This major new textbook has been specially written to meet the needs of a new generation of students who may be studying sociology in a variety of different levels, on different types of courses at different types of institutions but all need to understand the fundamentals of sociological thought to make sense of the society around them. The student oriented approach which has been adopted encourages the reader to constantly think for themselves rather than learn by rote and the book has been carefully designed to make the material contained as interactive and as accessible as possible. The most up-to-date case studies and data are used wherever appropriate to ensure this book is an informed, original and stimulating introduction to Sociology and a valuable new resource for student and lecturer alike.