Emphasizes theory as an active part of sociologists' working toolkit. We read contemporary theory and also examine how it is used in empirical studies. Students read works from so-called "reproduction theorists" (Bourdieu), post-structural theorists, critical race theorists, post-colonial theorists, western feminists and post-colonial feminists, symbolic interactionists, and institutional theorists. We learn to view theory as a draft in progress, which we should feel empowered to revise given new empirical data from our changing world. Theory should inform our own research design, but our job as researchers is ultimately to continually revise and refine it.