Introduction Media and popular culture play a central role in shaping social life in American society. From television, films, music, and newspapers to social media platforms and digital streaming services, media has become an integral part of everyday experience. Popular culture, transmitted and reinforced through media, influences how individuals think, behave, and perceive the world … Read more
Introduction Religion has played a foundational role in shaping American society, influencing its values, institutions, political structures, and cultural practices. From the early Puritan settlements to contemporary debates over secularism, religious freedom, and pluralism, religion continues to occupy a central—though contested—place in the United States. Unlike many other modern societies, the U.S. remains highly religious … Read more
Gender inequality has been one of the most persistent and deeply rooted social issues in the United States, shaping institutions, cultural norms, and interpersonal relations for centuries. From employment discrimination and political underrepresentation to gender violence and cultural stereotypes, inequality manifests across multiple dimensions of social life. At the same time, the United States has … Read more
Introduction on Crime and Mass Incarceration Mass incarceration is one of the most defining social issues in contemporary American society. The United States has the world’s largest prison population, with over two million people behind bars at any given moment, and millions more under probation, parole, and other forms of correctional supervision. Although crime is … Read more
Introduction on Political Polarization and Democracy Political polarization has become one of the most defining features of contemporary American society. While divisions between political parties have existed throughout U.S. history, the depth, emotional intensity, and social consequences of current polarization represent a significant departure from earlier patterns. Sociologists view polarization not merely as a political … Read more
The LGBTQ+ rights movement in the United States represents one of the most significant and transformative social movements of the 20th and 21st centuries. Rooted in struggles for equality, dignity, and social justice, it has reshaped cultural norms, legal frameworks, institutional practices, and the broader understanding of identity in American society. From early homophile activism … Read more
Social movements have long been central forces shaping American society, functioning as collective responses to inequality, exclusion, and contested power structures. From the mid-twentieth-century Civil Rights Movement to the contemporary Black Lives Matter Movement, the struggle for racial justice in the United States reveals how oppressed groups mobilize resources, challenge hegemonic institutions, and reshape cultural … Read more
Urban poverty and segregation have long been defining features of American cities, shaping socioeconomic experiences and life chances for millions of people. From the early industrial period to the contemporary era of globalization, American urban spaces have reflected deep inequalities rooted in class, race, housing markets, labor structures, and public policy. Sociologists approach urban poverty … Read more
Introduction on Immigration and the American Dream Immigration has long been central to the identity of the United States. From its earliest days, the nation has been shaped by waves of newcomers seeking economic opportunity, political freedom, cultural acceptance, and the promise of upward social mobility—an idea commonly summed up as the American Dream. Yet … Read more
Native American communities represent some of the most culturally rich, historically significant, yet structurally marginalized populations in North America. Their socio-political experiences cannot be understood solely through the lens of history; they must be interpreted sociologically—as the result of centuries of colonialism, racialization, state policies, economic dispossession, and cultural resistance. Contemporary Native American life is … Read more