Introductory Sociology is a textbook structured to cover all the main substantive topics studied at an introductory level within a framework that engages with contemporary debates about modernity, globalization and social identity. Key features of the new edition include: a completely new chapter on the media; extended coverage of social divisions to include disability, youth and old age as well as class, gender and race; clearer and more compact treatment of social theory, incorporating discussion of work by such theorists as Habermas, Giddens and Beck; and a stronger blend of theoretical, empirical and illustrative material, consolidating the critical and applied approach of this book. The text also includes an Instructor's Resource Pack, complete with powerpoint slides, available on the Palgrave website (or in hardcopy for adopters of the textbook, by written request).