In August 2011, we launched the first edition of these sociology textbooks so students all over could afford free and authentic sociology information. So far, these free sociology textbook have been read by nearly 2 million students worldwide. Our Analytics tell us that among the top 25 countries where people read this book, many are in the poorer nations and regions of the world. In the spirit of making knowledge free to anyone who seeks it, this 3nd edition was researched and made free again for NON-commercial use. That means it cost you nothing to read and learn.
The contents of this site may NOT be copied to other repositories nor may it be stored in other forms like PDF's and put into a LMS. In order to continue to maintain, host and update this work, we need traffic coming to this site. If you reference our book in your research, please give credit.
A general citation might look like this:
Hammond, R., Cheney, P, Pearsey, R. (2020) Introduction to Sociology Textbook, Retrieved (put the date you retrieved the information) from http://www.freesociologybooks.com
The book is designed and written to be interesting to you. It provides a basic understanding of the science, theory, and research methods of the profession. Sociology began with a Frenchman named Auguste Comte (1798-1857) who saw that it could be very useful in solving modern social problems that were already emerging in Europe and other parts of the world in the 1820-40's. Other sociologists built upon his work and sociology has become a major academic and scientific discipline in its own right. Comte would be very pleased with sociology as a problem-solving science, one that has a unique perspective, wisdom, and body of scientific knowledge. Governments, corporations, religions, families, educators, and individuals have come to depend upon the same expertise you will discover in this textbook. You'll also find the narrative to be personal, the topics to be interesting, and you will feel very satisfied when you finally understand why society and people do the things they do. You swill learn what sociology is, what sociology studies (and studies in a way better than all other disciplines), and how sociology as a science can help you in your personal life experiences. Finally, this textbook is an excellent case study of the sociological analysis of the United States. How we used the US statistics, trends, and historical facts used herein can be a useful example for you to do a similar analysis of your own country, state, province, county, or even city.
This book builds upon the 80 plus years of sociology of the family research and teaching that has made the discipline a leader in the field of family studies. In this book you will find examples of scientific methods and statistics used by sociologist, combined with the powerful and insightful sociological theories which open new worlds of discovery and understanding to you about the family. Sociologists study the family at a personal and larger social level. This is important to note because you experience both the personal and larger social levels of the family in your society every day--but until now, you might not have known that fact! The narrative in this textbook is intentionally personal. The material is intentionally selected in hopes that it will be useful in your personal and larger social life experiences. The book is also filled with answers to significant concerns and questions students often have about the family. Finally, this textbook is an excellent case study of the sociological analysis of the family in the United States. How we used the US statistics, trends, and historical facts used herein can be a useful example for you to do a similar analysis of your own country, state, province, county, or even city.
If you have a specific sociology book you'd like to see developed and have enough funds to sustain its development, contact Dr. Ron J. Hammond directly at ronh@uvu.edu to discuss the possibilities.
