UNDERSTANDING SOCIETY: AN INTRODUCTORY READER, Fifth Edition, contains a collection of classic and contemporary sociological readings selected for their timeliness, diversity, and interest, and accessibility. The book includes the most up-to-date selection available-38 of the 68 articles are new in this edition. The intriguing new articles were selected to engage readers' interest, to reflect the richness of sociological thought, and to address issues that have emerged in recent years (such as football concussion injuries, climate change, the Tea Party movement, same-sex marriage, and the criminalization of undocumented immigrants, to name a few). As always, the editors have included the top names in the field. Five themes run throughout the book: classical sociological theory, contemporary research, diversity, globalization, and the application of the sociological perspective.