Word
sociology
Phoneticsso·ci·ol·o·gy
US/ˌsoʊsiˈɑɫədʒi/
UK/sˌəʊsɪˈɒlədʒi/
Definition
n. the study of how people live together in groups and how society works. It looks at things like family, religion, and how different classes of people treat each other.
n. the systematic study of human society, social institutions, and social relationships. Focuses on the development, structure, and functioning of human groups through empirical investigation and critical analysis.
Examples
“She decided to study sociology to understand social inequality.”
“A degree in sociology provides insights into how urban environments influence the way people interact daily.”
“The department's research in urban sociology examines how gentrification alters the social fabric of historic neighborhoods and affects long-term residents' sense of belonging.”
Examples
simple
“She decided to study sociology to understand social inequality.”
contextual
“A degree in sociology provides insights into how urban environments influence the way people interact daily.”
complex
“The department's research in urban sociology examines how gentrification alters the social fabric of historic neighborhoods and affects long-term residents' sense of belonging.”
Usage
Uncountable when referring to the academic field; can be countable when referring to a specific set of social dynamics within a group.
Real-World Examples
Common in education and history writing
“Professor Arday probably holds the top position in the world in sociology of education.” “Soon after, she moved to Chicago to study criminal sociology at the University of Chicago.” Etymology
From French sociologie, coined by Auguste Comte in 1834, itself a combination of Latin socius (“companion, fellowship”) and the Greek suffix Ancient Greek -λογία (-logía), itself from Ancient Greek λόγος (lógos, “word, knowledge”), from socio- + -logy. Previous mentions of the field in English usually referred to it as social physics.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Collocations
Domain
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/sociology