Includes bibliographies and index.

Contents: Introduction: debating social issue -- Should the study of society be value free? -- Does sociology benefit society? -- Is social behavior genetically determined -- Does lower-class culture perpetuate poverty? -- Should we bring back community? -- Has the women's movement helped women? -- Are traditional families more successful? -- Is modern work alienating? -- Is economic inequality beneficial to society? -- Does welfare do more harm than good? -- Is racial oppression declining in America? -- Is affirmative action reverse discrimination? -- Does an elite rule America? -- Are profits the only social responsibility? -- Is incapacitation the answer to the crime problem? -- Was it right to empty the mental hospitals? -- Is nuclear deterrence irrational? -- Is the world threatened by a population bomb? -- Is the environment improving? -- The future: are prosperity and freedom endangered? --