A theory is an account of the world which goes beyond what we can see and measure. It embraces a set of interrelated definitions and relationships that organizes our concepts of and understanding of the empirical world in a systematic way. Thus, we may establish a statistical relationship between poverty and crime, but to explain that relationship we might have to employ a number of theories; about peoples's motivations, the social meanings attached to poverty and crime, and the structural constraints which keep sections of the population in poverty (Marshall 1994: 532)..

A set "of ideas that deal with centrally important social issues, have a wide range of applications, and have stood the test of time (or promise to)"(Ritzer 1997: 4).

Theory - a story about how and why something is as it is" (Alder & Clark 1999: 19).

"By 'theory' I mean a range of types of thought-frames--narratives, maps, categories, perspectives, positionalities--that operate as the conditions for allowing us to see and talk about social and cultural phenomena at all. Most theorizing in the 20th century is quite eclectic, drawing upon a variety of master theoretical narratives, but rarely signing up for any one of them in full. Yet these master narratives, claiming to describe, explain, and represent how the social and cultural world is put together, and why things are the way they are and not otherwise, remain the (sometimes hidden) condition for the ongoing bricolage* of contemporary theory" (Ortner 1998:422).

*Bricolage - "construction or something constructed by using whatever comes to hand."(Marriam-Webster 2002)

The Dead Sociologist’s Society site includes overviews of works of many sociological theorists and excerpts from some of their important writings. Theorists include Comte, Martineau, Marx, Spencer, Durkheim, Simmel, Weber, Veblen, Addams, Cooley, Mead, Park, Thomas, Dubois, Pareto, and Sorokin http://www2.pfeiffer.edu/~lridener/DSS/DEADSOC.HTML

If you are seeking a definition of a sociological concept, this site may help. Unfortunately you will be bombarded with annoying ads. http://www.webref.org/sociology/index.htm

This site offers more extensive definitions of concepts and brief overviews of works of a few key theorists. http://www.nene.ac.uk/ass/soc/nws/html/diction.html

This site claims to be a "map" of sociological theory. It will help you identify micro and macro theories. The site also includes to written material about some theories. http://www.hewett.norfolk.sch.uk/curric/soc/theory.htm

Pierre Bourdieu’s theoretical work has explored the concept of "cultural capital." His theories will be useful if you are working with ideas related to education and the ways that parents transfer privilege to their children. The following site is challenging to navigate because in includes works in many languages, but there are jewels to be found here for those who are interested in cultural capital. http://www.iwp.uni-linz.ac.at/lxe/sektktf/bb/HyperBourdieu.html#BMglossary

The major work of George Herbert Mead, Mind, Self, and Society is available online at this site.http://spartan.ac.brocku.ca/%7Elward/mead/pubs2/mindself/Mead_1934_toc.html

The "WWW Virtual Library: Sociology, Sociological Theory and Theorists" was last updated in 2000 and has many broken links. However, there are many active links to fascinating sites.http://www.mcmaster.ca/socscidocs/w3virtsoclib/theories.htm#MultipleTheorists

If you are not sure how to pronounce the name of modern theorists this site may help.http://www.emporia.edu/english/holcomb/eg710names.html