Why are there pirates in the supermarket?

This book is about studying contemporary society- a fascinating challenge because we are studying something we are actually part of. It is also a difficult challenge because societies are ever changing- sometimes slowly and sometimes very quickly. Even as I sit and write these words, some of the things I talk about may appear to be 'old news' when you read them. There is no 'one way' to study society; to understand how societies function, operate and change we need to examine a broad range of theories and theorists. This chapter sets out some of the parameters of our investigation into contemporary society and everyday life, and outlines the general direction we are going to take in this book. We start by considering pirates in a Sydney supermarket and end by eating a $25 burger.