This book represents the crowdsourced wisdom, reflections, failures, and triumphs of those educators exploring ungrading in their courses, at their institutions, and within their communities of practice. It contains contributions of all sizes, genres, and experience. Whatever is honest and authentic about doing ungrading. Hopefully, dear reader, you have come to this book with a deep interest in the ungrading phenomenon, especially as it relates to teaching during a global pandemic. More importantly, and regardless of any pandemic, it is assumed that the reading audience of this book is invested in a pedagogy of empathy, an approach that trusts students first and foremost. When the investment involves our students, nothing else compares.

The founders of sociology in the United States wanted to make a difference. A central aim of the sociologists of the Chicago school was to use sociological knowledge to achieve social reform. A related aim of sociologists like Jane Addams, W.E.B. DuBois, and Ida B. Wells-Barnett and others since was to use sociological knowledge to understand and alleviate gender, racial, and class inequality.

Social Problems: Continuity and Change is a realistic but motivating look at the many issues that are facing our society today. As this book’s subtitle, Continuity and Change, implies, social problems are persistent, but they have also improved in the past and can be improved in the present and future, provided that our nation has the wisdom and will to address them.