Lorne Tepperman

The most accessible and engaging exploration of the intersections of inequality in Canada. The second edition of The Stacked Deck examines how inequalities are experienced, perpetuated, and remedied on individual, organizational, and governmental levels. Uniquely organized around access to key resources-such as income, housing, education, nutritious food, and safety-this text is an accessible and comprehensive introduction to social inequalities.

We live in a consumer society. Household spending accounts for a bigger share of the country's total economic output than all other activities put together. The world's biggest company, Walmart, operates more than 10,000 stores in twenty-six countries and employs 2.2 million people. Shopping permeates our culture. The concept of branding is ubiquitous, to the point that individuals are urged to develop their own "personal brand." But why do you buy? It's clearly not just because you need things. Buying-and often buying more than we need, at great cost to our credit ratings and even our mental health-is a vast social phenomenon, deeply embedded in the structure of society itself. In this unique book, Lorne Tepperman and Megan Markus examines the many reasons people buy things, untangling both the complex web of human motivations and efforts by sellers large and small to get them to buy more-efforts often informed by the latest research in the social sciences. The authors also offer a series of quizzes designed to help you figure out what kind of shopper you are, and what factors most influence your purchases. The result is a fascinating-and sobering-look at why you buy, and what the consequences of that buying are likely to be for your bank book, your well being, and even for society and the planet as a whole.

This indispensable guide for students in any area of the social sciences - including sociology, anthropology, political science, women's and gender studies, Indigenous studies, and history - offers clear, current information on all aspects of the research process, from research methods and design to presenting findings with clarity and force. No other research and writing guide speaks directly to the needs of students in social science courses. Making Sense in the Social Sciences will increase the skills and confidence of students new to academic writing and improve the quality of the essays they turn in.

"Your reward in reading this intriguing book will be what you will inevitably find to be new, surprising and important." -Michael Adams, author of Fire and IceThis fascinating new book explores Canada's progress in dealing with a number of pressing social problems, including ethnic, racial, gender and economic inequalities, the treatment of Indigenous peoples, crime and violence, and environmental issues. The authors compare Canada to sixteen other similar countries, including the United States, United Kingdom, France, Germany, and the Scandinavian countries. They note that while Canada has done well in certain areas-including welcoming large numbers of immigrants and encouraging them to become productive and engaged members of Canadian society-the country has much to learn from its peers in addressing other challenges. In concluding, Tepperman and Finnsdottir consider the significant differences among Canada's provinces and territories in dealing with social problems, and suggest ways in which Canada could better deal with social issues and further improve what for most of its citizens is an already enviable quality of life.

Choices and Chances is an ideal supplement to introductory textbooks. By showing how theories can apply to everyday life, it demonstrates the ways sociology—a living, growing discipline—can shed light on issues of immense personal and social importance.

Current and Canadian, Social Problems explores the dynamics and consequences of social problems-such as poverty, sexism, crime, drug abuse, health, war, and terrorism-that impact Canada and the rest of the world. Each problem is examined through a variety of theoretical paradigms before its impact both on individuals and society as a whole is explored.

Students approaching sociology for the first time often wonder whether it is really relevant to their lives. This brief introduction to the field leaves little room for doubt. The authors challenge readers to think seriously about the choices they will face in education, career, marriage, parenting, and other important dimensions of life. Popular ideology emphasizes that we can–and should–get what we want from life. Yet the research highlighted in this book shows that most of us do not get what we want, settling instead for what we can get. How our choices are shaped and limited by the actions of others around us underlies the authors' lucid explanation of social structure and sociology–the systematic study of social relations. Choices and Chances is an ideal supplement to introductory textbooks. It can also be used as a concise introduction to sociology when supplemented by a variety of other topical course readings.

Part of the bestselling Making Sense series, this seventh edition of Making Sense in the Social Sciences is an indispensable guide for students in any area of the discipline. Maintaining the signature straightforward style of the series, this book offers up-to-date, detailed information on proper documentation guidelines, essay and report writing, different methods of qualitative and quantitative research, ethical research, and more.

A compelling look at the causes and costs of social inequality ... There are many different types of social inequality and academics offer many different opinions about it. But social inequality is also a "real life" problem familiar to ordinary people -- not just a topic for the ivory tower. Almost everyone, even the least academically inclined, has something to say about it. The aim of Outsights is to better understand inequality by considering some of these varied perspectives. In particular, Outsights examines the views of social outsiders. There are many kinds of outsiders. In fact, their shared defining feature is that they are not insiders -- not white, not male, not middle class, not middle-aged, not able-bodied, not born in North America. Outsiders are among society's most vulnerable members -- victims or potential victims of the way life is organized. They are frequently critical of people on the inside, and especially skeptical of insiders' views of life on the outside. Outsiders know a lot about life on the margins: they hold deep, often personal understandings of things like sexual harassment, racial discrimination, and unemployment. What's more, they're often concerned with aspects of inequality that don't even cross the minds of insiders: where to find their next meal, how to access medical care, and ways other than education to climb the social ladder. Outsights attempts to bridge the gap between the views of insiders and outsiders with the goal of better understanding the causes and costs of social inequality -- and what can be done about it.--From the Introduction

In Flows: A Network Approach to Social Inequality, sociologist Lorne Tepperman of the University of Toronto and co-author Sally Chiang propose an exciting new way of looking at the social world. Society, they suggest, is an enormously complicated, interrelated system of flows - flows of information, flows of people, and flows of capital, to name just a few. Through processes like diffusion and migration, manifested in everyday life through such phenomena as gossip, the formation of cliques, and the movement of people from one country to another, flows reshape the world we live in, determining its shape and future. The authors examine what social scientists have learned about flows, drawing on research not only from sociology but from related fields such as psychology, medicine, and management. In particular, they focus on what the study of flows reveals about the age-old problem of human inequality: why it exists and why it persists. Flows do more than reshape the world. They shape our individual futures, too. By understanding flows, we are better able to understand not only how the world works, but how we might make it a better place, both for ourselves and others.

This book uses case studies to show how and why eight social service organizations adopted computers. Computerized information systems can be destructive or constructive for organizations and staff. However, the impact of a system cannot be predicted from its logical design alone: one must analyze how well the design fits the needs, interests, and existing practices of those who are likely to use it.

This book uses case studies to show how and why eight social service organizations adopted computers. Computerized information systems can be destructive or constructive for organizations and staff. However, the impact of a system cannot be predicted from its logical design alone: one must analyze how well the design fits the needs, interests, and existing practices of those who are likely to use it.