sociology

(noun)

The study of society, social interaction, and social institutions (e.g., schools, prisons, etc.), as well as the rules and processes that bind and separate people as members of groups, associations, and institutions.

Related Terms

Examples of sociology in the following topics:

  • Introduction to Social Psychology and Social Perception

    • The field of social psychology has traditionally been described as a bridge between psychology and sociology.
    • There are some important differences in the way that psychological social psychologists and sociological social psychologists approach the field of study.
    • Most notably, psychological social psychologists focus on individuals' mental processes, while sociological social psychologists focus on societal factors.
    • The field of social psychology consists of the overlapping foci of psychology and sociology.
    • Psychology-focused social psychologists (PSP) are individual-centered, and sociology-focused social psychologists are more concerned with the impact of external factors on an individual.

  • Evolutionary Psychology

    • Proponents of evolutionary psychology suggest that it seeks to bridge the division between the human social sciences (such as psychology and sociology) and the natural sciences (such as biology, chemistry, and physics).

  • Gender and Sociology

  • Social Anxiety Disorder (Social Phobia)

    • Research into the causes of social anxiety and social phobia is wide-ranging, encompassing multiple perspectives from neuroscience to sociology.

  • The Biopsychosocial Model of Health and Illness

    • This diagram shows how biological, psychological, and sociological factors overlap to determine overall health.

  • Classifying Abnormal Behavior: The DSM

    • Sociological and biological knowledge was incorporated in a model that did not emphasize a clear boundary between normality and abnormality.

  • Freudian Psychoanalytic Theory of Personality

    • In his singular emphasis on the structure of the human mind, Freud paid little to no attention to the impact of environment, sociology, or culture.