Includes references.

Chapter I. Starting points for the understanding of culture, society and politics -- Chapter II. Understanding human societies and culture -- Chapter III. Defining society and culture from the perspectives of sociology and anthropology -- Chapter IV. Evolution as a way of seeing the natural world -- Chapter V. Biological evolution of man -- Chapter VI. Human cultural and social evolution -- Chapter VII. Becoming a member of the society through the process of socialization -- Chapter VIII. Studying conformity and deviant behavior -- Chapter IX. Organization of the society: social structures and construction of reality -- Chapter X. Cultural, social and political institutions -- Chapter XI. Social and political stratification -- Chapter XII. Social problems and social change -- Chapter XIII. New challenges to human adaptation and social change -- Chapter XIV. Responding to social, political and cultural change -- References.