This chapter explores the role of social theory in naturalistic inquiry. We discuss theory at a relatively early stage of the book, as we believe that it directs the entire nature of the naturalistic research enterprise. But let us begin with a reassurance. The word ‘theory’ easily evokes images of painful introspection and complicated language that only privileged insiders can understand. Theorizing, however, is something we do every day. It involves thinking in general terms in order to make sense of everyday experience. In naturalistic inquiry, theory plays a special role. Social theory can be thought of as a map – or rather a collection of maps – that helps the researcher to find her way in empirical research. Maps do not prescribe where to go, but they tell what can be expected on the way (Burawoy, 1998). Social theory functions likewise in naturalistic inquiry. It does not prescribe a particular method of inquiry; nor does it specify how to sample participants or dictate the questions to put to them; but it can help to identify parts of social reality that might be interesting to look at in detail. This works the other way around too: naturalistic inquiry aims to contribute to social theory. On your travels, you may discover a new feature in the landscape that does not appear on the map. Perhaps a new bridge has been built, or a forest has appeared where earlier there was pasture. Hence, the map must be updated in order to guide future travellers. A map is not necessarily a faithful copy in miniature of a landscape. It must represent those aspects of a landscape that a traveller needs in order to orient herself. The well-known, highly stylized and spatially distorted maps of the London underground and the New York subway do so much better than a realistic map could. For a traveller on foot, that is. The driver of a car will need another, differently stylized map. It is also important to realize that in social science we do not yet have good maps.