Now with SAGE Publishing, and co-authored by one of the foremost authorities on sociological theory, the Tenth Edition of Sociological Theory by George Ritzer and Jeffrey Stepnisky gives readers a comprehensive overview of the major theorists and schools of sociological thought, from sociology's origins through the early 21^st century. Key theories are integrated with biographical sketches of theorists, and are placed in their historical and intellectual context. This text helps students better understand the original works of classical and modern theorists, and enables them to compare and contrast the latest substantive concepts.

New to this Edition

• Chapter 1 now includes a discussion of colonialism as one of the forces that shaped modern society.


• The “Historical Sketch” chapters contain new material on the historical significance of early women founders, and on the contributions of W.E.B. Du Bois.


• Chapters on Marx, Durkheim, Weber, and Simmel now conclude with sections on contemporary applications of ideas from these 19^th century thinkers.


• A new chapter focuses theories of race, racism, and colonialism, as well as theories about indigenous peoples and theories from the “Global South” that challenge the work of scholars from Europe and North America.


• The concluding chapter has a new section on theories of prosumption, one of the newest developments in consumer theory.


• New material on colonization, women classical theorists, and race theory, as well as new timelines, added to history chapters.