Sociology and Your World: How Culture Designs Power and Privilege in Our Daily Lives combines peer reviewed articles and original writing to examine complex topics related to inequality and introduce basic sociological concepts, theories, and terms. The material exposes readers to real-world information related to race, class, and gender and encourages them to focus on how their own lives may be impacted. Divided into three sections, the book opens with discussions of classical and modern sociology and culture. It then addresses the three primary aspects of inequality - privilege, power, and social status. Part three gives students the opportunity to look to the future, consider practical aspects of sociology, and envision how applied sociology can empower the oppressed, particularly through education. Specific topics in the text include social symbols and norms, immigration, poverty, sex trafficking, and homophobia.
Sociology and Your World effectively uses advanced, progressive discussions on challenging topics, and makes them suitable for introductory courses. The book is well suited to classes in sociology or social problems.
Dawn Tawwater holds a master’s degree in sociology from Texas Women’s University. A current faculty member at Austin Community College, she has taught courses in introductory sociology, American minorities, gender inequalities, and social psychology. Her areas of interest include oppression and dominance, race/ethnicity, gender and class inequality, feminist and postmodern theory and sociology of art. She has served as a director of a relationship violence shelter in North Texas and as a consultant to the Tarrant County Tornado Recovery Team. Professor Tawwater is a member of the American Sociological Association, the Association for Humanist Sociology, and Sociologists Without Borders.
