to see if they show signs of being violent or shy. The selection of an appropriate (i.e. useful) theoretical orientation within which to develop a potentially helpful theory is the bedrock of social science. Example of questions posed by social theorists Philosophical questions addressed by social thinkers often centered around modernity, including: Can human reason make sense of the social world and shape it for the better? Did the development of modern societies, with vast inequalities in wealth among citizens, constitute progress? How do particular government interventions and regulations impact natural social processes? Should the economy/market be regulated or not? Other issues relating to modernity that were addressed by social thinkers include social atomization, alienation, loneliness, social disorganization, and secularization. See also Continental philosophy Critical theory Culture theory Engaged theory Ethnomethodology Feminist theory History of sociology History of the social sciences Literary theory Political philosophy Political theory Post-colonial theory Post-structuralism Postmodernism Queer theory Social evolution Sociological theory References Further reading External links The International Social Theory Consortium Theoria: A Journal of Social and Political Theory (archived) Sociological Theorists Social Theory Research Network of the European Sociological Association David Harris, Why is Social Theory So "Difficult" Teng Wang, Social Phenomena Sociological theories