Social theory is a crucial resource for the social sciences. It provides a rich source of insights into how human beings think and act, and how contemporary social life is constructed. But often the key ideas of social theorists are expressed in highly technical and difficult language that can hide more than it reveals. Cutting through the often off-putting prose of social theory, this book demonstrates exactly what social theory is about, presenting in crystal-clear language the key themes and ideas of major social theorists from the turn of the twentieth century onwards whose work continues to inform contemporary social science. Areas covered include Marxism, structuralism, post-structuralism, phenomenology, symbolic interactionism, feminism and structuration theories. Wide-ranging in scope and rich in coverage, the book is also concise in presentation and admirably free of jargon. This book shows why social theory really matters, and why it is of potentially far-reaching social and political importance. It is ideal for students across the social sciences seeking a clear and crisp mapping out of a complex but rewarding area.