Books in the Contemporary World Issues series

Geared toward high school students, undergraduate students, and general readers, this reference work provides a thorough and unbiased treatment of sex, gender, and transgenderism-social issues of particular importance in today's world.Sex and Gender: A Reference Handbook is a single-volume book that introduces a variety of personal, social, political, and ethical issues of concern to every young adult in the United States today. Written in a style that is accessible and engaging for student readers and researchers, this book examines subjects that are rarely discussed for readers of this age group, providing authoritative information on topics such as gender roles, gender development, and gender inequality; body image; sexual differentiation in humans; the range of human affectional expression; sex education; and LGBT discrimination.Readers of this reference book will examine a number of important current issues relating to sex and gender, such as transgenderism, gender dysphoria, same-sex attraction, the development of gender roles, the changing perspectives on these topics, and other controversial and unresolved issues in American society today. The book also includes a Data and Documents chapter that contains laws, courts cases, and other primary documents that relate to current issues involving sex and gender.

"What historical factors transformed American politics into the institution we know today? This ... look at America's party system traces its efficacy, sustainability, and popularity through six influential presidencies spanning 1790 to the present day"--Amazon.com.

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.

This accessibly written book introduces readers to DNA-one of the most important technologies for the manipulation of all forms of life, from simple bacteria to plants and animals. It also addresses the most important social, ethical, political, economic, and other issues raised by this form of technology.The great strides made in our understanding of the structure and function of DNA in recent decades have led to applying this invaluable knowledge to use in serving humanity. For example, recent discoveries in the field of genetic editing have created the potential for the creation of life forms de novo, a possibility that results in profound ethical issues for the human race that are just beginning to be discussed. What other positive-and potentially negative-developments are coming our way with continuing advancements in DNA research? DNA Technology: A Reference Handbook provides an up-to-date historical overview and general technical background to the topic as well as a broad introduction to current issues related to the development of DNA technology, such as genetically modified organisms, the use of DNA technology in the forensic sciences, and genetic testing and genetic therapy.Written by David E. Newton, an author and former teacher who has dedicated a lifetime to authoring educational texts on science and technology, this book examines the history of DNA technology from its discovery in the 1950s to the present day and covers recent advances, such as new methods for gene editing, including CRISP-Cas9 technology. Readers need to have little or no background knowledge of the technology of genetic engineering to improve their understanding of DNA-based technologies and how DNA research influences many current issues and debates in agriculture, food science, forensics, public health, and other fields. The single-volume work is particularly well-suited to students and young adults because of the range of references included that serve further study, such as a glossary of terms, a chronology, and an extensive annotated bibliography.

Same-sex marriage continues to be a polarizing subject in the United States and other parts of the world. This new edition of Same-Sex Marriage: A Reference Handbook brings readers up to date on the status of same-sex unions from social, legal, political, and historical perspectives.According to Pew Research poll data, in 2001, the majority of Americans opposed same-sex marriage-57 percent against, 35 percent in support. As of 2015, a majority of Americans (55 percent) supported same-sex marriage, with 39 percent expressing opposition. The landmark Obergefell v. Hodges case, in which the U.S. Supreme Court held in a 5-4 decision that the fundamental right to marry is guaranteed to same-sex couples, is likely further influencing opinions among U.S. citizens. Still, controversy and heated debate continues to ensue on the social, legal, and political implications of same-sex marriage.The second edition of Same-Sex Marriage: A Reference Handbook presents thorough coverage of recent changes in the legal status of same-sex marriage in the United States as well as essays that provide historical perspectives on same-sex marriage; an extensive, up-to-date bibliography; a collection of primary source documents; a glossary; and a chronology that will serve readers studying the topic. New material includes a detailed discussion of the 2015 Supreme Court of the United States decision as well as coverage of issues that have arisen as a result of the Obergefell case, such as the debate over "religious freedom" and LGBT civil rights legislation.

Offering an up-to-date and comprehensive resource for students and general readers investigating human trafficking, this book examines the phenomenon in its many forms, the factors contributing to its existence, the victims it affects, and those who perpetrate this horrific crime.The horrific reality is that millions of human beings are bought and sold every year worldwide. Human trafficking is not an obsolete practice, and these crimes are not rare in occurrence. Recent examples of human trafficking such as the abduction of hundreds of Nigerian schoolgirls by the terrorist organization Boko Haram and depictions of trafficking in films such as Taken have brought human trafficking squarely into the public eye. This book offers a comprehensive understanding of human trafficking in its many forms. It examines the traffickers who range from single operators to large, transnational organizations and investigates how they coerce, deceive, and exploit their victims in the domestic service, farming, construction, and sex industries as well as in the harvesting of organs.The coverage includes common practices of human trafficking like sexual exploitation of women in Western and Central Europe, labor exploitation in the Middle East, and the exploitation of children in Western and Central Africa. Readers are introduced to various experts who have rescued and worked with victims, prosecuted cases, and conducted research to gain more insight into this crime and serious abuse of human rights, and they will gain insight into how a number of people and organizations are working to combat human trafficking and protect victims. Primary source documents that include reports by government, international organizations, and NGOs serve to aid readers in acquiring more knowledge on the topic.

While covering the fascinating history of wind power as a whole, this timely handbook focuses on current technological developments and the promise-and pitfalls-of wind energy as part of the world's energy future.

An authoritative but accessible reference, this book enables anyone to truly understand both the background and operation of the U.S. tax system and current tax reform proposals. Dissatisfaction with high taxes is literally an American tradition;

The descriptions and examples of unethical behaviors in sport in this book will challenge readers to rethink how they view sport and question whether participating in sport builds character-especially at the youth and amateur levels.Sport potentially can teach character as well as social and moral values, but only when these positive concepts are consistently taught, modeled, and reinforced by sport leaders with the moral courage to do so. The seeming moral crisis threatening amateur and youth sport-evidenced by athletes, coaches, and parents alike making poor ethical choices-and ongoing scandals regarding performance-enhancing drug use by professional athletes make sports ethics a topic of great concern. This work enables readers to better understand the ethical challenges facing competitive sport by addressing issues such as gamesmanship, doping, cheating, sportsmanship, fair play, and respect for the game.A compelling read for coaches, sport administrators, players, parents, and sport fans, the book examines specific examples of unethical behaviors-many cases of which occur in amateur and educational sports-to illustrate how these incidents threaten the perception that sport builds character. It identifies and investigates the multiple reasons for cheating in sport, such as the fact that the rewards for succeeding are so high, and the feeling of athletes that they must behave as they do to "level the playing field" because everyone else is cheating, being violent, taking performance-enhancing drugs, or doing whatever it takes to win. Readers will gain insight into how coaches and sport administrators can achieve the goals for youth, interscholastic, intercollegiate, and Olympic sport by stressing moral values and character development as well as see how specific recommendations can help ensure that sport can serve to build character rather than teach bad behavior in the pursuit of victory.

This book is the THE source for information on virtual worlds, covering every aspect of this intriguing and fast-changing social practice and the technologies upon which it rests.

This book offers a critical look at celebrity and celebrities throughout history, emphasizing the development of celebrity as a concept, its relevance to individuals, and the role of the public and celebrities in popular culture.

This book tackles the assumptions behind common understandings of religious nationalism, exploring the complex connections between religion, nationalism, conflict, and conflict transformation.

How is water scarcity becoming a serious problem worldwide-including in the United States? This book provides a broad overview of water, sanitation, and hygiene problems faced by both developing and developed nations around the globe and suggests how these problems can be solved by imaginative and innovative thinking.Human society depends on sufficient clean water. In many parts of the world, however, this most basic commodity is in very short supply. Even in developed, first-world nations, climate change and other factors have begun to create alarming water supply issues. The Global Water Crisis: A Reference Handbook provides a detailed overview of this important topic, enabling readers to understand the nature of the world's water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) problems and to know what resources are best for conducting their own research on the topic.The first chapter of the book provides the historical background information pertaining to the world's water and sanitation problems; the second chapter documents the problems, explores the issues, and presents potential solutions for understanding the nature of WASH issues. The other sections provide the needed resources for readers to study the issue of the global water crisis further: perspective essays, primary documents, biographical profiles, data and documents, an extended annotated bibliography, a chronology, and a glossary.

This book presents the background and history of genocide, the key issues associated with this worldwide crime, and the problems inherent in preventing its occurrence.

This book covers a wide range of issues and controversies within the world of sports-including drug use, economics, ethics, ethnicity, gender, globalization, politics, race, sexuality, and technology-from both a U.S. and global perspective.

Authoritative, current, and easy to use, this book is an outstanding resource for readers looking to gain an accurate and thorough understanding of American juvenile justice.Juvenile delinquency has been of interest to the general public and academic scholars for many decades-and it has been an ongoing societal problem for the same amount of time. Delinquency covers a range of behaviors from minor offenses, such as trespassing or vandalism, to the more serious crimes often associated with gangs that include murder. Juvenile Justice: A Reference Handbook puts juvenile justice under the microscope, surveying its long history and key issues, exploring the myriad of problems and controversies tied to the juvenile justice system, and explains how policymakers and legal professionals have tried to solve these vexing issues.The book first presents historical and contemporary discussions of juvenile justice, especially in the United States. The next chapters address problems, controversies, and possible solutions for juvenile justice; present insightful, diverse perspectives from leading experts; and profile important figures in the juvenile justice system and the field of crime and delinquency. The book also contains data and primary documents that show who gets processed through the juvenile justice system and for what kinds of criminal acts.

This outstanding resource guide for students and young adults provides an introduction to the history of prescription drug abuse that explains how this problem has arisen and examines the social, political, economic, and health issues associated with prescription drug abuse in modern society.Evidence suggests that both adults and youth are abusing a wider range of prescription drugs and abusing them more frequently than has been the case in the past. Prescription drugs are the second most common class of drugs abused by Americans, more than twice as commonly abused as cocaine, and five times as commonly abused as heroin. This book provides readers with information about the specific health effects that can result from using certain types of medical chemicals, particularly opioid analgesics, stimulants, depressants, and hallucinogenics; explains the most important factors that have led to the growth of prescription drug problems; and reviews the current status of the issue in the United States and other nations.Readers will learn about the dangers associated with the use of prescription drugs for nonmedical purposes, the methods that have been put in place and are being developed to prevent the abuse of prescription drugs, and the trends in prescription drug misuse, with possible explanations for these trends. The book also reviews some of the steps being taken by governments and other organizations and agencies to combat the problem of prescription drug abuse.

Providing a clear, logical guide to an illogical topic, this book provides an easy-to-understand guide for anyone who wants to successfully navigate the labyrinth of going to college-and paying for the experience.

Covering topics ranging from web filters to laws aimed at preventing the flow of information, this book explores freedom-and censorship-of the Internet and considers the advantages and disadvantages of policies at each end of the spectrum.

This unbiased look at the minimum wage debate in America traces the history of minimum wage policy at both the federal and state levels, discusses the controversies swirling around the issue, and examines the veracity of claims made by people on both sides of the debate.

This handbook presents the views of those who believe violence in the media causes violent behavior and those who remain unconvinced that any such relationship exists, and examines the results of studies on violence in the media and recommendations for its control.

The field of recycling is in constant motion. Although recycling has occurred in nature for billions of years (there is approximately the same amount of water on the planet now as there was when the planet was created), we humans have only adopted recycling on a large scale in the last 30 years or so.In the United States, the practice of recycling became socially accepted-instead of stigmatized-only recently, and in the past few years, it has become downright fashionable, the "politically correct" thing to do.

The era of the new information revolution is arriving faster than any other era in the history of humanity-and its implications for communication, work, democracy, and education are discussed in detail in this volume.

If children's rights are integral aspects of commonly accepted universal human rights of the late twentieth century, then why are the United States and other countries unsuccessful in guaranteeing all children their rights?

This fact-filled resource helps readers understand the issues surrounding wilderness, preservation, and conservation.

This work addresses the ongoing focus on sexual harassment in the United States, an issue that remains at the forefront of contemporary American society.

This volume approaches the full spectrum of crime as an issue in American society today, describing trends in various types of crime and the more recent rise of computer- and technology-related crime.

Designed to serve as both a one-stop information source and a guide to in depth exploration, this eye-opening volume examines the availability and quality of our most fundamental resource-water.

Beginning with a brief history of public education in the U.S., Public Schooling in America examines traditional and progressive movements and the current goal of combining educational excellence with equality of access.

MIAs addresses an issue that is both timeless and timely. Many families of those missing in action in Vietnam have not given up hope of learning the truth about their loved ones. This volume provides an overview of issues related to U.S. soldiers missing in action from the Vietnam conflict, along with background on MIAs/POWs from pre-Vietnam conflicts.Topics include imprisonment and release of MIAs, efforts of the U.S. government and civilian organizations to determine their fate, and the effect the MIA controversy has had on diplomatic relations between the United States and Vietnam.