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Perspectives on Contemporary Issues, 9th Edition

Katherine Anne Ackley

  • Copyright 2025
  • {{checkPublicationMessage('Published', '2024-05-01T00:00:00+0000')}}
Starting At $74.95 See pricing and ISBN options
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Perspectives on Contemporary Issues 9th Edition by Katherine Anne Ackley
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Overview

Packed with readings on current and often controversial topics from across the disciplines, Ackley's PERSPECTIVES ON CONTEMPORARY ISSUES, 9th Edition, encourages critical thinking and academic writing by presenting a variety of perspectives on current issues across disciplines. Contemporary issues engage students, while the thematically grouped readings provide thought-provoking material for in-class discussion and writing topics. In Part I, students are guided through critical reading, the writing process, summary writing, critique, argumentation, synthesis requiring documentation and research paper writing. Part II presents a rich selection of captivating readings organized by broad-based curricular areas. Thought-provoking questions foster personal engagement with the material, while "Responding to Visuals" sections prompt students to analyze accompanying images.

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Meet the Authors

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Katherine Anne Ackley

Katherine Ackley taught in the English Department at the University of Wisconsin, Stevens Point for 23 years, served as coordinator of the Women's Studies Program for 10 years and assistant dean of Graduate Studies for five years. Her research interests center on women in literature with emphasis on literary representations of women's issues and, more recently, British crime writers. Her books include THE NOVELS OF BARBARA PYM (1989), WOMEN AND VIOLENCE IN LITERATURE: AN ESSAY COLLECTION (1990), MISOGYNY IN LITERATURE: AN ESSAY COLLECTION (1992) and ESSAYS FROM CONTEMPORARY CULTURE (2004, 5th Edition). The author of dozens of published articles, she received more than 20 grants for research and development and was the first woman to receive the UWSP University Scholar Award. Dr. Ackley earned a master's degree in English from Purdue University and a Ph.D. in English from Ball State University.

What's New

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  • Enhanced learning objectives are integrated throughout, preceding each chapter with a clear set of goals that highlight the key concepts covered. These objectives focus students' attention on the subjects addressed in the chapter and guide them towards achieving specific learning outcomes.
  • All readings are now followed by short quizzes to promote student comprehension and retention of main points and key ideas. These quizzes also reinforce concepts covered in Chapter 1 on critical reading, specifically emphasizing the importance of recalling details of what they have read.
  • A new addition to the end of each chapter is the "Perspectives" section. In Part I, this feature reinforces chapter learning objectives and suggests further activities for students to apply what they have learned. Likewise, each chapter in Part II concludes with writing and research topics that prompt students to reflect on the issues and ideas presented in the readings of that chapter.
  • The text adopts a more relaxed, engaging tone by directly addressing students with the use of "you" and incorporating contractions.
  • Nearly all chapter titles have been revised to align with updated topics and readings. Examples include: "Media Studies" changed to "Technology and Society," "Poverty and Homelessness" to "Public Health," "Gender Studies" to "Gender and Identity" and "Racism and Discrimination" to "Equality and Discrimination."
  • With an increase to five readings per chapter, this edition offers students an even broader range of selections to engage with.
  • The book provides extensive coverage of the writing process in addition to a wealth of readings on contemporary -- and often controversial -- issues that will intrigue students as they relate the topics to their own lives and experiences.

Features

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  • Helping students further connect to the essays, each chapter in Part II includes a "Responding to Visuals" section that features two photographs or other images related to the thematic focus of the chapter along with questions on rhetorical strategies and other relevant information.
  • With its extensive coverage of how to read and write critically as well as its detailed guidelines for writing summary, critique, argument, synthesis and research papers, the title equips students with the tools they need to develop and strengthen their reading and writing skills, which they can immediately begin applying to their college courses and well beyond.

Table of Contents

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PREFACE.

PART I: WRITING CRITICALLY AND CONDUCTING RESEARCH.

1. Reading Critically.

"CULTURE BUNDLING AND OTHER OBSTACLES TO A REAL GUN CONTROL DEBATE," KEN WHITE.

2. The Writing Process.

“WHEN GOOD PEOPLE DO BAD THINGS,” ANNE TRAFTON.

3. Writing a Summary.

"DREAM MACHINES," WILL WRIGHT.

4. Writing a Critique.

"LIBERAL ARTS AND THE BOTTOM LINE," LANE WALLACE.

5. Writing an Argument.

"WHY LEGALIZING ORGAN SALES WOULD HELP TO SAVE LIVES, END VIOLENCE," ANTHONY GREGORY.

6. Writing a Synthesis and Documenting Sources.

7. Conducting Research.

8. Writing a Research Paper.

PART II: ISSUES ACROSS THE DISCIPLINES.

9. Pop Culture and the Arts.

“VIOLENT VIDEO GAMES AND REAL VIOLENCE THERE’S A LINK BUT IT’S NOT SO SIMPLE,” BRAD BUSHMAN.

“HOW SCI-FI AND FANTASAY CHANGE THE WORLD,” MONICA JIMENEZ.

“WHY I TEACH A COURSE CONNECTING TAYLOR SWIFT’S SONGS TO THE WORKS OF SHAKESPEARE, HITCHCOCK, AND PLATH,” ELIZABETH SCALA.

“HIP-HOP’S BETRAYAL OF BLACK WOMEN,” JENNIFER MCLUNE.

“LITERATURE INSPIRED MY MEDICAL CAREER: WHY THE HUMANITIES ARE NEEDED IN HEALTH CARE,” IRÈNE MATHIEU.

10. Technology and Society.

"WHY I JUST ASKED MY STUDENTS TO PUT THEIR LAPTOPS AWAY," CLAY SHIRKY.

“CHATGPT IS A PLAGUE UPON EDUCATION,” JEREMY WEISSMAN.

“WHY CHATGPT WILL CHANGE HIGHER ED FOR THE BETTER,” PETER JACOBSEN.

“CHATGPT, DALL-E 2 AND THE COLLAPSE OF THE CREATIVE PROCESS,” NIR EISIKOVITS AND ALEC STUBBS.

“AI HAS SOCIAL CONSEQUENCES, BUT WHO PAYS THE PRICE?” BY CASEY FIESLER.

11. Education.

"CRITICAL THINKING? YOU NEED KNOWLEDGE," DIANE RAVITCH.

"EXCERPT FROM WHY SCHOOL? A STUDENT IN A COMMUNITY COLLEGE BASIC SKILLS PROGRAM," MIKE ROSE.

"A LIBERAL ARTS EDUCATION HAS TREMENDOUS VALUE," E. BRUCE PITMAN.

“THESE HIGH SCHOOL ‘CLASSICS’ HAVE BEEN TAUGHT FOR GENERATIONS—COULD THEY BE ON THEIR WAY OUT?” ANDREW NEWMAN.

“BOOK BANS REFLECT OUTDATED BELIEFS ABOUT HOW CHILDREN READ,” TRISHA TUCKER.

12. Public Health.

“THE COVID CULTURE WAR: AT WHAT POINT SHOULD PERSONAL FREEDOM YIELD TO THE COMMON GOOD?” DENNIS WAGNER.

“WE’RE OVERLOOKING A MAJOR CULPRIT IN THE OPIOID CRISIS,” MAIA SZALAVITZ.

“KIDNEYS FOR SALE: A RECONSIDERATION,” MIRIAM SCHULMAN.

“HOMELESSNESS: THE OVERLOOKED PUBLIC HEALTH CRISIS,” SAM GOODMAN.

“THE CHALLENGES OF TARGETING PUBLIC HEALTH MESSAGING TO SPECIFIC GROUPS,” KEN HO.

13. Gender and Identity.

“THE GENDER BIASES THAT SHAPE OUR BRAINS,” MELISSA HOGENBOOK.

“HOW TOYS BECAME GENDERED,” MEGAN K. MAAS.

“THE MOVIE “BARBIE” HAS PUT THE PHRASE “TOXIC FEMININITY” BACK IN THE NEWS—HERE’S WHAT IT MEANS AND WHY YOU SHOULD CARE,” KARRIN VASBY ANDERSON.

“COLLEGE STUDENTS ARE INCREASINGLY IDENTIFYING BEYOND “SHE” AND “HE”,” GENNY BEEMYN.

"ONCE UPON A LIFETIME," RIZI TIMANE.

14. Equality and Discrimination.

"WHEN I WAS WHITE," SARAH VALENTINE.

“70 YEARS AFTER BROWN VS. BOARD OF EDUCATION, PUBLIC SCHOOLS STILL DEEPLY SEGREGATED,” ERICA FRANKENBERG.

““ACROSS THE SPIDER-VERSE” AND THE LATINO LEGACY OF SPIDER-MAN,’ REGINA MARIE MILLS.

“WHAT I LEARNED WHEN I RECREATED THE FAMOUS “DOLL TEST”,” TONI STURDIVANT.

“WHY ARE SOME AMERICANS CHANGING THEIR NAMES?” KIRSTEN FERMAGLICH.

15. Human Behavior.

"REVISITING THE STANFORD PRISON EXPERIMENT: A LESSON IN THE POWER OF SITUATION," PHILIP ZIMBARDO.

"THE REAL LESSON OF THE STANFORD PRISON EXPERIMENT," MARIA KONNIKOV.

"WILLPOWER AND WON'T POWER," MICHAEL SHERMER.

“BEING COPYCATS MIGHT BE KEY TO BEING HUMAN,” CONNOR WOOD.

“THE PSYCHOLOGY BEHIND WHY WE LOVE (OR HATE) HORROR,” HAIYANG YANG AND KUANGJIE ZHANG.

16. Environmental Studies.

. "GLOBAL WARNING: GET UP! STAND UP!" BILL MCKIBBEN.

"THE SIXTH EXTINCTION," JEFF CORWIN.

“3 ENVIRONMENTAL DOOMSDAY MYTHS, DEBUNKED,” JACK ELBAUM.

“CHANGING WILD ANIMALS BEHAVIOR COULD HELP SAVE THEM—BUT IS IT ETHICAL?,” DANIEL T. BLUMSTEIN, CATHERINE PRICE, AND THOM VAN DOOREN.

“THROWING SOUP ON A VAN GOGH AND OTHER WAYS YOUNG CLIMATE ACTIVISTS ARE MAKING THEIR VOICES HEARD,” SHANNON GIBSON.

17. Marketing and Consumerism.

"EVERY NOOK AND CRANNY: THE DANGEROUS SPREAD OF COMMERCIALIZED CULTURE," GARY RUSKIN AND JULIET SCHOR.

“DOES CAPITALISM REALLY PROMOTE CONSUMERISM?” PATRICK CARROLL.

“CONSUMERISM: A LOVE STORY,” BRITTANY HUNTER.

“STRANGER THINGS, MILLER LITE, AND THE POWER OF NOSTALGIA IN THE MARKETPLACE,” BRITTANY HUNTER.

“HOW TO PUT YOUR MONEY WHERE YOUR MORALS ARE,” LAURA WILLIAMS.

18. Glossary.

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MindTap for Ackley's Perspectives on Contemporary Issues, 1 term Instant Access

ISBN: 9798214136707
MindTap for Ackley's PERSPECTIVES ON CONTEMPORARY ISSUES, 9th Edition, is the digital learning solution that powers students from memorization to mastery. It gives you complete control of your course to provide engaging content, challenge every individual and build their confidence. Empower students to accelerate their progress with MindTap. MindTap: Powered by You. Choose from a collection of millions of readings to enhance your MindTap course with the Gale College Collection, a database of poems, short stories, plays, periodicals, historical documents and more. Just-In-Time Plus (JIT+) is a diagnostic tool within MindTap that makes it easy to remediate students who may be lacking foundational skills such as subject-verb agreement, active reading, using punctuation and more. Best of all, JIT+ requires little to no intervention on your part!

MindTap for Ackley's Perspectives on Contemporary Issues, 2 terms Instant Access

ISBN: 9798214136721
MindTap for Akley's PERSPECTIVES ON CONTEMPORARY ISSUES, 9th Edition, is the digital learning solution that powers students from memorization to mastery. It gives you complete control of your course to provide engaging content, challenge every individual and build their confidence. Empower students to accelerate their progress with MindTap. MindTap: Powered by You. Choose from a collection of millions of readings to enhance your MindTap course with the Gale College Collection, a database of poems, short stories, plays, periodicals, historical documents and more. Just-In-Time Plus (JIT+) is a diagnostic tool within MindTap that makes it easy to remediate students who may be lacking foundational skills such as subject-verb agreement, active reading, using punctuation and more. Best of all, JIT+ requires little to no intervention on your part!