After over a century from the birth of modern sociology, sociological analysis still relies on ideas and questions posed by founders of the discipline. Much of the conceptualization of contemporary social issues is still grounded in perspectives developed by early social thinkers whose ideas shaped modern sociology. This course is an introduction to both classical and contemporary sociological theorists. It discusses these theorists and their concerns in their social and historical context. It also relates these theories to core controversies in the development of modern society. (Group I)