Sociology

Social institutions, network analysis, and Durkheim's study of suicide

What is sociology?

Sociology is the scientific study of society — how groups of people organize themselves, how social institutions function, and how social structures shape individual behavior and opportunity, studied through systematic observation and data rather than personal opinion.

Social institutions

Sociology studies social institutions — established, recurring patterns of social organization that fulfill a basic need in a society, including family, education, religion, and government. These institutions shape people's lives in patterned, predictable ways, and sociology examines how they're structured, how they change over time, and how they interact with each other.

Socialization

Socialization is the process by which people learn the norms, values, and behaviors expected within their society, primarily during childhood but continuing throughout life. Family, schools, peer groups, and media all play a role in socialization, and this process is a major reason behavior and expectations differ, sometimes considerably, from one society or community to another.

Social stratification

Social stratification refers to the way societies are organized into a hierarchy, with unequal access to resources like wealth, power, and prestige. Sociologists study how this stratification is structured in different societies, how people move (or don't move) between different levels of this hierarchy over their lifetime or across generations, and what social and economic effects stratification has.

Why sociology matters

Sociology provides evidence-based insight into how societies function and change, informing public policy, social work, urban planning, and efforts to understand and address issues like poverty, inequality, and social conflict, grounded in systematic research rather than assumption.