John Germov is the editor of "Second Opinion," and coeditor of "A Sociology of Food and Nutrition." Marilyn Poole is coeditor of "Sociology: Australian Connections" and "A Certain Age," and editor of" Family: Changing Families, Changing Times."

Tables and figures Preface to the second edition Acknowledgments Contributors Abbreviations Guided tour Module 1: Doing public sociology 1 The sociological gaze: Linking private lives to public issues 2 Sociological foundations: Early theorists and theories 3 Contemporary sociological theorists and theories 4 Sociological investigations: Doing social research Module 2: Social identities 5 Socialisation and the new genetics 6 Youth transitions and youth culture 7 Families and intimate relationships 8 Consumption and lifestyles 9 Sporting life 10 Hybrid identities in a globalised world Module 3: Social differences and inequalities 11 Class and inequality in Australia 12 The gender order 13 Ethnicity and belonging 14 Race and reconciliation in Australia 15 Religion and spirituality 16 Deviance, crime, and social control Module 4: Social transformations 17 The social basis of health and illness 18 Globalisation, power, and social movements 19 Global risk and the surveillance state: A sociology of new terrorism 20 Working 24/7: The new work ethic 21 Media and popular culture 22 Educating society: Sociological debates and dilemmas 23 Urbanisation, community, and rurality Module 5: Future directions 24 A sociological toolkit 25 Writing a sociology essay Glossary Index