Sociology TWDK Sociology doodle by Giles Meakin

While psychology is the science of human thought, sociology is the science of human relationships. Sociologists consider all social interactions and the structures that make up society itself, ranging from crime to religion to class - and even the way in which social activity impacts upon the development of scientific knowledge.

Sociology considers these issues on not only the societal level, but also from personal and global perspectives. What are the societal implications of gender identity, and how do they form? What are the causes behind migration? The resulting impacts upon both communities?

We've published 9 articles and 3 specialist blog posts about sociology so far, featuring 106 unanswered sociology questions! But we're not done yet as we still have another 26 sociology research areas in our database to write about, so come back soon!

Recent Sociology News

Get customised news updates on your homepage by subscribing to articles

atom icon
Chicken blushing / Smectic / Entropy for travel / Sword swallowing / Kids’ saliva
2nd October, 2024
This week’s Feedback column (that I write) in New Scientist magazine has four segments. Here are bits of each of them: Chicken blushing — People — humans — blush. Chickens aren’t entirely inhuman in that they, too, show emotions on their facial skin. Delphine Soulet at the University of Tours, France, and colleagues have explored how skin redness […]
light bulb icon
Future pandemic as big as Covid is inevitable, says Whitty
26th September, 2024
England’s chief medical officer also tells inquiry that UK’s low level of intensive care provision is a political decision
light bulb icon
Covid on the rise as experts say England has ‘capitulated’ to the virus
26th September, 2024
Immunologists push for increase in testing and more widespread vaccine booster rollout as new variant, XEC, emerges
light bulb icon
Can AI Help Save Our Planet?
19th September, 2024
The world’s policy leaders and climate scientists are united: We are in a decisive decade.

Our sociology articles

Login or register to get customised updates

Image credit: ©Rowena Fletcher-Wood
Toxoplasmosis
Can the toxoplasma gondii parasite change our personalities, behaviours and who we're attracted to?
Image credit: ©
Coronavirus
The disease COVID-19, caused coronavirus, was thought to originate from a seafood market in China, and be 10,000 years old... but it may come from elsewhere and be millions of years older.
Image credit: ©Rowena Fletcher-Wood
Bats and Ebola
Ebola is one of the most contagious and dangerous diseases, but between outbreaks the disease must be hiding somewhere. Some suspect bats, but is this really true?
Image credit: Public Domain via TC-TORRES (Pixabay)
Animal communication
Animals certainly communicate – some using sounds, and others using body language, pheromones or even electricity. But does any of this actually constitute language?
Image credit: ralph (CC0 Public Domain) via Pixabay
Emotions
Emotions are a vital part of society, but there are still plenty of mysteries surrounding them – from what they are for to whether it will be possible, or desirable, to create AI that experiences them.
Image credit: Public Domain via Pixabay
The captive shark
We still don’t know how to engineer truly suitable shark tanks for the great white, used to travelling hundreds of kilometres daily. Large sharks have large appetites, are fussy, and kill everything.
Image credit: Public Domain via Sarah Richter
The social shark
Wild sharks have been observed cooperating, playing and courting. This suggests they communicate, yet they don’t emit sounds. Learn more about the other possible methods of communication being researched.
Image credit: Johnhain (CC0 Public Domain via Pixabay)
Disgust
Disgust is a powerful emotion that has links with morality in ways we don't understand
Image credit: ©© Gerd Leonhard (CC BY-SA 2.0) via Flickr
Artificial intelligence
A field at the cusp of scientific and philosophical thinking, but have we fully understood the outcomes of such a progressive movement.

Our latest sociology blog posts

Our blog posts focus on a specialist topic.
Many are written by scientists about their ongoing research, others by the TWDK team.

TWDK red science flask
Do cheaters prosper?
Tuesday 8th of September 2015
TWDK red science flask
Food for Thought; the Future of Global Food?
Wednesday 19th of August 2015
TWDK red science flask
Media violence and criminal behaviour
Wednesday 19th of June 2013

Delve deeper into Sociology

Can't find what you're looking for? Browse the branches of sociology that interest you most.

TWDK magnifying glassAnthropology looks at the history of our species- how we evolved and the development of culture and societies around the world.

TWDK magnifying glassCriminology covers why people commit crimes, and the effects of punishment.

TWDK magnifying glassCultural Studies considers the culture that surrounds us every day. By studying this culture, we can better understand how individuals experience the world.

TWDK magnifying glassMedical Sociology investigates how culture and society impact on human health.

TWDK magnifying glassSocial Psychology focuses on how our behaviour is affected by the presence or absence of other people.

TWDK magnifying glassSociobiology aims to explain human behaviour and culture by looking at evolutionary processes in other species.

TWDK magnifying glassSocioeconomics is the study of the interface between someone’s economic status and their social interactions.

TWDK magnifying glassSociolinguistics is the science of how languages change and are shaped by society, and how society is shaped by language.

Or try our advanced search.


Follow TWDK

Mailing list

Sign up for our Newsletter
constant contact safe subscribe logo

Fundraising

Easyfundraising banner

Creative Commons License
Except where otherwise noted, content on this site by Things We Don’t Know C.I.C. is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. | Privacy & Cookies
Things We Don’t Know C.I.C. is registered in England and Wales. Company Number 8109669.
Registered address at 34B York Way, London, N1 9AB.