About This Title

An accessible and provocative survey of contemporary social and sociological theories

Written in a conversational style that conveys the author’s enthusiam for theory, this updated edition of Kenneth Allan's acclaimed text appeals to the reader to consider the “theoretical you,” as an individual in 21st-century society. This book introduces students to an array of social theories, each presented from the perspectives of these well-known theorists:

Peter Blau, Janet Saltzman, Chafetz George Homans, Jean Baudrillard, Michel Foucault, Talcott Parsons, Herbert Blumer, Harold Garfinkel, Dorothy E. Smith, Pierre Bourdieu, Anthony Giddens, Immanuel Wallerstein, Judith Butler, Erving Goffman, William Julius Wilson, Manuel Castells, Jürgen Habermas, Cornel West

Filled with examples drawn from daily life, this edition highlights diversity in contemporary society, exploring theories of race, gender, and sexuality that address today's most important social concerns. Students will learn to “think theoretically” and apply theory to their own lives.