sociology

American  

[soh-see-ol-uh-jee, soh-shee-] / ˌsoʊ siˈɒl ə dʒi, ˌsoʊ ʃi- /

noun

1. the science or study of the origin, development, organization, and functioning of human society; the science of the fundamental laws of social relations, institutions, etc.

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sociology British  

/ ˌsəʊsɪəˈlɒdʒɪkəl, ˌsəʊsɪˈɒlədʒɪ /

noun

1. the study of the development, organization, functioning, and classification of human societies

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sociology Scientific  

/ sō′sē-ŏl′ə-jē /

1. The scientific study of human social behavior and its origins, development, organizations, and institutions.

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sociology Cultural  

1. The systematic study of human society, especially present-day societies. Sociologists study the organization, institutions, and development of societies, with a particular interest in identifying causes of the changing relationships among individuals and groups. (See social science.)

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Usage

What is sociology? Sociology is the study of human society and the social interactions and behavior of humans.Sociology is, generally speaking, the study of human interaction. How do people socialize? What happens when people live together? How are members of a group influencing each other? Why does someone become a king and someone else lives their whole life as a peasant? These are the kinds of questions a sociologist is interested in.Sociology is an incredibly broad science and often overlaps with other fields of study, such as psychology or economics. A sociologist may look at social groups on a large (macro) scale, such as studying the different societies of Asia, or may look at groups on a small (micro) scale, such as studying Brazilian teenagers or even a single town.As far as a sociologist is concerned, no person ever makes a decision without some influence from society or their social groups. Sociology isn’t just the study of people but more specifically the study of what happens when people are around each other.

Other Word Forms

• sociological adjective
• sociologically adverb
• sociologist noun

Etymology

Origin of sociology

From the French word sociologie, dating back to 1835–45. See socio-, -logy

Example Sentences

His company now claims to use a global network of 3,000 freelance writers – some of whom he says are lecturers – covering topics including law, business and sociology.

From BBC

Mr. Wilcox is a professor of sociology at the University of Virginia, a nonresident fellow at the American Enterprise Institute and the author of “Get Married.”

From The Wall Street Journal

“This is what we call in sociology a moral panic,” she said.

From Los Angeles Times

But after graduating from UC Berkeley with a sociology degree, Torres found himself back in the family business, unable to find a job that satisfied him.

From Los Angeles Times

“It’s just a huge amount of generated wealth that completely escapes taxation,” said Cristobal Young, a sociology professor at Cornell University who studies economic inequality, referring to unrealized capital gains.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• folklore