This best-selling text provides an incisive and engaging introduction to classical and contemporary sociological theory. Students are given a thorough explanation of the social construction of inequality based on a solid grounding in the work of the major classical theorists, such as Karl Marx, Max Weber, and Emile Durkheim. The crucial role of power/domination unifies theoretical discussions. Updated perspectives in this new edition include the transnational or global level, regarding for example the issue of global terror.