Contemporary sociological theorists and theories

The aim of this chapter is to provide you with a basic understanding of some of the key theorists, theories, and concepts in contemporary sociology. In doing this, we trust that you will gain an appreciation of the reasons for the diversity and differences among sociological theories today. We adopt a position of 'theoretical pluralism' - that is, an assumption that many theories can have something to offer. Inevitably, different theories will focus on different levels of analysis, ask different questions, and be concerned with different topics of investigation. While most theories contribute to our sociological understanding, in the final analysis, competing theories are vying for supremacy, so it is up to you to decide which theories have greater explanatory power. At the outset, it should be noted that this chapter aims to provide an awareness of the breadth of contemporary sociological theories and concepts, but does not attempt a comprehensive overview or offer in-depth evaluations of each theory covered . Some colleagues would no doubt include other theorists, but we are confident that the chapter allows you to develop an appreciation of the benefits of theoretical pluralism in sociology.2nd ed