Chapter 1: Introduction to Sociological Theory

sociological theory

a set of interrelated ideas that allow for the systematization of knowledge of the social world, the explanation of that world, and predictions about the future of that world.

sociological canon

the theories, ideas, and texts that, at least in the past, have been considered the most important in the filed of sociology.

critics have argued that the canon is not a neutral construction; rather it is affected by political factors.

grand theory

a vast, highly ambitious effort to tell the story of a great stretch of human history and/or a large portion of the social world.

theories of everyday life

theories that focus on such everyday and seemingly mundane activities as individual thought and action, the interaction of two or more people, and the small groups that emerge from such interaction.