Sociology & Society, WES-WOR
The study of human societies is an important tool for the improvement of living conditions. It analyzes the innumerable factors that are the makeup of human behavior and that can cause social injustice, stratification, and societal disorder in the form of crime, deviance, and revolution. It helps to find the best possible solutions to issues such as economic inequality, race relations, and gender discrimination. The discipline of sociology has grown by leaps and bounds in the last century with the contribution of scholars from different schools of thought.
Sociology & Society Encyclopedia Articles By Title
Western World
Western World, cultural-geographic descriptor generally referring to the countries of western Europe and nations......
Westernization
Westernization, the adoption of the practices and culture of western Europe by societies and countries in other......
What Did We Call Americaâs Elite Before the â1 Percentâ?
Astor. Rockefeller. Kennedy. Bezos. In 2011 the Occupy Wall Street protest movement spread the term 1 percent in......
What Is Bloomsday?
On June 16, 1904, Irish writer James Joyce had his first date with Nora Barnacle, a woman from western Ireland......
What Is Cultural Appropriation?
You hear about it on Twitter, in news headlines, and at Thanksgiving dinner. But what is cultural appropriation,......
What Is in Americaâs Time Capsule?
Time capsules preserve a snapshot of history for future generations, capturing the people, culture, and achievements......
What Is Intersectionality?
In the 2010s intersectionality became the rallying cry of many left-wing activists fighting for social justice.......
What Is Pi Day?
Pi Day is a celebration of the never-ending mathematical constant pi (Ď), which relates the circumference C of......
What Is the Difference Between May Day and Labor Day?
Arenât May Day and Labor Day basically the same thing? Not quite! While both May Day and Labor Day honor workers,......
What Is the Epstein Files Transparency Act?
In July 2025 U.S. Reps. Thomas Massie, a Kentucky Republican, and Ro Khanna, a California Democrat, teamed up on......
What Is the History of Juneteenth?
On January 1, 1863, in the midst of the Civil War, United States President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation......
What Is the Origin of the Term âJim Crowâ?
From the late 1870s until the triumphs of the civil rights movement in the 1950s and â60s, regimented racial segregation......
What Is the Significance of the #OscarsSoWhite Hashtag?
Twitter user and activist April Reign first tweeted â#OscarsSoWhite they asked to touch my hairâ on January 15,......
What Movies Have Won the Most Oscars?
A biblical epic, a doomed ocean liner, and an adaptation of a classic fantasy novelâwhat do these have in common?......
What the Stanford Prison Experiment Taught Us
In August of 1971, Dr. Philip G. Zimbardo of Stanford University in California conducted what is widely considered......
What Was Life Like in America in 1776?
As the United States celebrates its 250th anniversary, letâs go back in time to see what life was like in the colonies......
What would it cost to buy Greenland?
For more than a century, U.S. leaders have periodically floated the idea of acquiring Greenland, but President......
Whatâs the difference between urban and rural?
The primary difference between areas defined as urban (Latin: urbanus, ârelated to the cityâ) and rural (Latin:......
When did women start wearing pants?
In some cultures, pants have been common garments worn by women for centuries or millennia. This was not the case......
When Was the First Thanksgiving?
The first Thanksgiving is said to have taken place in 1621, when the English colonists (Pilgrims) of Plymouth,......
Where Did Halloween Originate?
Halloween is believed to have connections to the festival of Samhain celebrated among the Celts of ancient Ireland.......
Where Do Antisemitic Conspiracy Theories About the Rothschild Family Come From?
The Rothschild family is arguably the most famous European banking dynasty in modern history. In the late 18th......
Which Countries Have Had Women Leaders?
In 1893 New Zealand became the first country in the world to extend the right to vote to women. Dozens more would......
Which NBA players have been named most valuable player?
After the conclusion of each NBA regular season, a group of 100 journalists and broadcasters votes to determine......
White Father
White Father, a Roman Catholic international missionary society of priests and brothers whose sole field of activity......
White Rose
White Rose, German anti-Nazi group formed in Munich in 1942. Unlike the conspirators of the July Plot (1944) or......
White, Leslie A.
Leslie A. White was an American anthropologist best known for his theories of the evolution of culture and for......
Whitney, John Hay
John Hay Whitney was an American multimillionaire and sportsman who had a multifaceted career as a publisher, financier,......
Who Has Been Nominated for the Most Oscars but Never Won?
When it comes to Academy Award nominations, some actors, directors, producers, and other film professionals have......
Who Has Won the Most Grammy Awards?
First presented in 1959, the Grammy Awards are widely regarded as the most prestigious prizes in the music industry.......
Who Votes for the Academy Awards?
After the glitzy red-carpet arrivals, the feel-good montages, and the hostâs opening roast, the Oscars ceremony......
Who Was the First Woman to Run for President of the United States?
When Hillary Clinton, running as the first female presidential candidate of a major political party, won the popular......
Who Was the Woman Behind the Statue of Liberty?
The Statue of Liberty is one of the most iconic sculptures in the Western world and is often seen as a symbol of......
Whoâs won the most Oscars?
First presented in 1929, the Academy Awards are among the most prestigious prizes in the film industry. Competition......
Why Are 22 Chambers Locked in the Taj Mahal?
The Taj Mahal is a mausoleum complex in Agra, Uttar Pradesh state, northern India. It is considered one of the......
Why are North and South Korea divided?
The division of the Korean Peninsula is one of the most enduring legacies of the Cold War. For more than a thousand......
Why are people from New Zealand called Kiwis?
People from New Zealand are called âKiwisâ because of their unique and symbolic connection to the kiwi, a flightless......
Why Do Americans Celebrate the Fourth of July with Fireworks?
Fireworks have been part and parcel of U.S. Independence Day, the anniversary of the signing of the Declaration......
Why Do We Carve Pumpkins at Halloween?
The jack-oâ-lantern has a long history with Halloween, although our favorite demonic faces havenât always been......
Why Do We Celebrate Birthdays?
Annual celebrations and commemorations came about with the invention of the calendar. Not much is known about the......
Why Do We Celebrate Halloween?
Did you know that parts of Halloween may have been around for more than a thousand years? What began as serious......
Why do we celebrate Juneteenth?
Juneteenth (also known as Emancipation Day, Freedom Day, and Jubilee Day) commemorates the end of slavery in the......
Why Do We Eat Turkey on Thanksgiving?
As celebrated in the United States, the holiday of Thanksgiving usually revolves around a bountiful meal. Typical......
Why Do We Pardon Turkeys on Thanksgiving?
Thanksgiving is not a good time to be a turkey in the United States. But at least one of these otherwise hapless......
Why Have So Many World Leaders Married Their Cousins?
A crown. A ring. Your cousin. What else do you need for a royal wedding? At this point, the fact that so many royals......
Why Is Black History Month Celebrated in February?
âFebruary is Black History Month.â Since the 1970s that familiar declaration has introduced countless celebrations......
Why Is it Illegal to Visit North Sentinel Island in India?
Along the Andaman and Nicobar Islands union territory in the Bay of Bengal in India lies a remote island called......
Why Is Japanâs Population Decreasing?
Japanâs population has been declining steadily since 2005 primarily because of a decrease in births, which have......
Why Is Labor Day Celebrated in September?
The origins of Labor Day can be traced to the labor movement of the late 19th century in the United States. There......
Why Is Pride Month Celebrated in June?
Colorful uplifting parades with floats and celebrities, joyous festivals, workshops, picnics, and parties are among......
Why Is Thanksgiving in the U.S. Celebrated on a Thursday?
Thanksgiving is one of the most popular holidays in the United States, but formally establishing the day on which......
Why Is There an R in Mrs.?
If we pronounce the title Mrs. as âmissus,â why is there an r in it? Despite its pronunciation, the abbreviation......
Why Is Womenâs History Month Celebrated in March?
Each March, Americans celebrate National Womenâs History Month: a chance to recognize womenâs varied, and often......
Why Was Frederick Douglassâs Marriage to Helen Pitts Controversial?
On the morning of January 25, 1884, Jane Pitts woke up to newspaper headlines that her daughter Helen, without......
Why We Celebrate MLK Day
In the United States, Martin Luther King, Jr., Day is observed annually on the third Monday in January. The day......
Widener, Peter A.B.
Peter A.B. Widener was an American transportation magnate and philanthropist. The son of poor parents, Widener......
Wied-Neuwied, Maximilian, Prinz zu
Maximilian, prince zu Wied-Neuwied was a German aristocratic naturalist, ethnographer, and explorer whose observations......
Wiener Werkstätte
Wiener Werkstätte, cooperative enterprise for crafts and design founded in Vienna in 1903. Inspired by William......
WikiLeaks
WikiLeaks, media organization and website that functioned as a clearinghouse for classified or otherwise privileged......
Wilson, Godfrey
Godfrey Wilson was a British anthropologist and analyst of social change in Africa. In 1938 Wilson was appointed......
Wilson, William Julius
William Julius Wilson is an American sociologist whose views on race and urban poverty helped shape U.S. public......
Winfrey, Oprah
Oprah Winfrey is an American television personality, actress, and entrepreneur whose syndicated daily talk show,......
Winkler Prins Encyclopedie
Winkler Prins Encyclopedie, the standard Dutch encyclopaedia, published by Elsevier in Amsterdam. The first edition......
Winners of the Nobel Prize for Economics
The Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel was established in 1968 by the Bank......
Winter Holidays: Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, and More
The turn of seasons from winter to spring (at least in the Northern Hemisphere) is celebrated with great zeal and......
Wirth, Louis
Louis Wirth was an American sociologist who pioneered in the study of urban problems. A noted teacher at the University......
Wissler, Clark
Clark Wissler was an American anthropologist who developed the concept of culture area. Though educated as a psychologist......
Wittenmyer, Annie Turner
Annie Turner Wittenmyer was an American relief worker and reformer who helped supply medical aid and dietary assistance......
Wolfensohn, James
James Wolfensohn was an Australian-born American banker who served as president of the World Bank (1995â2005),......
Wolfgang, Marvin
Marvin Wolfgang was an American criminologist who was described by the British Journal of Criminology as âthe most......
Woman-Made: 10 Sculptors You Might Not Know
Beginning in the mid-19th century, there existed a successful and influential community of American women sculptors.......
Woman-Made: 13 Architects You Might Not Know
Throughout history, women have been interested and involved in architecture, yet in the 21st century it remains......
Womanâs Christian Temperance Union
Womanâs Christian Temperance Union (WCTU), American temperance organization, founded in November 1874 in Cleveland,......
Womanâs Peace Party
Womanâs Peace Party (WPP), American organization that was established as a result of a three-day peace meeting......
Women in the United States by the Numbers: 1920 Versus 2020
This infographic shows graphs that compare aspects of the lives of women in the United States over a century. Spotlight,......
Women in World War I: A Photo Gallery
Women have long played a vital role during wartime. In World War I (1914â18), however, their contributions grew......
Women Leaders: Notable Female Politicians in History
Women have long faced an uphill battle for gender equality in politics. Globally, only about one-third of countries......
Womenâs Africa Cup of Nations
The Womenâs Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) is Africaâs premier womenâs football (soccer) tournament, held every......
Womenâs Equality Day
Womenâs Equality Day, annual event in the United States, observed on August 26 since its inception in 1971, marking......
Womenâs Equity Action League
Womenâs Equity Action League (WEAL), former national womenâs organization committed to improving the status of......
Womenâs National Loyal League
Womenâs National Loyal League, organization formed on May 14, 1863, by Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton......
Womenâs Peace Society
Womenâs Peace Society, interwar feminist and pacifist organization, active from 1919â33, that was focused on total......
Womenâs Political Council
Womenâs Political Council, organization that was established for African American professional women in Montgomery,......
Womenâs Prize for Fiction
Womenâs Prize for Fiction, English literary prize for women that was conceptualized in 1992 and instituted in 1996......
Womenâs Social and Political Union
Womenâs Social and Political Union (WSPU), militant wing of the British woman suffrage movement. WSPU was founded......
Womenâs World Cup
Womenâs World Cup, international football (soccer) competition that determines the world champion among womenâs......
World AIDS Day
Since 1988, World AIDS Day has been observed every year on December 1. It was created by the World Health Organization......
World AIDS Day
World AIDS Day, annual observance aimed at raising awareness of AIDS and the spread of HIV. World AIDS Day occurs......
World Athletics
World Athletics, organization of track-and-field federations representing more than 200 countries and territories.......
World Cancer Day
World Cancer Day, annual observance held on February 4 that is intended to increase global awareness of cancer.......
World Council of Churches
World Council of Churches (WCC), Christian ecumenical organization founded in 1948 in Amsterdam as âa fellowship......
World Cup
World Cup, in skiing, trophy awarded annually since 1967 to the top male and female Alpine skiers. In World Cup......
World Cup
World Cup, in golf, trophy awarded to the winner of an annual competition for two-man professional teams representing......
World Heart Day
World Heart Day, annual observance and celebration held on September 29 that is intended to increase public awareness......
World Heritage site
World Heritage site, any of various areas or objects inscribed on the United Nations Educational, Scientific and......
World Malaria Day
World Malaria Day, annual observance held on April 25 to raise awareness of the global effort to control and ultimately......
World Methodist Council
World Methodist Council (WMC), cooperative organization of Methodist churches that provides a means for consultation......
World Oceans Day
World Oceans Day, annual celebration honouring the majesty of Earthâs oceans and the economic, aesthetic, and environmental......
World Poetry Day
Poetry is a form of literature that often celebrates abstraction and the beauty of words. Written poetry is thought......
World Professional Association for Transgender Health
World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH), interdisciplinary professional association founded......