Core Sociological Concepts
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Religion as a Source of Social Cohesion and Conflict
Religion remains one of the most enduring and influential social institutions across human societies. It shapes collective identities, provides ethical…
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Race and Ethnicity: The Social Construction of Racial and Ethnic Identities
Race and ethnicity are foundational categories in social life, structuring access to resources, political recognition, and everyday interpersonal interactions. Yet,…
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Social Stratification: Systems of hierarchy and mobility (caste, class, estate)
Social stratification—systematic patterns of social inequality that sort individuals and groups into hierarchical positions—remains a central concern for sociological theory…
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Norms and Values: Informal and Formal Rules of Social Behavior
Norms and values constitute the scaffolding of social life, organizing expectations, guiding behavior, and enabling coordinated action across diverse contexts.…
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Collective Behavior: Crowd Dynamics, Rumors, and Mass Panics
Collective behavior—the ways in which people act, think, and influence one another in group contexts—remains a central concern across sociology,…
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Collective Action for Social and Political Change: Theories, Mechanisms, and Empirical Patterns
Collective action lies at the heart of social movements: coordinated efforts by groups of individuals to contest, resist, or propose…
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Social Change: Causes and Consequences of Transformations in Society
Social change—the alteration of social structures, cultural patterns, and collective behavior over time—remains a central concern across sociology, political science,…
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Globalization: Worldwide Interconnections and Cultural Flows
Globalization entails intensified cross-border flows of goods, capital, information and people; equally important are the cultural processes through which meanings,…
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Urbanization: Growth of Cities and Consequences for Social Relations
Urbanization—the increasing concentration of population, economic activity, and institutions in cities—has been a defining process of modernity. Scholarly treatments have…
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Modernization: Transformations in Social Life through Industrialization and Technology
Modernization is a multifaceted historical process by which societies experience profound structural, institutional, and cultural change. At its core modernization…
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