This comprehensive, thought-provoking text is the only one on the market that truly emphasizes global and cross-cultural issues as its core strength throughout each chapter. What better way to introduce your students to sociological concepts and applications than by invoking and instilling global issues. This text is the leader in the global perspective segment of the introduction to sociology market. Eleven of the sixteen chapters incorporate an example highlighting important and long-standing interconnections between the United States and some other country or countries. Five chapters highlight interconnections across national borders but in a more general way. Such extended examples mean that the core sociological concepts and theories are not presented in an encyclopedia-like way. Rather, the example becomes the vehicle for weaving together and applying key concepts and theories to issues confronting the United States and the world.