The third edition of Exploring Society has been extensively revised and brought up to date, with reference to recent events and new research. First and foremost, the text is an introduction to sociology for students at tertiary level, but equally it is an introductory text for New Zealand students. It introduces the major themes in contemporary sociology in a way that is relevant to the culture and issues of students in New Zealand. Exploring Society is the first fully integrated New Zealand sociology text. It blends theory, research and issues through three themes: the social and the personal, the local and the global, and differences and divisions. These themes are used to analyse major areas of sociological interest, such as health, gender and ethnicity, and provide coherence and structure to the text.