Cultural Theory: An Introduction is a concise, accessible introduction to a complex field. Philip Smith provides a balanced, wide-ranging overview of contemporary cultural theory, covering the major thinkers and key concepts that have appeared and developed over the last century. The book has an abundance of special features for students, with summaries, biographical notes, suggestions for further reading, and cross-referencing. This book is an ideal guide for any student or researcher with an interest in the theoretical study of culture and society.

Philip Smith is Senior Lecturer in the Department of Sociology and Anthropology at the University of Queensland, Australia. He received his Ph.D. at the University of California at Los Angeles. Among the books he has authored or edited are Researching the Visual (2000), The New American Cultural Sociology (1998) and the Cambridge Companion to Durkheim.