This edition of Park and Burgess's summation of sociology is unabridged and illustrated with the original tables, allowing the reader comprehension of the sociological principles explained by the authors.This textbook's mission is to detail every fundamental tenet of the sociology as a discipline. This is an all-encompassing guidebook which both introduces and demystifies the science of sociology for the curious reader or student. The entire first chapter is devoted to explaining the relationship of sociology with various other disciplines, and the theories of society which give rise to its most distinctive traits and approaches.This model of explanation is sustained throughout the entire text: each chapter focuses on a particular field of sociological interest, beginning with questions about humans and their nature. How people behave and interact with one another in everyday society, and whether such behaviors are altruistic or individualistic, law-abiding or otherwise, is discussed. Park and Burgess are informed by theories such as Darwin's theory of evolution, and utilise these to supplement their explanations.The notions of how humans work together, compete or act alone, and in groups of various sizes - be it on the scale of a partnership, a family, an ethnic or local grouping, or on a nationwide basis - is also covered. How people build their societies, and to what degree their endeavors result an accepting attitude and assimilation of outsiders is investigated.Later in the book, the notion of centralized control over the wider society comes to the fore. By what means such control is exerted, and the historical responses of various methods, are looked at in detail. Finally, there is an examination of how humans may behave collectively - as in a crowd or united in a purpose or ideal, and the various machinations through which human society progresses and prospers.In the manner of a good textbook, there are a selection of questions and problems situated at the conclusion of every chapter. These enable the reader to keenly review their own understanding of the explained principles. Furthermore, the unabridged chapters each have a bibliography appended so that the reader may, if desired, independently research the myriad sources drawn upon by Park and Burgess. Read Less