We may think we control our own destinies, but who we are, how we think, what we feel, and how we act are shaped by multiple, intersecting identities that have different amounts of power and value in our society. Being Unequal explores how identity categories associated with race, class, gender, and sexuality help shape inequality. This concise and accessible book asks: How is identity experienced? How does identity help reproduce inequality? How does identity help resist inequality? What is the relationship between micro and macro inequality-in other words, how do our personal experiences shape larger social forces? Being Unequal argues that identities matter because they are a critical part of a complex social process in which everyday interactions contribute to larger systems of structural inequality. By recognizing the links between identity and inequality, Being Unequal also highlights the power of collective action to resist and oppose domination and exploitation. Filled with engaging real-world examples ranging from the social construction of momentary high school cliques to the emergence of momentous social movements, Being Unequal is a powerful introduction to social identities and the ways they shape our world.

Sociologists generally study macrolevel institutions and social processes with little reference to the individual. Psychologists, on the other hand, tend to study individual-level processes with little reference to society. This new volume, featuring contributions from some of the most influential scholars working in US social psychology today, brings the link between the individual and society into focus. The chapters in the volume are distinguished by their concentration on either cognitive, affective, or behavioural processes. These analyses eschew the traditional psychological approach to individual-level processes and instead offer intriguing accounts of how thought, emotion, and action are embedded in social context and are central to the dynamic between self and society. Together, the 14 chapters present a synthesis of theory and research that promises to be a major force in stimulating and influencing future investigations of the link between the individual and the larger society.

The Myth of Individualism is an engaging and accessible introduction to the relationship between self and society. Drawing on personal experiences, historical examples, and compelling stories, Callero dispels the myth of the self-reliant autonomous actor and demonstrates how our lives are shaped by powerful social forces. These include the power of cultural beliefs and symbols, lifelong socialization processes, the influence of authority, the power of small groups, and the encompassing control of economic systems associated with social class, state power, and mass media. The implications for identity and inequalities linked to race, gender, sexuality, and disability are at the center of each chapter. In the tradition of C. Wright Mills and Peter Berger, Callero presents sociological thinking as a tool for enlightenment and change and argues that the inherently social nature of all persons holds out promise for a better world. New to the Fourth Edition: New Chapter 7, “From the Printing Press to the Internet” explores how mass media has changed both society and the self Discussion of the COVID-19 pandemic throughout the book, including physical isolation and protests surrounding mask mandates, offers recent and relevant examples that illustrate the problems and dilemmas of radical individualism New discussion of the disability rights movement, Black Lives Matter, LGBTQAI+, and women’s suffrage in Chapter 8, “From ‘Me’ to ‘We’” New introduction familiarizes students with the nature of science, scientific progress, and scientific truth

We may think we control our own destinies, but who we are, how we think, what we feel, and how we act are shaped by multiple, intersecting identities that have different amounts of power and value in our society. Being Unequal explores how identity categories associated with race, class, gender, and sexuality help shape inequality. This concise and accessible book asks: How is identity experienced? How does identity help reproduce inequality? How does identity help resist inequality? What is the relationship between micro and macro inequality-in other words, how do our personal experiences shape larger social forces? Being Unequal argues that identities matter because they are a critical part of a complex social process in which everyday interactions contribute to larger systems of structural inequality. By recognizing the links between identity and inequality, Being Unequal also highlights the power of collective action to resist and oppose domination and exploitation. Filled with engaging real-world examples ranging from the social construction of momentary high school cliques to the emergence of momentous social movements, Being Unequal is a powerful introduction to social identities and the ways they shape our world.

Sociologists generally study macrolevel institutions and social processes with little reference to the individual. Psychologists, on the other hand, tend to study individual-level processes with little reference to society. This volume, featuring contributions from influential scholars in US social psychology, brings the link between the individual and society into focus. The chapters in the volume are distinguished by their concentration on either cognitive, affective or behavioural processes. These analyses eschew the traditional psychological approach to individual-level processes and instead offer intriguing accounts of how thought, emotion and action are embedded in social context and are central to the dynamic between self and society. Together, the 14 chapters present a synthesis of theory and research that are a major force in stimulating and influencing investigations of the link between the individual and the larger society.