Dec 6, 2025 · Examples of these approaches include the theory of differential association, which claims that all criminal behaviour is learned and that the learning process is influenced by the …

In light of such criticism of structural functionalism, some sociologists proposed a “conflict sociology,” which held that dominant institutions repress weaker groups and that conflict …

Labeling theory, in criminology, a theory stemming from a sociological perspective known as ‘symbolic interactionism,’ a school of thought based on the ideas of George Herbert Mead, …

Dec 13, 2025 · Sociology, a social science that studies human societies, their interactions, and the processes that preserve and change them. It does this by examining the dynamics of …

Some deviance is expressed by individuals within a group (for example, a student who wears unusual clothes), and other deviance can be expressed by a group within society (for example, …

Dec 24, 2025 · Functionalism, in social sciences, theory based on the premise that all aspects of a society—institutions, roles, norms, etc.—serve a purpose and that all are indispensable for …

Dec 6, 2025 · Examples of these approaches include the theory of differential association, which claims that all criminal behaviour is learned and that the learning process is influenced by the …

Strain theory, in sociology, proposal that pressure derived from social factors, such as lack of income or lack of quality education, drives individuals to commit crime.

Dec 13, 2025 · Political sociology, for example, studied the social basis of party voting and partisan politics, spurring comparison of decision-making processes in city, state, and national …

Dec 3, 2025 · Social identity theory, in social psychology, the study of the interplay between personal and social identities. Social identity theory aims to specify and predict the …