Books in the Contemporary World Issues series

This up-to-date second-edition work will stimulate and clarify readers' thinking on the key issues surrounding guns in the United States-especially on the debate over gun control.Most public debate and discussion about guns in U.S. society is rarely guided by research-not surprising, as most individuals have a personal opinion on this highly inflammatory topic based on their upbringing or personal experiences. Additionally, most research about gun use in America is confusing and contradictory, making it difficult for citizens to gain much from their attempts to investigate the topic objectively. This book offers concise, understandable coverage of all aspects of the issue, including incidence of gun violence; gun control; gun rights; government regulation, legislation, and court decisions; gun organizations (for gun control and for gun rights); gun enthusiast subcultures-for example, hunters, target shooters, and collectors; and U.S. attitudes toward guns. Many of the covered topics are placed in historical and cross-cultural perspective.The new edition of Gun Control in the United States: A Reference Handbook enables the reader to navigate and interpret the research to become sufficiently educated on any specific aspect of the gun issue to make an informed decision-for example, whether to support stricter or more lenient gun control; whether to become a gun owner; whether to support a particular political party or candidate; or whether to develop or to refine a particular philosophy regarding guns. Other aspects of the contemporary gun debate that are addressed include whether the Supreme Court's ruling that the Second Amendment guarantees an individual right will withstand future challenges, whether the strong gun regulations used in Europe would be effective and applicable in reducing gun violence in the United States, and whether the diversity explosion created by the high rate of immigration from countries where guns are strictly controlled will soon change the politics of the U.S. gun control debate.

Birth Control: A Reference Handbook provides a breadth and depth of discussion about birth control throughout human history and in the modern day, with attention paid to the controversies related to it.Birth Control: A Reference Handbook covers the topic of birth control from the earliest pages of human history to the present day. The book is divided into two parts. The first two chapters provide a historical background to the topic and a review of current issues and problems. The remainder of the book consists of chapters that aid the reader in continuing her or his own research on the topic, such as an extended annotated bibliography, chronology, glossary, noteworthy individuals and organizations in the field, and important data and documents.This book differs from other works on its subject primarily because of the variety of resources provided, such as further reading, perspective essays on the topic, a historical timeline, and useful terms in the field. It is intended for readers of high school through the community college level, along with adult readers who may be interested in the topic.

Presenting compelling and current information about some of the most important food safety issues, this book is an invaluable reference for anyone interested in avoiding foodborne disease or understanding how food safety standards could be improved.Food safety affects everyone. For citizens who live in industrialized nations, it is easy to assume that our foods are always rigorously inspected and assessed for safety. While food safety standards and regulations are in place to protect the consumer public, food safety problems do exist: according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, each year, 48 million Americans are sickened by food,128,000 people are sick enough that they are hospitalized as a result, and 3,000 people die from foodborne pathogens.This third edition of Food Safety: A Reference Handbook examines the history of food safety and describes in detail key events and trends that have created the food safety issues of today. It explores the many controversies concerning food consumption, including contaminants in food, GMOs, factory farm-produced meat, and standards regarding the labeling of food products as well as the ways that these issues have been handled by authorities. Readers will find this book's overview of food safety topics informative and highly accessible. Additionally, the perspectives chapter provides varying viewpoints from food safety professionals and researchers on key issues.

Obesity has reached epidemic proportions in countries like the United States. This book provides a comprehensive summary of obesity in America and around the world, discussing the causes and proposing ways to help stem the tide and to help those who are overweight.

This go-to resource on substance abuse supplies the broad background knowledge and historical information needed to understand this important sociological issue and provides readers with a range of additional sources for continuing their study of the topic.From the pharmaceuticals advertised on television for various specific medical conditions; to alcohol, which is consumed regularly as a societal norm; to illicit drugs such as cocaine, heroin, and methamphetamine; to marijuana, which is becoming legal in an increasing number of U.S. states, drugs are all around us and are ingrained in our culture. The difficult reality is that any drug is a substance that can be abused. Substance Abuse: A Reference Handbook provides a detailed discussion of the history of substance abuse, covers the classification of drugs, explains how drugs work in the body, includes a general survey of both legal and illegal drugs, and describes the methods of substance abuse prevention and treatment. Readers receive a comprehensive introduction to the broad topic of substance abuse and a variety of additional resources with which to conduct extensive research.In addition to describing the nature of licit and illicit drugs, the beneficial and harmful effects drugs can have on the human body, and factors that may lead to abuse and/or substance abuse, this book covers subtopics such as drug testing in a variety of settings including the workplace and sports, drug control mechanisms, and the debates relating to the legalization of drugs such as medical and recreational marijuana. The book also offers primary source resources that enable readers to directly examine the text of documents, such as significant laws and court cases dealing with aspects of substance abuse, alcohol prohibition amendments, the Controlled Substances Act of 1970, a series of memoranda from the U.S. Department of Justice regarding the prosecution of marijuana cases, and state doctor shopping laws.

This book examines the history of the concepts of intellectual property and the current state of U.S. and international intellectual property law. In this timely and readable volume, law professor Aaron Schwabach explores the three traditional categories of intellectual property-copyright, patent, and trademark.

From killer storms to their implications for the insurance premiums of U.S. residents, this much-awaited update explores the ecological, social, and economic consequences of hurricanes and their effects on both coastal and inland areas.

This work is a detailed survey of food safety issues today, from E-coli contamination in fruits and vegetables to food production practices that increase antibiotic resistance. Is our food safe?

This even-handed survey of contemporary urban development in America examines how and why a growing number of citizens are concerned about urban sprawl. Offering a balanced overview, Urban Sprawl marshals the facts, sorts out the benefits and the drawbacks, and withholds judgment.

This compilation of the best thinking about adoption by both historical and current authorities reveals a vital, ever-changing practice affecting the lives of millions of people around the globe. The ancient practice of adoption has changed significantly through history.

A handy source for basic statistics on prisoners, penal trends, and programs and services in America's prisons. Prisons in America covers such important subjects as punishment in the United States since colonial times;

Presenting an overview of information control in America, this volume discusses why some works of art and literature are controversial, and examines the arguments of both those who advocate unlimited free speech and those who would impose some limits.

An engrossing review of the development of global consumerism and its impact on sociological issues.

A detailed survey of a growing scourge of the global economy-the smuggling of people, materials, and money.

This thoroughly revised second edition is an examination of domestic violence from social, legal, and historical perspectives.

A one-of-a-kind introduction to the major issues and controversies dominating the heated debate over U.S. forest policy today. Forest Conservation Policy: A Reference Handbook chronicles the dramatic history, current status, and global influence of U.S. forest policy.

This extensive yet concise introduction to the phenomenon of globalization looks at its economic, environmental, and security dimensions as interpreted from different political points of view.

This volume provides an insightful overview of renewable and alternative energy technologies and policies in the United States and around the world. Are renewable and alternative energy solutions needed to combat many of the negative effects of fossil fuel (including global warming)?

While its primary focus is the United States, Feminism also examines how multiculturalism and global thinking have infused today's feminists with a sense of widened responsibility for girls and women worldwide. Readers will find a cultural overview of society's changing perception of women and a thoughtful analysis of the directions feminism is taking today.Other sections include a chronology of significant events, a collection of biographical sketches, and annotated listings of organizations and print and nonprint resources, including Internet coverage. Rounded out by a comprehensive index, this volume is excellent for anyone seeking a one-stop reference work on feminism.

This work is a fascinating overview of Americans' complex and occasionally uneasy relationship with military service, from World War II to the age of global terrorism. The end of the Cold War ushered in a new kind of war that has already made conventional tactics and strategy obsolete.

This work offers an insightful guide to the global struggle for human rights, the problems and shortcomings of the international human rights regime, and the resources essential to human rights studies.

A balanced and thoughtful analysis of human reproduction issues in the United States with emphasis on the ethical and policy implications of cutting-edge reproductive technologies. Few subjects are as divisive and partisan as the issues surrounding the propagation of the human species.

A thorough overview of the populations and social forces that have shaped the character of racial and ethnic diversity in the United States. Racial and Ethnic Diversity in America: A Reference Handbook documents how diversity as part of the social fabric of American society has changed its character over time.

This award winning handbook presents the views of both advocates and critics of the argument that government policies can establish gender and racial equality.

A shocking account of how slavery continues to afflict millions around the world today-from children in the carpet trade in Asia, to immigrants forced into prostitution in Europe, to domestic workers in the United States and other Western countries.

Drawing on government data and interdisciplinary expertise, this timely book seeks to explain why the changing economic and legal status of women has not reduced the gender gap in criminal offending.

A highly informative account of trends, concepts, and problems related to dating and sexuality in the United States, along with thought-provoking coverage of today's most important issues and controversies. A history of dating and sexuality illuminates new trends and problems that were absent just a few decades ago.

Voting Rights: A Reference Handbook is a valuable resource for high school and college students curious about the history of voting rights in the United States. Voting Rights: A Reference Handbook chronicles voting rights in the United States, from the colonial period to the present.

This book explains how race, once a differentiating factor, became a major basis for stratification in the United States that pervaded scientific thought, religious doctrine, governmental policy, and the patterned actions of decision-makers in all sectors of social life.Racism in America: A Reference Handbook diverges from the typical focus of accounts of racism on interpersonal prejudice and discrimination to situate racism within structural processes to demonstrate the systematic nature of racial discrimination. Racial progress, though notable, has largely addressed symptoms of the racialized social system rather than tackling the ways in which the system is inherently patterned to benefit whites. This book provides evidence that racial discrimination is not an occasional decision made by individuals.The book provides readers with a background and history of race in America; a thorough treatment of the problems, controversies, and solutions related to race; a perspectives section including essays from experts in a variety of related fields; profiles of important people and organizations; and a section dedicated to data and documents. Its organizational strategy benefits the reader, first explaining core concepts and providing context for racism in America before moving into more specific applications in the work of relevant experts and providing directions for further study.