A Down-to-Earth Approach
Eleventh Edition
James M. Henslin
Southern Illinois University, Edwardsville

To study sociology is to embark on
a fascinating process of discovery. We
can compare society to a huge jigsaw
puzzle. Only gradually do we see how
the intricate pieces fit together. As we
begin to see these interconnections, our
perspective changes as we shift our eyes
from the many small, disjointed pieces
to the whole that is being formed. Of
all the endeavors we could have entered,
we chose sociology because of the ways
in which it joins the “pieces” of society
together and the challenges it poses to
“ordinary” thinking. It is our privilege
to share with students this process of
awareness and discovery called the
sociological perspective.