social theory
Explaining collective behavior
Social theory is the systematic study of how societies work—how people organize, interact, and create meaning together.
It encompasses frameworks for understanding power, inequality, culture, and social change: Marx's social theory centers on class conflict, feminist social theory examines gender as a structural force.
Distinguished from scientific theories that predict specific outcomes, social theories offer interpretive lenses for analyzing human behavior and institutions.
Study of human cultures
- ethnographySystematic study of peoples
- normsExpected behavioral standards
- valuesPrinciples held worthwhile
- beliefsAccepted truths, personal
rituals · symbolism · ideology · customs · traditions · heritage · identity · meaning-making
Power to enforce obedience
- hegemonyDominant group's control
- dominationSupreme authority held
- legitimacyLawful or rightful status
- coercionPressured compliance through threats
influence · elites · governance · sovereignty · oppression · subjugation · patriarchy · stratification
Theory emphasizing purposes and roles
- postmodernismSkepticism toward universal truths
- structuralismAnalysis through underlying systems
- phenomenologyStudy of subjective experience
- postcolonialismStudy of imperial aftermath
rational choice · pragmatism · hermeneutics · genealogy · intersectionality
Established organization or custom
- frameworkUnderlying support system
- systemConnected parts forming whole
- organizationStructured group with purpose
- networkInterconnected system
stratification · hierarchy · mechanism · infrastructure · reproduction · constraint · field · bureaucracy
Thorough change in form
- revolutionViolent governmental overthrow
- reformImprove by correcting faults
- modernizationAdoption of current methods
- evolutionSpecies changing over generations
progress · transition · development · dynamics · dialectics · rupture · crisis · reproduction
Mutual exchange of actions
- exchangeMutual giving and receiving
- communicationExchanging ideas or information
- dialogueSpoken exchange between parties
- cooperationJoint action toward shared aims
face-to-face · negotiation · conversation · impression management · encounter · turn-taking · recognition
anthropology
Study of human cultures
- ethnographySystematic study of peoples
- normsExpected behavioral standards
- valuesPrinciples held worthwhile
beliefs · rituals · symbolism · ideology · customs · traditions · heritage · identity · meaning-making · representation
authority
Power to enforce obedience
- hegemonyDominant group's control
- dominationSupreme authority held
- legitimacyLawful or rightful status
coercion · influence · elites · governance · sovereignty · oppression · subjugation · patriarchy · stratification · hierarchy
functionalism
Theory emphasizing purposes and roles
- postmodernismSkepticism toward universal truths
- structuralismAnalysis through underlying systems
- phenomenologyStudy of subjective experience
postcolonialism · rational choice · pragmatism · hermeneutics · genealogy · intersectionality
institution
Established organization or custom
- frameworkUnderlying support system
- systemConnected parts forming whole
- organizationStructured group with purpose
network · stratification · hierarchy · mechanism · infrastructure · reproduction · constraint · field · bureaucracy · class structure
transformation
Thorough change in form
- revolutionViolent governmental overthrow
- reformImprove by correcting faults
- modernizationAdoption of current methods
evolution · progress · transition · development · dynamics · dialectics · rupture · crisis · reproduction · adaptation
reciprocity
Mutual exchange of actions
- exchangeMutual giving and receiving
- communicationExchanging ideas or information
- dialogueSpoken exchange between parties
cooperation · face-to-face · negotiation · conversation · impression management · encounter · turn-taking · recognition
social theorypsychoanalysis
Treatment via unconscious exploration
introspection · psychological theory · cognitive theory · cognitive psychology · neuroscience
social theorysocial work
Professional community aid practice
community organizing · activism · direct action · praxis · fieldwork
social theoryempirical research
Investigation grounded in observation
survey research · ethnography · data analysis · field research · raw data
social, theory, society, associate, association, sociable, antisocial, socialize, unsocial