There are many differences of opinion between sociologists about how best to investigate social issues and about the quality of the answers that different questions produce. This book looks at a range of sociological theories from the last two hundred years, taking a thematic approach that helps students to better integrate the material and to understand the significance of the individual theorists. With illustrations from the work of John Stuart Mill, Emile Durkheim, Talcott Parsons, Karl Marx, Karl Mannheim, Michel Foucault, Anthony Giddens and Erving Goffman, this book provides an accessible and comprehensive guide for introductory students of sociology and social theory.