SOC 212: Principles of Sociology (Avedikian ): Home
Welcome
Welcome to the Research Guide for SOC 212. Information in each of the pages above will support you through the various stages of your semester research paper. BristolCC Librarians are available to assist if you have any questions!
What is Sociology?
According to the International Encyclopedia of Social Sciences, the commonly accepted definitions of sociology agree that it is the scientific or systematic study of human society. The focus is on understanding and explaining, and ranges from the individual in social interaction to groups to societies and global social processes. Unique to sociology is its emphasis upon the reciprocal relationship between individuals and societies as they influence and shape each other.
Methods of discovery range from quantitative methodologies patterned after those of natural science with the goals of explanation and prediction to strategies for social reform and service to qualitative methodologies that focus on interpretation and understanding rather than prediction.
- International Encyclopedia of the Social SciencesCovers scholarship and fields that have emerged and matured since the publication of the original international edition. Highlights the expanding influence of economics in social science research and features new articles and biographies contributed by scholars from around the world on a wide array of global topics in the social sciences.
- Home for a MomentPhotograph by Culture:Subculture Photography
