ABSTRACT
We have just completed an exploration of some of the most dramatic examples of the social problems we face in the twenty-first century. They were chosen because they provide important evidence of the major social crises that are occurring now and that will affect society for at least a generation. They are both immediate and long term, and they are interconnected in many ways. Although the problems we studied are daunting, by applying sociological concepts and theories we can understand them better and plan for the future as individuals and as a society.
