Understanding Social Problems

Understanding Social Problems, 11th Edition is a sociology textbook authored by Linda A. Mooney, Molly Clever, and Marieke Van Willigen. Published by Cengage Learning in 2022, the text provides students and instructors with a structured investigation of major societal challenges.

The book structures its core content across both micro-level and macro-level analytical frameworks. Micro-level coverage focuses on personal and interpersonal dynamics, including health care delivery, drug and alcohol use, family relationships, and crime.

Macro-level coverage shifts to broader institutional structures, examining poverty and inequality, population growth, aging demographics, environmental problems, science and technology, and world conflict. This dual organization equips students and instructors to analyze social issues from individual experiences to global systems.