What is Sociology? Purchase the booklet The booklet, is
available for purchase through our Bookstore. Sociology is the
study of social life, social change, and the social causes and
consequences of human behavior. Sociologists investigate the
structure of groups organizations, and societies and how people
interact within these contexts. Since all human behavior is
social, the subject matter of sociology ranges from the intimate
family to the hostile mob; from organized crime to religious
traditions; from the divisions of race, gender and social class
to the shared beliefs of the common culture. While the
humanities and the arts also frequently examine and reflect on
the social world, sociology is distinct because it is a social
science. It uses theoretical frameworks and scientific methods
of research to investigate the social world and test hypotheses
with empirical data. Sociological methods include systematic
observation, in-depth interviews and ethnography, conversational
analysis, content analysis of bot