This second edition of Cultural Theory provides a concise introduction to cultural theory, placing major figures, traditional concepts, and contemporary themes within a sharp conceptual framework. * Provides a student-friendly introduction to what can often be a complex field of study * Updates the first edition in response to reader feedback and to the changing nature of the field * Includes additional coverage of theorists from the classical period to include Nietzsche and DuBois * Introduces entirely new chapters on race and gender theory, and the body * Considers themes that have become more important in theoretical activity in recent years such as computers and virtual reality, cosmopolitanism, and performance theory * Draws on theories and theorists from continental Europe as well as the English-speaking world