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Synopsis There are many texts on sociological theory currently available. So why produce another, you might ask. What makes this text unique? How will the student reader benefit from it, especially students new to sociological theory? With this book, students will no longer face the "forest and trees" problems no longer will they become so immersed in the details of one theory after another as to be unable to compare or relate them. A central goal of this text then is to be as concise as possible while also doing justice to more than 40 thinkers. The organization of the book too has kept the student in mind. First, it divides thinkers into those who wrote in the pre-and post 1930 period. Second, it traces eight major schools of thought as they appear and re-appear from chapter to chapter. Third, there is a consistent organizational scheme within the chapters. Finally, students are helped to recognize connections across social theories through additional key themes beyond those included in the chapter headings. In addition to the content, organization and thematic innovations, this book has several other learning and teaching features—a timeline that gives each theorist’s life span, the chapter in which she or he appears in the book, and other important world events occurring during that time. Each section carries a short introduction, and key terms are boldfaced in the text for easy cross-referencing.