社会学(しゃかいがく)

しゃかいがく
noun
sociology
1. sociology; the academic study of human society, social relationships, and institutions
The scientific study of society, patterns of social relationships, social interaction, and culture. Named as an academic field, it is the most common Japanese translation of the English term 'sociology' and is used in university department names, course titles, and book titles.
大学(だいがく)で社会学(しゃかいがく)を学(まな)んだ。
I studied sociology at university.
社会学(しゃかいがく)の授業(じゅぎょう)はとてもおもしろい。
The sociology class is very interesting.
彼女(かのじょ)は社会学(しゃかいがく)の博士号(はくしごう)を取(と)るためにアメリカの大学院(だいがくいん)に進(すす)んだ。
She went on to graduate school in the United States to earn a PhD in sociology.

Compound of 社会(しゃかい) ('society') and 学(がく) ('study; -ology'). Like other academic field names formed with 学(がく), 社会学(しゃかいがく) names the discipline itself; specialists are called 社会学者(しゃかいがくしゃ) ('sociologists').

USAGE:

  • Used for both the academic discipline and as the name of a university department or major (社会学部(しゃかいがくぶ) 'department of sociology', 社会学科(しゃかいがっか) 'sociology program').
  • Occasionally used loosely in journalism to describe commentary that takes a 'sociological' angle on a current issue, but the primary sense is academic.

COMMON COLLOCATIONS:

  • 社会学(しゃかいがく)を専攻(せんこう)する: to major in sociology
  • 社会学(しゃかいがく)の講義(こうぎ): a sociology lecture
  • 社会学(しゃかいがく)の視点(してん): a sociological perspective
  • 都市(とし)社会学(しゃかいがく): urban sociology
  • 家族(かぞく)社会学(しゃかいがく): sociology of the family

RELATED TERMS:

  • 社会(しゃかい): society — the object of study.
  • 社会学者(しゃかいがくしゃ): sociologist — a specialist in sociology.
  • 経済学(けいざいがく): economics — a parallel 〜学(がく) field name.
  • 心理学(しんりがく): psychology — often taught alongside sociology.
general
Added 2026.4.15 16:09
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