Critical and Creative Thinking is a vital resource that expands how we think and employ the basic skills involved in the identification and evaluation of an argument. It provides a basic foundation for teaching and learning critical and creative thinking. The text provides readers with the fundamental skills they need to approach ideas and opinions on current social issues. The selected readings have been carefully chosen for their ability to bring a wide range of perspectives and importance to the critical and creative thinking approach in the text. The first section explores approaches to critical and creative thinking, followed by readings for application, and then additional learning activities and resources. Specific topics include gender, education, race and immigration, inequality, and family. This new edition includes updated content and activities, as well as new and relevant readings that deal with current day issues (e.g., online learning and microaggressions). Critical and Creative Thinking is an ideal primary text for courses in critical thinking, social problems, social work, and sociology. It can also serve as a supplementary text for English courses, especially those with emphasis on critical and creative thinking.

The idea of family is not easily defined and is in a constant state of change. In order to create a more manageable environment for human service practitioners, Diversity in Family Constellations presents family groups and arrangements as multidimensional, nonstatic, living entities that are in a constant process of being and becoming. This book introduces a series of guidelines, conventional and unconventional, that human service practitioners can use to explore the complexities of family dynamics regarding assessment and intervention. The authors provide readers with opportunities to apply these guidelines within the context of diverse family constellations, including the nuclear family, the single-parent family, the multigenerational family, foster or institutional families, lesbian and gay families, and blended families.