reflected in new material in Chapter 4, “Society and Social Interaction,” where we discuss how social media is changingclassical models of social stratification and prestige.In addition to updating critical facts, data, and policies from the first edition, we have expanded on essential topics,including:Feminism and feminist theoryHealth care legislationUS social stratificationMinimum wage policiesTransgender issues and changes to the DSM-V Global statistics on educationMarriage and pay equalityCompeting theories of toleranceThe use of charter schoolsCyberbullyingImpact of economy on population segments Climate change debatesUse of technology and social media byGlobal population and demographic shiftsindividuals and groupsNet neutrality, online privacy and securityOther topics received a light update for relevance and student engagement. The racial tensions that have come aboutthrough the cases of Trayvon Martin and Michael Brown, as well as the legalization of marijuana are two examples ofsuch additions.Features of OpenStax Introduction to Sociology 2eWe have retained and updated the special features of the original text for this updated version.ModularityThis textbook is organized on Connexions as a collection of modules that can berearranged and modified to suit the needs of a particular professor or class. That being said, modules often containreferences to content in other modules, as most topics in sociology cannot be discussed in isolation.Learning ObjectivesEvery module begins with a set of clear and concise learning objectives. These objectives are designed to help theinstructor decide what content to include or assign, and to guide the student with respect to what he or she can expect tolearn. After completing the module and end-of-module exercises, students should be able to demonstrate mastery of thelearning objectives.Key FeaturesThe following features show students the dynamic nature of sociology:•Sociological Research:Highlights specific current and relevant research studies. Examples include “Is Music aCultural Universal?” and “Deceptive Divorce Rates.”•Sociology in the Real World:Ties chapter content to student life and discusses sociology in terms of the everyday.Topics include “Secrets of the McJob” and “Grade Inflation: When Is an A Really a C?”•Big Picture:Features present sociological concepts at a national or international level, including “Education inAfghanistan” and “American Indian Tribes and Environmental Racism.”•Case Study:Describes real-life people whose experiences relate to chapter content, such as “Catherine Middleton:The Commoner Who Would Be Queen.”•Social Policy and Debate:Discusses political issues that relate to chapter content, such as “The Legalese of Sex andGender” and “Is the U.S. Bilingual?”•Careers in Sociology:Explores the lives and work of those in careers in sociology, including the real-world issuesand debates these professionals encounter on a daily basis.Section SummariesSection summaries distill the information in each section for both students and instructors down to key, concise pointsaddressed in the section.2PrefaceThis OpenStax book is available for free at http://cnx.org/content/col11762/1.6