This second edition of the popular introductory textbook Tools for Cultural Studies, has been thoroughly revised and updated for a new generation of students taking introductory courses in cultural studies and cultural analysis at a tertiary level. It provides a solid grounding in the key terms and theories necessary for the study of popular culture and media texts. Without underestimating the complexity of the social, this text encourages a critical and inventive attitude to cultural theory and, through its practical step-by-step approach, is very confidence-building.