Contains 632 entries that give descriptions of a wide array of contemporary social problems, along with lists of references for further research. Includes entries on the following themes:

• Aging and the Life Course
• Community, Culture, and Change
• Crime and Deviance
• Economics and Work
• Education
• Family
• Gender Inequality and Sexual Orientation
• Health
• Housing and Urbanization
• Politics, Power, and War
• Population and Environment
• Poverty and Social Class
• Race and Ethnic Relations
• Social Movements
• Social Theory
• Substance Abuse