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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 cults;
from the divisions of race, gender and social class to
the shared beliefs of a common culture; and from the
sociology of work to the sociology of sports. In fact,
few fields have such broad scope and relevance for
research, theory, and application of knowledge.
The field also offers a range of research techniques
that can be applied to virtually any aspect of social
life: street crime and delinquency, corporate
downsizing, how people express emotions, welfare or
education reform, how families differ and flourish, or
problems of peace and war.
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