard A. Steverson, Ph.D., is associate professor emeritus of sociology at South Georgia State College and currently an adjunct professor of sociology at Flagler College, where he teaches contemporary social problems, sociological theory, social movements, and public sociology. He is the author of Policing in America: A Reference Handbook (2008), co-author of Giants of Sociology: A Little Guide to the Big Names in Sociological Theory (2006/2010), an upcoming work on the sociology of mental health, and several chapters in edited works.
Jennifer E. Melvin, Ph.D., is currently an assistant professor of sociology at Flagler College. She teaches contemporary social problems, social stratification, and the sociology of health inequalities. She co-authored the textbook Introductory Sociology (2009) and is the co-author of several journal articles and book chapters that look broadly at intersections of disadvantage for the physical health of Latino Americans (2014/2016). Her newest project takes an unconventional approach to the study of mental health.
Steverson and Melvin provide a refreshing and novel approach to teaching social problems. Using a debate format, the authors help students acquire a thorough overview of each topic, while still understanding underlying complexities. This book is also highly accessible.
Ranita Ray, Assistant Professor, Sociology, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, and author of Making of a Teenage Service Class
Steverson and Melvin challenge students to understand, and engage with, social problems through classroom interaction. Debating Social Problems encourages students to actively discuss multiple perspectives and solutions in contemporary social problems. By turning the classroom into a debate, students become members of the public arena.
David C. Lane, Assistant Professor of Sociology at the University of South Dakota, and Chair, Social Problems Theory Division, Society for the Study of Social Problems
