This book provides a much needed critical perspective for an analysis of the works of some of the major classical and contemporary social theorists of the late nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Designed to stimulate interest in the beginning sociology student to examine the critical issues raised by these theorists, the book is intended as a text in introductory sociology and social theory courses to further familiarize students with the perspectives of some of the most prominent social theorists of our time.

The twenty-one chapters that make up this book were designed to be brief, concise, and to the point, expressed whenever possible in the words of the theorists themselves, so that the central ideas can be presented in their original form. In this sense, this brief introductory theory book serves as an initial stepping-stone to more in-depth analysis of theorists usually covered in more advanced social theory texts.