This thoroughly revised edition of Mooney, Knox, and Schacht's text uses a theoretically balanced, student-centered approach to provide a comprehensive exploration of social problems. UNDERSTANDING SOCIAL PROBLEMS, Tenth Edition, progresses from a micro to macro level of analysis, focusing first on problems related to health care, drugs and alcohol, families, and crime, and then broadening to the larger issues of poverty and inequality, population growth, aging, environmental problems, and conflict around the world. The social problem in each chapter is framed in a global as well as a U.S. context. In addition, the three major theoretical perspectives are applied to the problem under discussion, and its consequences -- as well as alternative solutions -- are explored. Pedagogical features such as "The Human Side" and "Self and Society" enable students to grasp how social problems affect the lives of individuals and apply their understanding of social problems to their own lives.

Part I: SOCIOLOGY AND THE STUDY OF SOCIAL PROBLEMS.
1. Thinking about Social Problems.
Part II: PROBLEMS OF WELL-BEING.
2. Physical and Mental Health and Health Care.
3. Alcohol and Other Drugs.
4. Crime and Social Control.
5. Family Problems.
Part III: PROBLEMS OF INEQUALITY.
6. Economic Inequality, Wealth, and Poverty.
7. Work and Unemployment.
8. Problems in Education.
9. Race, Ethnicity, and Immigration.
10. Gender Inequality.
11. Sexual Orientation and the Struggle for Equality.
Part IV: PROBLEMS OF GLOBALIZATION.
12. Population Growth and Aging.
13. Environmental Problems.
14. Science and Technology.
15. Conflict, War, and Terrorism.

This thoroughly revised edition of Mooney, Knox, and Schacht's text uses a theoretically balanced, student-centered approach to provide a comprehensive exploration of social problems. UNDERSTANDING SOCIAL PROBLEMS, Tenth Edition, progresses from a micro to macro level of analysis, focusing first on problems related to health care, drugs and alcohol, families, and crime, and then broadening to the larger issues of poverty and inequality, population growth, aging, environmental problems, and conflict around the world. The social problem in each chapter is framed in a global as well as a U.S. context. In addition, the three major theoretical perspectives are applied to the problem under discussion, and its consequences -- as well as alternative solutions -- are explored. Pedagogical features such as "The Human Side" and "Self and Society" enable students to grasp how social problems affect the lives of individuals and apply their understanding of social problems to their own lives. Chapter 11, "Sexual Orientation and the Struggle for Equality," has been significantly revised in light of the June 2015 Supreme Court decision legalizing gay marriage in the United States. New topics in the chapter also include the backlash against successes in LGBT rights, religious freedom laws and corporate response, societal beliefs about the origin of sexual orientation, bans on efforts to change sexual orientation, and social forces that lead to greater social support for LGBT individuals. New topics include technology and crime (Ch. 4, "Crime and Social Control"), polyamory (Ch. 5, "Family Problems"), right to work laws (Ch. 7, "Work and Unemployment"), "degrees of inequality" in higher education (Ch. 8, "Problems in Education"), the use of social media in times of political unrest (Ch. 14, "Science and Technology"), and the use of drones (Ch. 15, "War and Terrorism"), among many others. Most of the chapter-opening vignettes have been updated to include relevant new examples of social issues. For example, Chapter 5, "Family Problems," outlines the case of Ray and Janay Rice, which brought the issue of domestic violence into the forefront of popular culture. Boxed content has been revised to include current news stories, topics, and statistics on social problems. Students will read a suicide note from a transgender teen ("The Human Side," Ch. 10); respond to survey questions asking them to assess the importance of their high school experiences in securing a job, and their fear of criminal victimization ("Self and Society," Ch. 8 and Ch. 4); and learn how the fossil fuel industry has deceived the public on issues related to global warming and climate change ("Social Problems Research Up Close," Ch. 13). The text organizes topics into four primary sections: Sociology and the Study of Social Problems, Problems of Well-Being, Problems of Inequality, and Problems of Globalization, supporting seamless progress from micro- to macro-level analysis and helping students to steadily build their knowledge and confidence with the material. Full coverage of social problem issues related to race, class, gender, and sexual orientation is included, along with integrated coverage of feminist theory, ensuring that material will likely be relevant to students with a wide variety of backgrounds, perspectives, and interests. "Self and Society" features throughout the text present social surveys designed to help students assess their own attitudes, beliefs, knowledge, or behavior regarding some aspect of a social problem. Examples include an assessment of attitudes toward homosexuals and a survey on fear of crime. "The Human Side" features provide insight into the impact of social problems on the individual through first-hand accounts of those affected. Examples include a suicide note from a transgender youth and a letter to an editor on the frustration of being a public school teacher. "Social Problems Research Up Close" features provide examples of social science research to demonstrate the sociological enterprise from theory and data collection to findings and conclusions, offering students a valuable understanding of how research in the social sciences occurs in the real world.