Current and relevant to today's students, SOCIOLOGY IN OUR TIMES: THE ESSENTIALS, 11th Edition presents the latest available data and new insights on behaviors, beliefs, issues, and trends in our nation and world from a sociological perspective. The new edition of this bestselling text emphasizes the themes of social change, the effects of social media on communication, and the intertwining nature of politics and social policy in the United States and worldwide. Students contemplate such issues as gun control, prevention of military suicides, environmental activism, and whether employers should be allowed to "spy" on their employees. New "You Can Make a Difference" boxes help students learn how to become involved in their communities and the world through such projects as campus kitchens and global networking to fight hunger. First-person accounts of individuals' lived experiences draw students into each chapter by illuminating topics that reflect the text's primary themes.