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There are many books covering sociological and social theory, so you could try dipping into a few titles to find one that suits. A comprehensive text aiming to use social theory in real-world applications is Michelle Dillon’s (2019) Introduction to Sociological Theory: Theorists, Concepts and their Applicability to the Twenty-First Century (3rd edn, Chichester: Wiley-Blackwell). Pip Jones and Liz Bradbury’s (2018) Introducing Social Theory (3rd edn, Cambridge: Polity) is also very good.

For the classical theories, Kenneth Morrison’s (2006) Marx, Durkheim, Weber: Formations of Modern Social Thought (London: Sage) is reliable, while George Ritzer and Jeffrey Stepnisky’s (2017) Classical Sociological Theory (7th edn, Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage) is an excellent book. For contemporary theory, Anthony Elliott’s (2014) Contemporary Social Theory: An Introduction (2nd edn, London: Routledge) is well written and comprehensive.

Remember that at some point it will be necessary to read the key theorists in their original works, most of which are not as daunting as you might think. Ultimately this is a necessary requirement if you are to make your own interpretation and assessment of their relative merits.

For a collection of original readings on sociological theories, see the accompanying Sociology: Introductory Readings (4th edn, Cambridge: Polity, 2021).