10+ Best Articles on Sociology
The most useful articles on sociology from around the web—beginners to advanced—curated by thought leaders and our community. We focus on timeless pieces and update the list whenever we discover new, must-read articles or videos—make sure to bookmark and revisit this page.
Top 5 Sociology Articles
At a glance: these are the articles that have been most read, shared, and saved on sociology by Refind users in 2023 so far.
How to ...?
How to have more meaningful conversations
Be brave enough to share, kind enough to listen, and you can escape the shallows of small talk to dive deep with another
Short Articles
Short on time? Check out these useful short articles on sociology—all under 10 minutes.
Bias from Liking/Loving: Why We Comply With Those We Love
The tendency to judge in favor of people and symbols we like is called the bias from liking or loving and it affects how we make decisions. Let's explore...
«And what will a man naturally come to like and love, apart from his parent, spouse and child? Well, he will like and love being liked and loved.”»
Why American Teens Are So Sad
Four forces are propelling the rising rates of depression among young people.
«Anxious parents, in seeking to insulate their children from risk and danger, are unintentionally transferring their anxiety to their kids.»
Here’s why your efforts to convince anti-vaxxers aren’t working
People don’t listen to outsiders. They need enlightened insiders to offer them a ladder to climb down, says sociology professor Brooke Harrington
If you’re so smart, why aren’t you rich? Turns out it’s just chance.
The most successful people are not the most talented, just the luckiest, a new computer model of wealth creation confirms. Taking that into account can maximize return on many kinds of investment.
Family Background, Cultural Capital and College Major Choice in China
In a study published by The British Journal of Sociology in December 2107, Chinese scholars Hu Anning and Wu Xiaogang investigated the correlation between what French sociologist Pierre Bourdain identified as “cultural capital” and college major choice in China, where students must choose between a science-focused curriculum and an arts-focused curriculum at the start of high school. The older generation grew up in a country thirsty for economic growth and industrial prowess. In those days, many students favored science and technology above literature and the arts. According to Hu and Wu’s study, today it’s mostly those from a lower social strata – with less cultural capital – who choose a science-related major. Chen Xiaoxue, editor of the WeChat wemedia account The Intellectual, and research student Shi Jiaxin report on Wu and Hu’s findings. Chen and Shi’s study is thought-provoking and opens up a wealth of questions that researchers will undoubtedly explore in the future: As China develops, will the popularity of science majors decrease? Will the choice of majors affect China’s social stratification in the long run? How will changes in China’s education system affect the influence of cultural capital on social advancement? getAbstract recommends Chen and Shi’s insightful analysis to those interested in education, social mobility and economics.
Long Articles
These are some of the most-read long-form articles on sociology.
What if emotions aren’t universal but specific to each culture?
What if emotions are not universal and hardwired but exquisite acts of meaning-making specific to context and culture?
«Each emotion, furthermore, came with a distinct, brain-bound affect programme. Triggered by an external stimulus, this underlying neural mechanism would set off a cascade of prebuilt responses, including physiological changes, facial expressions, behaviour tendencies and the subjective states we commonly call feelings.»
I think, therefore I make mistakes and change my mind
Ever since English poet Alexander Pope wrote the famous line, “To err is human,” people have linked humanity to the ability to make mistakes. And yet, this realization doesn’t always extend to people’s personal preferences, which sciences such as economics and sociology tend to treat as given or even too sacred to criticize. Lawyer Daniel Ward deconstructs the origins of what he calls “general infallibility” and calls for more critical thinking. Ward’s analysis meanders a bit and is more than a light read, but if you work in a diverse environment, you will appreciate his premise that criticizing – even judging – the opinions of others means giving those opinions the respect they deserve.
The crisis in modern masculinity
Around the world, luridly retro ideas of what it means to be a man have caused a rush of testosterone – from Bollywood bodybuilding to nuclear brinkmanship
A Sociology of the Smartphone
Smartphones have altered the texture of everyday life, digesting many longstanding spaces and rituals, and transforming others beyond recognition.
Burning Man is the New Capitalism » Cyborgology
The Society Pages (TSP) is an open-access social science project headquartered in the Department of Sociology at the University of Minnesota
Publications
We monitor hundreds of publications, blogs, newsletters, and news sources in Sociology, including:
Aeon+Psyche
Aeon is a magazine of ideas and culture. Psyche is our sister magazine focused on the human condition. Visit http://aeon.co and http://psyche.co for more.
Truthout
Truthout is a nonprofit news organization dedicated to providing independent reporting and commentary on a diverse range of social justice issues.
Hazlitt
Essays, Literature, Opinions, & More. Read with us.
MIT Technology Review
Our in-depth reporting on innovation reveals and explains what’s really happening now to help you know what’s coming next. http://technologyreview.com/newsletters
Longreads
Sharing and publishing the best longform stories since 2009. An @automattic publication and the sister site of @Atavist. @longreads@mastodon.world
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