research question sociology paper

30 sociology research questions for your next project

Last updated

30 April 2024

Reviewed by

Being a human being and living in modern society can be confusing and complicated. A wide range of historical, behavioral, and structural factors impact our day-to-day experiences. People who study sociology aim to better understand how culture, social interactions, and relationships impact individual and collective well-being.

Sociology research helps provide answers that policymakers, entrepreneurs, and individuals can use to improve the lives of local and global communities. But they can only do this if they ask and address the right questions.

Use this article to kickstart your research. It will help you choose an in-demand sociology research question to explore for your next project or assignment.

• Why sociology research matters

Sociology is a diverse, complex, and essential area of study. It’s the study of life, social change, and human behaviors. Sociology research explores how societal structures and organizations impact everyday life and well-being.

Social communication and interaction are fundamental components of the human experience. Studying these topics in detail helps uncover flaws or biases within our societal structures that impact particular individuals or groups of people.

To properly address societal issues, we first need to identify and understand them. Conducting your own high-quality sociology research gives you the opportunity to explore a topic you are passionate about. You can contribute valuable information to improve our existing societal structures and systems.

• How to choose a great sociology research topic

Whether you’re choosing a topic for a school project or want to expand into a new niche with your existing research practices, choosing the right sociology research question is essential during the early stages of your work.

The topic and people you choose to study will greatly differ depending on what you have access to. So, to make your efforts worthwhile, we recommend considering the following points before you make your final decision:

Consider your bandwidth

It’s easy to get in over your head with a particularly ambitious research project.

To be able to produce the best work and ensure you can actually complete your project, consider the following questions before choosing your research question:

What is my research project timeline?

How much support do I have to complete my research?

What research tools and platforms do I have access to?

How much research experience do I have?

Factor in your target audience

Sociology is the study of human behavior, so your study participants will significantly impact the results.

Depending on the scope of your work, research questions that focus on harder-to-access groups may pose a challenge for students, novice researchers, or projects with little funding. Children, people living in rural areas, or people with particular health conditions are all examples of groups that are harder to access for research.

So, depending on your experience level, resources, and support, you should consider these limitations before choosing a research question that involves working with these groups.

Focus on your skills

Everyone has a set of skills they bring to the table. If you want to get the most bang for your buck with your research efforts, lean into your skills when choosing your research question.

Sociology is a diverse area of study that has plenty of room for both anecdotal and emotional research and statistical analysis. For this reason, you need to factor in your preferences and skillset when you decide which type of question to pursue.

If you love talking to people and collecting nuanced opinions, a qualitative -focused question will best suit your project. Or, you might prefer more numeric analysis. In this case, choosing a question that allows you to collect quantitative data about a specific population will be better suited to your skill set.

Catch up on the latest trends

Finally, one of the most important things to consider when choosing your sociology research question is the existing trends within your area of study.

Reading up on the latest research projects surrounding your topic is an absolute must. It’s a great way to stay involved in the research community and ensure you don’t accidentally copy or repeat existing research.

Additionally, your research will become more nuanced and impactful the more plugged into your topic you are. Getting to grips with existing research will provide inspiration and ideas, particularly about knowledge gaps or challenges, giving your project the best chance of success.

• Sociology research questions for college students

Sociology research is a common project or assignment for college students looking to learn more about human behavior and society. 

College students are often limited by time, resources, and funding. However, they can still explore plenty of incredibly interesting and important sociology research questions. And hey, you never know, maybe this first project will kickstart your career as a sociology researcher!

Consider these examples of trending sociology research topics for college students:

How prevalent is bullying in a particular age category, and what strategies can we use to tackle it?

How does student debt impact college student spending habits?

What impact does living on campus vs. living off campus have on student friendships in the first year of university?

What are the most commonly reported stressors reported by rural students moving to campus for university?

How do students respond to group projects vs. individual assignments, and which option is best suited for post-secondary education?

• Sociology research questions about cultural bias

Culture (the behaviors, teachings, and beliefs that a group of people shares) plays a significant role in modern society. It’s often attributed to a specific region or location and is created by groups of like-minded people sharing ideas, opinions, and values.

Culture significantly influences how people interact with the world around them, and studying this impact is a hot-button topic for sociologists.

Here are some examples of sociology research questions about culture and cultural bias:

To what extent does cultural bias impact female empowerment?

What are the predominant traits a person who describes themselves as a “patriot” would attribute to themselves?

To what extent does Westernized culture impact health and wellness?

How are people who belong to cultural minorities treated differently from the majority?

How has globalization and social media affected the concept of cultural heritage?

• Sociology research questions about religion

Around the world, religion is a powerful connecting force. Some of the most commonly known religions today have thousands of years of history and impact.

Because of its prevalence and influence, it’s no surprise that religion is a common topic for sociology researchers—especially as the global community becomes more connected and aware of different religious practices.

Examples of trending sociology research questions about religion include the following:

To what extent should schools teach students about religion?

How important is it for [a particular group of people] to follow the rules of their chosen religion? Why do they feel it’s important to do so?

How does spirituality differ from religious practice?

How has religion shaped the structures of modern Western society?

Is it important for people to participate in traditional religious ceremonies, and how do they feel when participating?

• Sociology research questions about race and society

The impact of race and ethnicity on a person’s well-being and worldview is always a worthwhile topic to explore. It’s one of the more prevalent themes in sociology research.

Despite the world being more connected than ever, many of our society’s foundational social structures place unnecessary barriers that block people from minority ethnic groups from accessing the same opportunities as the majority.

Sociology research exploring the role of race and ethnicity in society can help provide insights into why this happens. We can use these insights to combat social inequities.

Here are five examples of sociology research questions focused on race, ethnicity, and society:

How does a person’s ethnic background impact their dietary preferences?

To what extent does race impact annual income?

What are the healthcare barriers people from ethnic minorities most commonly report experiencing?

How does international travel impact a person’s understanding of race and ethnicity?

How likely are people from the [X] ethnic community to experience stress, and what are the effects of this?

• Sociology research questions about generational differences

Generational differences play a significant role in how a person communicates with, relates to, and understands the people and environment around them.

New generations are entering the workforce and older generations are heading toward retirement. This means you can collect a wealth of information about each group’s experiences, opinions, values, and concerns.

Things like technology, political opinions, and family values are hot-button topics that differ from generation to generation. Choosing a research question that focuses on generational differences will likely be a great choice if you find any of these topics interesting.

Here are some example questions to consider:

To what extent should younger generations be expected to learn from their elders?

What are the financial differences between baby boomers and millennials?

How do different generations feel about the future?

How are people born before 1965 adapting to new changes in technology?

What are the most common stressors reported by people from different generations, and how do they differ from each other?

• Controversial sociology research questions

“Controversial” research topics are a popular option for many researchers. This is because they are compelling, modern, and useful for shedding light on emotionally charged topics.

Depending on your personal worldview and opinions, these topics may not be controversial or contentious at all. But, as questions that cover topics that trigger a strong emotional response in certain groups of people, these research questions are worth exploring.

Here are some examples of “controversial” sociology research questions: 

To what extent has social media changed communication, and should it be better monitored or regulated?

How have anti-LGBTQ+ policies impacted the health and well-being of people in that community?

How has diet culture impacted how young women feel about their bodies?

To what extent does student debt impact a person’s ability to thrive after post-secondary education?

How does a person’s political views impact their core values?

• Sociology research is essential 

Sociology is a vibrant, unique, and important area of study. Thorough research in this area, regardless of the topic, is always a valuable endeavor. It helps you gain a better understanding of human life, behavior, and connection.

No matter the size and breadth of your next research project or assignment, choosing the right research question will help you uncover important information about society and its structures.

Help break down existing barriers and improve the quality of life for people around the world by conducting your own sociology research on a topic that resonates with your values and experiences. Any insights you collect are valuable and could play a key role in improving the human experience.

Editor’s picks

Last updated: 11 January 2024

Last updated: 15 January 2024

Last updated: 25 November 2023

Last updated: 12 May 2023

Last updated: 30 April 2024

Last updated: 18 May 2023

Last updated: 10 April 2023

Latest articles

Related topics, .css-je19u9{-webkit-align-items:flex-end;-webkit-box-align:flex-end;-ms-flex-align:flex-end;align-items:flex-end;display:-webkit-box;display:-webkit-flex;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;-webkit-flex-direction:row;-ms-flex-direction:row;flex-direction:row;-webkit-box-flex-wrap:wrap;-webkit-flex-wrap:wrap;-ms-flex-wrap:wrap;flex-wrap:wrap;-webkit-box-pack:center;-ms-flex-pack:center;-webkit-justify-content:center;justify-content:center;row-gap:0;text-align:center;max-width:671px;}@media (max-width: 1079px){.css-je19u9{max-width:400px;}.css-je19u9>span{white-space:pre;}}@media (max-width: 799px){.css-je19u9{max-width:400px;}.css-je19u9>span{white-space:pre;}} decide what to .css-1kiodld{max-height:56px;display:-webkit-box;display:-webkit-flex;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;-webkit-align-items:center;-webkit-box-align:center;-ms-flex-align:center;align-items:center;}@media (max-width: 1079px){.css-1kiodld{display:none;}} build next, decide what to build next.

Users report unexpectedly high data usage, especially during streaming sessions.

Users find it hard to navigate from the home page to relevant playlists in the app.

It would be great to have a sleep timer feature, especially for bedtime listening.

I need better filters to find the songs or artists I’m looking for.

Log in or sign up

Get started for free

Top 50 Sociology Research Topics Ideas and Questions

Interesting Sociology Research Topics and Questions: Due to the vastness of the possibilities, coming up with sociological research topics can be stressful. In order to help narrow down the specificities of where our interests lie, it is important to organize them into various subtopics. This article will be focusing on various sociology research topics, ideas, and questions, one can venture into, to write an effective sociology research paper .

• Social Institutions

Interactions with social institutions are inextricably linked to our lives. Social institutions such as family, marriage, religion, education, etc., play a major role in defining the type of primary and secondary identities we create for ourselves. They also define the types and natures of our various relationships with fellow individuals and social systems around us and play a huge role in the type of socialization we are exposed to in various stages of our lives. Some topics that one can consider to examine the roles that social institutions play in different dimensions of our lives are as follows:

• Hierarchical creation of Distinction and Differentiation in cultures rich in Plurality
• Violence perpetuated in the structures of Family, Marriage and Kinship
• Sexually Abused Boys – The contribution of familial and societal neglect due to unhealthy stereotypes resulting in silenced voices of male victims
• The Institution of Dowry – Turning Marriage into an Unethical Transaction Process
• Gendered Socialization of young children in Indian households and how it feeds into the Patriarchy
• Marital Rape – An Examination on the Importance of Consent
• How do the institutions of Family, Marriage and Kinship contribute towards the Socialization of young minds?
• In the Pretext of upholding the Integrity of the Family – The Horrifying Prevalence of Honor Killing
• The Underlying Influence of Religion and Family in the cultivation of Homophobic sentiments – A Case Study
• The Roles of Family, Education and Society in both enforcing as well as eradicating negative sentiments towards Inter-caste Marriages.
• The effects of Divorce on young minds and their interactions with their social environments and the relationships they create. Are there primarily negative effects as society dictates, or could divorce also have possible effects for children in mentally/ physically abusive parents?
• Examining the Influence of class status on Parenting styles
• Social Issues

Our society is never rid of the conflict. It lies in our very human nature to create conflict-ridden- situations and seek multiple ways to resolve them. Conflict is ingrained in human society, and the more diverse it is, in terms of social institutions, nationalities, gender identities, sexualities, races, etc., the more prone to conflict we are. It is not always necessarily a bad thing, but a clear sociological examination of these social issues that stem from our various interactions is of utmost importance, in order to come up with optimal and rational solutions. Some social issues that one can focus on for delving into research are as follows:

• Reconceptualizing the underlying differences between Race and Ethnicity with the help of examples and examining the interchangeable usage of the two terms
• Assess from a Sociological perspective the rise in Xenophobia after the rise of Covid-19
• Examining the prevalence of gender-inequality in the workspace and solutions that can help overcome it
• Sociological Perspective on Ethnic Cleansing and possible solutions
• 10 Things that Need to Change in the Society in order to be more accommodative of Marginalized Communities and help tackle their Challenges
• The Directly Proportional Relationship between Privilege and Power – A Sociological Examination
• Demonization of the Occident by the Orient – A Case Study
• Dimensions of Intersectionality – An Examination through Feminist Theory
• Examining the Manner in which the Modern Education System feeds into Harmful Capitalistic Ideals with examples
• The perpetuation of differential treatment of male and female students within Indian Educational Systems
• Scarcity of Resources or rather the Accumulation of the World’s Resources in the Hands of a Few? – A Sociological Examination
• Links between Colonialism and Christianity and their effects on the Colonized
• Creation and conflict of Plural Identities in the Children of Migrants
• The Overarching need for Social Reform to precede and hence ensure Economic Reform
• Marxist Perspectives

Karl Marx was a renowned German Sociologist from whom comes the Marxist Theories. Through works such as “The Communist Manifesto” (1848) and other renowned works, his views on capitalist society, the unequal division of labor, class conflict, and other issues spread throughout the world, influencing many. His influential works significantly widened the Marxist perspective. He sought to explain and analyze the various inequalities and differences that were imposed on society and led to class conflict; for which the economic system of capitalism was blamed. His views on other topics like religion, education, interdisciplinarity, climate change, etc. were also highly praised. Here are some of the topics one can venture into for researching Marx’s perspectives.

• Marxist perspective on the Effect of Capitalism on the Climate Crisis
• Marxist perspective on the Importance of the element of Interdisciplinarity within Indian Sociology as an Academic Discipline
• Marxist Criticism of Normative Ethical Thought

Read: How to Apply Sociology in Everyday Life

The majority of the world’s population is exposed to various forms of media in today’s world such as, Films, Newspapers, TV Shows, Books, Online Sources, Social-Media etc. The consumption of such content has increased to such an extent that it now plays a huge role in the way individual identities are shaped and influenced. They also play a huge role in influencing the opinions and views we hold about the world’s issues and various phenomena, and now hold the power to become driving forces of social change in society. These are some areas that have the potential for in-depth sociological research:

• A Sociological Analysis of the Influence of Pop Culture in an Individual’s socialization process and building body image
• Influence of social media in the ongoing perpetuation of Western standards of Beauty
• A Sociological Analysis of Representations of Masculinity in Audio/Visual/Print Advertisements and the effects the pose for audiences who are offered this content
• A Sociological Analysis on the Fetishization of Queer Relationships as Token Diversity in Film
• A Sociological Perspective on the Perpetuation of Casteism in the Bollywood Industry by means of Endorsements for Colorist advertisements, as well as portrayal of Negative Stereotypes of Marginalized Communities on the big screen
• Popular Cinema – Possessing Potential to both Reinforce or Challenge Hegemonic Masculinity
• A Detailed Sociological Analyses of Cultural Appropriation in Media and how it perpetuates unhealthy Fetishization of certain cultures
• Trace Representations of Hegemonic Masculinity in Popular Media – Assessing spectator relationship

READ: How to Write Academic Paper: Introduction to Academic Writing

• Political Issues

Just as social issues, political issues are equally important. The various political systems of the world determine the kind of governance we are under and the nature of human rights we are ensured as citizens. A sociological assessment of the various relationships between the different political issues instigated by the numerous forms of political power is of utmost importance. Such sociological indulgence helps in assessing the nature of these issues and the effect these issues have on citizens. Colonialism, Caste system, Resource conflicts, Communism, etc. and their roles in the political arena, as well as the nature of the world governments of today, can be assessed using research questions/ topics such as these:

• Sociological Inspection on the International Peacekeeping Efforts in local conflicts
• Tracing the Role of Colonialism in the act of instigating Contemporary and Historical conflicts in post-colonial states – A Case Study
• Illustrating with examples the Vitality of Symbolic Representation of Indian Nationalism and how it contributes to Nationalistic Sentiments
• Comparative Analysis on the two cases of Palestine/Israel conflict and Kashmir/India conflict within the dimensions of State Violence, Separatism and Militancy
• Case Study outlining the influence of socio-economic and political factors that result in the creation and perpetuation of Conflict over Resources.
• Trace the Relationship between Naxalism and Intrastate Conflict
• Analyzing the existence of Caste based Violence in India
• Examination of the extent to which Freedom of Speech and Expression is allowed to be practiced and controlled under the Indian Government today
• Sociological Analysis on the Occupation of Kashmir within Dimensions of Militancy and Human Rights
• Sociological Analysis on the Occupation of Palestine
• Annihilation of Caste: A Review – Stirring the Waters Towards a Notional Reform to Attain Fundamental Social Reforms
• The demonization of Communism – A Sociological Perspective
• Role of Social Movements – A Sociological Case Study

We will update with more sociology research topics like Urban Sociology, industries, crime, mental health, Etc.

Also READ: How to write a Sociology Assignment – Guide

Angela Roy is currently pursuing her majors in Sociology and minors in International Relations and History, as a part of her BA Liberal Arts Honors degree in SSLA, Pune. She has always been driven to play a part in changing and correcting the social evils that exist in society. With a driving passion for breaking down harmful societal norms and social injustices, she seeks to learn and understand the different social institutions that exist in society like family, marriage, religion and kinship, and how they influence the workings and functioning of various concepts like gender, sexuality and various types of socializations in an individual’s life. She envisions herself to play a vital role in building safe places for today’s marginalized communities and creating a world that is characterized by equity and inclusiveness, free of discrimination and exploitative behaviors.

Research Topics & Ideas: Sociology

50 Topic Ideas To Kickstart Your Research Project

If you’re just starting out exploring sociology-related topics for your dissertation, thesis or research project, you’ve come to the right place. In this post, we’ll help kickstart your research by providing a hearty list of research ideas , including real-world examples from recent sociological studies.

PS – This is just the start…

We know it’s exciting to run through a list of research topics, but please keep in mind that this list is just a starting point . These topic ideas provided here are intentionally broad and generic , so keep in mind that you will need to develop them further. Nevertheless, they should inspire some ideas for your project.

To develop a suitable research topic, you’ll need to identify a clear and convincing research gap , and a viable plan to fill that gap. If this sounds foreign to you, check out our free research topic webinar that explores how to find and refine a high-quality research topic, from scratch. Alternatively, consider our 1-on-1 coaching service .

Sociology-Related Research Topics

• Analyzing the social impact of income inequality on urban gentrification.
• Investigating the effects of social media on family dynamics in the digital age.
• The role of cultural factors in shaping dietary habits among different ethnic groups.
• Analyzing the impact of globalization on indigenous communities.
• Investigating the sociological factors behind the rise of populist politics in Europe.
• The effect of neighborhood environment on adolescent development and behavior.
• Analyzing the social implications of artificial intelligence on workforce dynamics.
• Investigating the impact of urbanization on traditional social structures.
• The role of religion in shaping social attitudes towards LGBTQ+ rights.
• Analyzing the sociological aspects of mental health stigma in the workplace.
• Investigating the impact of migration on family structures in immigrant communities.
• The effect of economic recessions on social class mobility.
• Analyzing the role of social networks in the spread of disinformation.
• Investigating the societal response to climate change and environmental crises.
• The role of media representation in shaping public perceptions of crime.
• Analyzing the sociocultural factors influencing consumer behavior.
• Investigating the social dynamics of multigenerational households.
• The impact of educational policies on social inequality.
• Analyzing the social determinants of health disparities in urban areas.
• Investigating the effects of urban green spaces on community well-being.
• The role of social movements in shaping public policy.
• Analyzing the impact of social welfare systems on poverty alleviation.
• Investigating the sociological aspects of aging populations in developed countries.
• The role of community engagement in local governance.
• Analyzing the social effects of mass surveillance technologies.

Sociology Research Ideas (Continued)

• Investigating the impact of gentrification on small businesses and local economies.
• The role of cultural festivals in fostering community cohesion.
• Analyzing the societal impacts of long-term unemployment.
• Investigating the role of education in cultural integration processes.
• The impact of social media on youth identity and self-expression.
• Analyzing the sociological factors influencing drug abuse and addiction.
• Investigating the role of urban planning in promoting social integration.
• The impact of tourism on local communities and cultural preservation.
• Analyzing the social dynamics of protest movements and civil unrest.
• Investigating the role of language in cultural identity and social cohesion.
• The impact of international trade policies on local labor markets.
• Analyzing the role of sports in promoting social inclusion and community development.
• Investigating the impact of housing policies on homelessness.
• The role of public transport systems in shaping urban social life.
• Analyzing the social consequences of technological disruption in traditional industries.
• Investigating the sociological implications of telecommuting and remote work trends.
• The impact of social policies on gender equality and women’s rights.
• Analyzing the role of social entrepreneurship in addressing societal challenges.
• Investigating the effects of urban renewal projects on community identity.
• The role of public art in urban regeneration and social commentary.
• Analyzing the impact of cultural diversity on education systems.
• Investigating the sociological factors driving political apathy among young adults.
• The role of community-based organizations in addressing urban poverty.
• Analyzing the social impacts of large-scale sporting events on host cities.
• Investigating the sociological dimensions of food insecurity in affluent societies.

Recent Studies & Publications: Sociology

While the ideas we’ve presented above are a decent starting point for finding a research topic, they are fairly generic and non-specific. So, it helps to look at actual sociology-related studies to see how this all comes together in practice.

Below, we’ve included a selection of recent studies to help refine your thinking. These are actual studies,  so they can provide some useful insight as to what a research topic looks like in practice.

• Social system learning process (Subekti et al., 2022)
• Sociography: Writing Differently (Kilby & Gilloch, 2022)
• The Future of ‘Digital Research’ (Cipolla, 2022).
• A sociological approach of literature in Leo N. Tolstoy’s short story God Sees the Truth, But Waits (Larasati & Irmawati, 2022)
• Teaching methods of sociology research and social work to students at Vietnam Trade Union University (Huu, 2022)
• Ideology and the New Social Movements (Scott, 2023)
• The sociological craft through the lens of theatre (Holgersson, 2022).
• An Essay on Sociological Thinking, Sociological Thought and the Relationship of a Sociologist (Sönmez & Sucu, 2022)
• How Can Theories Represent Social Phenomena? (Fuhse, 2022)
• Hyperscanning and the Future of Neurosociology (TenHouten et al., 2022)
• Sociology of Wisdom: The Present and Perspectives (Jijyan et al., 2022). Collective Memory (Halbwachs & Coser, 2022)
• Sociology as a scientific discipline: the post-positivist conception of J. Alexander and P. Kolomi (Vorona, 2022)
• Murder by Usury and Organised Denial: A critical realist perspective on the liberating paradigm shift from psychopathic dominance towards human civilisation (Priels, 2022)
• Analysis of Corruption Justice In The Perspective of Legal Sociology (Hayfa & Kansil, 2023)
• Contributions to the Study of Sociology of Education: Classical Authors (Quentin & Sophie, 2022)
• Inequality without Groups: Contemporary Theories of Categories, Intersectional Typicality, and the Disaggregation of Difference (Monk, 2022)

As you can see, these research topics are a lot more focused than the generic topic ideas we presented earlier. So, for you to develop a high-quality research topic, you’ll need to get specific and laser-focused on a specific context with specific variables of interest.  In the video below, we explore some other important things you’ll need to consider when crafting your research topic.

Get 1-On-1 Help

If you’re still unsure about how to find a quality research topic, check out our Research Topic Kickstarter service, which is the perfect starting point for developing a unique, well-justified research topic.

You Might Also Like:

Submit a Comment Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

• Print Friendly

Sociology Research Guide

• Source Selection & Evaluation

Characteristics of a Research Question

Topic selection, topic verification.

• Search Tips & Strategies
• Online Sources
• Data & Statistics
• Citing Sources [opens a new window] This link opens in a new window

Library Help

Need assistance? Get in touch!

Email: [email protected]

Phone: 931-540-2560

Research questions have a few characteristics.

• They're open-ended . (They can't be answered with a simple yes or no response.)
• They're often measurable through quantitative data or qualitative measures.
• They summarize the issue/topic being researched.
• They may take a fresh look at an issue or try to solve a problem.

In addition, research questions may . . .

• answer how or why questions.
• fit within a cause/effect structure.
• have a pro/con format.
• introduce an argument that is then supported with evidence .

Topic selection is the process you use to choose your topic. This is the more creative side of topic development. There are several steps to this process.

• Brainstorming. Start a list of topics that interest you and are within the guidelines of the assignment. They could be personal, professional, or academic interests. Researching something that interests you is much more enjoyable and will keep you interested in the research process. Write down related words or phrases. These will be useful at the research stage.
• Reshaping the topic. Sometimes you'll choose a topic that's either too narrow or too broad. Find out ways to broaden or narrow the topic so that it's a better size to fit your research assignment. This is where Wikipedia and generic Google searches are okay. You can use those sites to get other ideas of how your topic idea may work. Perform some simple searches to see what information is out there. (Just be sure not to cite Wikipedia or Google.)
• Looking at the body of research. Once you have a topic that you think is a good size, take a look at the body of research that's available for the topic. Check in catalogs and databases. Look at reputable websites. You want to be sure that your topic has an adequate amount of research before you invest too much time into the idea.
• Revising. Throughout this process, be prepared to revise your topic. Don't think that you have to keep the same topic that you started with. Topic revision happens all the time. In fact, we often develop better topics as a result of this revision!

Topic verification is the process you use to confirm your topic is viable for research. This is the more technical side of topic development. There are also several steps to this process.

• Using search strategies. Do some experimental searching in the databases using search strategies . Try different combinations to see what you find. Use your notes from your brainstorming to search for different synonyms or phrases.
• Locating relevant and reliable information. At this stage, you want to see if you can find both a good quality and good quantity of sources. You don't need to read the entirety of the sources right now. Just read their abstracts and identifying information. Confirm that the sources you find support each other. Double-check the authority of the authors. This is the source evaluation stage.
• Verifying information. Once you've confirmed that the sources are reliable and relevant, decide whether or not you can verify the information in the sources. If your sources corrobate each other, you have a good topic. In fact, even if they dispute each other, that is sometimes okay. It just depends on your topic's goal. However, if you cannot verify the reliability of any of your sources' information, then you may need to start over again with a new topic idea.
• << Previous: Source Selection & Evaluation
• Next: Search Tips & Strategies >>
• Last Updated: Dec 7, 2023 11:04 AM
• URL: https://libguides.columbiastate.edu/sociology

Sociology: Developing Topics & Research Questions

• About this Guide
• Books in the library
• Identifying the Research Method
• Developing Topics & Research Questions
• Journal and Magazine Articles
• Evaluating Information
• Getting Research Help

Developing a Research Question Takes Research

When the scope of your paper is too big, it's hard to dig through information and to write a paper wit any depth. The goal of most research papers in college is to seek a possible answer to a particular questions related to a topic. A research question, when not too broad or too narrow, helps guide and focus your paper.

The question should also be one in which you haven't decided on a pre-determined answer. You may find that looking for sources that provide a certain answer may be too limiting. The answer you are expecting might not be supported by evidence.

Brainstorm & do some pre-research

The research question isn't a question you make up at the top of your head. It's normal to start with a broad topic in mind. After doing some brainstorming about a topic, you will need to do some reading to find an angle to pursue, and, even then, your question may change as you find more information later.

Ask questions

From your pre-research, think about questions you might be able to ask regarding the topic. Most scholarly research examines fairly narrow topics and looks at relationships between concepts. One way to limit the scope of your topic is to ask who, what, where, when, why, and how questions.

Be flexible

It's okay to continue to tweak your question; the end result should be that you have answered the question you've laid out in the introduction, even if the introduction is the last paragraph you actually end up revising in your final paper.

Picking Your Topic IS Research

North Carolina State University (NCSU) Libraries, 3:10

OER Book Chapters

• The Qualities of a Good Research Question from LibreTexts
• Research Questions from Choosing & Using Sources: A Guide to Academic Research, Teaching & Learning, Ohio State University Libraries

Research is a Process

Anna Eisen (2:35)

Encourages students to develop background knowledge to create a research question.  Research questions should have topic, question and significance.  The narrator suggests using the following formulation:  I’m studying  _______________ to investigate ______________ in order to understand. Complex research questions take time to create.

Keeping your research question in mind, if you can answer TRUE to the statements below, your research question is probably workable.

• It cannot simply be answered with a yes/no. 
• It has social significance/a problem associated with it.
• There is reliable evidence available to address it.
• It has appropriate scope.

Be careful about investigating questions that you think you already have the answer to.

Choosing a Manageable Research Topic

PfauLibrary (3:42)

• << Previous: Keywords
• Next: Journal and Magazine Articles >>
• Last Updated: Feb 8, 2024 7:57 PM
• URL: https://libguides.mccd.edu/sociology

Explore your training options in 10 minutes Get Started

• Graduate Stories
• Partner Spotlights
• Bootcamp Prep
• Bootcamp Admissions
• University Bootcamps
• Coding Tools
• Software Engineering
• Web Development
• Data Science
• Tech Guides
• Tech Resources
• Career Advice
• Online Learning
• Internships
• Apprenticeships
• Tech Salaries
• Associate Degree
• Bachelor's Degree
• Master's Degree
• University Admissions
• Best Schools
• Certifications
• Bootcamp Financing
• Higher Ed Financing
• Scholarships
• Financial Aid
• Best Coding Bootcamps
• Best Online Bootcamps
• Best Web Design Bootcamps
• Best Data Science Bootcamps
• Best Technology Sales Bootcamps
• Best Data Analytics Bootcamps
• Best Cybersecurity Bootcamps
• Best Digital Marketing Bootcamps
• Los Angeles
• San Francisco
• Browse All Locations
• Digital Marketing
• Machine Learning
• See All Subjects
• Bootcamps 101
• Full-Stack Development
• Career Changes
• View all Career Discussions
• Mobile App Development
• Cybersecurity
• Product Management
• UX/UI Design
• What is a Coding Bootcamp?
• Are Coding Bootcamps Worth It?
• How to Choose a Coding Bootcamp
• Best Online Coding Bootcamps and Courses
• Best Free Bootcamps and Coding Training
• Coding Bootcamp vs. Community College
• Coding Bootcamp vs. Self-Learning
• Bootcamps vs. Certifications: Compared
• What Is a Coding Bootcamp Job Guarantee?
• How to Pay for Coding Bootcamp
• Ultimate Guide to Coding Bootcamp Loans
• Best Coding Bootcamp Scholarships and Grants
• Education Stipends for Coding Bootcamps
• Get Your Coding Bootcamp Sponsored by Your Employer
• GI Bill and Coding Bootcamps
• Tech Intevriews
• Our Enterprise Solution
• Connect With Us
• Publication
• Reskill America
• Partner With Us

• Resource Center
• Bachelor’s Degree
• Master’s Degree

The Top 10 Most Interesting Sociology Research Topics

Writing a good sociology paper depends on the quality of your sociology research topics. Whether you want to focus on social relationships, the development of our society, human health, or socioeconomic issues, you need to pick the most relevant sociology research questions.

In this article, we will present some interesting sociology research paper topics, as well as provide you with a few examples of sociology research questions that will hopefully inspire your next paper.

Find your bootcamp match

What makes a strong sociology research topic.

A strong sociology research topic needs to be current, relevant, and interesting for you. Society and its challenges are ever-changing so your topic needs to be up to date. You also need to make sure your sociology topic is relevant and interesting, especially to you. Writing about something you like always ensures better research and outcomes.

Tips for Choosing a Sociology Research Topic

• Brainstorm. The first step to finding the perfect sociology research paper topic is to brainstorm. Write down all of your ideas, check out topics from previous classes, and look for other ideas online.
• Write a list of keywords. If there are a few topics that interest you more than others, write down a list of keywords that relate to them. This might give you some ideas for an even more specific sociology topic and help you come up with relevant research questions.
• Choose the topic that inspires you most. If you choose a topic that interests and inspires you, chances are you’ll end up with deeper research, a high level of detail, and a paper that you’re proud of.
• Do bibliographical research. Bibliographical research is how you find out if your topic is current and relevant. You’ll want to know exactly what’s been said on your topic and what relevant questions have been previously addressed on the matter.
• Identify the main questions that need addressing. When choosing your sociological topic, make sure to think about different questions you would like to address with your research. This might help you determine whether or not the topic in question is right for you.

What’s the Difference Between a Research Topic and a Research Question?

A research topic constitutes a specific niche or area that’s part of a broader general theme. In sociology, there are several different research topics to explore. An example of a relevant and current sociological research topic could be the implementation of gender studies for children.

A research question stems out of the research topic as an issue or problem that needs to be addressed by research. In this case, an example of a sociology research question could be “Should children be exposed to gender studies from a young age?”.

How to Create Strong Sociology Research Questions

Strong sociological research questions take social issues and examine their social meaning and patterns. Once you pick a topic that you like, try narrowing it down to one or two manageable questions that you would like to explore and make sure they’re sociological in nature. The goal is to try and find patterns and meaning for social issues in groups.

Top 10 Sociology Research Paper Topics

1. the role of social media in today’s social movements.

The widespread usage of social media has the potential to mobilize the masses and accelerate recruitment for social movements. Nearly everyone has access to social media. This means that the dissemination of important information occurs rather fast, reaching a very large audience.

2. The Effects of Divorce on Children

Children who have gone through the divorce of their parents may be prone to experience some issues regarding their behavior, social relationships, and mental health. Commonly, these children may display deviant behavior, anger issues, trouble communicating, anxiety, and other issues.

3. The Role of Religious Education in a Modern Society

In a world that’s becoming less religious with time, religious education might seem like a waste of time. However, these types of classes can still be helpful for personal development and provide insight into the different cultures and beliefs that surround us.

4. The Association Between Social Media Usage and Depression in Children

Social media platforms, such as Instagram, can be toxic to the mental health of children and teenagers. Having to grow up in this Internet era is causing children to have depression, anxiety, body image issues, and a lack of social skills. Interesting research questions regarding this topic might try to understand how to reduce social media’s negative effects on mental health.

5. The Phenomenon of Bullying and Aggression Among Teenagers

Acting out is a part of life for most growing teenagers, but recurrent violent behavior among teens might be caused by other external factors. Being victims of violence themselves, bullying, and substance abuse are only a few of the factors behind the aggressive behavior of teenagers today.

6. Factors That Contribute to Abusive Marriages

There are several factors that might contribute to abusive marriages, such as adhering to strict gender roles and family values, abusing substances, and witnessing violence at home. This topic makes way for many other interesting research topics like knowing what causes someone to be an abuser or what major signs indicate a relationship can turn violent.

7. Patterns of Human Behavior Online

The field of digital sociology focuses on the social implications of digital media use. This field of study tries to understand the patterns of human behavior behind new social networks, virtual communities, and cyber crime. It is also responsible for trying to predict people’s personalities through their pattern of online behavior.

8. The Association Between Social Class and Child Obesity

Social class, or socioeconomic status, is one of the many factors associated with childhood obesity . Exploring this sociology research topic could lead to interesting questions regarding ways to combat childhood obesity in low-income families, for example.

9. The Impact of Infertility on a Married Couple

Infertility is a medical condition that affects many couples and is surrounded by heavy social implications. It can negatively impact a couple’s life by causing emotional distress, frustration, low-self esteem, and feelings of worthlessness. Possible research questions might aim to understand why this still happens and what can be done.

10. The Impact of Bullying on Mental Health

We might think of bullying as something that happens during school years, but its repercussions may follow those who were afflicted for the rest of their lives. Bullying can affect mental health by causing anxiety, depression, suicidal thoughts, agoraphobia, and more.

Other Examples of Sociology Research Topics & Questions

Sociology research topics.

• The history of food culture in different nations
• The impact of mainstream media on human behavior
• Cross-racial adoption effects on children and the society
• The challenges of health equity in rural areas
• The impact of social media on social relationships

Sociology Research Questions

• How can we overcome the stigma against mental disorders?
• Should children be exposed to gender studies from a young age?
• How did common gender stereotypes appear and how truthful are they?
• Should sexual education be a part of school programs?
• Should ethical values be reconsidered throughout the healthcare system?

Choosing the Right Sociology Research Topic

Coming up with strong ideas for sociology research doesn’t need to be hard. As long as you keep up with current and relevant trends and choose a focus that inspires you, you’ll have the right topic idea in no time.

You can choose your sociology research topics on social relationships, issues among teenagers, or deviant behavior. What matters is that you dig deep into the topic to extract answers to important questions.

Sociology Research Topics FAQ

There are several things you can do with a degree in sociology . Most sociology majors tend to pursue careers as sociologists, research analysts, human services educators, and social or community service managers.

Yes, a sociology career is worth it. Sociologists earn a mean annual wage of $93,420 , according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics. Their occupational outlook is projected to grow by five percent , between 2020 and 2030, which is considered slower than the average career. These figures are likely to differ between sociology career paths.

A sociology associate degree is a short, general degree that covers the basics of sociology. While it isn’t as extensive as a four-year degree, it still covers the fundamental principles of sociology and various topics across the field.

The best universities to get a sociology degree include Rutgers University, California-Irvine University, and the University of Illinois at Chicago. However, there are many other colleges that will provide you with an excellent education in sociology.

About us: Career Karma is a platform designed to help job seekers find, research, and connect with job training programs to advance their careers. Learn about the CK publication .

What's Next?

Get matched with top bootcamps

Ask a question to our community, take our careers quiz.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Sociology 100: Sociological Theory (Van Natta)

• Pre-Work (~10 minutes)
• Lesson Plan for 2/6/24
• Research is a Process - Overview

Step 1 - Your Research Question

Picking your topic is research (video tutorial), from topic to question (infographic), brainstorming keywords (infographic).

• Search Terms Activity
• 2. Background Information
• Advanced Search Tips
• Article Databases
• Sociology Journals
• Data & Statistics
• Books & eBooks
• Tips for reading scholarly articles This link opens in a new window
• Scholarly/Empirical Journal Articles
• ASA Citation Style
• Tech & More Help

24/7 Chat With a Librarian

Coming up with a research question can be challenging, but it's all part of the research process. In some cases, your instructor may give you a topic or in other cases, you may join a lab that is already working on a project with a defined research question, but if you are on your own, this page will give you some guidance.

Part of coming up with a manageable research question is also knowing what your "information need" is. In other words, what kinds of sources do you need to help you answer your question. See the subpage "Article Types" for more info.

Tip:  Remember that the research process is non-linear and sometimes messy. You will need to search for and read (or at least skim) some information sources to know if your research question is going to be manageable.  Skip to step 4 for some reading tips!

North Carolina State University (NCSU) Libraries, 3:10

Long description of "From Topic to Question" for Web Accessibility

Long description of "Brainstorming Keywords" for web accessibility

• Search exact phrases by using quotation marks
• Use broader or narrower terms and related words as synonyms
• << Previous: Research is a Process - Overview
• Next: Search Terms Activity >>
• Last Updated: Apr 22, 2024 9:27 PM
• URL: https://libguides.ucmerced.edu/soc100-van-natta

• Translators
• Graphic Designers

Please enter the email address you used for your account. Your sign in information will be sent to your email address after it has been verified.

100 Sociology Research Topics You Can Use Right Now

Sociology is a study of society, relationships, and culture. It can include multiple topics—ranging from class and social mobility to the Internet and marriage traditions. Research in sociology is used to inform policy makers , educators , businesses , social workers , non-profits , etc.

Below are 100 sociology research topics you can use right now, divided by general topic headings. Feel free to adapt these according to your specific interest. You'll always conduct more thorough and informed research if it's a topic you're passionate about.

Art, Food, Music, and Culture

• Does art imitate life or does life imitate art?
• How has globalization changed local culture?
• What role does food play in cultural identity?
• Does technology use affect people's eating habits?
• How has fast food affected society?
• How can clean eating change a person's life for the better?
• Should high-sugar drinks be banned from school campuses?
• How can travel change a person for the better?
• How does music affect the thoughts and actions of teenagers?
• Should performance artists be held partially responsible if someone is inspired by their music to commit a crime?
• What are some examples of cultural misappropriation?
• What role does music play in cultural identity?

Social Solutions and Cultural Biases

• What (if any) are the limits of free speech in a civil society?
• What are some reasonable solutions to overpopulation?
• What are some ways in which different types of media content influence society's attitudes and behaviors?
• What is the solution to stop the rise of homegrown terrorism in the U.S.?
• Should prescription drug companies be allowed to advertise directly to consumers?
• Is the global warming movement a hoax? Why or why not?
• Should the drinking age be lowered?
• Should more gun control laws be enacted in the U.S.?
• What bias exists against people who are obese?
• Should polygamy be legal in the U.S.? Why or why not?
• Should there be a legal penalty for using racial slurs?
• Should the legal working age of young people be raised or lowered?
• Should the death penalty be used in all cases involving first-degree murder?
• Should prisons be privately owned? Why or why not?
• What is privilege? How is it defined and how can it be used to gain access to American politics and positions of power?
• How are women discriminated against in the workplace?
• What role does feminism play in current American politics?
• What makes a patriot?
• Compare/analyze the social views of Plato and Aristotle
• How has labor migration changed America?
• What important skills have been lost in an industrialized West?
• Is the #MeToo movement an important one? Why or why not?
• What conflict resolution skills would best serve us in the present times?
• How can violence against women be dealt with to lower incidence rates?
• Should students be allowed to take any subject they want in High School and avoid the ones they don't like?
• How should bullies be dealt with in our country's schools?
• Do standardized tests improve education or have the opposite effect?
• Should school children be forced to go through metal detectors?
• What is the best teacher/student ratio for enhanced learning in school?
• Do school uniforms decrease teasing and bullying? If so, how?
• Should teachers make more money?
• Should public education be handled through private enterprises (like charter schools)?
• Should religious education be given priority over academic knowledge?
• How can schools help impoverished students in ways that won't embarrass them?
• What are ethical values that should be considered in education?
• Is it the state's role or the parents' role to educate children? Or a combination of both?
• Should education be given more political priority than defense and war?
• What would a perfect educational setting look like? How would it operate and what subjects would be taught?

Marriage and Family

• How should a "family" be defined? Can it be multiple definitions?
• What is a traditional role taken on by women that would be better handled by a man (and vice versa)?
• How has marriage changed in the United States?
• What are the effects of divorce on children?
• Is there a negative effect on children who are adopted by a family whose ethnicity is different than their own?
• Can children receive all they need from a single parent?
• Does helicopter parenting negatively affect children?
• Is marriage outdated?
• Should teens have access to birth control without their parents' permission?
• Should children be forced to show physical affection (hugs, etc.) to family members they're uncomfortable around?
• What are the benefits (or negative impact) of maintaining traditional gender roles in a family?
• Are social networks safe for preteens and teens? Why or why not?
• Should the government have a say in who can get married?
• What (if any) are the benefits of arranged marriages?
• What are the benefits for (or negative impact on) children being adopted by LGBTQ couples?
• How long should two people date before they marry?
• Should children be forced to be involved in activities (such as sports, gymnastics, clubs, etc.), even when they'd rather sit at home and play video games all day?
• Should parents be required to take a parenting class before having children?
• What are potential benefits to being married but choosing not to have children?

Generational

• Should communities take better care of their elderly? How?
• What are some generational differences among Generations X, Y, and Z?
• What benefits do elderly people get from interaction with children?
• How has Generation Y changed the country so far?
• What are the differences in communication styles between Generation X and Generation Y (Millennials)?
• Why could we learn from our elders that could not be learned from books?
• Should the elderly live with their immediate family (children and grandchildren)? How would this resolve some of our country's current problems?
• What are some positive or negative consequences to intergenerational marriage?

Spiritualism, religion, and superstition

• Why do some people believe in magic?
• What is the difference between religion and spiritualism?
• Should a government be a theocracy? Why or why not?
• How has religion helped (or harmed) our country?
• Should religious leaders be able to support a particular candidate from their pulpit?
• How have religious cults shaped the nation?
• Should students at religious schools be forced to take state tests?
• How has our human connection with nature changed while being trapped in crowded cities?
• Which generation from the past 200 years made the biggest impact on culture with their religious practice and beliefs? Explain your answer.

Addiction and Mental Health

• How should our society deal with addicts?
• What are ethical values that should be considered in mental health treatment?
• Should mental health be required coverage on all insurance policies?
• Is mental health treatment becoming less stigmatized?
• How would better access to mental health change our country?
• What are some things we're addicted to as a society that are not seen as "addiction," per se?
• Should medicinal marijuana be made legal?
• What are some alternative treatments for mental health and wellness instead of antidepressants?
• Has social media helped or harmed our society?
• Are video games addictive for young people and what should be done to curb the addiction?
• Should all recreational drugs be made legal?
• How has mental health treatment changed in the past 20 years?
• Should recreational marijuana be made legal?
• How is family counseling a good option for families going through conflict?

Related Posts

How to Write a Compelling Research Proposal

Best Practices for Dissertation Writing in a Second Language

• Academic Writing Advice
• All Blog Posts
• Writing Advice
• Admissions Writing Advice
• Book Writing Advice
• Short Story Advice
• Employment Writing Advice
• Business Writing Advice
• Web Content Advice
• Article Writing Advice
• Magazine Writing Advice
• Grammar Advice
• Dialect Advice
• Editing Advice
• Freelance Advice
• Legal Writing Advice
• Poetry Advice
• Graphic Design Advice
• Logo Design Advice
• Translation Advice
• Blog Reviews
• Short Story Award Winners
• Scholarship Winners

Need an academic editor before submitting your work?

Put a stop to deadline pressure, and have your homework done by an expert.

70 Catchy Sociology Research Paper Topics That Really Stand Out

If you are taking sociology in college, you will agree that it is one of the fascinating subjects because it involves dealing with things that define and affect people, such as cultures, customs, and how people’s ways of life change.

Despite being an enthralling subject, many students find it challenging to pick the best sociology topics. To help you address the problem, we have picked the best 70 sociology topics for research that you can use. So, use them as they are or tweak them a little to reflect your preference.

Sociology Research Topics on Teenagers and Children

When growing up, childhood is the most carefree period of life, but it does not mean that kids do not have issues. However, these issues change as they become teenagers, and you can focus on them to formulate your sociological research question for your paper. If you are interested in children and teenagers, here is a list of sociological topics to consider:

• What is the influence of sports on the mental health of teenagers?
• Is sexual education good for children?
• What is the best way to deal with bullying in schools?
• Exploring the main reasons why kids do not have stereotypes.
• Should we give religious education priority over academic knowledge?
• Self-identification in teenagers: What are the causes?
• How does homeschooling impact children’s socialization abilities?
• Should adults consider teenagers as equals?
• Teenage suicides: What are the leading causes?
• Teachers or parents: Who has a bigger role in preventing early pregnancies?

Sociology Papers Topics on Social Media

Social media has emerged as the new method of communication, both at the personal and corporate levels. As more social media platforms, such as Twitter, YouTube, and Facebook become the new norm, here are some related sociology research topics for college students.

• Can we consider social media as a reliable source of information?
• Using social media to improve the hiring process in companies.
• Understanding the role of influencers on social media users.
• Comparing the use of Instagram and Facebook in education.
• Online relationships: Can they be considered real?
• Cyberbullying on social media.
• If social media is outlawed today, would our lives be better?
• How can we use social media to help change people’s behavior?
• Social media development over time: How will it affect education in the future?
• Social media development: What is the effect on the development of civil societies?

Good Sociology Research Topics in Marriage and Family

We are all part of a family, and it plays a great impact on who we become later in life. For students who want to explore issues related to families, here are some examples of interesting sociology research topics that can get them top grades.

How should we define a family?

Traditional gender roles taken by men: Would they be better handled by women?

How has marriage changed in the UK?

Exploring the implications of divorce on children.

Are there negative impacts of kids adopted by families of different ethnicities?

Why have the cases of single parenthood increased so much in the last three decades?

Is the institution of marriage outdated?

Should we allow teens to get access to birth control without the permission of their guardians?

Should the government be allowed to decide who can get married?

Reviewing the implications for kids being adopted by LGBT couples.

Understanding the benefits of being married but choosing to stay childless.

What are the advantages and disadvantages of following the traditional gender roles in the family today?

Should all parents be required to take parenting classes before having children?

Do you support the use of the one-child policy in China to reduce population?

Easy Sociology Research Topics

Like we mentioned earlier, sociology is a broad subject, but it is crucial to select the research ideas carefully to avoid getting bored midway. So, if you like to keep things simple and you are wondering, “ What are some good sociology research topics,” here are some good suggestions.

• Why do more people prefer online communication today?
• Is anonymity when using the internet important?
• What are the best techniques for training kids with deviant behavior?
• For how long should people date before getting married?
• Exploring the differences between generations X and Z.
• The benefits of letting the elderly interact with children.
• What are the negative implications of intergenerational marriage?
• Exploring the differences between spiritualism and religion.
• Why do some city administrations only allow some businesses and disallow others in their jurisdictions?

Environmental Sociology Research Topics

People’s behaviors, policies, economic levels, and levels of education, among other aspects have huge implications on the environment. So, what areas of the environment and related topics do you want to explore? Here are some great topic samples to consider.

• An analysis of domestic inequality and carbon emissions.
• Is environmental activism alone enough in addressing the problem of global pollution?
• Exploring the latest trends in environmental justice: A case study of the United States.
• Food system localization: Comparing the Pros and Cons.

What implications does recycling for environmental reasons have on an individual’s social well-being?

• Why everyone has a role to play in addressing the problem of climate change.
• What are the main causes and consequences of global warming?
• Facing the truth: Can the global society address the problem of global warming?
• Why conservation should be taught from an early stage of a child development.

Sociology Research Proposal Topics

If you are required to work on a research project, and the proposal needs to get the nod from your lecturer before proceeding, here are some great topics to consider:

• How do stereotypes of age impact employment?
• Comparing liberal feminism and radical feminism.
• What age group is at a higher risk of getting involved in deviant behavior?
• Do women have fewer professional opportunities compared to men?
• How are sexuality and gender viewed by students in private versus public schools?
• Is it more important to be popular or successful in school today?
• Playing video games for more than 10 hours every week: What impact does it have on students’ learning abilities?
• Should we make medicinal marijuana legal?

Good Sociology Research Questions in Culture and Cultural Biases

Some of the hottest research questions in sociology about culture and cultural biases include:

• Are the policies and laws protecting free speech in society enough?
• What are the best solutions for reducing population growth in the globe?
• Should we allow prescription drug companies to make direct advertisements to consumers?
• What are the biases that exist against obese people?
• Should we have legal penalties for people who use racial slurs?
• How is gender discrimination in the workplace perpetrated?
• What role does feminism play in American politics in the 21 st century?
• What are the differences between labor immigration in Europe and the US?
• Should the drinking age be lowered?
• What are some of the best solutions for addressing homegrown terrorism in the United States?

Once You Have Sociology Research Topics, what Next?

If you want to get top grades, the first step is selecting excellent research paper topics. However, whether you have selected environmental, family, or medical sociology research topics, the bigger task is actually ahead, and you should consider seeking writing help from our professionals . We have writing experts who can handle every topic in sociology, be it a sociological research question or sociology of the family research topics. You can never go wrong with a pro on your side!

Get on top of your homework.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

How To Write A Sociology Research Paper Outline: Easy Guide With Template

Table of contents

• 1 What Is A Sociology Research Paper?
• 2 Sociology Paper Format
• 3 Structure of the Sociology Paper
• 4 Possible Sociology Paper Topics
• 5.1 Sociology Research Paper Outline Example
• 6 Sociology Research Paper Example

Writing a sociology research paper is mandatory in many universities and school classes, where students must properly present a relevant topic chosen with supporting evidence, exhaustive research, and new ways of understanding or explaining some author’s ideas. This type of paper is very common among political science majors and classes but can be assigned to almost every subject.

Learn about the key elements of a sociological paper and how to write an excellent piece.

Sociology papers require a certain structure and format to introduce the topic and key points of the research according to academic requirements. For those students struggling with this type of assignment, the following article will share some light on how to write a sociology research paper and create a sociology research paper outline, among other crucial points that must be addressed to design and write an outstanding piece.

With useful data about this common research paper, including topic ideas and a detailed outline, this guide will come in handy for all students and writers in need of writing an academic-worthy sociology paper.

What Is A Sociology Research Paper?

A sociology research paper is a specially written composition that showcases the writer’s knowledge on one or more sociology topics. Writing in sociology requires a certain level of knowledge and skills, such as critical thinking and cohesive writing, to be worthy of great academic recognition.

Furthermore, writing sociology papers have to follow a research paper type of structure to ensure the hypothesis and the rest of the ideas introduced in the research can be properly read and understood by teachers, peers, and readers in general.

Sociology research papers are commonly written following the format used in reports and are based on interviews, data, and text analysis. Writing a sociology paper requires students to perform unique research on a relevant topic (including the appropriate bibliography and different sources used such as books, websites, scientific journals, etc.), test a question or hypothesis that the paper will try to prove or deny, compare different sociologist’s points of view and how/why they state certain sayings and data, among other critical points.

A research paper in sociology also needs to apply the topic of current events, at least in some parts of the piece, in which writers must apply the theory to today’s scenarios. In addition to this, sociology research requires students to perform some kind of field research such as interviews, observational and participant research, and others.

Sociology research papers require a deep understanding of the subject and the ability to gather information from multiple sources. Therefore, many students seek help from experienced online essay writers to guide them through the research process and craft a compelling paper. With the help of a professional essay writer, students can craft a comprehensive sociology research paper outline to ensure they cover all the relevant points.

After explaining what this type of paper consists of, it is time to dive into one of the most searched questions online, “What format are sociology papers written in?”. Below you can find a detailed paragraph with all the information necessary.

Sociology Paper Format

A sociology paper format follows some standard requirements that can be seen on other types of papers as well. The format commonly used in college and other academic institutions consists of an appropriate citation style, which many professors ask for in the traditional APA format, but others can also require students to write in ASA style (very similar to APA, and the main difference is how you write the author’s name).

The citation is one of the major parts of any sociological research paper that needs to be understood perfectly and used according to the rules established by it. Failing to present a cohesive and correct citing format is very likely to cause the failure of the assignment.

As for the visual part of the paper, a neat and professional font is called for, and generally, the standard sociology paper outline is written in Times New Roman font (12pt and double spaced) with at least 1 inch of margin on both sides. If your professor did not specify which sociology format to use, it is safe to say that this one will be just fine for your delivery.

Sociology papers have a specific structure, just like other research pieces, which consist of an introduction , a body with respective paragraphs for each new idea, and a research conclusion . In the point below, you can find a detailed sociology research paper outline to help you write your statement as smoothly and professionally as possible.

Structure of the Sociology Paper

A traditional sociology research paper outline is based on a few key points that help present and develop the information and the writer’s skills properly. Below is a sociology research paper outline to start designing your project according to the standard requirements.

• Introduction. In this first part, you should state the question or problem to be solved during the article. Including a hypothesis and supporting the claim relevant to the chosen field is recommended.
• Literature review. Including the literature review is essential to a sociology research paper outline to present the authors and information used.
• Methodology. A traditional outline for a sociology research paper includes the methodology used, in which writers should explain how they approach their research and the methods used. It gives credibility to their work and makes it more professional.
• Outcomes & findings. Sociological research papers must include, after the methodology, the outcomes and findings to provide readers with a glimpse of what your paper resulted in. Graphics and tables are highly encouraged to use on this part.
• Discussion. The discussion part of a sociological paper serves as an overall review of the research, how difficult it was, and what can be improved.
• Conclusion. Finally, to close your sociology research paper outline, briefly mention the results obtained and do the last paragraph with the writer’s final words on the topic.
• Bibliography. The bibliography should be the last page (or pages) included in the article but in different sheets than the paper (this means, if you finished your article in the middle of the page, the bibliography should start on a new separate one), in which sources must be cited according to the style chosen (APA, ASA, etc.).

This sociology research paper outline serves as a great guide for those who want to properly present a sociological piece worthy of academic recognition. Furthermore, to achieve a good grade, it is essential to choose a great topic.

Below you can find some sociology paper topics to help you decide how to begin writing yours.

Possible Sociology Paper Topics

To present a quality piece, choosing a relevant topic inside the sociological field is essential. Here you can find unique sociology research paper topics that will make a great presentation.

• Relationship Between Race and Class
• How Ethnicity Affects Education
• How Women Are Presented By The Media
• Sexuality And Television
• Youth And Technology: A Revision To Social Media
• Technology vs. Food: Who Comes First?
• How The Cinema Encourages Unreachable Standards
• Adolescence And Sex
• How Men And Women Are Treated Different In The Workplace
• Anti-vaccination: A Civil Right Or Violation?

These sociology paper topics will serve as a starting point where students can conduct their own research and find their desired approach. Furthermore, these topics can be studied in various decades, which adds more value and data to the paper.

Writing a Great Sociology Research Paper Outline

If you’re searching for how to write a sociology research paper, this part will come in handy. A good sociology research paper must properly introduce the topic chosen while presenting supporting evidence, the methodology used, and the sources investigated, and to reach this level of academic excellence, the following information will provide a great starting point.

Three main sociology research paper outlines serve similar roles but differ in a few things. The traditional outline utilizes Roman numerals to itemize sections and formats the sub-headings with capital letters, later using Arabic numerals for the next layer. This one is great for those who already have an idea of what they’ll write about.

The second sample is the post-draft outline, where writers mix their innovative ideas and the actual paper’s outline. This second type of draft is ideal for those with a few semi-assembled ideas that need to be developed around the paper’s main idea. Naturally, a student will end up finding their way through the research and structuring the piece smoothly while writing it.

Lastly, the third type of outline is referred to as conceptual outline and serves as a visual representation of the text written. Similar to a conceptual map, this outline used big rectangles that include the key topics or headings of the paper, as well as circles that represent the sources used to support those headings. This one is perfect for those who need to visually see their paper assembled, and it can also be used to see which ideas need further development or supporting evidence.

Furthermore, to write a great sociology paper, the following tips will be of great help.

• Introduction. An eye-catching introduction calls for an unknown or relevant fact that captivates the reader’s attention. Apart from conducting excellent research, students worthy of the highest academic score are those able to present the information properly and in a way that the audience will be interested in reading.
• Body. The paragraphs presented must be written attractively, to make readers want to know more. It is important to explain theories and add supporting evidence to back up your sayings and ideas; empirical data is highly recommended to be added to give the research paper more depth and physical recognition. A great method is to start a paragraph presenting an idea or theory, develop the paragraph with supporting evidence and close it with findings or results. This way, readers can easily understand the idea and comprehend what you want to portray.
• Conclusion. For the conclusion, it is highly important, to sum up the key points presented in the sociology research paper, and after doing so, professors always recommend adding further readings or suggested bibliography to help readers who are interested in continuing their education on the topic just read.

No matter the method you choose to plan out your sociological papers, you’ll need to cover a few bases of how to assemble your final draft. If you’re stuck on where to begin your work, you can always buy sociology research paper from professional writers. Many students go to the pros to shore up their grades and make time when deadlines become overwhelming. If you do it independently, double-check your assignment’s requirements and fit them into the following sections.

Sociology Research Paper Outline Example

The following sociology research paper outline example will serve as an excellent guide and template which students can customize to fit their topics and key points. The outline above follows the topic “How Women Are Presented By The Media”.

Sociology Research Paper Example

PapersOwl website is an excellent resource if you’re looking for more detailed examples of sociology research papers. We provide a wide range of sample research papers that can serve as a guide and template for your own work.

“Changing Demographics Customer Service to Millennials” Example

Students who structure their sociological papers before conducting in-depth research are more likely to succeed. This happens because it is easier and more efficient to research specific key points rather than diving into the topic without knowing how to approach it or presenting the information, data, statistics, and others found.

Readers also enjoyed

WHY WAIT? PLACE AN ORDER RIGHT NOW!

Just fill out the form, press the button, and have no worries!

We use cookies to give you the best experience possible. By continuing we’ll assume you board with our cookie policy.

500 Sociology Questions and Topics [Examples & Tips]

Sociology is a study that focuses on people’s interactions. It looks at structures and changes in social life. Any situation involving people can become a topic of sociology.

Our specialists will write a custom essay specially for you!

This article is designed to help high school and college students with sociology assignments. Whether you’re writing an essay, creating a presentation, or preparing for a debate, you will find this page useful. Continue reading to find a broad scope of sociology questions and topics. See how to nail a research paper on this subject regardless of the chosen idea. Besides, you’ll find sociological questions examples based on surveys such as questionnaires and interviews.

Teamwork makes the dream work! Let custom-writing.org team up with you. You will get your assignments done in the best way possible and all your sociological questions answered.

🔝 Top 10 Sociology Questions

• ⭐ Top 10 Sociological Questions Examples
• 📱 Social Media Topics
• 👪 Family Topics
• 🏺 Culture Topics
• ⛪ Religion Topics
• 🗣️ Sociolinguistic Topics
• 🏅 Sports Topics
• 😷 Medical Topics
• 🏙️ Urban Topics
• 🏫 Education Topics
• 👨👩 Topics on Gender
• 📈 About Surveys
• 📉 For Surveys
• 👥 Debate Topics
• ✅ Writing Tips

🔍 References

• Should we lower the legal voting age?
• What are the benefits of marriages?
• Can school uniforms prevent bullying?
• Should parenting classes be mandatory?
• How does traveling influence your mindset?
• What are the cons of standardized tests?
• Can we make social networks safe for minors?
• How does globalization affect indigenous cultures?
• Do Millennials and Gen Z have different values?
• What ethical values should be taught in schools?

⭐ Top 10 Sociological Questions Examples 2024

📱 sociological topics related to social media.

Social media helps people connect in all kinds of ways. Sociology’s primary focus is human interactions. Therefore, social media is the subject you’d want to look into. You can write about new behaviors or issues that have emerged online. Here are some great topic ideas for your essay.

• Does social media answer the need for socializing among teenagers?
• Online dating : pros and cons.
• What behaviors are encouraged by Instagram influencers ?
• Do social networks fulfill one’s need for self-realization?
• Social media’s influence of children and teenagers.
• Talk about the role of social networking for your circle of friends.
• The effect of social media on offline socialization .
• What needs does Facebook satisfy?
• Does social media truly connect people?
• What forms of relationship have appeared via online connections?
• Discuss online socialization across the globe.

• Online communication with extended family.
• Discover the levels of social media usage across different generations.
• What jobs emerged because of social networks?
• Interactive media usage and depression levels among young adults.
• Do social networks bridge the cultural divide between countries?
• How did social media change business communication ?
• Exposure of personal information: pros and cons.
• Discover the way online camera filters affect users.
• Social media’s influence in activism and revolution.
• The significance of social networks during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Does Instagram cause anxiety among users?
• Is it natural for modern people to socialize online?
• Did online communication advance or degrade society?
• The effect of social networks on the music industry .
• The role of social media in attracting customers.
• Discuss common behaviors in online groups.
• Do chat rooms create an illusion of friendship?
• Understanding problems of social media usage.
• New behaviors that emerged through TikTok.
• Analyze the meaning of social media followers.
• The role of gender in interactions via social media.
• Does online dialogue give an accurate image of the interlocutor?
• How does self-promotion impact an individual?
• What is the social meaning of microblogging?
• The influence of memes on online socializing.
• Social media and the accountability in organizations.
• What issues appeared because of interactive media ?
• Discover the demographic of a specific social network.
• Social media as a tool in modern marketing.

👪 Sociology of the Family Research Topics

The institution of family stands at the core of society. It also provides space for various interactions. You can choose to write about the functions of a household. Alternatively, focus on conflicts and abusive family environments. Continue reading to find an exciting topic for your assignment.

• Discuss the role of the family in children’s socialization .
• The impact of divorce on family relationships.
• Write about the way a household gives social identity to its members.
• Why is it essential for a child to grow up in a family ?
• Does the household structure contribute to social inequality ?
• What can cause division between relatives?
• The impact of an abusive house environment on a child’s social life.
• What are the main social functions of a family ?
• Discuss healthy marriage and family relationships .
• Analyze the financial challenges of having a child.
• Discuss types of communication used in a family.
• Should couples be encouraged to get married ?
• Discuss the American family.
• Should parents be encouraged to have more than one child?
• How can family increase the moral strength of an individual?
• Do unhealthy relational patterns affect one’s social life?
• Discover the way a child’s behavior reflects family dynamics.
• Family happiness: definition and aspects.
• What can lower divorce rates in the U.S.?
• How can society protect its members from abusive relatives?
• Is it possible to maintain a life-long faithfulness in marriage?
• Examine the way some families determine their children’s career paths.
• Family building in symbolic interactionism view.
• Why do some people physically abuse family members?
• What role do siblings play in each other’s socialization?
• Cell phones and their effects on one’s family life.
• Talk about maintaining good relationships with extended family .
• Is professional success related to the household climate?
• Discuss the role of family during wars.
• Talk about implied gender roles in a household.
• Pick a country and write about its attitude towards family.
• Analyze family’s factors shaping children’s behavior.
• Compare the attitude towards the elderly in various countries.
• Why do some people still care about preserving a dynasty?
• Discuss the role of the foster care system in modern society.
• Families: single parent controversy.
• How does family environment affect adopted children ?
• Discuss the sociological impact of a child’s separation from parents .
• Write about the benefits of having grandparents .
• The societal impact of infidelity on family values.

🏺 Sociology Questions about Culture

Culture and society are inseparable. Let’s clarify these two terms. Culture refers to common beliefs, behaviors, and practices of a specific group. Meanwhile, the word “society” describes the social organization of a culture. The following questions can be used as topics for your assignment.

Just in 1 hour! We will write you a plagiarism-free paper in hardly more than 1 hour

• How do sports unite Americans?
• Why are national holidays important?
• Is the American education system accessible to all citizens?
• Is having a car a must?
• How does culture affect the fashion industry ?
• What are the rules of modern etiquette?
• Why is ethnocentrism harmful to society?
• Can a person experience culture shock within their own country?
• How can society achieve cultural relativism ?

• What aspects caused the rise of the feminist movement?
• Concept of friendship in American and French cultures.
• What percentage of the U.S. population engages in high culture?
• How did globalization affect the U.S.?
• Analyze the role of food for culture.
• Discuss culture wars in contemporary U.S. society.
• What’s the significance of language in a civilization?
• Which subculture is currently the most dominant?
• Global consumer culture: theories and approaches.
• What can individuals do to terminate racism?
• Reflection of cultural identity through art.
• Why do people still visit museums ?
• The role of donuts in American food culture.
• How does inequality manifest in modern society?
• Why is cultural relativism important for Americans?
• What factor drives people towards organized protests?
• The role of music in boosting national pride.
• Social time: the heartbeat of a culture.
• What ancient traditions still exist in your culture?
• Analyze a standard small talk in your environment.
• How does individualistic culture affect the family structure ?
• Why do people celebrate national history?
• What role did freedom of speech play in American history?
• Stages of grief: acceptance of death in diverse cultures.
• What does it take to change the social structure of a nation?
• What social aspects are unique for Southern and Northern states ?
• Will society continue chasing the American dream?
• What does the slang mean for Americans?
• Will national arts continue to be preserved around the world?
• Discuss specific features among cultures.
• Analyze the way people connect through eating food together.

⛪ Sociology of Religion Topics for Essays

Religion refers to beliefs and practices that are considered sacred. Every world’s society has believed in some form of supernatural being. Discover the characteristics of a religion or its impact on society. Whether you’re preparing for an essay, quiz, or research project, these topics will be useful.

• The role of faith in strengthening families.
• Write about the way religion shapes society.
• What religious rituals have been accepted by American culture?
• Explain the structure of a church organization.
• Discuss the connection between religion and ecology.
• Do children have the right to choose a religion?
• Is there a belief that is not welcomed in the U.S.?
• Discover the influence of Christianity on American society.
• What conflicts emerge between believers and atheists?
• Does society treat religious people and atheists equally?
• Write about meditation from a religious standpoint.
• Explore the way churches care for the homeless.
• What kind of social services do religious groups offer to the community?
• Does the church help society solve the drug abuse problem?
• Concepts of religion vs. science.
• What impact do Sunday schools have on their students?
• Write about religion in the light of functionalism theory.
• Is it essential for a society to believe in the supernatural ?
• The contexts of religion and violence.
• Describe the way religion impacts one’s behavior.
• What influence does the church have on social media?
• Analyze the involvement of religious groups in the healthcare system.
• Why are sects dangerous for society?
• How do stereotypes about worship practices affect religious congregations?
• Talk about the role of religion in national conflicts.
• Can faith help a society overcome crisis?
• What stereotypical connections exist between faith and race?
• Analyze the social structure of a Muslim country.
• Discuss social stigma related to religious practices.
• Examine the way national religion shapes cultural values .
• History of religion: ideological differences.
• Write about atheism in American culture.
• Describe being a non-Christian in a dominant Christian environment .
• How do Americans react to celebrating non-Christian holidays?
• Pick a religion and explain its views on women.
• Religion in schools: pros and cons.
• How does belonging to a religious group reflect on one’s social life ?
• Analyze the church’s involvement in the music industry.
• Do religious teachings help one make better life choices?
• Explore the impact of religion on charity organizations.

🗣️ Sociolinguistic Research Topics for Students

Sociolinguistics studies language in social contexts. Such research pays attention to historical background, cultural features, and other linguistics aspects. Write about a specific language or an element of sociolinguistics. This topic list will help to narrow down your focus.

• Is the online language different from the spoken language?
• Analyze the origin of the most recent slang words.
• The problems of communication via e-mail.
• Talk about different dialects in urban areas.
• Explore the linguistic difficulties of emerging into a foreign environment.
• Discuss social stigma attached to a language of your choice.
• Examine the adjustment of vocabulary to a specific situation.
• Write about the social aspects of language.
• Explain how language helps maintain social roles in the community.
• The role of diversity in workplace communication.
• Does language reflect cultural values?

• How does one judge an interlocutor based on their word choice?
• Talk about the importance of prestige in sociolinguistics .
• Discuss the benefits of knowing a foreign language.
• What are the features of the speech community ?
• Baby talk: how do children produce language?
• Discover the influence of the peer group on one’s word choice.
• What social factors affect language?
• Analyze words that have a unique definition in different states.
• Communication in shops: face-to-face vs. online.
• The benefit of positive reinforcement for a child learning how to speak.
• Can one’s vocabulary degrade?
• Examine the social benefits of speaking more than one language.
• Does a language influence its speakers?
• New technology and its toll on communication skills.
• What techniques are often used in political speeches?
• Explain the impact of emotions on verbal behavior.
• Is there a difference between male and female communication?
• How does the word choice of a manager impact employees?
• Explain the tendency of using vague phrases on social media.
• How does occupation impact one’s language?
• Why do some words gain new meaning over the years?
• Discuss a specific example of a regional dialect.
• How can one adapt their vocabulary to a new environment?
• Analyze the way children reflect the verbal behavior of their families.
• What verbal techniques are used during a job interview?
• Intercultural communication in a TV show of your choice.
• How can one get rid of distractive verbal behaviors?
• What are the features of the sales language?
• Discuss one’s verbal patterns when talking to a stranger.

🏅 Sports Sociology Topics to Research

Sports sociology looks at the behaviors of athletes through the sociological lens. It also takes into consideration cultural, economic, and other aspects. You can approach this subject from an individual standpoint as well as from a group perspective.

• What behavior is crucial for a team that wants to win?
• Why do some people find their identity in sports ?
• How does involvement in physical activity affect one’s personal life?
• Talk about the challenges of female athletes in professional sports.
• How anxiety influences sports performance.
• How do teenagers benefit from regular physical activity?
• Discuss athletics from a functionalist standpoint.
• What controversies emerged because of the sports industry ?
• Can professional athletes maintain healthy personal relationships?
• What are the ethical issues of college sports?
• How does mass media affect professional sports ?
• Discover the role of athletics in American national identity .
• Analyze the effect of globalization on team competitions.
• Do sports contribute to public violence ?
• Discuss the financial side of athletic injuries.
• Role models in sports.
• Pick a sport and discuss its demographics.
• How does the violent behavior on the field affect athletes?
• Why do people find enjoyment in observing team games?
• What’s the fate of an athlete who has lost motivation?
• Write about the challenges facing women leaders in sports.
• Do interpersonal relationships in sports differ from other occupations?
• Are professional athletes obsessed with their body image ?
• What stereotypes currently exist about athletes?
• How does racism affect the sports industry?
• The role of gender in competitive games.
• How do school coaches impact their students’ athletic career?
• Talk about the average age of athletes experiencing burnout.
• What destructive behaviors emerge through sports?
• Discuss the value of one’s athletic achievements for society.
• The importance of trusting team relationships for athletic success.
• How does public opinion affect athletes?
• What is the role of commercialization in professional sports?
• Write about society’s unfair expectations from national team players.
• Analyze the role of patriotism during international athletic competitions.
• The importance of preserving tradition in national sports.
• Discover the role of sports in migration.
• Where is the line between competitive and violent behavior on the field?
• Talk about the role of team games in children’s socialization.
• Sports events and their promotion.

😷 Medical Sociology Topics to Write About

Medical sociology studies the impact of community on health and medicine. This field has a lot to do with the public healthcare system. You can write about various perspectives on health and illness. Or, choose a specific aspect of the healthcare system. The following list of topics will help you write a great essay!

• What’s the general attitude of society towards the public health system?
• How often do people resist visiting a doctor due to the financial factor?
• How did the industrial revolution affect public health?
• Talk about the factors that push a person to get a medical checkup.
• Does mass media manipulate public opinion concerning health?
• What occupational opportunities are accessible for disabled people?
• Analyze unemployment rates due to medical issues.
• The role of health promotion in public health.
• Discuss the value of health in modern society .
• What’s the social meaning of illness across the United States ?
• Does social media normalize self-neglect?
• Discover the role of gender in medical interactions.
• Talk about the social challenges of having Alzheimer’s disease .
• Reasons why people fail to take care of their health.
• In what way is the medical field affected by racism?
• Discuss the financial weight of fighting a chronic illness.
• What does the public school system teach about healthcare?
• Why do many people resist the national immunization program?
• What are the social causes of illness?

• Write about a country known for a well-functioning health care system.
• What’s it like to be a doctor in modern society?
• Conflict resolution in a healthcare setting.
• What social services are available for mentally ill people?
• The importance of sex education in preventing STDs.
• How do social organizations support families with disabled members?
• Discuss social patterns in the use of health services .
• What can we do to lower the depression rates across the U.S.?
• The role of cigarette smoking in public health.
• Elements of a successful interaction between a patient and a practitioner.
• Does society have a voice in updating health policies?
• What medical assistance is offered to foreigners in the U.S.?
• How does the growing frequency of cancer cases affect society?
• Can most Americans afford essential medicines?
• The effect of public opinion on people with psychological abnormalities.
• Discuss the effectiveness of recent healthcare system updates in the U.S.
• Mental health services: public spending and usage.
• Correlation between the price and the quality of medical assistance.
• Analyze the role of non-profit organizations in public health.
• What social factors are associated with physical wellness?
• Analyze the effect of expensive medical care on college students.

🏙️ Urban Sociology Topics to Research

Urban sociology is concerned with human interactions in a city. It examines the advantages and areas of improvement in city life. This section includes topics of demographics, economy, and various aspects of group behavior. Continue reading to find ideas for your assignment.

Receive a plagiarism-free paper tailored to your instructions. Cut 15% off your first order!

• How well are modern cities adapted for disabled citizens?
• Discuss the effect of urban market competition on employment rates.
• What are the health issues associated with living in a big city?
• What causes the rise of crime rates in urban areas?
• Does the city environment make social inequality more distinct?
• Political machines in the U.S. urban politics.
• In what way did urbanization improve the level of life?
• Why are many students dissatisfied with urban education ?
• Does urban life give equal opportunities to people of all genders?
• What kind of emotional challenges are common for suburban residents?
• Talk about demographic data and population pyramids.
• What are the economic benefits of residing in the suburbs?
• Discuss the common behaviors of small city residents.
• How does living in a big city affect one’s worldview?
• What are the life possibilities offered in urban areas ?
• What conflicts emerge in the
• Discover the social dynamics of low-income neighborhoods.
• Is racial inequality reflected in city planning?
• Talk about social stigma concerning riding public transportation .
• Describe the ethnic contention of urban settlements.
• Discuss the issue of poverty in urban areas.
• How do children in a big city learn to socialize?
• What contributes to the fast-paced life in city areas?
• Does urban life bring up leadership qualities in people?
• Do families of city residents have less time to connect?
• Apartment vs. house : which one is better for the urban area?
• How do metropolis residents understand personal space?
• The benefits of multiracial neighborhoods.
• Talk about life satisfaction among suburban residents.
• Urban and rural communities: differences in lifestyle.
• The power of herd instinct in urban areas.
• Social stigma against city police.
• How does urban life affect one’s interpersonal relationships?
• Analyze the basic needs of a city resident.
• Involuntary resettlement in urban transportation projects.
• What skills are essential in a big city?
• Write about the way city size justifies extended commuting time.
• Discuss the role of mass media in urban society .
• Why do big cities have problems with garbage disposal?
• Does every city have its micro-culture?

🏫 Research Topics in Sociology of Education

Sociology of education studies the impact of learning on an individual and society. This field focuses on various levels of education. Besides, it takes a close look at surrounding social dynamics. You can approach this subject from the perspective of a sociologist, instructor, or a student.

• How does higher education impact one’s worldview?
• Discuss the role of school in a child’s socialization.
• Analyze the social meaning of academic success .
• Presentation of African Americans in education programs.
• How does the fear of school shootings impact the students?
• Describe well-functioning relationships between teachers and parents.
• What causes bullying among students ?
• What message about gender identity do schools pass to children?
• How should educational institutions react to child abuse in families?
• The impact of homework overload on one’s emotional state.
• Pros and cons of outcome-focused evaluation in teacher preparation.
• Do colleges support students from low-income families?

• How does one’s school reputation impact their professional career?
• Correlation between family relationships and academic performance .
• Discuss the problem of unaffordable education.
• The value of knowledge in modern society.
• Describe the effects of inclusion policies in education.
• Single-gender schools: pros and cons.
• Should teachers be friends with students?
• Write about school principals as role models for children.
• How can educational institutions avoid racial discrimination ?
• Discuss the way modern schools teach individualism .
• Why is it important for teachers to follow moral codes?
• Correlation between social class, education, and intelligence.
• Should financial factors determine one’s placement in a university?
• Education institutions as a place of developing society members.
• Analyze the reasons why students engage in alcohol abuse.
• Does the schooling system form one’s national identity?
• How often do instructors accept bribes from parents and students?
• The importance of background checks for all school employees.
• What are the essential social dynamics for college campuses?
• The role of higher education for African American women.
• In what light does socialism view the education system?
• What factors discourage high school students from going to college?
• Correlation between the classroom size and students’ attention span .
• What social factors hinder one’s academic achievements?
• The impact of domestic violence on a student.
• Discuss the problem of drug abuse in school campuses.
• How can teenage pregnancy levels be lowered?
• What aspects of the education system need to change?

👨👩 Sociological Reseach Questions on Gender

It is fair to say everyone has been affected by gender socialization. Our surroundings communicate a specific message about sexuality. This section will focus on theories and issues related to gender. Make sure not to fall into extremes and be objective!

• How can one avoid being sexist ?
• Analyze the role of religion in gender socialization .
• Do child toys restrict their gender criteria?
• Should children be given the right to determine their gender?
• Is it acceptable for men to be aggressive?
• Talk about prejudice against divorced women.
• How does today’s society view masculinity ?
• How do children learn about gender roles ?
• Should women choose between family and work ?
• Do fraternities promote misogyny?
• Does society erase the line between femininity and masculinity?
• Write about a culture with very distinct gender roles .
• Is it essential to have friends of different genders?
• The importance of sexual equality in a work environment.
• Discover a culture that undervalues women to this day.
• What message does the mass media project about gender?
• Should women be given physically challenging jobs?
• Talk about essential issues in feminism.
• Discuss gender expectations across various ethnicities.
• Do teachers have different expectations for boys than for girls?
• Is it offensive in the U.S. to offer a woman help carry heavy items?
• Examine the income inequality based on gender.
• What challenges await women in authority?
• Are men often judged for gender nonconformity?
• How do modern movies portray male characters?
• Analyze the role of gender in cartoons and commercials.
• How does gender stratification manifest itself in the U.S.?
• Why do many U.S. companies offer paid maternity leave?
• Gender-neutral upbringing: is it reasonable?
• Is it more difficult for a female student to graduate college than for a male one?
• Discover gender factor when it comes to crime rates.
• Will there always be a fight for sexual equality?

• Reversed gender roles in a family: pros and cons.
• Discuss the initial intentions of the feminist movement.
• Talk about the social construction of gender.
• Are there gender roles in the medical field?
• How does modern society distinct biological sex and gender?
• The role of fashion in gender socialization.
• Is it acceptable for women to be overly emotional?
• Discuss gender inequality in the sports industry.

📊 Sociological Survey Topics to Look Into

Sociological surveys gather information from groups of people on various topics. They take the form of questionnaires, interviews, or telephone polls. In this section, you’ll find topics for and about social surveys. Feel free to choose one of them for your assignment.

📈 Topics about Surveys

• What questions should social surveys never ask?
• Why do many people refuse to participate in phone polls?
• Discuss the benefits of social surveys.
• Which organizations use information from surveys?
• Does the gender factor affect the interview process?
• Talk about the reliability of social survey results.
• Discover the most common topics for social surveys.
• Closed-ended questions: pros and cons.
• How can one distinguish a social survey from a scam?
• What are the useful skills for conducting an interview?
• Write about the most effective survey method.
• Analyze the importance of trust during an interview.
• Which survey method reaches the largest sample of participants?
• Telephone polls: pros and cons.
• Can the results of incomplete surveys still be used?
• Talk about the imposition problem of social surveys.
• Why are social surveys important?
• How can one avoid interview bias?
• How prevalent are social surveys around the world?
• Can cross-cultural interviews be accurate?

📉 Topics for Surveys

• How welcomed are women in leadership positions?
• Discover the opinions of families concerning gender roles.
• How many people prefer working from home?
• Are people afraid of mass shootings?
• Do disabled people need better housing?
• How often can people afford to go through the medical checkup?
• Determine the average time U.S. citizens spend on social media .
• How many people are satisfied with their financial state?
• Discover how many people consider themselves religious.
• How many high school students think they won’t graduate college?
• Determine the average age for experiencing nurses’ burnout.
• Do people consider bribery acceptable?
• The percentage of people who have medical insurance.
• What percentage of Americans are on a diet?
• What are the depression rates in your state?
• How many people prefer public transportation over personal vehicles?
• Are most students satisfied with their professor’s teaching styles?
• Discover how many people are dissatisfied with their current jobs.
• Do people wish to have more face-to-face time with friends?
• Main reasons why individuals refuse to vote.

👥 Sociology Debate Topics for Students

Sociology is a diverse subject with an endless number of theories. For an excellent debate, pick a controversial topic you’re familiar with. Make sure to support your position with research and facts. The following list of issues will work for a discussion or a persuasive essay.

• Should the drinking age be lowered?
• We must provide every homeless person with accommodation.
• Large families should have discounts for groceries.
• The inability of parents to send children to college.
• Most young women have poor body image.
• College athletes have to invest in their education.
• The meaning of education level in modern society.

• High school students need more help in determining their career.
• Analyze overbuying in stores during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• What are the means of manipulating public opinion?
• Equality, freedom, and protection of human rights in the U.S.
• Social dynamics during natural disasters .
• Discuss the role of patriotism in American society.
• Smartphones as an obstacle for socialization in schools.
• Localized ethnic subcultures in big cities.
• What factors strengthen interpersonal relationships?
• Common shopping behaviors in modern malls.
• The impact of social media ads on young adults.
• Why is depression common among Americans?
• What does informational overload do to one’s self?
• The causes of social anxiety among teenagers.
• What can be done about suicidal behavior?
• The overuse of electronic devices harms society.
• Analyze the reasons for job dissatisfaction.
• Migration has a positive effect on individuals.
• Are today’s public schools safe for children?
• Should children be allowed to have a paid job if they want to?
• The education system must teach students to handle their finances.
• What factors cause people to break the law ?
• The importance of ethnic diversity in the workplace .
• The average age for accepting a marriage proposal in the U.S.
• The impact of relational tension on professional performance.
• What social norms are violated in show business?
• Is the depiction of old age on TV accurate?
• The consequences of permitting commercial cannabis.
• Discuss typical group dynamics among college students.
• The social meaning of small talk.
• Analyze the roots of modern female beauty standards.
• Why do people buy items that they cannot afford?
• Is it possible to preserve high culture in social media?

✅ Sociological Research Paper Writing Tips

Having questions about sociology research writing? For starters, don’t rely on your imagination. This paper should be based on a thorough study and contain a clear perspective. The sociological perspective focuses on interactions between individuals and groups.

Get an originally-written paper according to your instructions!

To write a research paper, you need to:

• Choose a topic. Make sure that the subject you choose centers on human interactions. You can select one of the topics presented in this article. Feel free to modify them the way you want.

The effect of divorce on society.

• Write a thesis statement. A thesis is a sentence that reflects the focus of your paper. Once you formulate the statement, use it as a navigator throughout the whole essay. It will help you to stay on point.

Divorce has a negative effect on individuals, which affects society as a whole.

• Make an outline. It’s a plan of the paper. Each point in it should be connected to the thesis. Make sure to maintain a logical flow of your outline.
• Introduction;
• Causes of divorce;
• Impact on individuals;
• Impact on society;
• Possible solutions;
• Conclusion.
• Research. Gather all information you have on the subject. Make sure to include statistics and other valid evidence. Don’t hesitate to leave out the unreliable information. You can also change things up using auto rewriter tool .
• Proofread. After completing the research paper, read it thoroughly several times. Sign it and turn it in!

We hope you’ve found a stunning topic for your assignment. Good luck with your sociological discoveries!

Any question that focuses on human interactions is called sociological. It might be related to phenomena observed in a community. Keep in mind that a sociological question always involves more than one person. Therefore, it applies to society.

Sociologists recognize four types of questions:

• Factual questions seek to provide the facts without explanations.
• Developmental questions are concerned with social evolution.
• Comparative questions look at similar examples in various contexts.
• Theoretical questions ask why circumstances occur and attempt to explain them.

Sociologists seek to investigate human interactions in various settings. A sociologist might be interested in family relationships, specific cultures, or social media. Sociologists can also study education, religion, and sports.

• What is Sociology?: Case Western Reserve University
• Sociology’s Role in Social Media: A-State
• Sociology and Social Media: Social Media Today
• Sociological Perspectives on the Family: University of Minnesota Twin Cities
• Sociology of Religion: Oxford University Press
• Sociolinguistics: Encyclopedia Britannica
• What Is the Sociology of Sport?: University of Wisconsin-Madison
• Research Agenda in Medical Sociology: Frontiers
• The Role of Sociology In Health Affairs: Health Affairs
• Urban Sociology: Science Direct
• Feminist Perspectives on Sex and Gender: Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy
• New Topics in Sociology: University of Toronto
• How to Write Sociology Papers: SUNY Geneseo
• Sociology: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
• Feminism and Sexism: University of Minnesota Twin Cities
• Research: Kent State University
• Research Clusters: Department of Sociology: Harvard University
• Kinds of Feminism: University of Alabama in Huntsville
• Advances in Medical Sociology: Emerald Insight
• Sociology of Sport: Research Gate
• Department of Sociology: Course Highlights: University of Notre Dame
• The Family and Family Structure Classification Redefined for the Current Times: NIH
• Share to Facebook
• Share to Twitter
• Share to LinkedIn
• Share to email

Controversial issues are the ones that evoke a variety of opinions. They often cause heated debates. And, as you can guess, controversial research topics are not easy to handle. Luckily, we’ve got you covered. This article will: We gathered controversial topics for research paper on medical, science, education, and other...

Plates break when you drop them. Glasses help you see better. Have you ever wondered why? Physics has the answer. It studies the observable as well as invisible aspects of nature. An essential part of this is examining the structure and interactions of matter.

Biology is often called the science of life. From bacteria to whales, biologists study all kinds of organisms. Have you ever wondered why bees dance? Or how can chickens be the closest modern relatives to dinosaurs? The buzzing world is full of complex wonders like these. That’s why it’s so...

Chemistry studies matter and what it’s made of. It tells us how substances change and what properties they have. Chemistry seeks to answer questions such as: What is the Universe made of? How do elements react with each other? Read our article to dive deeper into this intricate subject. What...

Culture is a set of knowledge, behaviors, and beliefs shared by a group of people. You would probably agree that it’s an integral part of humanity. It’s no wonder that students are often assigned to write about it. That’s why we came up with a list of interesting and creative...

The Earth is a complex system. To understand it, geologists examine the lithosphere and its layers. They trace our planet’s history by using physical and chemical methods. At the same time, geographers observe environmental patterns. They also focus on the interaction between humans and nature. Keep reading to find out...

Mathematics is the science of numbers and shapes. Writing about it can give you a fresh perspective and help to clarify difficult concepts. You can even use mathematical writing as a tool in problem-solving. In this article, you will find plenty of interesting math topics. Besides, you will learn about...

Cause and effect essays examine how an event happened and what consequences it had. Gaining weight after eating lots of fast food is an example of a cause-and-effect relationship. Possible topics cover a variety of subjects ranging from mental health to history and politics. This article gives you an outline...

An analysis essay aims to break down the subject in order to understand it. You can choose to analyze a text, a process, or an idea. This article will help you write a great essay! Selecting an interesting topic makes writing a lot easier. We’ve prepared a list of excellent...

Everybody knows that being healthy requires effort. We should exercise regularly and maintain a balanced diet. However, the reward is worth it. A healthy lifestyle prevents chronic illnesses and leads to better body performance. Besides, if you improve your physical well-being, your mental health will strengthen as well! In this...

Environment affects us all, whether we want it or not. Political leaders and students alike discuss ways to tackle environmental topics & issues. Some might argue about the role humans play in all this. The fact remains that our environment is a delicate matter. That’s why we must educate ourselves...

Our code of ethics is derived from what we think is right or wrong. On top of that, we have to agree to the moral standards established by the society we live in. Conventional norms generally label theft, murder, or harassment as bad. However, there are many influences that impact...

This website works best with JavaScript switched on. Please enable JavaScript

• Centre Services
• Associate Extranet
• All About Maths

AS and A-level Sociology

• Specification
• Planning resources
• Teaching resources

Assessment resources

• Answers and commentaries (3)
• Examiner reports (11)
• Mark schemes (16)
• Notes and guidance (2)
• Practice questions (1)
• Question papers (41)
• Paper 1 (27)
• Paper 2 (26)
• Paper 3 (18)
• June 2022 (25)
• November 2020 (23)
• November 2021 (14)
• Sample set 1 (6)
• A-level (56)
• AS and A-level (1)

Showing 74 results

Answers and commentary (A-level): Paper 3 Crime and deviance with theory and methods

Published 8 Nov 2023 | PDF | 1.2 MB

Answers and commentary (A-level): Paper 2 Topics in Sociology

Published 8 Nov 2023 | PDF | 3 MB

Answers and commentary (A-level): Paper 1 Education with theory and methods

Published 8 Nov 2023 | PDF | 2.8 MB

Examiner report (A-level): Paper 3 Crime and deviance with theory and methods - June 2022

Published 14 Jul 2023 | PDF | 113 KB

Examiner report (AS): Paper 1 Education with methods in context - June 2022

Published 14 Jul 2023 | PDF | 137 KB

Question paper (A-level): Paper 3 Crime and deviance with theory and methods - June 2022

Published 14 Jul 2023 | PDF | 424 KB

Question paper (AS): Paper 1 Education with methods in context - June 2022

Published 14 Jul 2023 | PDF | 425 KB

Question paper (AS): Paper 2 Research methods and topics in Sociology - June 2022

Published 14 Jul 2023 | PDF | 228 KB

Question paper (A-level): Paper 1 Education with theory and methods - June 2022

Published 14 Jul 2023 | PDF | 399 KB

Question paper (Modified A4 18pt) (A-level): Paper 3 Crime and deviance with theory and methods - June 2022

Published 14 Jul 2023 | PDF | 239 KB

Question paper (Modified A4 18pt) (AS): Paper 1 Education with methods in context - June 2022

Published 14 Jul 2023 | PDF | 280 KB

Question paper (Modified A3 36pt) (A-level): Paper 3 Crime and deviance with theory and methods - June 2022

Published 14 Jul 2023 | PDF | 271 KB

Question paper (Modified A3 36pt) (AS): Paper 1 Education with methods in context - June 2022

Question paper (Modified A4 18pt) (A-level): Paper 1 Education with theory and methods - June 2022

Published 14 Jul 2023 | PDF | 310 KB

Question paper (Modified A3 36pt) (A-level): Paper 1 Education with theory and methods - June 2022

Published 14 Jul 2023 | PDF | 323 KB

Question paper (Modified A4 18pt) (AS): Paper 2 Research methods and topics in Sociology - June 2022

Published 14 Jul 2023 | PDF | 132 KB

Question paper (Modified A3 36pt) (AS): Paper 2 Research methods and topics in Sociology - June 2022

Published 14 Jul 2023 | PDF | 145 KB

Examiner report (A-level): Paper 1 Education with theory and methods - June 2022

Published 14 Jul 2023 | PDF | 124 KB

Question paper (A-level): Paper 2 Topics in Sociology - June 2022

Published 14 Jul 2023 | PDF | 276 KB

Examiner report (A-level): Paper 2 Topics in Sociology - June 2022

Published 14 Jul 2023 | PDF | 136 KB

Sociology of Sport Research Paper Topics

The sociology of sport began to emerge as a formally recognized subdiscipline of sociology in the second half of the twentieth century. There were a number of earlier examples of sociological attention to the field of sport. In the United States, Veblen (1899) referred to sports as “marks of an arrested spiritual development” (1934:253) and to college sports as “manifestations of the predatory temperament” (p. 255) in his The Theory of the Leisure Class . W. I. Thomas (1901) and G. E. Howard (1912) dealt with “the gaming instinct” and the “social psychology of the spectator,” respectively in articles published in the American Journal of Sociology. Spencer, Simmel, Weber, Piaget, Hall, Sumner, Huizinga, and Mead all made reference to play, games, and/or sport in their work, but it was probably the German, Heinz Risse (1921) who first characterized sport as a sociological field of study in his book Soziologie des Sports .

30 Sociology of Sport Research Paper Topics

• Alternative Sports
• Amateur Sports
• Consumption of Sport
• Deviance in Sport
• Disability Sport
• Ethnicity in Sport
• Exercise and Fitness
• Figurational Sociology
• Gambling on Sports
• Gender and Sports
• Health and Sports
• Ideology and Sports
• Professional Sports
• Race and Sports
• Social Theory and Sport
• Sport and Culture
• Sport and Identity
• Sport and Social Capital
• Sport and the Body
• Sport and the City
• Sport and the Environment
• Sport Culture and Subcultures
• Sports and Nationalism
• Sports and Religion
• Sports and Socialization
• Sports in Sociology
• Sport and the State
• Sports Industry
• Virtual Sports
• Youth Sports

Following World War II, there was growing interest in sport from a sociological perspective. By the 1960s, television was beginning to devote significant amounts of time to sport, professional leagues were developing and expanding, organized youth sports in communities and educational institutions were beginning to proliferate, and the Cold War was being fought at the Olympics and other international competitions. In the United States, social scientists such as Gregory Stone, David Riesman, Erving Goffman, Eric Berne, James Coleman, and Charles Page all produced works referring to sport. Their interests were reflected internationally in the emergence of the first academic association in the field in 1964. The International Committee for the Sociology of Sport (now named the International Sociology of Sport Association) was comprised of both sociologists and physical educators from East and West Germany, France, Switzerland, Finland, England, the Soviet Union, Poland, the United States, and Japan. The Committee/Association, which is affiliated with United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization through the International Council of Sport Sciences and Physical Education and the International Sociological Association, has held annual conferences since 1966 and began to produce a journal (the International Review for the Sociology of Sport, now published by Sage) in that same year.

Academic Writing, Editing, Proofreading, And Problem Solving Services

Get 10% off with 24start discount code.

The first English language books in the field also began to appear in the 1960s (e.g., McIntosh 1963; Jokl 1964). Kenyon and Loy’s (1965) call for a sociology of sport is considered to be a key programmatic statement, and the same authors produced the first anthology in the field, Sport, Culture, and Society: A Reader on the Sociology of Sport (Loy and Kenyon 1969).

Sports as Cultural Practices

People in all cultures have always engaged in playful physical activities and used human movement as part of their everyday routines and collective rituals (Huizinga 1955). The first examples of organized games in societies worldwide probably emerged in the form of various combinations of physical activities and religious rituals (Guttmann 1978). Those games were connected closely with the social structures, social relations, and belief systems in their societies. Although they often recreated and reaffirmed existing systems of power relations and dominant ideologies, they sometimes served as sites for resistant or oppositional behaviors (Guttmann 1994; Sage 1998). Variations in the forms and dynamics of physical activities and games indicate that they are cultural practices that serve different social purposes and take on different meanings from time to time and place to place. Research on these variations has provided valuable insights into social processes, structures, and ideologies (Gruneau 1999; Sage 1998).

The physical activities that most sociologists identify as ”modern sports” emerged in connection with a combination of rationalization, industrialization, democratization, and urbanization processes in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. As various forms of physical activities and play were constructed as institutionalized, competitive, rule-governed challenges and games, they became associated with a range of processes and structures in societies. To varying degrees in different settings, ”organized sports” were implicated in processes of social development and the structure of family life, socialization and education, identity formation and government policy, commodification and the economy, and globalization and the media. Today, sports constitute a significant part of the social, cultural, political, and economic fabric of most societies.

As cultural practices, organized sports constitute an increasingly important part of people’s lives and collective life in groups, organizations, communities, and societies. In addition to capturing individual and collective attention, they are implicated in power relations and ideological formation associated with social class, gender, race and ethnicity, sexuality, and physical ability. Because sports are social constructions, they may develop around particular ideas about the body and human nature, how people should relate to one another, expression and competence, human abilities and potential, manhood and womanhood, and what is important and unimportant in life. These ideas usually support and reproduce the dominant ideology in a society, but this is not always the case. Ideology is complex; therefore, the relationship between sports and ideological formation and transformation is sometimes inconsistent or even contradictory. Furthermore, sports come in many forms, and those forms can have many different associated social meanings.

Although sports continue to exist for the enjoyment of the participants, commercialized forms are planned, promoted, and presented for the entertainment of vast numbers of spectators. Sport events such as the Olympic Games, soccer’s World Cup (men’s and women’s), the Tour de France, the tennis championships at Wimbledon, American football’s Super Bowl, and championship boxing bouts capture the interest of billions of people when they are televised by satellite in over 200 countries around the world. These and other formally organized sports events are national and global industries. They are implicated in processes of state formation and capitalist expansion and are organized and presented as consumer activities for both participants and spectators. Although sport programs, events, and organizations may be subsidized directly or indirectly by local or national governments, support increasingly comes from corporations eager to associate their products and images with cultural activities and events that are a primary source of pleasure for people all over the world. Corporate executives have come to realize, as did Gramsci (1971) when he discussed hegemony and consensus-generating processes, that sponsoring people’s pleasures can be crucial in creating a consensus to support corporate expansion. At the same time, most sport organizations have sought corporate support.

People of all ages connect with sports through the media. Newspapers in many cities devote entire sections of their daily editions to sports, especially in North America, where the space devoted to sports frequently surpasses that given to the economy, politics, or any other single topic of interest (Lever and Wheeler 1993). Major magazines and dozens of specialty magazines cater to a wide range of interests among participants and fans. Radio coverage of sporting events and sports talk shows capture the attention of millions of listeners every day in some countries. Television coverage of sports, together with commentary about sports, is the most prevalent category of video programming in many countries. First the transistor radio and more recently satellites and Internet technology have enabled millions of people around the world to share their interest in sports. As Internet technology expands, these media-facilitated connections that revolve around sports will take new forms with unpredictable social implications.

Worldwide, many people recognize high-profile teams and athletes, and this recognition fuels everything from product consumption to tourism. Sports images are a pervasive part of life in many cultures, and the attention given to certain athletes today has turned them into celebrities, if not cultural heroes. In cultures in which there have been assumed connections between participation in sports and character formation, there has been a tendency to expect highly visible and popular athletes to become role models of dominant values and lifestyles, especially for impressionable young people. This has created a paradoxical situation in which athletes often are held to a higher degree of moral accountability than are other celebrities while at the same time being permitted or led to assume permission to act in ways that go beyond traditional normative boundaries.

People around the world increasingly talk about sports. Relationships often revolve around sports, especially among men but also among a growing number of women. Some people identify with teams and athletes so closely that what happens in sports influences their moods and overall sense of well-being. In fact, people’s identities as athletes and fans may be more important to them than their identities related to education, religion, work, and family.

Overall, sports and sports images have become a pervasive part of people’s everyday lives, especially among those who live in countries where resources are relatively plentiful and the media are widespread. For this reason, sports are logical topics for the attention of sociologists and others concerned with social life.

Using Sociology to Study Sports

Although play and games received attention from various European and North American behavioral and social scientists between the 1880s and the middle of the 20th century, sports received scarce attention in that period (Loy and Kenyon 1969). Of course, there were notable exceptions. Thorstein Veblen wrote about college sports in the United States in 1899 in Theory of the Leisure Class. Max Weber mentioned English Puritan opposition to sports in the 1904 and 1905 volumes of The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism, and William Graham Sumner discussed ”popular sports” in his 1906 Folkways. Willard Waller devoted attention to the ”integrative functions” of sports in U.S. high schools in The Sociology of Teaching in 1932.

The first analyst to refer to a ”sociology of sport” was Theodor Adorno’s student Heinz Risse, who published Sociologie des Sports in 1921. Sports received little or no further analytic attention from social scientists until after World War II. Then, in the mid-1950s, there was a slow but steady accumulation of analyses of sports done by scholars in Europe and North America (Loy and Kenyon 1969; Dunning 1971).

The origins of the sociology of sport can be traced to both sociology and physical education (Ingham and Donnelly 1997; Sage 1997). The field initially was institutionalized in academic terms through the formation of the International Committee for Sport Sociology (ICSS) and the publication of the International Review for Sport Sociology (IRSS) in the mid-1960s. The ICSS was a subcommittee of the International Council of Sport Science and Physical Education and the International Sociological Association, and it sponsored the publication of the IRSS. Other publications in the 1960s and 1970s provided examples of the research and conceptual issues discussed by scholars who claimed an affiliation with the sociology of sport (Kenyon 1969; Krotee 1979; Luschen 1970). In addition to meeting at the annual conferences of the ICSS beginning in the mid-1960s, many scholars in the sociology of sport also met at the annual conferences of the North American Society for the Sociology of Sport (NASSS). This organization was founded in 1978. It has sponsored conferences every year since then, and its membership has been as high as 326 in 1998. In 1984, the Sociology of Sport Journal was published under the sponsorship of the NASSS.

Although the sociology of sport involves scholars from many countries and has its foundations in traditional academic disciplines, its early growth was fueled partly by the radical and reform-oriented work of social activists trained in a variety of social sciences. That work attracted the attention of a number of young scholars in both sociology and physical education. For example, in U.S. universities, many courses devoted to the analysis of sport in society in the 1970s highlighted sport as a social institution, but many also used sports as a focal point for critical analyses of U.S. society as a whole. Objections to the war in Vietnam inspired analyses of autocratic and militaristic forms of social organization in sports and other spheres of social life. Critiques of capitalism were tied to research on the role of competition in social life and the rise of highly competitive youth and inter-scholastic sports. Concern with high rates of aggression and violence in society was tied to an analysis of contact sports that emphasize the physical domination of opponents. Analyses of racial and civil rights issues were tied to discussions of racism in sports and to issues that precipitated the boycott of the 1968 Mexico City Olympic Games by some black American athletes (Edwards 1969). Analyses of gender relations were inspired by the widespread failure of U.S. high schools and universities to comply with Title IX legislation that, among other things, mandated gender equity in all sport programs sponsored by schools that received federal funds.

Today, those who are dedicated to studying sports as social and cultural phenomena constitute a small but active, diverse, and steadily expanding collection of scholars from sociology, physical education and kinesiology, sport studies, and cultural studies departments. This has made the field unique because many of these scholars have realized that to maintain the field they must engage each other despite differences in the research questions they ask and the theoretical perspectives and methodologies they use.

Mainstream sociology has been slow at the institutional level to acknowledge the growing social and cultural significance of sports and sports participation. The tendency among sociologists to give priority to studies of work over studies of play, sports, or leisure accounts for much of this disciplinary inertia. Furthermore, sports have been seen by many sociologists as nonserious, nonproductive dimensions of society and culture that do not merit scholarly attention. Consequently, the sociology of sport has continued to exist on the fringes of sociology, and studying sports generally does not forward to a scholar’s career in sociology departments. For example, in 1998-1999, only 149 (1.3 percent) of the 11,247 members of the American Sociological Association (ASA) declared ”Leisure/Sport/Recreation” as one of their three major areas of interest, and over half those scholars focused primarily on leisure rather than sports. Only thirty-seven ASA members identified ”Leisure/Sports Recreation” as their primary research and/or teaching topic (0.3 percent of ASA members), and only two Canadian and two U.S. sociology departments offer a graduate program in the sociology of sport, according to the 1998 Guide to Graduate Departments of Sociology. At the 1998 annual ASA meeting, there were approximately 3,800 presenters and copresenters, and only 20 dealt with sport-related topics in their presentations; only 2 of the 525 sessions were devoted to the sociology of sport. Patterns are similar in Canada, Great Britain, and Australia (Rowe et al. 1997).

In physical education and kinesiology, the primary focus of most scholars has been on motor learning, exercise physiology, biomechanics, and physical performance rather than the social dimensions of sports (see Sage 1997). Social and cultural issues have not been given a high priority in the discipline except when research has had practical implications for those who teach physical education, coach athletes, or administer sport programs. As the legitimacy and role of physical education departments have been questioned in many universities, the scholars in those departments have been slow to embrace the frequently critical analyses of sports done by those who use sociological theories and perspectives. Therefore, studying sports as social phenomena has not earned many scholars high status among their peers in physical education and kinesiology departments. However, the majority of sociology of sport scholars with doctorates have earned their degrees and now have options in departments of physical education or kinesiology and departments of sport studies and human movement studies.

There have been noteworthy indications of change. For example, there are a number of journals devoted to social analyses of sports (Sociology of Sport Journal, International Review for the Sociology of Sport, Journal of Sport & Social Issues, Culture, Sport, Society). Many mainstream journals in sociology and physical education now accept and publish research that uses sociological perspectives to study sports. National and regional professional associations in sociology and physical education in many countries sponsor regular sessions in the sociology of sport at their annual conferences. Annual conferences also are held by a number of national and regional sociology of sport associations around the world, including those in Japan, Korea, and Brazil as well as the countries of North America and Europe. The International Sociology of Sport Association (ISSA, formerly the ICSS) holds annual conferences and meets regularly with the International Sociological Association. Attendance at many of these conferences has been consistent, and the quality of the programs has been impressive. The existence of such organizational endorsement and support, along with continued growth in the pervasiveness and visibility of sports in society, suggests that the discipline will continue to grow.

Among other indications of growth, articles in the Sociology of Sport Journal are cited regularly in social science literature. Scholars in the field are recognized as ”public intellectuals” by journalists and reporters associated with the mass media. Quotes and references to sociology of sport research appear increasingly in the popular print and electronic media. Amazon.com, the world’s major Internet bookseller, listed over 260 books in its ”Sociology of Sport” reference category in March 1999.

Complicating the issue of future growth is the fact that scholars in this field regularly disagree about how to ”do” the sociology of sport. Some prefer to see themselves as scientific experts who do research on questions of organization and efficiency, while others prefer to see themselves as facilitators or even agents of cultural transformation whose research gives a voice to and empowers people who lack resources or have been pushed to the margins of society. This and other disagreements raise important questions about the production and use of scientific knowledge, and many scholars in the sociology of sport are debating those questions. As in sociology as a whole, the sociology of sport is now a site for theoretical and paradigmatic debates that some scholars fear will fragment the field and subvert the maintenance of an institutionalized professional community (Ingham and Donnelly 1997). Of course, this is a challenge faced in many disciplines and their associated professional organizations.

Conceptual and Theoretical Issues in the Sociology of Sport

Through the mid-1980s, most research in the sociology of sport was based on two assumptions. First, sport was assumed to be a social institution similar to other major social institutions (Luschen and Sage 1981). Second, sports were assumed to be institutionalized competitive activities that involve physical exertion and the use of physical skills by individuals motivated by a combination of personal enjoyment and external rewards (Coakley 1990). These conceptual assumptions identified the focus of the sociology of sport and placed theory and research on sports within the traditional parameters of sociological theory and research.

Theory and research based on these assumptions were informative. However, many scholars in the field came to realize that when analytic attention is focused on institutionalized and competitive activities, there is a tendency to overlook the lives of people who have neither the resources to formally organize their physical activities nor the desire to make them competitive. Scholars became sensitive to the possibility that this tendency can reinforce the ideologies and forms of social organization that have disadvantaged certain categories and collections of people in contemporary societies (Coakley 1998). This encouraged some scholars to ask critical questions about sports as contested activities in societies. Consequently, their research has come to focus more on the connections between sports and systems of power and privilege and the changes needed to involve more people in the determination of what sports can and should be in society.

These scholars used an alternative approach to defining sports that revolved around two questions: What gets to count as a sport in a group or society? and Whose sports count the most? These questions forced them to focus more directly on the social and cultural contexts in which ideas are formed about physical activities and the social processes that privilege some forms of physical activities. Those who have used this approach also note numerous cultural differences in how people identify sports and include them in their lives. In cultures that emphasize cooperative relationships, the idea that people should compete for rewards may be defined as disruptive, if not immoral, and for people in cultures that emphasize competition, physical activities and games that have no winners may seem pointless. These cultural differences are important because there is no universal agreement about the meaning, purpose, and organization of sports. Similarly, there is no general agreement about who will participate in sports, the circumstances in which participation will occur, or who will sponsor sports or the reasons for sponsorship. It is now assumed widely by scholars who study sports that these factors have varied over time from group to group and society to society and that sociological research should focus on the struggle over whose ideas about sports become dominant at any particular time in particular groups or societies. This in turn has highlighted issues of culture and power relations in theory and research in the sociology of sport.

Before the mid-1980s, most research and conceptual discussions in the sociology of sport were inspired or informed by structural functionalist theories and conflict theories (Luschen and Sage 1981; Coakley 1990), and in parts of western Europe, figurational sociology was used by some scholars who studied sports (see Dunning 1992). Those with structural functionalist perspectives often focused on questions about sports and issues of socialization and character development, social integration, achievement motivation, and structural adaptations to change in society. The connections between sports and other major social institutions and between sports and the satisfaction of social system needs were the major topics of concern.

Those who used conflict theories viewed sports as an expression of class conflict and market forces and a structure linked to societal and state institutions. Their work was inspired by various interpretations of Marxist theory and research focused generally on connections between capitalist forms of production and consumption and social behaviors in sports and on the ways in which sports promote an ideological consciousness that is consistent with the needs and interests of capital. Specifically, they studied the role of sports in processes of alienation, capitalist expansion, nationalism and militarism, and racism and sexism (Brohm 1978; Hoch 1972).

Figurational, or ”process,” sociology was and continues to be inspired by the work of Elias (Elias 1978; Elias and Dunning 1986;Jarvie and Maguire 1994). Figurational sociologists have focused on issues of interdependence and interaction in social life and have identified historical linkages between the structure of interpersonal conduct and the overall structure of society. Unlike other theoretical approaches, figurational sociology traditionally has given a high priority to the study of sport. Figurational analyses have emphasized sports as a sphere of social life in which the dichotomies between seriousness and pleasure, work and leisure, economic and noneconomic phenomena, and mind and body can be shown to be false and misleading. Before the mid-1980s, research done by figurational sociologists focused primarily on the historical development of modern sport and the interrelated historical processes of state formation, functional democratization, and expanding networks of international interdependencies. Their best known early work focused on linkages between the emergence of modern sports and the dynamics of civilizing processes, especially those associated with the control of violence in society (Elias and Dunning 1986).

Since the mid-1980s, the sociology of sport has been characterized by theoretical and methodological diversity. Fewer scholars use general theories of social life such as structural functionalism and conflict theories. The theories more often used are various forms of critical theories, including feminist theories and hegemony theory; also used are interpretive sociology (especially symbolic interactionism), cultural studies perspectives, and various forms of poststructuralism (Rail 1998). Figurational sociology still is widely used, especially by scholars outside North America. A few scholars have done research informed by the reflexive sociology of Pierre Bourdieu (Laberge and Sankoff 1988; Wacquant 1995a, 1995b) and the structuration theory of Anthony Giddens (Gruneau 1999).

Methodological approaches also vary. Quantitative data and statistical analyses remain popular, although various qualitative methods and interpretive analyses have become increasingly popular, if not the dominant research approaches in the field (Donnelly 2000). Ethnography and in-depth interviewing, along with textual and discourse analysis, have emerged as common methodologies among many scholars studying sports and sport participation (Coakley and Donnelly 1999). Quantitative methods have been used most often to study issues and questions related to sport participation patterns, the attitudinal and behavioral correlates of participation, and the distribution of sports-related resources in society. Both quantitative and interpretive methods have been used to study questions and issues related to socialization, identity, sexuality, subcultures, the body, pain and injury, disability, deviance, violence, emotions, the media, gender relations, homophobia, race and ethnic relations, new and alternative sports forms, and ideological formation and transformation (Coakley and Dunning 2000).

References:

• Brohm, Jean-Marie 1978 Sport—A Prison of Measured Time, trans. I. Frasier. London: Ink Links.
• Coakley, J. 1990 Sport in Society: Issues and Controversies, (4th ed.). St. Louis: Mosby.
• Coakley, J. 1998 Sport in Society: Issues and Controversies, 6th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill.
• Coakley, J., and P. Donnelly, eds. 1999 Inside Sports. London: Routledge.
• Coakley, J., and P. Donnelly, eds. 2000 Handbook of Sport and Society. London: Sage.
• Donnelly, P. 2000 ‘‘Interpretive Approaches to the Sociology of Sport.’’ In J. Coakley and E. Dunning. eds., Handbook of Sport and Society. London: Sage.
• Dunning, E. 1992 ‘‘Figurational Sociology and the Sociology of Sport: Some Concluding Remarks.’’ In E. Dunning, and C. Rojek, eds., Sport and Leisure in the Civilizing Process. Toronto: University of Toronto Press.
• Dunning, E., ed. 1971 The Sociology of Sport. London: Cass.
• Edwards, H. 1969 The Revolt of the Black Athlete. New York: Free Press.
• Elias, N. 1978 The Civilizing Process, vol. 1: The History of Manners. Oxford, UK: Blackwell.
• Elias, N., and E. Dunning, eds. 1986 Quest for Excitement: Sport and Leisure in the Civilizing Process. Oxford, UK: Blackwell.
• Gramsci, A. 1971 Selections from the Prison Notebooks, trans. and ed. Q. Hoare and G. Smith. New York: International Publishers.
• R. 1999 Class, Sports, and Social Development. Champaign, Ill. Human Kinetics.
• Guttmann, A. 1978 From Ritual to Record: The Nature of Modern Sports. New York: Columbia University Press.
• Guttmann, A. 1994 Games and Empires: Modern Sports and Cultural Imperialism. New York: Columbia University Press.
• Hoch, P. 1972 Rip Off the Big Game: The Exploitation of Sports by the Power Elite. Garden City, N.Y.: Anchor.
• Howard, George E. 1912. “Social Psychology of the Spectator.” American Journal of Sociology 18:33–50.
• Huizinga, J. 1955 Homo Ludens: A Study of the Play Element in Culture. Boston: Beacon Press.
• Ingham, A. G., and P. Donnelly 1997 ‘‘A Sociology of North American Sociology of Sport: Disunity in Unity, 1965–1996.’’ Sociology of Sport Journal 14(4):362–418.
• Jarvie, G., and J. Maguire 1994 Sport and Leisure in Social Thought. London: Routledge.
• Jokl, E. 1964. Medical Sociology and Cultural Anthropology of Sport and Physical Education. Springfield, IL: Charles C. Thomas.
• Kenyon, G. and J. Loy. 1965. “Toward a Sociology of Sport: A Plea for the Study of Physical Activity as a Sociological and Social Psychological Phenomenon.” Journal of Health, Physical Education, and Recreation 36:24–25, 68–69.
• Kenyon, G. S., ed. 1969 Aspects of Contemporary Sport Sociology. Chicago: Athletic Institute.
• Krotee, M., ed. 1979 The Dimensions of Sport Sociology. West Point, N.Y.: Leisure Press.
• Laberge, S., and D. Sankoff 1988 ‘‘Physical Activities, Body Habitus and Lifestyles.’’ In J. Harvey and H. Cantelon eds., Not Just a Game: Essays in Canadian Sport Sociology. Ottawa: University of Ottawa Press.
• Lever, J., and S. Wheeler 1993 ‘‘Mass Media and the Experience of Sport.’’ Communication Research 20(1):299–313.
• Loy, J. and Gerald K., eds. 1969. Sport, Culture, and Society. New York: Macmillan.
• Loy, J. W., G. S. and Kenyon, eds. 1969 Sport, Culture, and Society. London: Collier-Macmillan.
• Lüschen. G. ed. 1970 The Cross-Cultural Analysis of Sport and Games. Champaign, Ill. Stipes.
• Lüschen. G., and G. H. Sage 1981 ‘‘Sport in Sociological Perspective.’’ In G. Lüschen and G. H. Sage, eds., Handbook of Social Science of Sport. Champaign, Ill. Stipes.
• McIntosh, P. 1963. Sport in Society. London, England: C. A. Watts.
• Rail, G., ed. 1998 Sport and Postmodern Times. Albany: State University of New York Press.
• Risse, H. 1921. Soziologie des Sports. Berlin, Germany: Reher.
• Rowe, D., J. McKay, and G. Lawrence 1997 ‘‘Out of the Shadows: The Critical Sociology of Sport in Australia, 1986–1996.’’ Sociology of Sport Journal 14(4):340–361.
• Sage, G. H. 1997 ‘‘Physical Education, Sociology, and Sociology of Sport: Points of Intersection.’’ Sociology of Sport Journal 14(4):317–339.
• Sage, G. H. 1998. Power and Ideology in American Sport. Champaign, Ill. Human Kinetics.
• Thomas, W. I. 1901. “The Gaming Instinct.” American Journal of Sociology 6:750–63.
• Veblen, T. 1934. The Theory of the Leisure Class. New York: Modern Library.
• Wacquant, L. J. D. 1995a ‘‘The Pugilistic Point of View: How Boxers Feel about Their Trade.’’ Theory and Society 24:489–535.
• Wacquant, L. J. D. 1995b ‘‘Pugs at Work: Bodily Capital and Bodily Labour among Professional Boxers.’’ Body & Society 1(1):65–93.

Browse other  Sociology Research Paper Topics .

ORDER HIGH QUALITY CUSTOM PAPER

ReviseSociology

A level sociology revision – education, families, research methods, crime and deviance and more!

Research Methods Practice Questions for A-level sociology

AQA A-level sociology Papers 1 and 3 will both contain an ‘outline and explain’ 10 mark (no item) question on sociological theories, and/ or methods.

One possible format for this question is what I like to think of as the ‘pure research methods’ format (‘classic’ might be a better word than ‘pure’) in which students are asked to outline and explain two theoretical, practical or ethical advantages or problems of using one of the main research methods.

For example (taken from the AQA’s June 2017 Education with Theory and Methods paper): ‘Outline and explain two problems of using documents in social research’

There are actually 36 possible variations of such ‘pure’ or ‘classic’ research methods questions, as outlined in the flow chart below.

Students may be asked to give two advantages or problems of any of the above methods, or more specific methods (field experiments for example), or they may be asked to give two advantages of using overt compared to covert participant observation, or asked to simply give two ethical problems which you may encounter when doing research more generally.

Then of course, students may be asked to relate methods to theories, or just asked about a pure ‘theoretical’/ perspectives question.

While there is no guarantee that this particular format of question will actually come up on either paper 1 or 3, it’s still good practice for students to work through a number of such questions as revision practice.

Share this:

• Share on Tumblr

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed .

Discover more from ReviseSociology

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Continue reading

Purdue Online Writing Lab Purdue OWL® College of Liberal Arts

Welcome to the Purdue Online Writing Lab

Welcome to the Purdue OWL

This page is brought to you by the OWL at Purdue University. When printing this page, you must include the entire legal notice.

Copyright ©1995-2018 by The Writing Lab & The OWL at Purdue and Purdue University. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, reproduced, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without permission. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our terms and conditions of fair use.

The Online Writing Lab at Purdue University houses writing resources and instructional material, and we provide these as a free service of the Writing Lab at Purdue. Students, members of the community, and users worldwide will find information to assist with many writing projects. Teachers and trainers may use this material for in-class and out-of-class instruction.

The Purdue On-Campus Writing Lab and Purdue Online Writing Lab assist clients in their development as writers—no matter what their skill level—with on-campus consultations, online participation, and community engagement. The Purdue Writing Lab serves the Purdue, West Lafayette, campus and coordinates with local literacy initiatives. The Purdue OWL offers global support through online reference materials and services.

A Message From the Assistant Director of Content Development 

The Purdue OWL® is committed to supporting  students, instructors, and writers by offering a wide range of resources that are developed and revised with them in mind. To do this, the OWL team is always exploring possibilties for a better design, allowing accessibility and user experience to guide our process. As the OWL undergoes some changes, we welcome your feedback and suggestions by email at any time.

Please don't hesitate to contact us via our contact page  if you have any questions or comments.

All the best,

Social Media

Facebook twitter.