[mass noun]the study of the development, structure, and functioning of human society 社会学 ■the study of social problems 社会问题研究
Although the word was coined by Auguste Comte c.1838, sociology was founded as a formal discipline by Émile Durkheim, Max Weber, and Karl Marx in the late 19th century. Sociology asserts that humans act under the influence of history, culture, and the expectations of others. Consequently, sociologists are usually interested in patterns of behaviour which recur irrespective of the individuals concerned