Introduction to Sociology – 3rd Canadian Edition has been adapted by William Little through three Canadian editions (2014, 2016, 2023) from the U.S. based OpenStax textbook, Introduction to Sociology. For information about what was changed in this adaptation, refer to the Copyright statement at the bottom of the home page.
This textbook was created with several goals in mind: accessibility, affordability, customization, and student engagement—all while encouraging learners toward high levels of learning. Instructors and students alike will find that this textbook offers a strong foundation in sociology.
It is available for free online as a webbook and can be downloaded as a PDF or EPUB. There is also a low-cost print version that can be ordered.
To broaden access and encourage community curation, Introduction to Sociology is openly licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license. Everyone is invited to submit examples, emerging research, and other feedback to enhance and strengthen the material and keep it current and relevant for today’s students. You can make suggestions by filling out this Report an Error form.
To the Student
This book is written for you and is based on the teaching and research experience of numerous sociologists. In today’s global socially networked world, the topic of sociology is more relevant than ever before. We hope that through this book, you will learn how simple, everyday human actions and interactions can change the world. In this book, you will find applications of Sociology concepts that are relevant, current, and balanced.
To the Instructor
This text is intended for two one-semester introductory courses. It adheres to the scope and sequence of typical introductory sociology course offerings. In addition to comprehensive coverage of core concepts, foundational scholars, and emerging theories, it incorporates section reviews with engaging questions, discussions that help students apply the sociological imagination, and features that draw learners into the discipline in meaningful ways. Although this text can be modified and reorganized to suit your needs, the standard version is organized so that topics are introduced conceptually, with relevant, everyday experiences.
If you are an instructor who is using this book for a course, please fill out our Adoption of an Open Textbook form.
Features of Introduction to Sociology: 3rd Canadian Edition
The following briefly describes the special features of this text.
This textbook is published on a platform called Pressbooks. You can use Pressbooks to rearrang and modify the content to suit the needs of a particular professor or class. That being said, modules often contain references to content in other modules, as most topics in sociology cannot be discussed in isolation.
For instructors teaching at British Columbia post-secondary institutions, you can create a Pressbooks account here: Pressbooks for B.C. Post-Secondary Faculty
Every module begins with a set of clear and concise learning objectives. These objectives are designed to help the instructor decide what content to include or assign, and to guide the student with respect to what they can expect to learn. After completing the module and end-of-module exercises, students should be able to demonstrate mastery of the learning objectives.
The following Making Connections features show students the dynamic nature of Sociology:
- Sociological Research: Highlights specific current and relevant research studies. Examples include “The Hawthorne Effect” and “Deceptive Divorce Rates.”
- Sociology in the Real World: Ties chapter content to current events and discusses sociology in terms of the everyday. Topics include “Secrets of the McJob” and “Muslim Women – The Niqab, Hijab and Burka”
- Big Picture: Features present sociological concepts at a national or international level, including “The History of Homosexuality: Making Up People?” and “Is there a Canadian Identity?”
- 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 and Gender” and “Corporal Punishment”
- Classic Sociologists: Discusses the insights and contributions of the founders of sociology, such as “Talcott Parsons: The Sociological Explanation of Everything.”
Section summaries distill the information in each section for both students and instructors down to key, concise points addressed in the section.
Key terms are bold and are followed by a definition in context. Definitions of key terms are also listed in the Key Terms, which appears at the end of the module online and at the end of the chapter in print.
Section quizzes provide opportunities to apply and test the information students learn throughout each section. Both multiple-choice and short-response questions feature a variety of question types and range of difficulty.
This feature helps students further explore the section topic and offers related research topics that could be explored.