Studying Social Problems

As we get started, it’s important to review highlights in the history of sociological thinking, as well as the research methods sociologists use to explore the social world. Sociology provides a systematic understanding of a wide range of social phenomena in order to inform public policies and highlight social vulnerabilities. However, this interest in advocating for the underdog can contribute to biases in the discipline that lead to faulty research design and theoretical blind spots. In this section we’ll take a look at key sociological ideas and examples of research methods and practice.