The Theory Primer: A Sociological Guide is both a classical theory text and a practical guide to theorizing, making it ideal for sociology majors or graduate students new to the field. Schneider presents theories drawn from Marx, Weber, Durkheim, and Mead, among others, offering rigorous evaluations that examine the research traditions that arose from them and the paradigms that continue to produce theories today. The book's goal is to align the study of theory with the skills orientation of methods and statistics courses, because the ability to theorize is of great use not only in sociology but in occupational and public life.