Economic Sociology
The study of how social relationships and cultural norms influence economic behaviors like production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services.
Sociology
The study of society, social relationships, social behavior, how people relate to one another, and how these dynamics shape human life and communities.
Overview
Sociology is the study of how society works and how people’s lives are shaped by their relationships, institutions, and shared rules. It explores how culture, institutions, and social forces influence what we do, think, and experience.
Sociologists examine patterns in everyday life, such as family, work, inequality, culture, and social change, to understand why groups behave as they do and how societies can be improved.
Sociology majors are trained to analyze social problems and find employment in areas such as social services, education, business, and non-profits.
Although Karl Marx is best known for his influence on economics and political theory, his ideas helped lay the foundation for sociology by showing how social class, labor, and economic systems shape everyday life
Source:John Jabez Edwin Mayall (1875)
Sociology FAQ
If you’re new to doing sociology research, you may have questions about the field. Below are four frequently asked questions about sociology research with links to resources that explain the discipline and what you can expect from majoring in the field.
What's sociology?
Sociology is the scientific study of society and social life. It examines how humans behave and interact in groups, organizations, and institutions, and investigates how these social relationships both shape and are shaped by human attitudes and actions. Sociologists study how people and societies work, uncovering patterns in behavior and relationships to help explain problems and guide solutions.
For an in-depth description of the field of sociology, see the American Sociological Association.
What are the main fields of sociology study?
The American Sociological Association (ASA) describes all human behavior as social. As a result, it's nearly impossible to list all of sociology's possible subfields. However, listed below are examples of typical subfields offered by many colleges and universities. If you would like to read more about these subfields and their concepts, links to the free, peer-reviewed OpenStax Introduction to Sociology textbook are provided. OpenStax textbooks are written by subject experts, reviewed by faculty, and commonly used in introductory and core undergraduate courses.
What other subjects are important to sociology?
Social issues are complex, and sociology draws on multiple perspectives to help sociologists see the bigger social picture. As an interdisciplinary major, sociology draws from other disciplines such as history, economics, political science, public policy, psychology, and many others.
Resources for new sociology majors?
If you’re thinking about majoring in sociology, these resources can provide useful background information and help guide your next steps. They explain what to expect from the major and the wide variety of career paths available to you.
- Majoring in Sociology: A Pathway to Opportunity - American Sociological Association
- What You Need to Know About Becoming a Sociology Major - U.S. News & World Report
- Learn How the World Works With a Sociology Degree - United Negro College Fund
Sociology Subfields
Sociology has many subfields that reflect the complexity of human society. Each subfield focuses on a specific aspect of social life, such as family, education, religion, inequality, race, gender, politics, or work. As a result, universities traditionally offer sociology courses in the following subfields. Scroll through the listing or view all subfields.
Health Sociology
The study of how culture, relationships, and economic status influence health, illness, and healthcare experiences.
Historical Sociology
The study of how societies develop and change over time by analyzing past events and social structures to understand current social patterns and institutions.
Organizational Sociology
The study of how individuals and groups behave within organizations and the relationships that influence organizational effectiveness.
Political Sociology
The study of how society and politics influence each other, and how power is distributed and exercised within social groups and institutions.
Social Demography
The study of how social and cultural factors influence population traits such as size, composition, and changes over time.
Social Inequality
The study of the unequal distribution of resources, opportunities, and privileges among individuals and groups within a society.
Social Psychology
The study of how individual’s thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are influenced by others.
Sociology of Gender
The study of how societies shape our understanding of masculinity and femininity.
Sociology of Race and Ethnicity
The study of how social, political, and economic relationships influence and are influenced by concepts of race and ethnicity within societies.
Urban Sociology
The study of how people interact and live together in cities, focusing on social relationships, structures, and changes within urban environments.
Sociology Reference
Reference resources are important for sociology research, providing reliable, concise, and well-organized background information that helps researchers understand key concepts, definitions, historical context, and major theories before diving into deeper analysis.
Bibliographies
A bibliography lists referenced sources, such as books, articles, documents, websites, and other academic materials used in research. Oxford Bibliographies is the most up-to-date resource for locating bibliographies.
Biographies
A biography provides a detailed account of a person's life, covering key aspects such as their early life, education, career, achievements, challenges, and impact on the world. The following are comprehensive reference works that provide biographical information on influential figures in world sociology.
Dictionaries
Dictionaries are important for understanding words, concepts, and terminology. Anthropology dictionaries provide clarity when exploring complex concepts or theories, offering clear definitions of key political terms.
Encyclopedias
Subject encyclopedias are specialized reference works that provide in-depth information on specific discipline topics. Unlike general encyclopedias, which cover a wide range of topics, subject encyclopedias focus exclusively on one field, offering detailed and comprehensive entries written by experts. For a list of general and specialized encyclopedia databases, go to Getting Started—Reference Resources.
Handbooks
Handbooks provide authoritative overviews, in-depth analyses, and critical discussions of a particular academic field, discipline, or topic. The following are important general handbooks in sociology.
Companions and Introductions
Introductions and companions offer concise yet comprehensive introductions to a subject. Written by experts, they present key ideas, theories, and debates in a clear and understandable way. The following books are ideal for readers new to sociology, providing foundational knowledge without requiring prior expertise.
General Article Databases
Academic libraries subscribe to a diverse range of research databases of which EBSCO and ProQuest are two of the largest providers. Most colleges and universities offer access to one or both platforms. Here are some key insights about each:
- Both are multidisciplinary research databases covering multiple disciplines.
- Both provide access to dozens of subject databases with a single search interface, which allows users to search multiple databases simultaneously.
- Both provide a varied mix of e-books, scholarly journals, peer-reviewed journals, trade publications, magazines, images, and newspapers.
EBSCO
EBSCOhost is a major research database platform that allows users to search multiple EBSCO databases simultaneously. The difference between EBSCOhost and Academic Search is that Academic Search can be searched as part of the EBSCOhost platform or searched separately if your institution has a subscription. To check if your institution subscribes to EBSCOhost, use EBSCO’s Find your institution page.
ProQuest
ProQuest is a major database vendor and platform that provides access to hundreds of database collections. The ProQuest platform provides a multidisciplinary search with access to scholarly ebooks, journals, video and audio, newspapers, and more, all searchable simultaneously. ProQuest is unique for providing dissertations and theses, historical newspapers, and other primary sources.
Scholarly Article Databases
Scholarly research databases provide peer-reviewed academic journal articles, book reviews, and other scholarly resources authored by scholars, researchers, or academics who are experts in their fields. Unlike magazines (Time, Newsweek, etc.) focused on current events, news, and general-interest stories written by journalists, articles in scholarly journals undergo rigorous review before publication.
If your assignment requires the use of scholarly, peer-reviewed articles, here is a list of the most important multidisciplinary scholarly research databases.
If your assignment requires the use of scholarly, peer-reviewed articles, here is a list of the most important multidisciplinary scholarly research databases.
Google Scholar
Google Scholar is a free academic search engine that helps researchers and studentsfind scholarly literature across disciplines. It indexes journal articles, books, conference papers, theses, patents, and other resources from academic publishers, universities, and professional organizations.
- Unlike subscription databases, which publish lists of journals in their collections, Google Scholar does not provide a list of the journals, books, repositories, or conference proceedings it indexes.
- General databases such as EBSCO and ProQuest allow you to limit your results to peer-reviewed articles only. Google Scholar does not filter results for peer-reviewed articles.
- When off your school’s network, you must enable your institution’s Google Scholar library links (review process) to see full-text articles available in your institution. If Library Links are not enabled, you’ll only see paywalls, publisher links, and what’s available open-access in the public domain.
International Bibliography of the Social Sciences
The International Bibliography of the Social Sciences (IBSS), compiled by the British Library of Political and Economic Science at the London School of Economics, provides access to a vast collection of scholarly literature in the social sciences. Covering multiple disciplines, IBSS includes references to journal articles, books, newspapers, and dissertations, with records dating back to 1951.
JSTOR
JSTOR is an important scholarly research database for the humanities, social sciences, and sciences. It provides the full text of articles from thousands of influential academic journals. In addition to journal articles, users can access eBooks, book chapters, images, and primary source documents. JSTOR also provides an AI research tool that provides key points and arguments of articles.
JSTOR contains the full text of more than 2,000 journals from 1,000 publishers, with publication dates ranging from 1665 to 2015 (for certain titles). JSTOR also provides:
- Free access to Early Journal Content published before the last 95 years in the United States or before the last 143 years if initially published internationally.
- A collection of nearly 150 open-access journals covering the humanities, social sciences, and sciences.
- JSTOR allows anyone to register for a free personal JSTOR account and provides access to 100 free monthly articles.
Project Muse
Project MUSE offers online access to a vast collection of scholarly journals, books, and academic resources in the humanities, social sciences, and arts. As a leading provider of digital humanities content, it features high-quality, peer-reviewed publications from prestigious university presses, scholarly societies, and academic publishers.
ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global
ProQuest Dissertations & Theses is a database of dissertations and theses from universities worldwide. It provides access to millions of full-text works across many disciplines, including the social sciences, humanities, sciences, and business. Each dissertation includes an abstract or summary that provides a concise overview of the research, its methodology, and key findings.
ScienceDirect
ScienceDirect is a leading full-text scholarly scientific database that provides journal articles and book chapters from more than 2,500 peer-reviewed journals and more than 11,000 books. It covers over 24 major subjects in the physical sciences and engineering, life sciences, health sciences, social sciences, and the humanities.
Social Science Full Text
Social Sciences Full Text provides access to a wide range of scholarly literature in the social sciences. It covers many disciplines, including sociology, psychology, international relations, political science, anthropology, economics, and education.
Web of Science
Web of Science is a comprehensive, multidisciplinary research and citation index that provides access to a wide range of scientific, technical, social science, and humanities research. It maintains rigorous criteria for the journals and publications it indexes, ensuring that only high-quality, peer-reviewed content is included. Web of Science includes 98 million papers dating back to 1900.
Sociology Databases
Searching general or multi-disciplinary databases can sometimes give you too many results. To narrow your focus, try using a database dedicated to sociology research. The list below highlights the top databases for finding sociology journals and articles.
Annual Review of Sociology
The Annual Review of Sociology provides authoritative articles that summarize and interpret major developments happening in the field of sociology. Each issue features invited contributions from leading scholars who analyze current research, clarify theoretical debates, and highlight new directions in areas such as social inequality, institutions, culture, politics, and global change. It also publishes works on major sociological theories, including structural, cultural, and network approaches, as well as new research methods that shape how sociologists study society.
Sociology Journals
New sociology researchers often wonder how to identify high-quality, peer-reviewed journals for their papers. Journal Citation Reports (JCR) is widely regarded as the leading subscription-based resource for assessing the impact, influence, and quality of scholarly journals across disciplines, including sociology.
Journal Citation Reports (JCR) evaluates and compares journals using citation data from over 12,000 journals in the arts, humanities, sciences, and social sciences from respected publishers in over 80 countries. JCR shows journal rankings, impact factors, and citation data, which can help you quickly find the most credible and widely respected journals in your subject area.
Most Cited Sociology Journals of 2024
Journal Citation Reports rates the American Sociological Review as the most cited sociology journal for 2024. To review the complete list, go to Journal Citation Reports and choose Categories > Social Sciences, General > Sociology. Here are the top ten cited sociology journals of 2024.
Sociology News
Sociology news sources and magazines highlight emerging research topics and trends in the field. Remember that magazines are written for the general public and lack peer review, while scholarly articles are written by experts and reviewed by other scholars for accuracy and research quality.
Sociology Methods
Research methods are how researchers gather and study information to help answer questions. Research methods are the specific strategies, tools, and techniques researchers use to collect and analyze information to answer questions or solve problems.
Research methods can be qualitative (like interviews or observations) or quantitative (numerical and statistical). As a student, you’ll likely take a research methods course that introduces you to the basics of how social science research works. Below are some of the most helpful resources available that explain different types of research methods and discuss how to collect and analyze both qualitative and quantitative data.
Sage Research Methods is a major subscription database that guides users in understanding research methodologies across different academic disciplines. It provides electronic access to reference books, journal articles, instructional videos, and other qualitative methods resources.
The following resources provide in-depth information on research design concepts, methodologies, and techniques specific to sociology.
