Outline of sociology explained

See also: Index of sociology articles. The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to the discipline of sociology:

Sociology  - the study of society^[1] using various methods of empirical investigation^[2] and critical analysis^[3] to understand human social activity, from the micro level of individual agency and interaction to the macro level of systems and social structure.^[4]

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

• Globalization
• Human behavior
• Human environmental impact
• Identity
• Industrial revolutions 3 & 4
• Social complexity
• Social environment
• Social equality
• Social equity
• Social power
• Social stratification
• Social structure

Branches of sociology

Multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary fields involving sociology

History of sociology

• History of sociology
• Timeline of sociology

Theoretical perspectives in sociology

Approaches

Positivism

• Positivism (Empirical sociology)

Critical realist

• Critical realism

Structural

• Structuralism

Behavioural

• Psychoanalytic sociology

Social justice

• Critical theory

Applied

• Pure sociology

Ecological

• Human ecology

Levels of analysis

Sociologists

• List of sociologists

Sociological publications

Sociology journals
MagazinesSociology books

Sociological associations

Sociological associations

External links

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

Notes and References

1. "Comte, Auguste, A Dictionary of Sociology (3rd Ed), John Scott & Gordon Marshall (eds), Oxford University Press, 2005,,
2. Book: Ashley D, Orenstein DM . Sociological theory: Classical statements (6th ed.) . Pearson Education . Boston, Massachusetts, US . 2005 . 3–5, 32–36 .
3. Book: Ashley D, Orenstein DM . Sociological theory: Classical statements (6th ed.) . Pearson Education . Boston, Massachusetts, US . 2005 . 3–5, 38–40 .
4. Giddens, Anthony, Duneier, Mitchell, Applebaum, Richard. 2007. Introduction to Sociology. Sixth Edition. New York: W.W. Norton and Company. Chapter 1.