Sociology is a highly organized discipline shaped by several theoretical perspectives or schools of thought. It is not merely the study of social problems or the random voicing of opinions. In this book, no single perspective is given greater emphasis; a balanced presentation of both functionalist theory and conflict theory is supplemented whenever possible by the symbolic interactionist viewpoint. The book has received a great deal of praise for being cross-cultural in approach and for bringing in examples from a wide variety of societies. Sociology is concerned with the interactions of people wherever and whenever they occur. It would be shortsighted, therefore, to concentrate on only our own society. Often, in fact, the best way to appreciate our own situation is through comparison with other societies. We use our cross-cultural focus as a basis for comparison and contrast with U.S. society.