sociology

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  1. agential
    of or relating to an agent or agency
    A general outcome of incredulity toward structural or agential thought has been the development of multidimensional theories, most notably the action theory of Talcott Parsons and Anthony Giddens's theory of structuration.

    [edit] Research methodology

    Paul Lazarsfeld has been called the "founder of modern empirical sociology"[72] for his numerous contributions to methodologyMain article: Social research
    Sociological research methods may be divided into two broad categories:

    ...
  2. catalyse
    spark or trigger a rapid change
    Organizational change is catalysed through new media, thereby influencing social change at-large, perhaps forming the framework for a transformation from an industrial to an informational society.
  3. socialising
    the act of meeting for social purposes
    Though the production process or the critique of aesthetic forms is not in the remit of sociologists, analyses of socialising factors, such as ideological effects and audience reception, stem from sociological theory and method.
  4. industrialise
    organize (the production of something) into an industry
    Whilst one might regard functionalism merely as a logical extension of those organic analogies for society presented by Enlightenment philosophers such as Rousseau, sociology draws firmer attention to the institutions unique to industrialised capitalist society (or "modernity").
  5. sociology
    the study and classification of human societies
    Sociology
    From Wikipedia, the free encyclopediaJump to: navigation, search
    This article is about the discipline.
  6. functionalism
    any doctrine that stresses utility or purpose
    Sociology

    Portal
    Theory and History
    Positivism · Antipositivism
    Functionalism · Conflict theory
    Middle-range · Formal theory
    Critical theory · Socialization
    Structure and agency


    Research methods
    Quantitative · Qualitative
    Computational · Ethnographic


    Topics and Subfields
    cities · class · crime · culture
    deviance · demography · education
    economy · environment · family
    gender · health · industry · internet
    knowledge · law · medicine
    politics · mobility...
  7. computationally
    with regard to computation
    Conversely, recent decades have seen the rise of new mathematically and computationally rigorous techniques, such as agent-based modelling and social network analysis.[5][6]
  8. deviance
    a state or condition markedly different from the norm
    Sociology

    Portal
    Theory and History
    Positivism · Antipositivism
    Functionalism · Conflict theory
    Middle-range · Formal theory
    Critical theory · Socialization
    Structure and agency


    Research methods
    Quantitative · Qualitative
    Computational · Ethnographic


    Topics and Subfields
    cities · class · crime · culture
    deviance · demography · education
    economy · environment · family
    gender · health · industry · internet
    knowledge · law · medicine
    politics · mobility...
  9. positivism
    a quality or state characterized by certainty or acceptance or affirmation and dogmatic assertiveness
    Sociology

    Portal
    Theory and History
    Positivism · Antipositivism
    Functionalism · Conflict theory
    Middle-range · Formal theory
    Critical theory · Socialization
    Structure and agency


    Research methods
    Quantitative · Qualitative
    Computational · Ethnographic


    Topics and Subfields
    cities · class · crime · culture
    deviance · demography · education
    economy · environment · family
    gender · health · industry · internet
    knowledge · law · medicine
    politics · mobility...
  10. computational
    of or involving calculation
    Sociology

    Portal
    Theory and History
    Positivism · Antipositivism
    Functionalism · Conflict theory
    Middle-range · Formal theory
    Critical theory · Socialization
    Structure and agency


    Research methods
    Quantitative · Qualitative
    Computational · Ethnographic


    Topics and Subfields
    cities · class · crime · culture
    deviance · demography · education
    economy · environment · family
    gender · health · industry · internet
    knowledge · law · medicine
    politics · mobility...
  11. functionalist
    an adherent of functionalism
    Classical functionalist theory is generally united by its tendency towards biological analogy and notions of social evolutionism.
  12. methodologically
    in a methodical manner
    Sociology is both topically and methodologically a very broad discipline.
  13. stratification
    forming or depositing in layers
    Sociology

    Portal
    Theory and History
    Positivism · Antipositivism
    Functionalism · Conflict theory
    Middle-range · Formal theory
    Critical theory · Socialization
    Structure and agency


    Research methods
    Quantitative · Qualitative
    Computational · Ethnographic


    Topics and Subfields
    cities · class · crime · culture
    deviance · demography · education
    economy · environment · family
    gender · health · industry · internet
    knowledge · law · medicine
    politics · mobility · race...
  14. structuralism
    an anthropological theory that there are unobservable social structures that generate observable social phenomena
    This third 'generation' of social theory includes phenomenologically inspired approaches, critical theory, ethnomethodology, symbolic interactionism, structuralism, post-structuralism, and theories written in the tradition of hermeneutics and ordinary language philosophy."[66]
  15. epistemology
    the philosophical theory of knowledge
    Since its inception, sociological epistemologies, methods, and frames of enquiry, have significantly expanded and diverged.[4]
  16. methodology
    the techniques followed in a particular discipline
    Contemporary social theory
    4 Structure and agency
    5 Research methodology
    5.1
  17. sociological
    of or relating to human society
    Writing shortly after the malaise of the French Revolution, he proposed that social ills could be remedied through sociological positivism, an epistemological approach outlined in The Course in Positive Philosophy [1830–1842] and A General View of Positivism (1848).
  18. randomization
    an arrangement or selection that depends on chance
    Randomization allows the researcher to be sure that any resulting differences between groups are the result of the treatment.
  19. epistemological
    of or relating to the study of knowledge
    Writing shortly after the malaise of the French Revolution, he proposed that social ills could be remedied through sociological positivism, an epistemological approach outlined in The Course in Positive Philosophy [1830–1842] and A General View of Positivism (1848).
  20. behavioural
    of or relating to behavior
    The "cultural turn" of the 1960s ushered in structuralist and so-called postmodern approaches to social science.

    [edit] Criminality, deviance, law and punishment
    Main articles: Criminology, Sociology of law, Sociology of punishment, and Deviance (sociology)
    Criminologists analyse the nature, causes, and control of criminal activity, drawing upon methods across sociology, psychology, and the behavioural sciences.
  21. quantitative
    expressible as an amount that can be measured
    Sociology

    Portal
    Theory and History
    Positivism · Antipositivism
    Functionalism · Conflict theory
    Middle-range · Formal theory
    Critical theory · Socialization
    Structure and agency


    Research methods
    Quantitative · Qualitative
    Computational · Ethnographic


    Topics and Subfields
    cities · class · crime · culture
    deviance · demography · education
    economy · environment · family
    gender · health · industry · internet
    knowledge · law · medicine
    politics · mobility...
  22. social
    living together or enjoying life in communities
    Sociology

    Portal
    Theory and History
    Positivism · Antipositivism
    Functionalism · Conflict theory
    Middle-range · Formal theory
    Critical theory · Socialization
    Structure and agency


    Research methods
    Quantitative · Qualitative
    Computational · Ethnographic


    Topics and Subfields
    cities · class · crime · culture
    deviance · demography · education
    economy · environment · family
    gender · health · industry · internet
    knowledge · law · medicine
    politics · mobility · race...
  23. qualitative
    involving distinguishing attributes
    Sociology

    Portal
    Theory and History
    Positivism · Antipositivism
    Functionalism · Conflict theory
    Middle-range · Formal theory
    Critical theory · Socialization
    Structure and agency


    Research methods
    Quantitative · Qualitative
    Computational · Ethnographic


    Topics and Subfields
    cities · class · crime · culture
    deviance · demography · education
    economy · environment · family
    gender · health · industry · internet
    knowledge · law · medicine
    politics · mobility...
  24. hermeneutic
    interpretive or explanatory
    The linguistic and cultural turns of the mid-twentieth century led to increasingly interpretative, hermeneutic, and philosophic approaches to the analysis of society.
  25. invariant
    unvarying in nature
    As a nonpositivist, however, Weber sought relationships that are not as "ahistorical, invariant, or generalizable"[49] as those pursued by natural scientists.
  26. socialise
    prepare for social life
    Though the production process or the critique of aesthetic forms is not in the remit of sociologists, analyses of socialising factors, such as ideological effects and audience reception, stem from sociological theory and method.
  27. interdependency
    a reciprocal relation between interdependent entities
    Data acquired through these techniques may be analyzed either quantitatively or qualitatively.
    [edit] Computational sociology

    A social network diagram consisting of individuals (or 'nodes') connected by one or more specific types of interdependency.Main article: Computational sociology
    Sociologists increasingly draw upon computationally intensive methods to analyze and model social phenomena.[79]
  28. industrialised
    highly developed in production and manufacturing
    Whilst one might regard functionalism merely as a logical extension of those organic analogies for society presented by Enlightenment philosophers such as Rousseau, sociology draws firmer attention to the institutions unique to industrialised capitalist society (or "modernity").
  29. contextual
    relating to the set of facts surrounding a situation
    A general outcome of incredulity toward structural or agential thought has been the development of multidimensional theories, most notably the action theory of Talcott Parsons and Anthony Giddens's theory of structuration.

    [edit] Research methodology

    Paul Lazarsfeld has been called the "founder of modern empirical sociology"[72] for his numerous contributions to methodologyMain article: Social research
    Sociological research methods may be divided into two broad categories:

    Quantit...
  30. sociologist
    a social scientist who studies the institutions and development of human society
    Sociology

    Portal
    Theory and History
    Positivism · Antipositivism
    Functionalism · Conflict theory
    Middle-range · Formal theory
    Critical theory · Socialization
    Structure and agency


    Research methods
    Quantitative · Qualitative
    Computational · Ethnographic


    Topics and Subfields
    cities · class · crime · culture
    deviance · demography · education
    economy · environment · family
    gender · health · industry · internet
    knowledge · law · medicine
    politics · mobility · race...
  31. multidimensional
    having or involving or marked by several aspects
    Together the works of these great classical sociologists suggest what Giddens has recently described as 'a multidimensional view of institutions of modernity' and which emphasizes not only capitalism and industrialism as key institutions of modernity, but also 'surveillance' (meaning 'control of information and social supervision') and 'military power' (control of the means of violence in the context of the industrialization of war).
  32. normative
    relating to or dealing with typical standards or patterns
    Feminist sociology, on the other hand, is a normative subfield that observes and critiques the cultural categories of gender and sexuality, particularly with respect to power and inequality.
  33. socialisation
    the adoption of the behavior patterns of the surrounding culture
    The sociology of the family examines the family, as an institution and unit of socialisation, with special concern for the comparatively modern historical emergence of the nuclear family and its distinct gender roles.
  34. industrialisation
    the development of industry on an extensive scale
    Karl MarxBoth Comte and Karl Marx (1818–1883) set out to develop scientifically justified systems in the wake of European industrialisation and secularisation, informed by various key movements in the philosophies of history and science.
  35. axiomatically
    on the basis of axioms
    Tönnies marked a sharp line between the realm of concepts and the reality of social action: the first must be treated axiomatically and in a deductive way ("pure sociology"), whereas the second empirically and inductively ("applied sociology").[50]
  36. artefact
    a man-made object taken as a whole
    Cultural sociology is seldom empirical, preferring instead the hermeneutic analysis of words, artefacts and symbols.
  37. modernity
    the quality of being current or of the present
    Sociology evolved as an academic response to the challenges of modernity, such as industrialization, urbanization, secularization, and a perceived process of enveloping rationalization.[34]
  38. semiotic
    of or relating to the theory of signs and symbols
    In this context, 'structure' refers not to 'social structure' but to the semiotic understanding of human culture as a system of signs.
  39. theorist
    someone who constructs hypotheses
    By the turn of the 20th century, however, many theorists were active in the Anglo-Saxon world.
  40. empirical
    derived from experiment and observation rather than theory
    It is a social science—a term with which it is sometimes synonymous—which uses various methods of empirical investigation[2] and critical analysis[3] to develop and refine a body of knowledge about human social activity, often with the goal of applying such knowledge to the pursuit of social welfare.
  41. ahistorical
    unconcerned with or unrelated to the past
    As a nonpositivist, however, Weber sought relationships that are not as "ahistorical, invariant, or generalizable"[49] as those pursued by natural scientists.
  42. socialization
    the adoption of the behavior of the surrounding culture
    Sociology

    Portal
    Theory and History
    Positivism · Antipositivism
    Functionalism · Conflict theory
    Middle-range · Formal theory
    Critical theory · Socialization
    Structure and agency


    Research methods
    Quantitative · Qualitative
    Computational · Ethnographic


    Topics and Subfields
    cities · class · crime · culture
    deviance · demography · education
    economy · environment · family
    gender · health · industry · internet
    knowledge · law · medicine
    politics · mobility...
  43. patriarchy
    a form of social organization in which men hold power
    The primary concern of feminist theory is the patriarchy and the systematic oppression of women apparent in many societies, both at the level of small-scale interaction and in terms of the broader social structure.
  44. empiricism
    the doctrine that knowledge derives from experience
    An emphasis on empiricism and the scientific method is sought to provide a tested foundation for sociological research, based on the assumption that the only authentic knowledge is scientific knowledge, and that such knowledge can only arrive by positive affirmation through scientific methodology.
  45. typology
    classification according to general category or kind
    Robert K. Merton produced a typology of deviance, and also established the terms "role model", "unintended consequences", and "self-fulfilling prophecy".[87]
  46. multiculturalism
    the doctrine that different peoples can coexist peacefully
    At the level of political policy, ethnic relations is discussed in terms of either assimilationism or multiculturalism.
  47. qualitatively
    in a qualitative manner
    Data acquired through these techniques may be analyzed either quantitatively or qualitatively.
    [edit] Computational sociology

    A social network diagram consisting of individuals (or 'nodes') connected by one or more specific types of interdependency.Main article: Computational sociology
    Sociologists increasingly draw upon computationally intensive methods to analyze and model social phenomena.[79]
  48. statistical
    of or relating to the interpretation of quantitative data
    Sociology in the United States was less historically influenced by Marxism than its European counterpart, and to this day broadly remains more statistical in its approach.[28]
  49. ethnographic
    relating to scientific descriptions of human cultures
    Sociology

    Portal
    Theory and History
    Positivism · Antipositivism
    Functionalism · Conflict theory
    Middle-range · Formal theory
    Critical theory · Socialization
    Structure and agency


    Research methods
    Quantitative · Qualitative
    Computational · Ethnographic


    Topics and Subfields
    cities · class · crime · culture
    deviance · demography · education
    economy · environment · family
    gender · health · industry · internet
    knowledge · law · medicine
    politics · mobility...
  50. overarch
    be central or dominant
    Capitalism at the End of the Twentieth Century 1992, [37]

    [edit] Positivism and anti-positivism
    [edit] Positivism
    Main article: Positivism

    Robert K. MertonThe overarching methodological principle of positivism is to conduct sociology in broadly the same manner as natural science.
  51. secularization
    removal of religion as a control or influence over something
    Sociology

    Portal
    Theory and History
    Positivism · Antipositivism
    Functionalism · Conflict theory
    Middle-range · Formal theory
    Critical theory · Socialization
    Structure and agency


    Research methods
    Quantitative · Qualitative
    Computational · Ethnographic


    Topics and Subfields
    cities · class · crime · culture
    deviance · demography · education
    economy · environment · family
    gender · health · industry · internet
    knowledge · law · medicine
    politics · mobility · race...
  52. ethnicity
    an affiliation resulting from racial or cultural ties
    Sociology

    Portal
    Theory and History
    Positivism · Antipositivism
    Functionalism · Conflict theory
    Middle-range · Formal theory
    Critical theory · Socialization
    Structure and agency


    Research methods
    Quantitative · Qualitative
    Computational · Ethnographic


    Topics and Subfields
    cities · class · crime · culture
    deviance · demography · education
    economy · environment · family
    gender · health · industry · internet
    knowledge · law · medicine
    politics · mobility · race...
  53. topically
    to a restricted area of the body
    Sociology is both topically and methodologically a very broad discipline.
  54. theory
    a belief that can guide behavior
    Sociology

    Portal
    Theory and History
    Positivism · Antipositivism
    Functionalism · Conflict theory
    Middle-range · Formal theory
    Critical theory · Socialization
    Structure and agency


    Research methods
    Quantitative · Qualitative
    Computational · Ethnographic


    Topics and Subfields
    cities · class · crime · culture
    deviance · demography · education
    economy · environment · family
    gender · health · industry · internet
    knowledge · law · medicine
    politics · mobility...
  55. structural
    relating to the composition of something
    It also marked a major contribution to the theoretical concept of structural functionalism.
  56. cultural
    relating to the shared knowledge and values of a society
    The linguistic and cultural turns of the mid-twentieth century led to increasingly interpretative, hermeneutic, and philosophic approaches to the analysis of society.
  57. conceptualize
    have the idea for
    Biology has been taken to provide a guide to conceptualizing the structure and the function of social systems and to analysing processes of evolution via mechanisms of adaptation ... functionalism strongly emphasises the pre-eminence of the social world over its individual parts (i.e. its constituent actors, human subjects)."[58]
  58. quantifiable
    capable of being quantified
    A general outcome of incredulity toward structural or agential thought has been the development of multidimensional theories, most notably the action theory of Talcott Parsons and Anthony Giddens's theory of structuration.

    [edit] Research methodology

    Paul Lazarsfeld has been called the "founder of modern empirical sociology"[72] for his numerous contributions to methodologyMain article: Social research
    Sociological research methods may be divided into two broad categories:

    Quantit...
  59. artificial intelligence
    computer programming that can solve problems creatively
    Using computer simulations, artificial intelligence, complex statistical methods, and new analytic approaches like social network analysis, computational sociology develops and tests theories of complex social processes through bottom-up modeling of social interactions.[80]
  60. empirically
    in an empirical manner
    Tönnies marked a sharp line between the realm of concepts and the reality of social action: the first must be treated axiomatically and in a deductive way ("pure sociology"), whereas the second empirically and inductively ("applied sociology").[50]
  61. deterministic
    following inevitably from previous causes or actions
    Through the work of Simmel, in particular, sociology acquired a possible character beyond positivist data-collection or grand, deterministic systems of structural law.
  62. critique
    appraise or judge in an analytical way
    He maintained that appearances need to be critiqued rather than simply documented.
  63. theorize
    construct a hypothesis about
    Various neo-Kantian philosophers, phenomenologists and human scientists further theorized how the analysis of the social world differs to that of the natural world due to the irreducibly complex aspects of human society, culture, and being.[47]
  64. synonymously
    in a synonymous manner
    Most textbooks on the methodology of social research are written from the quantitative perspective,[75] and the very term "methodology" is often used synonymously with "statistics."
  65. psychology
    the science of mental life
    Sociology

    Portal
    Theory and History
    Positivism · Antipositivism
    Functionalism · Conflict theory
    Middle-range · Formal theory
    Critical theory · Socialization
    Structure and agency


    Research methods
    Quantitative · Qualitative
    Computational · Ethnographic


    Topics and Subfields
    cities · class · crime · culture
    deviance · demography · education
    economy · environment · family
    gender · health · industry · internet
    knowledge · law · medicine
    politics · mobility · race...
  66. urbanization
    the social process whereby cities grow
    Sociology evolved as an academic response to the challenges of modernity, such as industrialization, urbanization, secularization, and a perceived process of enveloping rationalization.[34]
  67. theoretical
    concerned with hypotheses and not practical considerations
    Antipositivism
    3 Theoretical frameworks
    3.1
  68. secularisation
    the activity of changing something (art or education or society or morality etc.) so it is no longer under the control or influence of religion
    Karl MarxBoth Comte and Karl Marx (1818–1883) set out to develop scientifically justified systems in the wake of European industrialisation and secularisation, informed by various key movements in the philosophies of history and science.
  69. hermeneutics
    theology that deals with principles of interpretation
    This third 'generation' of social theory includes phenomenologically inspired approaches, critical theory, ethnomethodology, symbolic interactionism, structuralism, post-structuralism, and theories written in the tradition of hermeneutics and ordinary language philosophy."[66]
  70. globalization
    growth to a worldwide scale
    Contemporary debates often centre on topics such as secularization, civil religion, and the role of religion in a context of globalization and multiculturalism.

    [edit] Social networks

    Harrison WhiteMain article: Social network
    A social network is a social structure composed of individuals (or organizations) called "nodes", which are tied (connected) by one or more specific types of interdependency, such as friendship, kinship, financial exchange, dislike, sexual relationships,...
  71. evolutionism
    (biology) a scientific theory of the origin of species of plants and animals
    Classical functionalist theory is generally united by its tendency towards biological analogy and notions of social evolutionism.
  72. criminology
    the scientific study of crime and criminal behavior and law enforcement
    The "cultural turn" of the 1960s ushered in structuralist and so-called postmodern approaches to social science.

    [edit] Criminality, deviance, law and punishment
    Main articles: Criminology, Sociology of law, Sociology of punishment, and Deviance (sociology)
    Criminologists analyse the nature, causes, and control of criminal activity, drawing upon methods across sociology, psychology, and the behavioural sciences.
  73. determinism
    (philosophy) a philosophical theory holding that all events are inevitable consequences of antecedent sufficient causes; often understood as denying the possibility of free will
    This approach lends itself to what Robert K. Merton called middle-range theory: abstract statements that generalize from segregated hypotheses and empirical regularities rather than starting with an abstract idea of a social whole.[44]

    [edit] Antipositivism
    Main article: Antipositivism
    Reactions against social empiricism began when German philosopher Hegel voiced opposition to both empiricism, which he rejected as uncritical, and determinism, which he viewed as overly mechanistic...
  74. emphasise
    to stress, single out as important
    Biology has been taken to provide a guide to conceptualizing the structure and the function of social systems and to analysing processes of evolution via mechanisms of adaptation ... functionalism strongly emphasises the pre-eminence of the social world over its individual parts (i.e. its constituent actors, human subjects)."[58]
Created on Thu Sep 16 19:44:09 EDT 2010

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