Sociology

Shareholder A shareholder owns one or more shares in a company, giving them partial ownership and certain rights such as voting, dividends and limited liability. Types include common and prefe…

Sibling An overview of siblings: biological and social types, kinship and genetic relationships, cultural roles, legal considerations, psychological dynamics, and common patterns in family…

Sidekick (Companion Role in Fiction and Culture) Sidekick A sidekick is a recurring companion who assists a principal character. This entry explains the role, common functions, historical examples, and how sidekicks differ from partners o…

Significant other: definition, usage, and social context Significant other An overview of the term 'significant other', its meanings, history, common uses in social and institutional contexts, and distinctions from related relationship terms.

Sikkimese people: communities, origins and cultural identity Sikkimese people Overview of the Sikkimese people: major ethnic communities, historical origins, languages, religions, and cultural features of the population of Sikkim in northeastern India.

Simon Says (children's game) Simon Says Simon Says is a children’s listening and imitation game in which a leader gives commands prefaced by “Simon says.” Players follow only those commands; it teaches attention, self-co…

Single (unmarried or unpartnered person) Single person A single person is not married, in a civil union, or in an exclusive romantic or sexual partnership. The term covers voluntary choices, life stages, legal status and cultural meani…

Sit-in: nonviolent occupation as direct political action Sit-in A sit-in is a form of nonviolent protest in which participants occupy a space to demand change. It has been used in civil rights, labor, student and consumer movements worldwide.

Slang: informal language, social identity, and linguistic change Slang An overview of slang: its features, social functions, historical examples, relationship to standard language, and distinctions from jargon, dialect, and profanity.

Slut (term) Slut Informal, often derogatory term for someone perceived as sexually promiscuous; historically referred to untidiness. Covers origins, modern usage, social effects, and attempts at re…

Social capital: meaning, types, measurement, and social importance Social capital Social capital refers to the networks, norms and trust that enable people to cooperate. It shapes civic life, economic opportunity and public health, and differs from financial cap…

Social choice theory and collective decision-making Social choice theory Study of methods for aggregating individual preferences into collective choices, covering voting rules, fairness criteria, strategic behavior, and foundational impossibility and co…

Social class (socioeconomic groups and stratification) Social class Social class describes divisions in societies based on wealth, occupation, education and status. It shapes life chances, identity and power across historical and modern contexts.

Social commentary: forms, history, and methods Social commentary Overview of social commentary: how creators critique society, common techniques and media, historical development, notable examples, and distinctions from propaganda and activism.

Social control Social control is the set of norms, institutions, and practices that shape and regulate people's behavior, appearance, thoughts, and feelings within groups and societies.

Social Darwinism: origins, beliefs, applications, and criticisms Social Darwinism Overview of Social Darwinism—its development from evolutionary ideas, core claims, historical applications (imperialism, eugenics, Nazism), and major critiques and distinctions fro…

Social engineering (security) Social engineering is the practice of manipulating people to disclose information or perform actions that compromise security; it complements technical attacks and exploits human t…

Social equality: concepts, history, and social importance Social equality An overview of social equality: its meaning, core elements, historical development, social effects, and distinctions from related ideas, with practical examples and common debates.

Social Interaction: Forms, Functions, and Significance Social interaction Overview of social interaction: basic elements, common contexts (family, teams, bureaucracy), historical perspectives, functions, variations and contemporary issues including media…

Social isolation: causes, effects, and distinctions from loneliness Social isolation Comprehensive overview of social isolation: definition, causes, signs, health and social impacts, at-risk groups, and approaches to prevention and support.

Social issue: causes, examples, history and responses Social issue A social issue is a widespread problem that affects many people in a society. This article explains characteristics, common examples, historical development, and typical responses.

Social justice: principles, history, and contemporary applications Social justice Social justice is the pursuit of a fair society through equal rights, opportunities, and treatment. This article explains core principles, historical development, common uses, and…

Social movement Collective efforts by people or organizations to promote, resist, or reverse social or political change; covers characteristics, history, types, and how movements differ from parti…

Social network: structure, roles, and community dynamics Social network A social network is a pattern of relationships among people or organizations; this article explains its structure, functions, history, common types, benefits, and practical challen…

Social Programs in the United States Overview of major U.S. social programs: types of benefits, historical development, administration, and common examples such as Social Security, Medicaid, SNAP, housing and cash ass…

Social psychology: how people think, influence, and relate in groups Social psychology Social psychology examines how individuals' thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are shaped by real or imagined social contexts, covering cognition, influence, groups, methods, histor…

Social responses to the idea of evolution How societies, religions, philosophies and institutions have reacted to the concept of biological evolution, including historical debates, misunderstandings, educational conflicts…

Social sciences: disciplines, methods, history, and applications Social sciences A concise overview of the social sciences: what they study, principal fields, research methods, historical development, practical uses and distinctions from the arts and humanities…

Social status: ascribed and achieved positions in society Social status Social status denotes a person's rank or standing within a social system. It includes ascribed and achieved status, affects life chances and relationships, and is studied across so…

Social stigma: causes, types, and societal effects Social stigma An overview of social stigma: what it is, principal types, historical perspectives, common effects, and approaches to reduce its harms in communities and institutions.

Social structure Patterns and institutions that organize relationships, roles, hierarchies and classes within societies, shaping behavior, opportunity and collective life.

Social Work: Principles, Practice and Professional Roles Social work An overview of social work covering its aims, common roles and settings, historical development, education and methods, major practice areas, and distinctions from related fields.

Socialist country: definition, models, history and examples Socialist country A socialist country is a state that organizes production and public services with collective ownership or control. This article explains concepts, varieties, historical development…

Socialite (figure in high society) Socialite A socialite is a person prominent in fashionable society who devotes time to social events, hosting and attending gatherings. This article covers definition, traits, history, moder…

Society: Structure, Functions, and Forms Society An overview of society as a system of human relationships, its components, historical ideas, purposes, and the ways scholars and institutions describe and measure social life.

Sociobiology: the biological study of social behavior Sociobiology Sociobiology examines social behavior through evolutionary theory, integrating ethology, genetics and anthropology; it explains animal and human social patterns, outlines core clai…

Sociolect — Language varieties of social groups Sociolect A sociolect is a variety of language associated with a social group (class, profession, age or ethnicity), marked by distinctive vocabulary, pronunciation, grammar and social meani…

Sociolinguistics Sociolinguistics is the study of how language and society interact, including language variation, change, social identity, and policy across communities and contexts.

Sociology: the study of societies, social behavior, and institutions Sociology Sociology examines how people organize, interact, and create institutions. It analyzes social structures, culture, inequality, institutions, and change using diverse methods from s…

Solidarity Solidarity is the social bond among people who share interests, goals or responsibilities; it appears in moral, political and organizational contexts and underpins collective actio…

Solitude: meaning, types, effects and cultural perspectives Solitude An overview of solitude: definitions, voluntary vs imposed forms, psychological and social effects, historical and cultural roles, and how solitude differs from loneliness or isola…

Sonderkommando: prisoner work units in Nazi extermination camps Sonderkommando Sonderkommando were forced prisoner units in Nazi camps assigned to handle victims of mass murder. This article explains their role, organization, history, and the legacy of testim…

Sorbian languages Two closely related West Slavic languages of the Sorb people in eastern Germany (Lusatia), known as Upper and Lower Sorbian; legally protected, with regional media, schools and dia…

Soup kitchen: community meal services for people in need Soup kitchen A soup kitchen provides free or low-cost hot meals to people facing poverty or homelessness. Typically run by charities, faith groups, or local authorities, they offer immediate nu…

Speed dating A structured social event where singles meet multiple short conversations in succession to find mutual romantic interest; notable for timed rounds, match sheets, and variations for…

Spinster: history, meanings and cultural context Spinster Spinster is an older term for an unmarried woman, originating from an occupational name and later a legal designation; its meanings and social connotations have changed over time.

Sprachbund — linguistic convergence across geographic areas Sprachbund A sprachbund is an area where unrelated or distantly related languages develop shared features through prolonged contact. Overview, causes, examples, and how it differs from geneti…

Squatting: informal occupation of vacant land and buildings Squatting A neutral overview of squatting: what it is, why it occurs, common forms, legal responses, and notable examples such as Freetown Christiania.