In the fifth edition Contested Knowledge, social theorist Steven Seidman presents the latest topics in social theory and addresses the current shift of 'universalist theorists' to networks of clustered debates. * Responds to current issues, debates, and new social movements * Reviews sociological theory from a contemporary perspective * Reveals how the universal theorist and the era of rival schools has been replaced by networks of clustered debates that are relatively 'autonomous' and interdisciplinary * Features updates and in-depth discussions of the newest clustered debates in social theory intimacy, postcolonial nationalism, and the concept of 'the other' * Challenges social scientists to renew their commitment to the important moral and political role social knowledge plays in public life * Accompanied by a companion website for students at www.wiley.com/go/seidman featuring chapter outlines and useful web links; an instructor site can also be accessed which features password-protected PowerPoint teaching slides