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A section on "world religions" (WRs) is now routinely included in the religion chapters of introductory sociology textbooks. Looking carefully at these WR sections, however, two things seem puzzling. The first is that the criteria for defining a WR varies considerably from textbook to textbook; the second is that these WRs sections contain little or no sociology. These puzzles are resolved, however, once we understand that under the guise of promoting "diversity," these sections are really affirming the universality of what has long been identified as a distinctively modern and very Western view of religion. The article concludes with some practical suggestions for improving the religion chapters in introductory textbooks. One such suggestion is that paying more attention to Native American "religion" would be a useful way of introducing students to the view that religion is a social construction that has no stable transhistorical and transcultural meaning.

Front Cover -- Copyright -- Table of Contents -- Preface -- Introduction -- Chapter 1 -- Chapter 2 -- Chapter 3 -- Chapter 4 -- Chapter 5 -- Chapter 6 -- Chapter 7 -- Chapter 8 -- Chapter 9 -- Chapter 10 -- Chapter 11 -- Chapter 12 -- Chapter 13 -- Chapter 14 -- Chapter 15 -- Chapter 16 -- Chapter 17 -- Chapter 18 -- Chapter 19 -- Chapter 20 -- Copyright Acknowledgements -- Back Cover.

JUDGING FROM THE TREATMENT ACCORDED RELIGION IN AMERICAN GOVERNMENT TEXTBOOKS, IT IS FAR REMOVED FROM THE MAJOR CONCERNS OF "MAINSTREAM" AMERICAN POLITICAL SCIENCE, AND THERE IS EVERY REASON TO BELIEVE THAT THESE TEXTS ARE ACCURATE BAROMETERS. THEY ARE DESIGNED FOR INTRODUCTORY COURSES; THEY DEAL WITH THE POLITICAL SYSTEM AND SOCIETY BEST KNOWN TO BOTH AUTHOR AND STUDENTS; AND, INTER ALIA, THEY SET FORTH FINDINGS DERIVED FROM THE USE OF TECHNIQUES AND APPROACHES IN THE MOST SOPHISTICATED AND ADVANCED OF ANY SUBFIELD WITHIN THE POLITICAL SCIENCE PROFESSION. IF RELIGION WERE CONSIDERED TO BE A SIGNIFICANT VARIABLE FOR THE UNDERSTANDING OF THE AMERICAN POLITICAL "CULTURE", WE SHOULD CERTAINLY EXPECT THAT TO BE EVIDENT IN THESE WORKS, BUT THAT IS NOT THE CASE.

This is a response to "'World Religions' in Introductory Sociology Textbooks: In Search of the Sociology."

Teaching introductory sociology is one of the primary means by which sociologists mobilize knowledge. Ongoing critical reflection on the content of sociology textbooks is therefore an important disciplinary enterprise. The current critical moment in which many nations, institutions, and publics face a reckoning with their historic and current relationships with Indigenous peoples presents sociologists with the opportunity to examine how Indigenous peoples, histories, and perspectives are to be found in these pedagogical materials. Drawing on Critical Indigenous scholarship that "disrupts the certainty of disciplinary knowledges[']" concept of "connected sociologies," we examine the state of inclusion of Indigenous content in introductory sociology curriculum. To achieve this, we conducted a content analysis of 10 of the top-selling English-language Canadian introductory sociology textbooks, and we drew directly from interviews with Indigenous scholars. By introducing the literature on solidarity and allyship in the final section, we conclude with teaching and learning actions to incorporate in sociology courses.

Using content analysis, this research examines the impact of the first 25 years of environmental sociology research on current introductory sociology textbooks. The investigators searched the texts for 40 key concepts in environmental sociology and for the inclusion of works by 20 award-winning environmental sociologists. On average, the texts cited 7 of the 40 key concepts. Eliminating multiple citations to a page, the total number of pages cited averaged just under three percent per book. On average, the texts cite four works by influential environmental sociologists. The texts, however, omitted some of the most central, unique concepts in the field. The texts typically treated environmental issues as social problems rather than as the by-products of institutionalized behaviors or practices. There tends to be a positive relationship between the sales of a text and the discussion of the environment.

A textbook on the sociology of culture is seen as a way of systematization of knowledge in this branch of sociology and as a didactic mechanism for student learning. The role of such a textbook is analyzed at three levels: 1) the existence of the concept of the textbook that meets the characteristics of the scientific status of sociology of culture; 2) the severity of the problem approach, correlated with the capabilities of the sociology of culture compared to other disciplines and scientific fields studying culture and its various types and forms; 3) the priority of the theoretical or applied aspects of the sociological study of culture. A chronological perspective on the main subject of the article allows to judge about the specifics of the development of sociology of culture as a branch of science, which is reflected in textbooks and teaching materials. On the other hand, this vector points to the potential of each individual tutorial to develop sociological knowledge about the culture. Taken together, these circumstances point to the problematic aspects of conceptualising how the field of sociology and the possibility of teaching this discipline at the University.The article focuses on the understanding of the role of the textbook in the didactic plan, but in the sociology of culture the textbook is considered not only as a way to teach the student, but also as a factor of enriching the field of sociology with new approaches and new knowledge in general. Thus, a textbook on the sociology of culture can be given the status of a scientific publication. Often the textbook at the same time performs a heuristic function, which allows you to realize a rather controversial potential of sectoral sociology more productively among students.