Sociology
Overview
What's sociology?
Sociology is the scientific study of society, how it 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. It also 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 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. They also 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 fields of study 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?
Sociology majors are trained to analyze social problems and find employment in areas such as social services, education, business, and non-profits. 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
Literature Reviews in Sociology
Oxford Bibliographies in Sociology
Oxford Bibliographies provides scholarly bibliographies in most social science disciplines, including sociology. Each bibliography includes authoritative books, journal articles, websites, and other materials selected and organized by academic scholars. These bibliographies can also help researchers begin building literature reviews by identifying important authors, major debates, foundational studies, and key publications on different sociology topics.
Annual Review of Sociology
The Annual Review of Sociology is a peer-reviewed academic journal that publishes comprehensive literature review articles in sociology. Each year, a new volume is released, consisting of articles written by leading experts in the field, providing overviews of the most important and influential research and scholarship in sociology.
ProQuest Dissertations & Theses
When searching for literature reviews in your discipline, don’t overlook dissertations found in ProQuest Dissertations & Theses. Doctoral students are typically required to write extensive literature reviews that examine major debates, theories, methods, and key publications related to their research topic. These literature reviews can help you identify important authors, foundational studies, useful keywords, and gaps in the existing research.
Sociology Reference
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 Databases
- Both are multidisciplinary research databases covering multiple disciplines.
- Both provide access to dozens of subject databases with a single search interface.
- 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 in providing dissertations and theses, historical newspapers, and other primary sources.
Scholarly Databases
Google Scholar
Google Scholar is a free academic search engine that helps researchers and students find 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
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
Sociological Abstracts (Proquest)
Sociological Abstracts is a subscription-based bibliographic database, provided by ProQuest, that indexes and abstracts the international literature of sociology and closely related disciplines in the social and behavioral sciences. It covers journal articles, conference papers, dissertations, book chapters, and book reviews drawn from over 1,800 serial publications dating back to 1952.
Social Sciences Full Text (EBSCO/H.W. Wilson)
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.
Social Citations Index (Web of Science)
The Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI) is a multidisciplinary citation database within the Web of Science platform that indexes leading journals across the social sciences. Its purpose is to allow researchers to discover scholarly articles, track citations, explore how ideas develop over time, and identify influential authors, journals, and research trends in fields such as political science, sociology, psychology, economics, education, and international relations.
SocINDEX With Full Text (EBSCO)
Social Services Abstracts (ProQuest)
Criminal Justice Abstracts with Full Text (EBSCO)
Criminal Justice Abstracts with Full Text is a research database that provides access to scholarly articles, reports, and summaries covering all areas of criminal justice and criminology. It includes topics such as criminology, criminal justice, criminal investigation, criminal law and procedure, corrections and prisons, forensic sciences and investigation, history of crime, police and policing, probation and parole, substance abuse and addiction. Criminal Justice Abstracts with Full Text is only available on the EBSCOhost platform.
Criminal Justice Database (ProQuest)
Criminal Justice Database is a research collection that focuses on crime, law enforcement, corrections, and the criminal justice system. It provides access to full-text articles, reports, and other publications that explore real-world issues such as policing practices, court decisions, and rehabilitation programs.
APA PsycArticles®
APA PsycArticles® is a research database from the American Psychological Association (APA). It provides full-text, peer-reviewed articles from scholarly journals in psychology and related fields. Provides access to 119 journals back to 1894.
APA PsycBooks
APA PsycBooks is a research database from the American Psychological Association (APA) that provides full-text access to books published by APA and its partners. It includes classic works, handbooks, reference titles, and scholarly books covering many areas of psychology.
APA PsycInfo®
APA PsycInfo is a comprehensive research database produced by the American Psychological Association (APA). It focuses on psychology and related fields, including psychiatry, education, social work, sociology, and more. PsycInfo indexes journal articles, books, chapters, dissertations, and reports in psychology and behavioral sciences. It contains citations, abstracts, and some full text, depending on your library’s subscription level. PsycInfo is available through multiple academic platforms, including EBSCOhost, ProQuest, and OVID.
APA PsycExtra
APA PsycExtra is a research database from the American Psychological Association that focuses on psychology-related material you usually won’t find in academic journals. It includes reports, newsletters, conference papers, fact sheets, standards, and other practical documents produced by organizations, researchers, and practitioners.
Sociology Journals
American Sociological Review
The American Sociological Review (ASR) is the main journal of the American Sociological Association, publishing peer-reviewed research articles, theoretical contributions, and methodological innovations across all areas of sociology. ASR is one of the most widely read and cited sociology journals in the world.
American Journal of Sociology
The American Journal of Sociology is a leading publication in the field that showcases research on how societies are organized and how they change. It covers a wide range of topics, including culture, inequality, and social institutions, and has been an important source for sociologists since 1895.
Annals Of Tourism Research
Annals of Tourism Research is a leading academic journal for tourism scholarship. It examines questions such as why people travel, how tourism shapes economies and communities, and what the broader consequences are for the places and people involved. It draws on fields such as economics, psychology, and geography.
Annual Review of Sociology
Annual Review of Sociology publishes in-depth literature review articles that synthesize and assess what the field has learned about a given topic up to that point. It covers a broad range of sociological concerns from social processes, institutions, and culture, to organizations, political and economic life, stratification, demography, urban issues, and social policy.
Social Indicators Research
Social Indicators Research is a journal that publishes studies on how to measure and understand quality of life, well-being, and social progress. It covers topics like health, education, income, environment, and happiness, focusing on the data and indicators that show how societies are doing and changing.
Journal of Marriage and Family
The Journal of Marriage and Family is a leading journal that publishes research on families and relationships. It covers topics such as marriage, parenting, gender roles, family diversity, and how social, economic, and cultural factors shape family life.
Social Forces
Social Forces is a major sociology journal that publishes research on social structure and change. It covers a wide range of topics, including inequality, race, gender, education, politics, and globalization, with a focus on how social forces shape individual lives and society as a whole.
Sociological Methods & Research
Sociological Methods & Research is a journal that focuses on the development and use of methods in sociology. It publishes work on research design, statistical techniques, qualitative approaches, and new tools that help sociologists study social patterns and test theories.
Sociological Theory
Sociological Theory is a quarterly peer-reviewed journal published by the American Sociological Association since 1983. It publishes articles that explore and explain different ways of thinking about social life such as power, identity, and social change.
Journal of Health and Social Behavior
The Journal of Health and Social Behavior publishes research on how social factors influence health and illness. It explores topics such as health inequalities, the role of social support and stress, access to healthcare, and how social conditions shape physical and mental well-being.
Sociology News
Below is a list of magazines you may already be familiar with. Although not specific to the subject if sociology, these publications are popular with sociologically minded readers.
- Aeon — An independent digital magazine founded in 2012. It’s become one of the more respected venues for serious long-form ideas writing on the internet.
- The Atlantic — One of the most well-known magazines in the world. It focuses on social issues such as inequality, culture, education, and social trends.
- Dissent — A well-known ideological magazine that frequently analyzes social institutions and social change.
- Harper’s Magazine — One of the oldest (1850) and most prestigious general interest magazines in the United States, it provides long-form essays on society, politics, and culture.
- Jacobin — Named after the radical Jacobin faction of the French Revolution, Jacobin is a prominent left-wing magazine that has grown into one of the most influential publications of the American democratic socialist left. It focuses on social class, labor, inequality, and political sociology themes.
- The New Yorker — Arguably the most prestigious and influential general interest magazine in the United States. Long-form journalism is the heart of the magazine, often featuring stories and cultural essays that have a strong sociological angle.
- ProPublica — Not quite a magazine in the traditional sense, but it has become one of the most important journalism outlets in the United States. ProPublica is a nonprofit investigative news organization that produces in-depth reporting on issues that affect society.
- Reason — Similar to Dissent, it is an ideological magazine that frequently analyzes social institutions and social change.
Best General Sociology Magazine
Contexts
Contexts is published by the American Sociological Association. It explains sociological research in a readable, magazine-style format with essays, interviews, photography, policy discussions, and commentary on current social issues. It is intentionally written for non-specialists and general readers.
Sociology Methods
