Outline of sociology

Last updated June 27, 2025

The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to the discipline of sociology:

Sociology is the systematic study of society, human social behavior, and patterns of social relationships, social interaction, and culture. The term sociology was coined in the late 18th century to describe the scientific study of society.^[1] It uses a range of methods — from qualitative interviews to quantitative data analysis — to examine how social structures, institutions, and processes shape individual and group life. Sociology encompasses various subfields such as criminology, medical sociology, education, and increasingly, digital sociology, which studies the impact of digital technologies on society. Digital sociology examines the impact of digital technologies on social behavior and institutions, encompassing professional, analytical, critical, and public dimensions.^[2]^[3] The internet has reshaped social networks and power relations, illustrating the growing importance of digital sociology.^[4] Sociologists seek to understand how identities, inequalities, norms, and institutions evolve across time and context.

Nature of sociology

Definition

Sociology can be described as all of the following:

The study of society.
Academic discipline – body of knowledge given to - or received by - a disciple (student); a branch or sphere of knowledge, or field of study, that an individual has chosen to specialise in.
Field of science – widely recognized category of specialized expertise within science, and typically embodies its own terminology and nomenclature. Such a field will usually be represented by one or more scientific journals, where peer reviewed research is published. There are many sociology-related scientific journals.
- Social science – field of academic scholarship that explores aspects of human society.

Essence of sociology

Overall

Sociology

Key themes across sociological research

Society

Branches of sociology

Digital sociology

Digital sociology is a growing subfield that examines how digital media and technologies affect social behavior, institutions, and patterns of interaction. The field draws on classical and contemporary sociological theory to analyze the influence of the internet, social media, algorithms, and digital surveillance on daily life and social systems.

According to sociologist Deborah Lupton, digital sociology includes four key dimensions: professional digital practice (using digital media for academic purposes), analytical digital sociology (analyzing digital data and online behavior), critical digital sociology (examining the power structures behind digital technologies), and public digital sociology (engaging with broader audiences through digital platforms).^[2]

Manuel Castells’ work on network societies also highlights how the internet has fundamentally reshaped communication, organization, and relationships in the modern world.^[4] This shift has created new forms of inequality and social capital, while transforming traditional institutions such as education, work, and government.

Digital sociology has become increasingly relevant in the 21st century as social life becomes more integrated with digital technologies. It overlaps with fields such as media studies, data science, and science and technology studies, and often uses digital ethnography, big data analysis, and content analysis as methods.

Digital sociology is not only concerned with technology but with the broader implications of a digitally mediated society. It offers insights into how digital environments shape identity, relationships, activism, privacy, and social norms.

Multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary fields involving sociology

Theoretical perspectives in sociology

Approaches

Challenging structure

Social interactions

Behavioural

Psychoanalytic sociology

Social exchange theory

Social justice

Critical theory

Applied

Pure sociology

Policy sociology

Ecological

Human ecology

Levels of analysis

Methodology and methods in sociology

General sociology concepts

Sociology by location

Sociologists

List of sociologists

Sociological publications

Sociology journals
Magazines

Sociology books

Sociological associations

Academies

College of Sociology, Paris, 1937–39
New School for Social Research, New York
Department of Sociology at the University of Chicago, Chicago
Uzhhorod National University Department of Sociology and Social Work, Uzhhorod
Atlanta Sociological Laboratory, Atlanta, 1895–1924^[5]

Related fields

References

↑ Fauré, Michel; Guilhaumou, Jean-Pierre; Vallier, Christian (1999). Sieyès et l'invention de la sociologie. Presses Universitaires de France. ISBN 978-2130497499.{{cite book}}: Check |isbn= value: checksum (help)
1 2 Lupton, Deborah (2015). Digital Sociology. Routledge. ISBN 978-0415833603.{{cite book}}: Check |isbn= value: checksum (help)
↑ "Scientific Methodologies in Sociology" . Retrieved 26 June 2025.
1 2 Castells, Manuel (2001). The Internet Galaxy: Reflections on the Internet, Business, and Society. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0199255771.
↑ Wright II, Earl (February 2010). "Atlanta: Birthplace of American Sociology". American Sociological Association. 38 (2): 1–6. Retrieved April 19, 2020.

External links

SocioSite, a directory of sociology resources
Sections of American Sociological Association
Research Committees and Themes of International Sociological Association, AIS
(in French) Comités de Recherche de l'Association internationale des sociologues de langue française, AISLF
(in French) Liste des réseaux thématiques de l'Association Française de Sociologie, AFS

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[Fauré1999-1] Fauré, Michel; Guilhaumou, Jean-Pierre; Vallier, Christian (1999). Sieyès et l'invention de la sociologie. Presses Universitaires de France. ISBN 978-2130497499.{{cite book}}: Check |isbn= value: checksum (help)

[Lupton2015-2] 1 2 Lupton, Deborah (2015). Digital Sociology. Routledge. ISBN 978-0415833603.{{cite book}}: Check |isbn= value: checksum (help)

[3] "Scientific Methodologies in Sociology" . Retrieved 26 June 2025.

[Castells2001-4] 1 2 Castells, Manuel (2001). The Internet Galaxy: Reflections on the Internet, Business, and Society. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0199255771.

[5] Wright II, Earl (February 2010). "Atlanta: Birthplace of American Sociology". American Sociological Association. 38 (2): 1–6. Retrieved April 19, 2020.

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