Table of Contents
Definition of Applied Sociology
(noun) Any use of sociological methods and theories to provide solutions to problems or make decisions.
Example of Applied Sociology
- Using sociological knowledge to increase revenue by adapting advertising to a particular population.
Types of Applied Sociology
Applied Sociology Pronunciation
Syllabification: ap·plied so·ci·ol·o·gy
Audio Pronunciation
Phonetic Spelling
- American English – /uh-plIEd soh-see-AH-luh-jee/
- British English – /uh-plIEd soh-si-O-luh-jee/
International Phonetic Alphabet
- American English – /əˈplaɪd ˌsoʊsiˈɑləʤi/
- British English – /əˈplaɪd ˌsəʊsɪˈɒləʤi/
Usage Note
- Plural: applied sociologies
Additional Information
- Qualitative Research Resources – Books, Journals, and Helpful Links
- Quantitative Research Resources – Books, Journals, and Helpful Links
- Word origin of “applied” and “sociology” – Online Etymology Dictionary: etymonline.com
Related Terms
Works Consulted
Henslin, James M. 2012. Sociology: A Down-to-Earth Approach. 10th ed. Boston: Allyn & Bacon.
Schaefer, Richard. 2013. Sociology: A Brief Introduction. 10th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill.
Thompson, William E., and Joseph V. Hickey. 2012. Society in Focus: An Introduction to Sociology. 7th ed. Boston: Allyn & Bacon.
Cite the Definition of Applied Sociology
ASA – American Sociological Association (5th edition)
Bell, Kenton, ed. 2014. “applied sociology.” In Open Education Sociology Dictionary. Retrieved February 9, 2025 (https://sociologydictionary.org/applied-sociology/).
APA – American Psychological Association (6th edition)
applied sociology. (2014). In K. Bell (Ed.), Open education sociology dictionary. Retrieved from https://sociologydictionary.org/applied-sociology/
Chicago/Turabian: Author-Date – Chicago Manual of Style (16th edition)
Bell, Kenton, ed. 2014. “applied sociology.” In Open Education Sociology Dictionary. Accessed February 9, 2025. https://sociologydictionary.org/applied-sociology/.
MLA – Modern Language Association (7th edition)
“applied sociology.” Open Education Sociology Dictionary. Ed. Kenton Bell. 2014. Web. 9 Feb. 2025. <https://sociologydictionary.org/applied-sociology/>.