Sociology

The polling company Ipsos MORI carries out surveys of how much people know about their own countries; the results are sobering.

Teaching students from all over the world, I have realized how important it is to do whatever I can to get student’s names right.

This article will de-mystify the basic ideas of Marxism for you, including Marx's modes of production and class struggle.

For many centuries people have celebrated the emergence of the northern hemisphere from the dark days of winter.

Labelled “the loveless people” in the 1970s, this African tribe has had its reputation rehabilitated.

Dunbar’s number was created by a British anthropologist to define how many friends an individual can reasonably have. This article examines the idea of friendship, the science behind it and the number of real friends people can have in the age of social media.

Gamblers, although probably not successful ones, easily fall into the trap of believing in the “hot hand” or “lucky streak.”

There are dozens of self-proclaimed nations all over the world that often spring from a whimsical mind. They include America's “Molossia,” Canada's “Outer Baldonia,” and the UK's “Austenasia.”

Shoes are an incredibly prominent aspect of fashion, culture, and personal style. But did you know that shoes have meanings even beyond those everyday interpretations? Learn how to interpret dreams of shoes, as well as some of the religious, cultural, and historical significance of shoes.

Buddhist culture has some interesting customs and rituals. This article explores flashbacks of the life of Andy Liu, a monk who is working with a Buddhist team in Los Angeles.

For three hundred years, women have sought better treatment and recognition for who they are as opposed to being defined by a male-dominated society.

After a trip to the UK, I realised there are a lot of cultural habits British people have that may seem strange to others. Here are a few cultural quirks you might notice if you visit the UK.

This article explores the impact of race on nation-building through an analysis of four separate historiographical works. What effect did racial issues have on social, economic, and political developments in Brazil, Mexico, Ecuador, and Cuba during the 20th century?

What responsibilities do you owe those whom you have immediate relationships with in your life? Do you owe a responsibility to those whom you did not voluntarily enter into a relationship with? The nonreductionist argues against the voluntarist, suggesting that we owe a responsibility to all people.

In a strange reversal, DNA evidence can let guilty people go free.

An analysis of utopian and dystopian literature as well as some real-world attempts at creating a utopian society during the Protestant Reformation. I also have a summary of modern day utopias.

The zombie has fascinating roots. In Haiti, it is a soul or a body enslaved by a sorcerer called bokor. It was appropriated by the West in the 20th century.

In online discussion, proper argumentation has practically been replaced by the use of memes or meme-driven statements. Why are online communities such as atheists increasingly relying on memes as arguments?

A scholarly article analysing the intricate relations of power and knowledge as put forward by Michel Foucault in his books "Discipline and Punish" and "The History of Sexuality"

There are many different frameworks for feminist theory. This article outlines the various perspectives, theories, applications, and criticisms of "feminist theory," including liberal feminism, and its relevance to social work practice.

This article assesses what culture is, how advertising highlights cultural aspects in societies and how "the gaze" is used in advertisements.

A look at Joseph Walther's social information processing & communication theories: How does the Internet, and other similar technologies, affect our ability to communicate and form relationships?

People text while stepping into traffic, they spend money at casinos and race tracks thinking they are going to win, and they run with the bulls in Pamplona.

This article explores the fascinating and dark history of clowns. What about clowns throughout the ages has led to the common portrayal of them as evil?

If you visit or live in Japan as a foreigner, dealing with grief, funerary customs, and traditions around death might seem difficult.

How does interracial marriage impact and affect the lives of children?

Kidnapping is a global problem that affects countries all over the world—from the United States and Mexico to many countries in Africa, Asia, and beyond. Learn more about this global scourge.

Spiral Dynamics is identifying the inner workings of our minds and gives us a common language and road map to understand how people think about things and why they make the decisions they make.

Why are zombies so popular? What do zombies represent or symbolize? This article explores the popularity of the living dead, examining sociological and economic factors, Jungian archetypes, and contemporary historical trends.

Sociology, the systematic study of social behavior and society through the scientific method, has not always been recognized as a formal discipline. The beginnings of sociology go back to Ancient Greece where Aristotle developed the first system of...

What makes a male a male? What makes a female a female? You may be surprised to learn that the answers to these questions vary from culture to culture.

This list is a collection of five of the best sociological books out there. This list does not include textbooks or readers, but rather, books that one would read outside of the classroom. Scroll down to explore the fascinating world of sociology and culture.

Need to get an A on your next sociology essay? This list will help you come up with your own original sociology research topic. The top 11 sociological subjects are listed below.

A sociology essay that addresses how Robert Merton's Strain Theory fits into the functionalist theory. Thereafter, I critique Strain Theory from the angle of other classic sociological perspectives, such as conflict, feminist, and symbolic interactionist theories.

Social Capital Theory is concerned with the nature, structure, and resources embedded in a person’s network of relationships (Seibert et al, 2001; Granovetter, 1973; Burt, 1992; Lin, Ensel, & Vaughn, 1981a, 1981h). Social Exchange Theory is...

This article will discuss the use of a questionnaire and schedule in research projects. A questionnaire refers to a device for securing answers to questions by using a form. A schedule is a structure of set of questions on a given topic which are asked by the interviewer or investigator personally.

Sociology is a fascinating field that reveals startling insights about how we live. Learn more about the main seven areas of sociology.

What is "the fetishism of commodities"? If, as Marx posits, the social relations within capitalist society exist between commodities and not between workers, then do workers even have socail relations at all? If so, in what context? Marx asks, is a commodity valuable because human labour was expended to produce it or because it is intrinsically valuable?

In the 19th century, two philosophies struggled for supremacy: Marxism and transcendentalism. Marxism takes a materialist view of the cosmos, while transcendentalism takes a more what can be called mystical view coupled with naturalism. Both have the element of concern for their fellow human beings. The approach each has is different.

Divorce statistics are changing worldwide. The rate of divorce in America is decreasing rather quickly, but that of Japan has continued to increase gradually since 1988.