microsociology

[ mahy-kroh-soh-see-ol-uh-jee, -soh-shee- ]

noun

1. the sociological study of small groups and social units within a larger social system.

Word History and Origins

Origin of microsociology¹

First recorded in 1940–45; micro- + sociology

Example Sentences

Its subject is microsociology, or group behavior on a small scale�as when people pass each other on the street or wait together at supermarket checkout counters.

From Time Magazine Archive