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Sociology Dissertation Topics For 2024

Published by Alvin Nicolas at January 10th, 2023 , Revised On April 16, 2024

Introduction

Sociology is the study of society, social patterns, social relationships, etc. Essentially, it studies how human society functions and operates. Sociology also examines the process of human interaction, how it is preserved and what causes it to evolve. As a sociology student, you will gain in-depth knowledge and understanding regarding human interactions and social relationships. Still, you will also learn about crime, social classes, religions, cultures, and more.

As part of your degree programme, you may have to submit a dissertation. The topic that you choose for your sociology dissertation should be trending and relevant. It should discuss an issue that is prevailing in society.

To help you get started with brainstorming for sociology topic ideas, we have developed a list of the latest topics that can be used for writing your history dissertation.

These topics have been developed by PhD qualified writers of our team , so you can trust to use these topics for drafting your dissertation.

You may also want to start your dissertation by requesting  a brief research proposal  from our writers on any of these topics, which includes an  introduction  to the topic,  research question ,  aim and objectives ,  literature review  along with the proposed  methodology  of research to be conducted.  Let us know  if you need any help in getting started.

Check our  dissertation examples  to get an idea of  how to structure your dissertation .

Review the full list of  dissertation topics for here.

2024 Sociology Dissertation Topics

Topic 1: the sociology of new work from home employment model- an exploratory analysis determining the sociological effects of work from home during covid-19 in the uk.

Research Aim: This research aims to determine the sociological effects of the new work from home (WFH) employment model adopted by organizations during COVID-19 in the UK. It will identify how WFH affected the social and personal lives of employees. Moreover, it will see how these sociological effects translated into their work efficacy. And whether organizations are aware of these effects and what were their human resource (HR) policies to improve their employees’ social lives?

Topic 2: What are the Sociological Determinants of the Gender Pay Gap in Western Society? A Case Study of Multinational Corporations in the USA, UK, Canada, and Germany

Research Aim: This study will find the sociological determinants of the gender pay gap in western society. It will assess the individuals working in multinational organizations in the USA, UK, Canada, and Germany to see whether their cultures, norms, and traditions impact gender pay in these countries. Furthermore, how do these organizations address the issue of the gender pay gap and their findings on this issue?

Topic 3: Is it Bad to be a Transgender in South Asia? Impact of Transgender Stigmatization on the Transgender Suicide Rate in the India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh

Research Aim: This research will analyze the impact of transgender stigmatization on the transgender suicide rate in South Asia. It will assess India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh as case studies to find how being a transgender person there and how does it affect their lives and what social factors force them to commit suicide? Moreover, it will identify the steps taken by their local governments to make society more transgender-inclusive and what difference these policies made in the lives of transgender people.

Topic 4: Does Religion Act Differently in Rural and Urban Settings? A Study to Find the Differential Effects of Islam on the Social Fabric of Rural and Urban Societies in Pakistan

Research Aim: This study will find the differential effects of Islam on the social fabric of rural and urban societies in Pakistan. It will determine the factors such as education level, general awareness, usage of technology, etc., that make a difference in how individuals follow religion in Pakistan’s rural and urban settings. Moreover, it will show how these factors play a mediating role between religion and the social fabric of rural and urban societies in Pakistan.

Topic 5: A Critical Examination of Religious Institutions in the UK and their Influence on Social Structure

Research Aim: This research intends to critically examine the role of religious institutions in shaping the social structures in the UK. It will identify the channels through which these religious institutions affect the individuals, transforming their social networks through changes in their family structures, parenting, religious beliefs, etc. Moreover, it will identify which religion has more effect on the lives of individuals in the UK and whether it is affecting their social and professional lives as well?

Covid-19 Sociology Research Topics

Topic 1: the effects of coronavirus on sociology.

Research Aim: The sociological aspects of societies during coronavirus pandemic. The study will highlight all elements thoroughly.

Topic 2: Sociological opportunities and resources during COVID-19

Research Aim: This study will review the sociological opportunities and resources during COVID-19

Topic 3: Global sociology and COVID-19

Research Aim: This study will highlight the challenges faced by global sociologist and their contribution to combatting COVID-19.

Topic 4: COVID-19 and the future of society

Research Aim: This study will assess the current situations and damages caused due to COVID-19 and predict society’s future after COVID-19 associating it with social distancing and fears created by the pandemic.

More Sociology Dissertation Topics for 2024

Topic 1: impacts of ethnic discrimination.

Research Aim: This research aims to study the impacts of ethnic discrimination on society

Topic 2: Types of discrimination in workplaces

Research Aim: This research aims to study discrimination in workplaces and suggest possible ways to solve them.

Topic 3: Dress codes and their impact on equality

Research Aim: This research aims to address the issues relevant to the imposition of dress codes in workplaces and institutions. It will also identify how far dress code ensures equality among the staff and what issues and challenges people face due to their religious and cultural backgrounds.

Topic 4: Oldage homes Vs. orphanages

Research Aim: This study will conduct a comparative study on old age homes and orphanages and suggest innovative solutions to improve their conditions and introduce various activities to provide them with a healthy and productive environment.

Sociology Dissertation Topics for 2023

Topic 1: the impact of race, real estate markets, and neighbourhood dynamics on evictions..

Research Aim: Using quantitative research techniques, the research looks to examine social stratification and inequality in neighbourhoods of the United States with the highest crime rates. The research will examine how various factors may impact social segregation and social mobility.

Topic 2: Is terrorism a social construct?

Research Aim: The research paper will use document analysis as the research technique to identify the extent to which terrorism is socially constructed. The paper will analyze the varying definitions of terrorism and the difficulties that surround it. It will examine events that are labelled terrorist acts based on traditional, legal, and academic definitions.

Topic 3: Analysing the perceptions and responses to female child sex offenders

Research Aim: The research will use qualitative research techniques to understand and explain the perceptions of female child sex offenders and responses to such in the criminal justice system, the media, the public, and social welfare professionals. The purpose of the research will be to bring to the forefront a different perspective by which to analyze expectations towards gender and its effect on gender’s criminological representations.

Topic 4: Stratification in labour markets of the UK after the great recession 2007-2009

Research Aim: Using quantitative techniques for a research method, the study will use theories and techniques used for understanding patterns and sources of income inequality to investigate employment inequality. The Great Recession’s consequences of employment inequality will be analysed using race, ethnicity, and gender.

Topic 5: Athletic privilege & lack of conviction

Research Aim: This research will analyse the arrest and conviction of athletes in sexual assault cases between athletes and non-athletes from 200 to 2017. There is a great lack of study of sexual assault arrest and conviction rates among male collegiate and professional athletes. The study will determine if and why athletes receive privileged treatment by the criminal justice system, specifically when accused of felony sexual assault against women.

Topic 6: Predisposition of America’s law enforcement towards racial stereotyping, discrimination, and profiling.

Research Aim: The study will examine law enforcement officers in the United States and the reasons why there is rampant racial bias against African Americans. There has been a surge of police brutality against African American citizens, making it imperative to examine the reasons behind the surge to improve police and community relationships.

Topic 7: The religious perspective of the role and importance of women in modern society: Islam versus Christianity

Research Aim: The main purpose of this study will be to identify the roles and importance of women in the modern world while undertaking the religious perspective. In this study, the researcher will identify the role of women while focusing on the role of women in Islam and how it differs from the role of women in Christianity.

Topic 8: Assessing the impact of cultural differences on organisational communication in MNC’s: case study of developed countries.

Research Aim: This study will identify the importance of communication in MNCs and the influence of cultural differences that may hinder or increase the level of effective communication within multinational organisations. The researcher will identify major cultural barriers and their relationship with communication within multinational organisations of developed countries.

Topic 9: To explore the significance of having a strong association between religious teaching and academic teaching

Research Aim: The main purpose of the research will be to identify the importance of preaching academic and religious knowledge to the students while focusing on the major challenges that can be faced by teachers while combining these two approaches.

Sociology of Gender Dissertation Topics

This has become one of the most prominent areas of sociology in recent times. Over the past five to six decades, an increasing part of public discourse and academic literature has been dedicated to gender equality. However, most of the work in this area of sociology has been done with reference to underdeveloped countries where complex gender issues prevail in societies. Some interesting topics in this area of sociology are suggested below for you to base your dissertation on.

Topic 1: Investigating changing gender roles in society and the effect of media

Research Aim: This research will talk about the changing gender roles in society and evaluate the role of media.

Topic 2: To study the reasons as to why women have been historically excluded from education

Research Aim: This study will talk about the various reasons why women have been excluded from education over the past years.

Topic 3: Studying gender policies in large and diversified multinational companies in the UK with a focus on the role of those policies in eliminating gender discrimination at the workplace

Research Aim: This research will help understand the gender issues in MNCs and will also evaluate the role of gender discrimination policies at workplaces.

Topic 4: To investigate the possible social aspects that could affect societal gender relationships

Research Aim: This research will help evaluate the role of social aspects that impact societal gender relationships.

Topic 5: To study the possible reasons as to why the role of females in society is influenced by the power politics of a society

Research Aim: This research will help in understanding the reasons why power politics influence females in society.

Topic 6: Do women in developing countries have a greater role to play in income-generating business activities?

Research Aim: This research will focus on women’s work in developing countries. It will evaluate whether they have a more significant role in generating income through different business activities.

Topic 7: The impact of religion in determining the optimum role of females in a society

Research Aim: This research will help evaluate the impact of religion in determining females’ best role in society.

Topic 8: Investigating possible reasons as to why women are discriminated against at work

Research Aim: This research will help investigate the various reasons why women are discriminated against at different workplaces.

Topic 9: To study societal behaviour that shapes gender relations

Research Aim: This research will help study social behaviour, which helps develop gender relations.

Topic 10: Analysing the increasing participation of women in politics and its impact on society

Research Aim: This research will help analyse the increasing participation of women in politics and its impact on society.

How Can ResearchProspect Help?

ResearchProspect writers can send several custom topic ideas to your email address. Once you have chosen a topic that suits your needs and interests, you can order for our dissertation outline service which will include a brief introduction to the topic, research questions , literature review , methodology , expected results , and conclusion . The dissertation outline will enable you to review the quality of our work before placing the order for our full dissertation writing service !

Industrial Sociology Dissertation Topics

Industrial Sociology can be defined as the study of behaviours and motivations of employees in a work environment. Most descriptions in this sociology area are anthropological as if an external observer is commenting on the office’s social environment. Some topics are suggested below if you intend to base your dissertation on this sub-field of sociology .

Topic 1: Studying the most critical aspect of modern industrial societies in the UK

Research Aim: This research will focus on the most essential and critical aspects of modern industrial societies in the UK.

Topic 2: Do societal beliefs and values really influence the role of corporate social responsibility?

Research Aim: This study will talk about various beliefs and values that impact corporate social responsibility.

Topic 3: The sociology of work: From industrial sociology to work, employment and the economy

Research Aim: This research will aim to investigate the sociology of work, i.e. industrial sociology, employment, an+d economy,

Topic 4: Organisational goals or social requirements – what should a worker-supervisor relationship bias be base on?

Research Aim: This research will aim to understand organisational goals or social requirements. The focus of the study will be to study the worker-supervisor relationship.

Topic 5: To investigate the social dimensions of communication in a large and diversified business organisation

Research Aim: This study will investigate the social dimensions of communication in a large and diversified business organisation.

Topic 6: To establish and critically analyse the relationship between work productivity and motivation

Research Aim: This research will talk about the relationship between productivity and motivation. The ties will be critically analysed.

Topic 7: How society is responding to automation in workplaces on workers?

Research Aim: This research will study the impact automation at workplaces has on employees.

Topic 8: To study strategies to ensure management of cultural diversity and cultural harmony in an organisation

Research Aim: This research will study strategies implemented to manage cultural diversity and harmony at workplaces.

Topic 9: How can the fluctuating trends influence employees' social well-being in the role of trade unions?

Research Aim: This research will investigate how employees’ social well-being is impacted by fluctuating trends in the role of trade unions.

Topic 10: To critically analyse the social structure of a multinational firm operating in the UK

Research Aim: This research will analyse the social structure of a multinational operating in the UK.

Economic Sociology Dissertation Topics

Economic sociology can precisely describe as studying the social cause and effect of various economic phenomena. This sub-field of sociology is further divided into a “contemporary” period and a “classical” one.

Economic sociology views the economy as a social institute that deals with the consumption, production, and distribution of products and services. Below are suggested some intriguing economic sociology dissertation topics for you to base your dissertation on:

Topic 1: To investigate the intra-household economic relationships of UK families with a particular focus on ethnic groups

Research Aim: This research will investigate UK families’ intra-household economic relationships. The study will base a particular focus on ethnic groups in these families.

Topic 2: To investigate the potentially detrimental effects of the recent economic slump in the social status of members from the secondary labour market

Research Aim: This study will aim to understand the detrimental impacts of the recent economic slump on secondary labourers’ social status.

Topic 3: To identify and study the most prominent sociological dimensions of socio-economic development

Research Aim: This research will identify and study the most prominent sociological dimensions of socio-economic development.

Topic 4: Can socio-economic development be ensured through an informal economy?

Research Aim: This study will explore whether socio-economic development is ensured through the informal economy

Topic 5: To determine whether the communism model can succeed in the UK society

Research Aim: This study will find out whether the communist model in the UK can succeed or not.

Topic 6: To critically review communism and capitalism economic models

Research Aim: This study will critically examine and review communism and capitalism economic models.

Topic 7: To study the extent to which international labour migration is affecting the UK’s society

Research Aim: This study will analyse the extent to which international labour migration impacts UK society.

Topic 8: To investigate the economy of the UK in terms of Marx’s criticism of capitalism

Research Aim: This study will investigate the UK economy to view Marx’s capitalism criticism.

Topic 9: Exploring the fundamental principles of economic sociology

Research Aim: This research will explore and examine economic sociology’s fundamental principles.

Topic 10: A critical analysis on the role of gender in the economy of the UK

Research Aim: This research will critically analyze gender roles in the UK economy.

Political Sociology Dissertation Topics

Political sociology primarily deals with the relationship between states and societies. This sub-field of sociology further considers power politics, political conflicts, and micro and macro components of sociology and political science. Here are some intriguing topics about political sociology.

Topic 1: A critical review of the concept of political sociology related to direct democracy

Research Aim: This research will deal with the concept of political sociology concerning direct democracy.

Topic 2: E-governance and the politics of identification: Unique identities, citizenship, and state in contemporary India

Research Aim: This research will discuss a relatively new concept, i.e. e-governance for politics of identification. The main focus of this dissertation will be exploring unique identities, states, and citizenship in India.

Topic 3: Analyzing elite theory in political sociology

Research Aim: Elite theory explores power relationships in contemporary society. This research will analyse this critical theory of political sociology.

Topic 4: Evaluating the role of social forces in power politics in the UK

Research Aim: This research will discuss and evaluate social forces’ role in power politics in the United Kingdom.

Topic 5: To determine the extent to which the democratic political model can influence a capitalist society

Research Aim: This research will aim to determine the extent to which a democratic political model can impact a capitalist society.

Topic 6: To study and compare rational-legal and leadership models with respect to the British society

Research Aim: This research will compare relational-legal and various leadership models about British society.

Topic 7: The importance and influence of ethnic minorities in British power politics Ethnic minorities hold huge power in British politics.

Research Aim: This research will explore the importance and influence of all such ethnic minorities in Britain.

Topic 8: Assessing modern politics and the role of globalisation

Research Aim: This research will talk about globalisation and how it impacts and influences modern politics.

Topic 9: Examining the British welfare state system: How does it impact individuals

Research Aim: This research will study and examine the British welfare state system. Furthermore, the study will also learn how this system impacts individuals.

Topic 10: A critical analysis of the Islamic welfare state system

Research Aim: This research will explore the Islamic welfare state system, how it operates, and its impact on society.

Also Read: Psychology Dissertation Topics

Sociology of Culture Dissertation Topics

Cultural sociology is an exciting area of sociology. The cultural norms, beliefs, values, and material and non-material aspects of culture are discussed in detail under this sociology sub-field. Here are some interesting cultural sociology dissertation topics you can choose from:

Topic 1: To study the validity and application of Marx’s conflict theory in British society

Research Aim: This research will discuss the conflict theory presented by Marx and examine its validity and application in British Society.

Topic 2: Investigating how the British native beliefs, norms and values have been influenced by cultural invasion from immigrants

Research Aim: This research will understand how immigrants influence British native beliefs, norms, and values.

Topic 3: Identifying and analysing the scope and dimensions of cultural shock an Asian foreigner can expect to face in the UK

Research Aim: This research will assess and examine how an Asian foreigner can sustain a cultural shock in the UK.

Topic 4: Are there any cultural lags in British society – A literature review from the past 10 years?

Research Aim: This will be an exciting study as it will explore cultural lags in British society—all the evidence from the past ten years assessed under this topic.

Topic 5: Importance of social interactions among cultures – Exploring the good and bad aspects of social interaction among sub-cultures in British society

Research Aim: This research will discuss the various social interactions among different cultures and explore the good and bad social interaction factors among subcultures in British society.

Topic 6: To critically analyse various subcultures in the UK with reference to geography

Research Aim: This research will analyse the different subcultures operating and living in the US regarding geography.

Topic 7: Evaluating the fluctuating principles of counterculture in Britain

Research Aim: This research will understand the principles of counterculture in the United States.

Topic 8: Comparing norms and values of modern British society to the culture 20 years ago

Research Aim: This will be a comparative study. The dissertation will compare and contrast the norms and values of modern British society with that of the culture prevalent 20 years ago.

Topic 9: To what extent has the popular culture of the UK transformed over the last few decades?

Research Aim: This research will understand how popular UK culture has changed over the past few years.

Topic 10: Examining culture and globalisation from the perspective of sociology

Research Aim: This research will assess and examine culture and globalisation from the perspective of sociology.

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Education Sociology Dissertation Topics

The sociology of education can be described as how individual experiences and educational institutions can affect education and its outcomes. This sociology area primarily deals with the schooling systems with a focus on adult, higher, and continuing education. Some interesting topics in this field of sociology are suggested below:

Topic 1: Examining the causes of education restriction of females in developing countries

Research Aim: This research will assess and evaluate the underlying causes that restrict females from gaining an education in developing countries.

Topic 2: To investigate the relationship between student performance and teacher behaviour – A study of the hurdles while acquiring education

Research Aim: This research will understand the relationship between student performance and teacher behaviour. The study’s primary focus will be to understand the hurdles that students come across while acquiring education.

Topic 3: A comparison of the facilities provided in private and public sector schools

Research Aim: This research will compare and contrast the facilities provided by private schools to public schools.

Topic 4: A historical review of sociology policies employed by the UK following the second world war

Research Aim: This research will be a historical review that will study the UK’s policies following the second world war.

Topic 5: Assessing the extent to which the education structure in the UK has changed due to the social exclusion of youth in educational institutes

Research Aim: This research will study the extent to which the UK’s education structure has changed due to the social exclusion of youth in educational institutes.

Topic 6: Evaluating the importance of social supervision and support in British elementary schools

Research Aim: This research will assess and evaluate the importance of social supervision and support in British elementary schools.

Topic 7: The impact of school background on how children perceive the society

Research Aim: This research will focus on a critical issue, i.e. the impact of school education and background and how it shapes a child’s perception of their society.

Topic 8: The role of British education curriculum in terms of economic and sociological result

Research Aim: This research will understand the British curriculum’s role concerning economic and sociological results.

Topic 9: Investigating the extent to which UK’s public schools and colleges have been able to establish inter-faith associations among pupils

Research Aim: This research will evaluate the extent to which UK public schools and colleges establish inter-faith associations among students.

Topic 10: Examining UK’s public school system to identify probable opportunities through which the education gap can be reduced for neglected groups

Research Aim: This research will investigate an important issue, i.e. identify gaps that can be worked on and reduced to include and provide education to neglected groups.

Sociology of Religion Dissertation Topics

Sociology of religion considers religious values and practices concerning sociological theories and methods. Issues covered by this area of sociology include but are not limited to the effect of religion on society and the impact of various social elements such as politics, media, and social interaction on religion.

Contemporary issues such as the role of stereotyping, inequality, and gender in religion will be discussed under the sociology of religion. Here are some interesting topics of this subfield of sociology

Topic 1: To establish the relationship between UK’s educational institutes and religion

Research Aim: This research will discuss the relationship between religion and educational institutes operating in the UK.

Topic 2: The role of religions in marriages in the UK

Research Aim: This research will discuss various religions and their relationship with marriages in the UK.

Topic 3: To determine whether religion plays a role in UK power politics

Research Aim: This research will aim to determine whether religion plays a role in UK power politics or not.

Topic 4: Exploring religious guidelines to help counsel social aspects

Research Aim: This research will outline religious guidelines and regulations that help counsel and direct social aspects in the right direction. Social aspects that will be explored include education, economics and gender.

Topic 5: Limitations that influence society as a single individual or as a whole

Research Aim: This research will aim to discuss the limitations that impact society as a whole as well as individuals.

Topic 6: Assessing the extent to which religious beliefs influence political behaviour in the UK

Research Aim: This research will examine how religious beliefs influence political behaviour in the UK.

Topic 7: Assessing the impact of religious organisations on British social culture

Research Aim: This research will understand how religious organisations impact the British social culture and how culture and religion are interrelated.

Topic 8: Examining the relationship between social change and religion

Research Aim: This research will study the relationship between religion and social change.

Topic 9: Religious diffusion results from social interaction between people from different religions – The case of the UK

Research Aim: This research will assess the various religious diffusion results from social interaction between people belonging to various religions in the UK

Topic 10: Comparing cross-religious values and theories in British society

Research Aim: This will be comparative research based on cross-religious values and theories in British society.

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Comparative Sociology Dissertation Topics

This area of sociology mainly deals with different models of civilisation, including state capitalism, welfare capitalism, socialism, capitalism, and communism. It further incorporates comparisons of social problems such as gender, ethnicity, and race and the comparisons of social institutions such as economy, religion, health, family, and education. Some interesting dissertation topics are suggested below.

Topic 1: Similarities and differences between a welfare state and a capitalist state

Research Aim: This research will explore the differences and similarities between a capitalist and a welfare state.

Topic 2: A comparison of the totalitarian system vs democracy in terms of social progress

Research Aim: This will be a comparative study between the totalitarian system and democracy concerning social progress.

Topic 3: To compare the education systems of America and Britain – How are these systems playing a key role in influencing societal standards?

Research Aim: This research will compare Britain and America’s educational systems and assess how they are influencing societal standards.

Topic 4: To identify and discuss the similarities and differences between the British and American labour markets

Research Aim: This research will assess the similarities and differences between the American and British labour markets.

Topic 5: Cultural diffusion and immigration – Has the UK been able to preserve its culture over the last few decades?

Research Aim: This research will discuss whether or not the UK has preserved its culture despite immigration and cultural diffusion.

Topic 6: A Comparison of the family structure in Indian and UK societies

Research Aim: This research will compare the family structure of India with that of the UK.

Topic 7: Comparison of the effect of religion in determining Muslim society and Jewish society in the UK

Research Aim: This research will compare religion’s impact to help determine the Muslim and Jewish society in the UK.

Topic 8: Social inequalities associated with communism and capitalism

Research Aim: This research will examine the social inequalities that are associated with capitalism and communism.

Topic 9: To identify and critically analyse the pivotal gender issues in Chinese society and Russian society

Research Aim: This research will assess the various religious diffusion results from social interaction between people belonging to different religions in the UK

Topic 10: To compare marriage as a social institution in Britain and India

Research Aim: This study will compare marriage as a social institution in the UK and India

Also Read: Science Dissertation Topics

Sociology of Family and Marriage Dissertation Topics

Family and marriage systems of society are significant aspects of this type of sociology. The most prominent topics of discussion within the field of sociology of family and marriage systems include post-marriage social interactions, classes, and dynamics of marriage and associated rituals, marriage system, the impact of social change on families, external and internal social interaction of family, gender dynamics within a family and parent-child relationships. Here are some interesting dissertation topics related to this area:

Topic 1: Analysing the basic structure and size of the UK family from a historical perspective

Research Aim: This research will understand the basic size and structure of a UK family.

Topic 2: The Evolution of UK family structure over the years – A study of the periodic social change

Research Aim: This research will study the evolution of UK family structure and examine periodic social change.

Topic 3: Examining the extent to which domestic violence in Britain has effected children

Research Aim: This study will assess the extent to which domestic violence in Britain has impacted children.

Topic 4: To determine the causes of increasing domestic violence in UK’s society

Research Aim: This research will help determine the underlying reasons for increasing domestic violence in the UK.

Topic 5: The impact of changing UK’s residential trends on the practices and beliefs of society

Research Aim: This study will examine the impact of changing UK residential trends based on society’s beliefs and practices.

Topic 6: Examining the causes of the increasing divorce rate in the UK

Research Aim: This research will understand the reasons for the increasing divorce rate in the UK.

Topic 7: Assessing the different parenting types and the impact it has on children

Research Aim : This research will discuss and understand the different types of parenting and the impact it has on children

Topic 8: To compare marriages in different subcultures of the British society

Research Aim: This research will compare marriages in different sub-cultures of British society.

Topic 9: Assessing the gender roles in family – Have they changed over the past five years?

Research Aim: This research will aim to understand why they have caused a change in the gender roles in a family.

Topic 10: Analysing the pros and cons of an extended family system and a nuclear family system

Research Aim: This research will aim to understand the benefits and drawbacks of an extended family system and a nuclear family system.

Sociology of Crimes Dissertation Topics

Sociology of criminology or crimes is another exciting area of sociology that investigates the causes, extent, and nature of crimes, focusing on control strategies at societal and individual levels. It should be noted that the term “Crime” is defined as any act that is a direct violation of state law.

Topic 1: Determining the probable causes of increasing street crimes in London

Research Aim: This research aims to understand why they have caused an increase in street crimes in London.

Topic 2: To establish the relationship between increasing domestic violence and alcohol consumption

Research Aim: This research will assess the relationship between increasing domestic violence and alcohol consumption.

Topic 3: Determining the reasons as to why stabbing crime in the UK has steadily increased and its implications for British society

Research Aim: This research will help understand the reasons behind the increasing rate of stabbing in the UK.

Topic 4: Is the UK government providing accurate crime statistics – A review of the crime data collection techniques employed in the UK?

Research Aim: This research will examine the data collection techniques employed by the UK government and will assess whether accurate crime statistics are provided or not.

Topic 5: Is there a link between street crimes and alcohol consumption?

Research Aim: This research will determine whether street crimes and alcohol consumption are related or not.

Topic 6: A Critical analysis of the evolution of criminological theories

Research Aim: This research will critically analyse the evolution of criminological theories.

Topic 7: To establish the relationship between criminal behaviour and personality type

Research Aim: This research will assess whether a relationship exists between criminal behaviour or different personality types.

Topic 8: The role of social inequality towards increasing street crimes in the UK

Research Aim: This research will help us understand the role of social inequality concerning increasing street crimes in the UK.

Topic 9: To present avenues of crime prevention with a focus on alternatives to physical punishment

Research Aim: This research will discuss crime prevention with a particular focus on physical punishment alternatives.

Topic 10: A critical review of the UK government’s crime prevention strategies and policies – Are they delivering the desired outcomes?

Research Aim: This research will present a critical review of the various crime prevention strategies and whether they are delivering desirable results or not.

Important Notes:

As a student of sociology dissertation looking to get good grades, it is essential to develop new ideas and experiment with existing sociology dissertation theories – i.e., to add value and interest in your research topic.

The sociology dissertation field is vast and interrelated to so many other academic disciplines like human rights , philosophy , religion & theology and more. That is why it is imperative to create a sociology dissertation topic that is articular, sound, and solves a practical problem that may be rampant in the field.

We can’t stress how important it is to develop a logical research topic based on your fundamental research. There are several significant downfalls to getting your case wrong; your supervisor may not be interested in working on it, the topic has no academic creditability, the research may not make logical sense, there is a possibility that the study is not viable.

This impacts your time and efforts in writing your dissertation as you may end up in the cycle of rejection at the very initial stage of the dissertation. That is why we recommend reviewing existing research to develop a topic, taking advice from your supervisor, and even asking for help in this particular stage of your dissertation.

Keeping our advice in mind while developing a research topic will allow you to pick one of the best sociology dissertation topics that fulfill your requirement of writing a research paper and add to the body of knowledge.

Therefore, it is recommended that when finalising your dissertation topic, you read recently published literature to identify gaps in the research that you may help fill.

Remember- dissertation topics need to be unique, solve an identified problem, be logical, and be practically implemented. Please look at some of our sample sociology dissertation topics to get an idea for your dissertation.

How to Structure your Sociology Dissertation

A well-structured dissertation can help students to achieve a high overall academic grade.

• A Title Page
• Acknowledgments
• Declaration
• Abstract: A summary of the research completed
• Table of Contents
• Introduction : This chapter includes the project rationale, research background, key research aims and objectives, and the research problems. An outline of the structure of a dissertation can also be added to this chapter.
• Literature Review : This chapter presents relevant theories and frameworks by analysing published and unpublished literature available on the chosen research topic to address research questions . The purpose is to highlight and discuss the selected research area’s relative weaknesses and strengths whilst identifying any research gaps. Break down the topic, and binding terms can positively impact your dissertation and your tutor.
• Methodology : The data collection and analysis methods and techniques employed by the researcher are presented in the Methodology chapter which usually includes research design , research philosophy, research limitations, code of conduct, ethical consideration, data collection methods, and data analysis strategy .
• Findings and Analysis : Findings of the research are analysed in detail under the Findings and Analysis chapter. All key findings/results are outlined in this chapter without interpreting the data or drawing any conclusions. It can be useful to include graphs , charts , and tables in this chapter to identify meaningful trends and relationships.
• Discussion and Conclusion : The researcher presents his interpretation of results in this chapter, and states whether the research hypothesis has been verified or not. An essential aspect of this section of the paper is to draw a linkage between the results and evidence from the literature. Recommendations with regards to implications of the findings and directions for the future may also be provided. Finally, a summary of the overall research, along with final judgments, opinions, and comments, must be included in the form of suggestions for improvement.
• References : This should be completed following your University’s requirements
• Bibliography
• Appendices : Any additional information, diagrams, and graphs used to complete the dissertation but not part of the dissertation should be included in the Appendices chapter. Essentially, the purpose is to expand the information/data.

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Digital Commons @ USF > College of Arts and Sciences > Sociology > Theses and Dissertations

Sociology Theses and Dissertations

Theses/dissertations from 2023 2023.

Deconstructing and Decolonizing Identities of “Gender” and “Sex” When Viewed as Anti-Black: Black Narratives Outside of the Binary , Didier Salgado

“We Need to Figure Out Who We Are”: Reframing Manhood in an Online Discussion Forum , Tomas Sanjuan Jr.

Musicking Higher Education: An Analysis of the Effects of Music Pedagogy On College Classroom Atmospheres , April Smith

Framing, Emotion, and Contradiction in the Tampa Bay Times’ Climate Change Coverage , Madison Veeneman

Theses/Dissertations from 2022 2022

"Are We Done?": The Minimization of Covid-19 and the Individualization of Health in the United States , Cassidy R. Boe

Health and Friendships of LGBTQIA+ College Students , Komal Asim Qidwai

Organizing for Here and There: Exploring the Grassroots Organizing of the Puerto Rican Diaspora in the Tampa Bay Area , Dominique Rivera

Stitched Together: What We Learn from Secret Stories in Public Media , Sara D. Rocks

Theses/Dissertations from 2021 2021

"Duck Wars": Examining the Narrative Construction of a "Problem" Species , Jenna A. Bateman

The Debate on Physician-Assisted Death in the United States: A Narrative Analysis of Formula Stories , Rebecca Blackwell

The Social Correlates of War: Conflict Correlations Within Belief Systems. , Richard R. N. Decampa

Narrative Meaning Productions of Compassionate Healthcare: An Examination of Cultural Codes, Organizational Practices, and Everyday Realities , Carley Geiss

Racialized Morality: The Logic of Anti-Trafficking Advocacy , Sophie Elizabeth James

Green Business and the Culture of Capitalism: Constructing Narratives of Environmentalism , Julia S. Jester

Presenting Selves and Interpreting Culture: An Ethnography of Chinese International Tourism in the United States , Fangheyue Ma

Making A Home Away from Home: A Qualitative Study of African Students’ Practices of Integration in the United States , Alphonse O. Opoku

"They Say We're Expendable:" Race, Nation, and Citizenship in the Dominican Republic. , Edlin Veras

Theses/Dissertations from 2020 2020

A social network analysis of online gamers' friendship networks: Structural attributes of Steam friendships, and comparison of offline-online social ties of MMO gamers , Juan G. Arroyo-Flores

Family Response to a Diagnosis of Serious Mental Illness in Teens and Young Adults: A Multi-Voiced Narrative Analysis , Douglas J. Engelman

GoFundTransitions: Narratives of Transnormativity and the Limits of Crowdfunding Livable Futures , Hayden J. Fulton

"Courage Drives Us": Narrative Construction of Organizational Identity in a Cancer-Specific Health Non-Profit Organization , Katie J. Hilderbrand

“I woke up to the world”: Politicizing Blackness and Multiracial Identity Through Activism , Angelica Celeste Loblack

The Athletics Behind the Academics: The Academic Advisor’s Role in the Lives of Student Athletes , Max J.R. Murray

Red-Green Rows: Exploring the Conflict between Labor and Environmental Movements in Kerala, India , Silpa Satheesh

Winning “Americans” for Jesus?: Second-Generation, Racial Ideology, and the Future of the Brazilian Evangelical Church in the U.S. , Rodrigo Otavio Serrao Santana De Jesus

Theses/Dissertations from 2019 2019

Palatable Shades of Gender: Status Processes at the Intersections of Race, Gender, and Team Formation , Jasmón L. Bailey

American Converts to Islam: Identity, Racialization, and Authenticity , Patrick M. Casey

Meaning and Monuments: Morality, Racial Ideology, and Nationalism in Confederate Monument Removal Storytelling , Kathryn A. DelGenio

"Keep it in the Closet and Welcome to the Movement": Storying Gay Men Among the Alt-Right , Shelby Statham

Selling White Masculinity: An Analysis of Cultural Intermediaries in the Craft Beverage Industry , Erik Tyler Withers

Theses/Dissertations from 2018 2018

The Role of the Soldier in Civilian Life: Personal and Social Concerns that Influence Reintegration Processes , Matthew J. Ahlfs

“I Want to Be Who I Am”: Stories of Rejecting Binary Gender , Ana Balius

Breaking the Crass Ceiling? Exploring Narratives, Performances, and Audience Reception of Women's Stand-Up Comedy , Sarah Katherine Cooper

An Intersectional Examination of Disability and LGBTQ+ Identities In Virtual Spaces , Justine E. Egner

"I've never had that": An Exploration of how Children Construct Belonging and Inclusion Within a Foodscape , Olivia M. Fleming

Hybridizers and the Hybridized: Orchid Growing as Hybrid "Nature?" , Kellie Petersen

Coloring in the Margins: Understanding the Experiences of Racial/Ethnic and Sexual/Gender Minority Undergraduates in STEM , Jonathan D. Ware

Decreased Visibility: A Narrative Analysis of Episodic Disability and Contested Illness , Melissa Jane Welch

Theses/Dissertations from 2017 2017

“Have a Seat at our Table: Uncovering the Experiences of Black Students Attending a ‘Racially Diverse’ University” , Diamond Briggs

TERF Wars: Narrative Productions of Gender and Essentialism in Radical-Feminist (Cyber)spaces , Jennifer Earles

“Can You Believe They Think I’m Intimidating?” An Exploration of Identity in Tall Women , Elizabeth Joy Fuller

Black Girl Magic?: Negotiating Emotions and Success in College Bridge Programs , Olivia Ann Johnson

"What Are We Doing Here? This Is Not Us": A Critical Discourse Analysis of The Last Of Us Remastered , Toria Kwan

Behind the Curtain: Cultural Cultivation, Immigrant Outsiderness, and Normalized Racism against Indian Families , Pangri G. Mehta

From the Panels to the Margins: Identity, Marginalization, and Subversion in Cosplay , Manuel Andres Ramirez

Examining Forty Years of the Social Organization of Feminisms: Ethnography of Two Women’s Bookstores in the US South , Mary Catherine Whitlock

"There is No Planet B": Frame Disputes within the Environmental Movement over Geoengineering , David Russell Zeller Jr.

Theses/Dissertations from 2016 2016

“You Can Fight Logic…But You Can’t Fight God”: The Duality of Religious Text and Church as Community for White Lesbians in Appalachian and Rural Places , Jessica Mae Altice

Songwriting as Inquiry and Action: Emotion, Narrative Identity, and Authenticity in Folk Music Culture , Maggie Colleen Cobb

Unraveling the Wild: A Cultural Logic of Animal Stories in Contemporary Social Life , Damien Contessa

“It’s Not Like a Movie. It’s Not Hollywood:” Competing Narratives of a Youth Mentoring Organization , Carley Geiss

An Examination of Perspectives on Community Poverty: A Case Study of a Junior Civic Association , Monica Heimos Heimos

"I'm Not Broken": Perspectives of Students with Disabilities on Identity-making and Social Inclusion on a College Campus , Melinda Leigh Maconi

People and Pride: A Qualitative Study of Place Attachment and Professional Placemakers , Wenonah Machdelena Venter

Theses/Dissertations from 2015 2015

Mediated Relationships: An Ethnography of Family Law Mediation , Elaina Behounek

The Continuum of Ethno-Racial Socialization: Learning About Culture and Race in Middle-Class Latina/o Families , Maria D. Duenas

Getting Ahead: Socio-economic Mobility, Perceptions of Opportunity for Socio-economic Mobility, and Attitudes Towards Public Assistance in the United States , Alissa Klein

Beauty is Precious, Knowledge is Power, and Innovation is Progress: Widely Held Beliefs in Policy Narratives about Oil Spills , Brenda Gale Mason

Looking at Levels of Medicalization in the Institutional Narrative of Substance Use Disorders in the Military , Chase Landes Mccain

The Experience of Chronic Pain Management: A Multi-Voiced Narrative Analysis , Loren Wilbers

Theses/Dissertations from 2014 2014

Resources Matter: The Role of Social Capital and Collective Efficacy in Mediating Gun Violence , Jennifer Lynne Dean

More to Love: Obesity Histories and Romantic Relationships in the Transition to Adulthood , Hilary Morgan Dotson

Dieting, Discrimination, and Bullying: A Contextual Case Study of Framing in the National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance , Veronica Kay Doughman

Negotiating Muslim Womanhood: The Adaptation Strategies of International Students at Two American Public Colleges , Amber Michelle Gregory

Checking Out: A Qualitative Study of Supermarket Cashiers' Emotional Response to Customer Mistreatment , Michael E. Lawless

Managing Family Food Consumption: Going Beyond Gender in the Kitchen , Blake Janice Martin

Motherhood Bound by State Supervision: An Exploratory Study of the Experiences of Mothers on Parole and Probation , Kaitlyn Robison

In Search of the Artist: The Influences of Commercial Interest on an Art School - A Narrative Analysis , Michael Leonard Sette

"They're Our Bosses": Representations of Clients, Guardians, and Providers in Caregivers' Narratives , Dina Vdovichenko

Theses/Dissertations from 2013 2013

Constructing Legal Meaning in the Supreme Court Oral Arguments: Cultural Codes and Border Disputes , Jeffrey Forest Hilbert

"All Blacks Vote the Same?": Assessing Predictors of Black American Political Participation and Partisanship , Antoine Lennell Jackson

Expectations of Nursing Home Use, Psychosocial Characteristics and Race/Ethnicity: The Latino/a Case , Heidi Ross

Beyond the Door: Disability and the Sibling Experience , Morgan Violeta Sanchez Taylor

Theses/Dissertations from 2012 2012

A Mother's Love: A Narrative Analysis of Food Advertisements in an African American Targeted Women's Magazine , Janine Danielle Beahm

It's a Support Club, Not a Sex Club: Narration Strategies and Discourse Coalitions in High School Gay-Straight Alliance Club Controversies , Skyler Lauderdale

Beyond the Backlash: Muslim and Middle Eastern Immigrants' Experiences in America, Ten Years Post-9/11 , Gregory J. Mills

Competing Narratives: Hero and PTSD Stories Told by Male Veterans Returning Home , Adam Gregory Woolf

Theses/Dissertations from 2011 2011

"Can't Buy Me Wealth": Racial Segregation and Housing Wealth in Hillsborough County, Florida , Natalie Marie Delia Deckard

Friendship Networks, Perceived Reciprocity of Support, and Depression , Ryan Francis Huff

That is Bad! This is Good: Morality as Constructed by Viewers of Television Reality Programs , Joseph Charles Losasso

American Muslim Identities: A Qualitative Study of Two Mosques in South Florida , Azka Mahmood Mahmood

Ethnic Identities among Second-Generation Haitian Young Adults in Tampa Bay, Florida: An Analysis of the Reported Influence of Ethnic Organizational Involvement on Disaster Response after the Earthquake of 2010 , Herrica Telus

Theses/Dissertations from 2010 2010

Feral Cats and the People Who Care for Them , Loretta Sue Humphrey

Utilizing Facebook Application for Disaster Relief: Social Network Analysis of American Red Cross Cause Joiners , Jennie Wan Man Lai

Comparative Study of Intentional Communities , Jessica Merrick

More Than Bows and Arrows: Subversion and Double-Consciousness in Native American Storytelling , Anastacia M. Schulhoff

Between Agency and Accountability: An Ethnographic Study of Volunteers Participating in a Juvenile Diversion Program , Marc R. Settembrino

Predictors of Academic Achievement among Students at Hillsborough Community College: Can School Engagement Close the Racial Gap of Achievement? , Warren T. Smith

Theses/Dissertations from 2009 2009

Latent Newspaper Functions During the Impact Phase of Hurricane Katrina , Christina A. Brown

The Subjective Experience of PMS: A Sociological Analysis of Women’s Narratives , Christiana B. Chekoudjian

Sacred Selves: An Ethnographic Study of Narratives and Community Practices at a Spiritual Center , Sean E. Currie

Digging It: A Participatory Ethnography of the Experiences at a School Garden , Branimir Cvetkovic

Constructions of Narrative Identities of Women Political Candidates , Amy E. Daniels

“The Best We Can With What We Got”: Mediating Social and Cultural Capital in a Title I School , Jarin Rachel Eisenberg

Identities of Alternative Medicine Practitioners , Mychel Estevez

A Family „Affear‟: Three Generations of Agoraphobics , Sherri Elizabeth Green B.A.

“According to Wikipedia …”: A Comparative Analysis of the Establishment and Display of Authority in a Social Problems Textbook and Wikipedia , Alexander A. Hernandez

Realness and Hoodness: Authenticity in Hip Hop as Discussed by Adolescent Fans , Ginger L. Jacobson

Identity negotiation: The perspective of Asian Indian women , Pangri Mehta

Theses/Dissertations from 2008 2008

Doing Dignity at the Grace Café: An Ethnographic Exploration of a Homeless Outreach Program , Courtney A. Glover

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Research Topics & Ideas: Sociology

50 Topic Ideas To Kickstart Your Research Project

If you’re just starting out exploring sociology-related topics for your dissertation, thesis or research project, you’ve come to the right place. In this post, we’ll help kickstart your research by providing a hearty list of research ideas , including real-world examples from recent sociological studies.

PS – This is just the start…

We know it’s exciting to run through a list of research topics, but please keep in mind that this list is just a starting point . These topic ideas provided here are intentionally broad and generic , so keep in mind that you will need to develop them further. Nevertheless, they should inspire some ideas for your project.

To develop a suitable research topic, you’ll need to identify a clear and convincing research gap , and a viable plan to fill that gap. If this sounds foreign to you, check out our free research topic webinar that explores how to find and refine a high-quality research topic, from scratch. Alternatively, consider our 1-on-1 coaching service .

Sociology-Related Research Topics

• Analyzing the social impact of income inequality on urban gentrification.
• Investigating the effects of social media on family dynamics in the digital age.
• The role of cultural factors in shaping dietary habits among different ethnic groups.
• Analyzing the impact of globalization on indigenous communities.
• Investigating the sociological factors behind the rise of populist politics in Europe.
• The effect of neighborhood environment on adolescent development and behavior.
• Analyzing the social implications of artificial intelligence on workforce dynamics.
• Investigating the impact of urbanization on traditional social structures.
• The role of religion in shaping social attitudes towards LGBTQ+ rights.
• Analyzing the sociological aspects of mental health stigma in the workplace.
• Investigating the impact of migration on family structures in immigrant communities.
• The effect of economic recessions on social class mobility.
• Analyzing the role of social networks in the spread of disinformation.
• Investigating the societal response to climate change and environmental crises.
• The role of media representation in shaping public perceptions of crime.
• Analyzing the sociocultural factors influencing consumer behavior.
• Investigating the social dynamics of multigenerational households.
• The impact of educational policies on social inequality.
• Analyzing the social determinants of health disparities in urban areas.
• Investigating the effects of urban green spaces on community well-being.
• The role of social movements in shaping public policy.
• Analyzing the impact of social welfare systems on poverty alleviation.
• Investigating the sociological aspects of aging populations in developed countries.
• The role of community engagement in local governance.
• Analyzing the social effects of mass surveillance technologies.

Sociology Research Ideas (Continued)

• Investigating the impact of gentrification on small businesses and local economies.
• The role of cultural festivals in fostering community cohesion.
• Analyzing the societal impacts of long-term unemployment.
• Investigating the role of education in cultural integration processes.
• The impact of social media on youth identity and self-expression.
• Analyzing the sociological factors influencing drug abuse and addiction.
• Investigating the role of urban planning in promoting social integration.
• The impact of tourism on local communities and cultural preservation.
• Analyzing the social dynamics of protest movements and civil unrest.
• Investigating the role of language in cultural identity and social cohesion.
• The impact of international trade policies on local labor markets.
• Analyzing the role of sports in promoting social inclusion and community development.
• Investigating the impact of housing policies on homelessness.
• The role of public transport systems in shaping urban social life.
• Analyzing the social consequences of technological disruption in traditional industries.
• Investigating the sociological implications of telecommuting and remote work trends.
• The impact of social policies on gender equality and women’s rights.
• Analyzing the role of social entrepreneurship in addressing societal challenges.
• Investigating the effects of urban renewal projects on community identity.
• The role of public art in urban regeneration and social commentary.
• Analyzing the impact of cultural diversity on education systems.
• Investigating the sociological factors driving political apathy among young adults.
• The role of community-based organizations in addressing urban poverty.
• Analyzing the social impacts of large-scale sporting events on host cities.
• Investigating the sociological dimensions of food insecurity in affluent societies.

Recent Studies & Publications: Sociology

While the ideas we’ve presented above are a decent starting point for finding a research topic, they are fairly generic and non-specific. So, it helps to look at actual sociology-related studies to see how this all comes together in practice.

Below, we’ve included a selection of recent studies to help refine your thinking. These are actual studies,  so they can provide some useful insight as to what a research topic looks like in practice.

• Social system learning process (Subekti et al., 2022)
• Sociography: Writing Differently (Kilby & Gilloch, 2022)
• The Future of ‘Digital Research’ (Cipolla, 2022).
• A sociological approach of literature in Leo N. Tolstoy’s short story God Sees the Truth, But Waits (Larasati & Irmawati, 2022)
• Teaching methods of sociology research and social work to students at Vietnam Trade Union University (Huu, 2022)
• Ideology and the New Social Movements (Scott, 2023)
• The sociological craft through the lens of theatre (Holgersson, 2022).
• An Essay on Sociological Thinking, Sociological Thought and the Relationship of a Sociologist (Sönmez & Sucu, 2022)
• How Can Theories Represent Social Phenomena? (Fuhse, 2022)
• Hyperscanning and the Future of Neurosociology (TenHouten et al., 2022)
• Sociology of Wisdom: The Present and Perspectives (Jijyan et al., 2022). Collective Memory (Halbwachs & Coser, 2022)
• Sociology as a scientific discipline: the post-positivist conception of J. Alexander and P. Kolomi (Vorona, 2022)
• Murder by Usury and Organised Denial: A critical realist perspective on the liberating paradigm shift from psychopathic dominance towards human civilisation (Priels, 2022)
• Analysis of Corruption Justice In The Perspective of Legal Sociology (Hayfa & Kansil, 2023)
• Contributions to the Study of Sociology of Education: Classical Authors (Quentin & Sophie, 2022)
• Inequality without Groups: Contemporary Theories of Categories, Intersectional Typicality, and the Disaggregation of Difference (Monk, 2022)

As you can see, these research topics are a lot more focused than the generic topic ideas we presented earlier. So, for you to develop a high-quality research topic, you’ll need to get specific and laser-focused on a specific context with specific variables of interest.  In the video below, we explore some other important things you’ll need to consider when crafting your research topic.

Get 1-On-1 Help

If you’re still unsure about how to find a quality research topic, check out our Research Topic Kickstarter service, which is the perfect starting point for developing a unique, well-justified research topic.

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25 Sociology Dissertation Ideas Ripe for the Taking

Choosing a sociology dissertation topic can be so hard!

It is a decision that you’re going to have to live with for a long time to come.

My biggest advice is: just pick a topic! There are pros and cons of all topics – so just choose one.

Just pick a topic that’s small, manageable, and interesting to you.

Some good sociology dissertation ideas are:

• What is the Evidence for the Gender Pay Gap in Western Nations?
• What is the difference in Dominant National Identity Narratives between two Nations?
• What are Trans people’s Perceptions of Facebook Support Pages for LGBTQI People?
• What are the unique Challenges Facing Disabled People in Public Spaces?
• How can Sports help new Immigrants develop Social Capital?

Below is a full list of 25 different sociology dissertation ideas.

Read Also: What is a Dissertation?

Sociology Dissertation Topic Ideas

Gender topics.

1. What is the Evidence for the Gender Pay Gap in Western Nations?

• Methodology : Secondary Research / Literature Review
• Pro : No need to conduct primary research
• Con : A lot of reading
• My Thoughts : Keep it broad to ‘western nations’ to get enough research papers to analyze

2. What Barriers to Success do Women Face in Male Dominated Workplaces?

• Methodology: Primary Research / Interviewing Women
• Pro : You get to conduct original research
• Con : Requires ethics approval and phoning around to find research participants
• My Thoughts : You will need to select certain workforces in your region

3. What are Current Social Perceptions of Affirmative Action in the Workplace?

• Methodology:  Primary Research / Interviewing Men and Women
• Pro : Easy to conduct an internet survey in the age of twitter
• Con : Requires ethics approval
• My Thoughts : For this project, start by exploring my list of affirmative action pros and cons

4. How does the Media Represent Femininity in Television Advertisements?

• Methodology: Discourse Analysis / Semiotic Analysis of Advertising. Consider also using the social graces concept to add a more analytical lens.
• Pro : Usually no need to get ethics approval for text-based research
• Con : This has been done a lot, so set it to your current year and compare it to past results to see if there have been changes in representation

5. What unique Perspectives do Women’s Accounts of History Provide for Re-Thinking the History of the Nation?

• Methodology:  Discourse analysis of recent history texts by women
• My Thoughts : Define a timeframe for your analysis to make it manageable (e.g. ‘Women’s history books published between 2015 – 2020)
• Also : The textual analysis should highlight how Women’s accounts add new methods / information / perspectives to accounts of history

Race Topics

6. What are the Unique Needs of Social Workers when working with Minority Youths as Risk?

• Methodology:  Primary Research / Interviews of Social Workers
• Pro : Conduct original research in your area
• Con : Requires contacting and finding time to interview social workers
• My Thoughts : Ensure you cross-check your interview questions with your dissertation supervisor

7. What Barriers do Minority Immigrants face when Settling into US / UK / etc. Society?

• Methodology:  Primary Research / Interviewing new Immigrants
• My Thoughts : You can define it to your particular region to narrow the scope of the research. Preface your analysis with an overview of theories of racism and explain how those theories frame your research

8. What is the Relationship between Race and Educational Outcomes in the past 10 Years?

• Methodology:  Secondary Research / Literature Review . Look at all studies from the past 10 years to try to identify trends in the data
• Pro : No need to do interviews
• Con : Lots of reading and analysis

Social Class Topics

9. What are the Issues and Concerns facing First Generation University Students?

• Methodology:  Primary Research / Interviews
• Pro : Very easy to find university students to interview
• My Thoughts : I like topics involving interviewing university students because it is so easy to find people to interview – you don’t need to do a lot of awkward cold calling around to find people. Just put up a flyer around campus!

10. What Barriers do Working Class People Face when looking for Jobs after University?

• Pro : You may be able to use your university network to find recent working-class grads to interview.
• Con : Requires ethics approval and finding research participants.
• My Thoughts : This is an interesting topic that I think is under-examined. Use Bourdieu’s concepts of social and cultural capital to frame your analysis.

11. How did US Democratic Candidates Appeal to Social Class during the 2020 Democratic Primary Race?

• Methodology:   Discourse / Textual analysis .
• Pro : Easy to find texts to analyze using Google and YouTube searches.
• Con : Check with your dissertation supervisor to see if they’re on board.
• My Thoughts : It would be a very interesting analysis comparing the ‘moderates’ to the sorts of messages put out by Bernie Sanders’ campaign during that primary. Search YouTube for their campaign videos.

12. What are the Differences in Youth Cultures Between Working- and Middle- Class Youths?

• Methodology:  Primary Research / Interviews.
• Pro : An intriguing topic for a motivated research student to tackle.
• Con : It may be hard to find young people to interview and this causes difficulties during your ethics review.
• My Thoughts : An interesting topic with a lot of background research (particularly from the UK) which can frame your literature review.

Read Also: What is Thick Description in Research?

Sexuality Topics

13. What are the Self-Reported Challenges that LGBT Youths face when Coming Out to Friends?

• Pro : A clean and manageable topic for a dissertation.
• Con : Interviewing vulnerable youths may require additional ethics requirements.
• My Thoughts : A really interesting topic that could become a very interesting analysis.

14. What are key cultural differences between Working-Class and Middle-Class LGBT Youths?

• Methodology:  Either Primary or Secondary Research
• Pro : Crosses the intersectional boundaries of social class and sexuality, which can lead to some great analysis.
• Con : It might be hard to find research participants, so consider doing a systematic literature review instead to try to find trends across existing datasets.

15. What are Transgender people’s Perceptions of Social Change in the past 10 years?

• Methodology:  Primary Research / Questionnaire.
• Pro : You could find transgender people to do your questionnaire through facebook groups and other online forums.
• My Thoughts : Use the internet to seek out groups of transgender people that may participate in an online questionnaire.

16. What are Trans people’s Perceptions of Facebook Support Pages for LGBTQI+ People?

• Pro : You could find trans people to participate in the interviews through the Facebook support pages.
• My Thoughts : I would suspect there will be a variety of different responses which could lead to some interesting analysis.

Disability Topics

17. What are the unique Challenges Facing Disabled People in Public Spaces?

• Pro : I think it would be easy to find research participants on various online forums for this one
• Con : Will require ethics review before you start the study.
• My Thoughts : I would frame this discussion around the social vs. medical models of disability and use that as a basis for my analysis.

18. How do People with Disabilities Perceive the value of Facebook Support Groups?

• Pro : The logical place to find participants would be within the Facebook groups themselves.
• Con : Will require ethics review before starting the study.
• My Thoughts : This would be another very interesting analysis that is manageable and won’t grow too large to complete in time.

19. How do Television Advertisements Represent Disabled People?

• Methodology:  Discourse / Textual Analysis
• Pro : No need to wait for ethics approval – you could get started right away.
• Con : It’s a pretty commonly done study, so some students may be turned off that it isn’t as unique as others on this list.
• My Thoughts : Select a date range for adverts to look at and seek out advertisements via national video archives, YouTube, or by recording television advertising on strategic dates over a 1 month period.

Sports Sociology Topics

20. How can Sports help new Immigrants develop Social Capital?

• Pro : You can easily find participants by linking up with local sporting clubs.
• My Thoughts : I think this would be a really interesting analysis especially for someone who is a recent immigrant themselves.

21. How have the Olympic Games historically caused Social Justice Concerns in Host Cities?

• Methodology:  Secondary Research / Textual Analysis
• Pro : No need to get ethics approval usually.
• Con : Might be hard to find data, but I’m sure google searches will help identify historical newspaper articles on the topic.
• My Thoughts : It always comes out that some cities are busing homeless people out of cities or doing other nefarious things to make their cities appear cleaner and more upper-class than they really are – so I think this would be something to dig into for an interesting study.

22. What are the Experiences of Female Football Fans at Games?

• Pro : Great for a female student who is a football fan. She might be able to use her networks to find research participants.
• Con : It still might be hard to find research participants.
• My Thoughts : I’m not sure what the data would reveal for this one – so it’s be interesting to look into.

Sociology of Nations

23. What is the difference in Dominant National Identity Narratives between two Nations?

• Pro : No need to get ethics approval usually as it doesn’t involve research participants.
• My Thoughts : I would use Benedict Anderson’s concept of imagined communities for this study and use discourse analysis as my methodology.

24. What are a sample of people’s perceptions of the meaning behind the National Flag of a Nation?

• Pro : It could turn out to be an engaging and visually appealing study.
• My Thoughts : There have already been some studies done on this, but I think once you do your literature review you’ll be able to find a unique perspective on the issue.

25. How do Nationalist Narratives impact Morning Television Programs in a Given Nation?

• Pro : There is already a lot of information out there on this topic for you to use for your literature review.
• My Thoughts : Choose your home country / state / city. You can collect data by recording TV programs rather than interviewing people.

How to Choose a Dissertation Topic

The most important things to keep in mind when choosing your dissertation topic are:

1. Something you like.

Make sure you choose a topic you find interesting. Don’t worry if it’s over-done as you can always find a unique angle. You’ll start reading articles and textbooks about the topic and find a unique angle for your own study.

2. Something you know a bit about.

I’ll often have students come to me and say “I don’t know what to do for my dissertation!” I’ll often respond by saying: “Well, what was your favorite paper you wrote in your degree that you really enjoyed?” All you have to do is dig deeper on that topic you’re already interested in and know a bit about.

3. Something small and manageable.

Make it small. You’re not going to get a Nobel Prize for your dissertation. Too many students try to create a huge, mind-bending dissertation. No, the best thing to do is bring it back down to earth and do something small. It’ll grow and grow and you’ll constantly need to keep bring it back down to size – so start small in the first place.

4. Something your dissertation supervisor can help you with.

Every dissertation supervisor has strengths and weaknesses. Talk to your dissertation supervisor about their expertise. They will be experts in certain types of methods and they will have their own topics that they’re experts in, too. If you work within your supervisor’s wheelhouse, you’ll always have an expert to lean on for help.

How to Structure a Sociology Dissertation

Most dissertations follow a similar structure, but make sure you check with your dissertation supervisor in case there are specific requirements within your school.

A typical sociology dissertation follows the following structure:

1. Introduction

The introduction should give a fly-by of the topic, show what your contribution is, and outline the key points in each section to follow. I encourage my students to write their introductions last – it’ll be easier to write it at the end.

2. Literature Review

The literature review gives a background on what has already been written on the topic. It outlines existing themes in the current research, then shows how you will build on previous studies to present something new and interesting.

3. Theoretical Framework (Optional)

This is optional, and may not be expected by your school. A theoretical framework outlines the lens through which you will look at the topic (e.g. feminism, postmodernism , etc.). If you are studying social class, you might talk about Bourdieu’s theory of capital here. If you are studying nationalism, you might talk about Benedict Anderson’s Imagined Communities concept. If you are studying race, you might outline Said’s concept of Orientalism , and so on. Explain all the theoretical perspectives you will use to analyze the data.

4. Methodology

This section explains how you will collect and analyze the data. Common methodologies include qualitative and quantitative analysis. Common methods include grounded research, interviews or questionnaires, discourse analysis, social semiotics, etc. You will also use this section to outline your ethics procedures and how you ensure your data is reliable.

5. Data Analysis

In the analysis section you present the data you collected in themes. Some research traditions blend analysis and discussion, while others separate out the analysis and discussion. If you separate them out, this section may be quite short. Check with your dissertation supervisor for guidance.

Go Deeper: 15 Data Analysis Examples

6. Discussion

The discussion gives your perspective on what the data reveals. You may blend the discussion and analysis, or you may write them separately. If you are using a theoretical framework, you will bring that framework to bear when analyzing the data by making statements like: “From a feminist perspective, this data shows…”

7. Conclusion

The conclusion should sum up your key findings, outline strengths and shortcomings of your study, and what the implications of the study would be. Good conclusions also state what future lines of research should be so you are leaving the door open for future research.

Final Thoughts

I hope this list of sociology dissertation ideas has been useful to you! I’d encourage you to choose a topic that interests you and change it so it is a topic you’re comfortable with (remember: consult your dissertation supervisor for help).

Read Also: 53 Best Education Dissertation Topic Ideas

Chris Drew (PhD)

Dr. Chris Drew is the founder of the Helpful Professor. He holds a PhD in education and has published over 20 articles in scholarly journals. He is the former editor of the Journal of Learning Development in Higher Education. [Image Descriptor: Photo of Chris]

• Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd/ 5 Top Tips for Succeeding at University
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Home > SBS > Sociology > SOCIOL_THESES

Sociology Department Masters Theses Collection

Theses from 2024 2024.

The Racialization of Muslims , Shabia Furkan, Sociology

Theses from 2023 2023

Prevention of What? Competing Biological Citizenship Claims and the Biopolitics of Autism Prevention , Helene D. Grogan, Sociology

Moving Beyond the Gender Binary: A Critical Analysis and Review of Contemporary Scholarship on Nonbinary Gender Identities , Rie Harding, Sociology

Theses from 2022 2022

Superstar Firms and the State: Amazon in the U.S. and France during the Covid-19 Pandemic , Priscilla Hernandez, Sociology

A New Way to Get Groceries? Ride-Hail Services and Navigating Outside of Food Deserts , Kathryn Reynolds, Sociology

A Relational Investigation of Political Polarization on Twitter , Tyler Walton, Sociology

Slavery, Colonialism, and Other Ghosts: Presence and Absence in the Rise of American Sociology, 1895-1905 , Aaron Yates, Sociology

Theses from 2021 2021

Homophily, Gender-Typed Behavior, and Cultural Contexts in Adolescent Friendship Segregation , Chen-Shuo Hong, Sociology

Theses from 2020 2020

Seeing Like a State Cultural Agency: Creative Place-Making Transcripts of Local and State Actors , Jennifer Abrams, Sociology

The Welfare States: Examining U.S. State-Level Benefits For Families With Children, 1987-2015 , Anthony Huaqui, Sociology

Reproductive Journeys: Indo-Caribbean Women Challenging Gendered Norms , Tannuja Rozario, Sociology

Theses from 2019 2019

Job Mobility, Gender Composition, and Wage Growth , Youngjoon Bae, Sociology

Stigma in Class: Mental Illness, Social Status, and Tokenism in Elite College Culture , Katie R. Billings, Sociology

Discourse, Meaning-Making, and Emotion: The Pressure to have a “Feminist Abortion Experience” , Derek Siegel, Sociology

Theses from 2018 2018

Life Course Effects of Polyvictimization: Associations with Depression and Crime , Richard Carbonaro, Sociology

The Environmental Kuznets Curve Hypothesis as a Problematic: Beyond "Falsificationism" , Paul Erb, Sociology

A Tale of Force: Examining Factors that Influence Police Officer Use of Force , Kayla Preito-Hodge, Sociology

Theses from 2017 2017

Why Class Matters: Understanding the Relationship Between Class, Family Involvement, and Asian American College Students’ Success , Blair Harrington, Sociology

Labor Union Membership and Black Political Participation , Tiamba Wilkerson, Sociology

Theses from 2016 2016

Boys Just Want to Have Fun? Sexual Behaviors and Romantic Intentions of Gay and Straight Men in College Hookup Culture , Randy J. Barrios, Sociology

Gender Inequality: Nonbinary Transgender People in the Workplace , Skylar Davidson, Sociology

The Radicalism Plateau: Working Class Transformation, Housing Foreclosure and the Hegemony of the American Dream , Aaron C. Foote, Sociology

Revisiting Union Decline: An Analysis of Organized Labor's Crisis , Nathan Meyers, Sociology

Theses from 2015 2015

A "Greedy" Institution with Great Job Benefits: Family Structure and Gender Variation in Commitment to Military Employment , Karen M. Brummond, Sociology

Rejecting Reconstruction after Breast Cancer: Managing Stigmatized Selves , Marianne A. Joyce, Sociology

Cohort and Gender Differences and the Marriage Wage Premium: Findings from the NLSY79 and the NLSY97 , Misun Lim, Sociology

Black Politics of Folklore: Expanding the Sites and Forms of Politics in Colombia , Carlos Alberto Valderrama Pibe, Sociology

Theses from 2014 2014

Beauty Through Control: Forming Pro-Anorexic Identities in Digital Spaces , Kay A.S. McCurley, Sociology

Process Matters: Engaging the Productive Power of Sociological Research , Abby I. Templer, Sociology

The Subjectivity of Student Success: Instructor's Perceptions of the Ideal Student in a Compensatory Program for Minority Youth , Yolanda M. Wiggins, Sociology

Theses from 2013 2013

Same-Sex Marriage in Western Massachusetts , Ben A. Johnson, Sociology

Exploring the Effects of Friendship on Risky Sexual Behavior: A Look at Female Gang Members , Jenny C. Piquette, Sociology

Racism in a “Post-Racial” Era: Color-blind Discourse, Anti-Immigrant Racism, and White Injury Ideology in Discussions of Arizona Senate Bill 1070 , Cassaundra Rodriguez, Sociology

Theses from 2012 2012

China’s New Generation Migrant Workers , Lie Wang, Sociology

Theses from 2011 2011

Ripped from the Land, Shipped Away and Reborn: Unthinking the Conceptual and Socio-Geo-Historical Dimensions of the Massacre of Bellavista , Aurora Vergara Figueroa, Sociology

Theses from 2010 2010

Connections in Care: The Relationship Between Complementary, Alternative and Conventional Medicine , Amy Loomis, Sociology

Theses from 2009 2009

The Search for Self-Fulfillment: How Individualism Undermines Community Organizing , Rachel Rybaczuk, Sociology

Theses from 2008 2008

Race and Representation: A Case Study of Racial Diversity in Student Government , Rhys J. Livingstone, Sociology

Negotiating Discourses on Homoeroticism: The Coming Out and Other Tales by Colombian Immigrant Men in New York City , Erika Marquez, Sociology

Effects of Maternal Job Quality on Children's Reading Achievement , Ayse Yetis Bayraktar, Sociology

Theses from 2007 2007

Stealing Time and Being There: Fathers, Class and Time , Carla N. Russell, Sociology

Theses from 1975 1975

Getting 'Up' for the Meet: A Sociological Analysis of Drug Usage in the Sport of Olympic Weightlifting , Douglas C. Cooney, Sociology

Theses from 1934 1934

Methods of control of commercialized entertainment with special reference to the motion picture, in Worcester and Springfield, Mass , Robert B. Fletcher, Sociology

Theses from 1933 1933

A study of the depopulation of the small towns in Windham County, Vermont , Lauri S. Ronka, Sociology

Theses from 1932 1932

A study of children's judgements in relation to certain factors , Francis C. Pray, Sociology

Theses from 1916 1916

A study of community transitions: phases of a town's history with psychological and sociological interpretations , R. F. Lund, Sociology

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Home > School, College, or Department > CLAS > Sociology > Dissertations and Theses

Sociology Dissertations and Theses

Theses/dissertations from 2023 2023.

How Unequal Access to Personal and Professional Networks Impacts Success Among Construction Apprentices , Cameron Elliot Arnold

Left Out to Dry: Understanding the Social Experiences of Ground Depletion in Washington State's Columbia River Basin , Alexis Lisandro Guizar-Diaz

"The Call is Coming from Inside the House": Tracing Experiences in the Institutionally-Centered Process of Establishing Limited Conservatorships in California , Barbara Alison Imle

The Experiences of Black Women Direct Care Workers in Long-Term Care , Nakeshia Knight-Coyle

Earthbound in the Anthropocene: Spirituality, Collective Identity, and Participation in the Direct Action Climate Movement , David Alan Osborn

Son Otros Tiempos: Generational Experiences of Male Friendships Amongst Mexican and Mexican American Men , Marisela Rodríguez Molina

"We Just Have to Trust the People in White Lab Coats": Analyzing Distrust in Vaccine Hesitant Comments on the HHS Nondiscrimination in Health Programs and Activities Proposed Rule , Hima Bindu Lakshmi Vedantham

Theses/Dissertations from 2022 2022

Does Instructional Autonomy Matter? Exploring Job Satisfaction for Math and Non-Math Teachers in Low, Middle, and High SES Schools , Hannah Sean Ellefritz

Cultural Capital and Community Cultural Wealth: A Study of Latinx First Generation College Students , Affiong Eyo-Idahor

Leaving College Without a Degree: The Student Experience at an Urban Broad Access Institution , Andrea Marie Garrity

Treatment Disparities in Emergency Medical Services: The Influence of Race/Ethnicity, Obesity, and English Proficiency , Jamie Kennel

"Damn, man. The time that I lost": Power and the Process of Diagnosis for Women with Chronic Illnesses , Kaitlin Roquel Yeomans

Theses/Dissertations from 2021 2021

What Does it Mean to be Deaf? Changing Meanings of Deafness, Communication Technology, and Beliefs about Normality in the US , Kathryn Elizabeth Burrows

Values of Young Adults in an Increasingly Secular World , Joseph Daniel Eichenlaub

Exploring "What Works" in Veterans Affairs Home-Based Primary Care , Elizabeth Catherine Hulen

Decolonizing Healthcare: a Black Feminist Analysis of Sisters Informing Sisters on Topics of AIDS (SISTA) , Joy Mutare Fashu Kanu

Reducing Transphobic Attitudes: a Cross-National Investigation of College Students in Japan and the United States , Kazusa Seko

The Digital Divide and Health: Examining Digital Access as a Social Determinant of Health , Elizabeth Melissa Withers

Theses/Dissertations from 2020 2020

Outsiders Within Inequality Regimes: a Sociological Framework to Advance the Lives of Women Veterans , Sarah Louise Aktepy

The Experience of Female Caregivers in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , Nouf Albugami

Working From Home: Analyzing the Autonomy of App-Based Adult Content Creators , Jenna DePasquale

Smoking Behaviors in Patients Offered Lung Cancer Screening , Sara Elizabeth Golden

Transitioning into Conventional Housing: Narratives of Houseless Individuals , Joyce La Belle McNair

"Not 'Just' a Barista": the Story of Portland's College-Educated Baristas , Ned William Tilbrook

Exploring How Community College Transfer Students Experience Connection in a Commuter University , Christa Michelle Zinke

Theses/Dissertations from 2019 2019

Understanding the Politicization of Oromo Identity in the Diaspora: Re/ Locating the Bones of the Oromo , Madeline Jaye Bass

Radical Doulas Make "Caring a Political Act": Full-spectrum Birthwork as Reproductive Justice Activism , JaDee Yvonne Carathers

Concerted Cultivation, Academic Achievement, and the Mediating Role of Non-Cognitive Factors , Bryant Carlson

Convivial Clothing: Engagement with Decommodified Fashion in Portland, OR , Sarah Guldenbrein

Closure or Censure? Examining the Determinants of Disclosure of Sexual Assault Among College Students , Whitney Head-Burgess

Gender and the Voir Dire Process , Tasha Ann Lane

"What About the Men? Investigating Alcohol Consumption, Masculinities, and Risky Sex in Peri-Urban Eswatini , Aaron Jackson Levine

An Investigation of the Impact of High School Student Fine Arts Course Accumulation on Mathematics Course Achievement , Daniel Mackin Freeman

The Influence of Age at Migration on Criminal Offending Among Foreign-Born Immigrants , Omar Melchor-Ayala

Evaluating the Utility of Theories of Social Integration in Understanding Areal Suicide Rates in the United States , Nathan Finch Parsons

Reproduciendo Otros Mundos : Indigenous Women's Struggles Against Neo-Extractivism and the Bolivian State , Gisela Victoria Rodriguez Fernandez

Racial Disparities in a State Based Workers' Compensation System , Caroline Kristine Smith

Family, School, and Forms of Capital , Sonja Taylor

Theses/Dissertations from 2018 2018

Who Am I? Criminal Social Identity as a Mediator in the Relationship between Criminal Peers and Criminal Attitudes within a Sample of Probationers/Parolees , Quinton Thomas Alexander

Finding Common Ground: Relationship Building and Communication between PO and Client within a Community Supervision Setting , Carl Eugene Appleton

White Space, Black Space: Community Gardens in Portland, Oregon , David Ross Billings Jr.

Selling Protest in the News? Movement-Media Framing of Occupations: an Exploratory Study , Andrew David Butz

"Tindersluts" & "Tinderellas:" Examining Young Women's Construction and Negotiation of Modern Sexual Scripts within a Digital Hookup Culture , MacKenzie A. Christensen

The Gender Gap in Postsecondary Enrollment Intentions: the Mediating Role of Student Attitudes and Behaviors , Paul J. Deppen III

The Dispute Over the Commons: Seed and Food Sovereignty as Decommodification in Chiapas, Mexico , Carol Frances Hernández Rodríguez

Reconciling the Opportunities and Obstacles of Motherhood Following Corrections Involvement , Summer Brooke Newell

Exiters of Religious Fundamentalism: Reconstruction of Identity, Social Relationships and Support, and Meaning Related to Well-Being , Andreea Alexandra Nica

Representations of Feminist Theory and Gender Issues in Introductory-Level Sociology Textbooks , Jena Amber Zarza

Theses/Dissertations from 2017 2017

Framing Homelessness as Crisis: A Comparative Content Analysis of Local Media Reports on Portland's Tent Cities , Katrien Cokeley

Stereotype Threat and Effects of Students' Perception of Their Math Teacher's Fairness on Their Math Self-Efficacy , Alexis Jocelyn DeVigal

The Efficacy of Virtual Protest: Linking Digital Tactics to Outcomes in Activist Campaigns , Rina Lynne James

Living Between Worlds: Arrival and Adjustment Experiences of the Somali Community in Portland, Oregon , Neil A. Panchmatia

"Neither of the Boxes": Accounting for Non-Binary Gender Identities , Erin Patricia Savoia

Contexts of Reception and Constructions of Islam: Second Generation Muslim Immigrants in Post-9/11 America , Shahriyar Smith

"Are We Building Biking Solidarity": Gendered, Racial, and Spatial Barriers to Bicycling in Portland, Oregon , Kyla Jean Tompkins

When You Aren't Who Your Friends Are: the Moderating Influence of Racial Similarity on the Association Between Friendships and Mental Well-Being , Philip Tostado

Theses/Dissertations from 2016 2016

Inequality, Position, and Perception: Understanding and Addressing Workplace Harassment in Oregon's Construction Trades , Sasha Mae Bassett

Local Approaches to Regional Problems: Suburban Government Responses to Portland's Regional Housing Crisis , Emma Deppa

Examining Generational and Gender Differences in Parent-Young Adult Child Relationships During Co-residence , Lauren Elizabeth Ferguson

The Use of Anti-Bullying Policies to Protect LGBT Youth: Teacher and Administrator Perspectives on Policy Implementation , Michelle Lauren Holliday

Does the School Day Matter? The Association Between Adolescent School Attachment and Involvement and Adult Criminal Behavior , Madeline O'Neil

On Both Sides of the Tracks: Light Rail and Gentrification in Portland, Oregon , Nathan Eric Rochester

Transgender Patients' Experiences of Discrimination at Mental Health Clinics , Corrine Ann Stocking

Theses/Dissertations from 2015 2015

Does Gender Matter? Human Elephant Conflict in Sri Lanka: A Gendered Analysis of Human Elephant Conflict and Natural Resource Management in a Rural Sri Lankan Village , Katherine Eileen Griffin

Staying on Script: Sexual Scripts and Sex Education , Elizabeth Carol Hauck

Activist Doctors: Explaining Physician Activism in the Oregon Movement for Single-Payer Healthcare , Jennifer Cullen Loomis

Gender Difference in Working Parents' Perceptions of Work/Family Conflict and the Role of Occupational Prestige , Heather Kirsten McCabe

Democratizing the City Through the Colonization of Public Space: A Case Study of Portland Food Not Bombs , Trent Adam Saari

Use of Role and Power in Parent-Teacher Relationships: Perceptions from the Parent Perspective , Sonja Taylor

Therapy and the Nontraditional Transgender Narrative , Dylan Ellingson Waller

Theses/Dissertations from 2014 2014

Gender and Prescription Painkiller Misuse: Findings from the 2011 National Survey on Drug Use and Health , Robin Jo Clough

Illuminating the Experiences of Single Fathers , Heidi Rosa Esbensen

Mediating Academic Success: Race, Class, Gender and Community College Persistence , Schaylee Marie Esparza

Victimization, Separatism and Anti-intellectualism: An Empirical Analysis of John McWhorter's Theory on African American's Low Academic Performance , Marlon DeWayne Marion

Trauma-Informed Research and Planning: Understanding Government and Urban Native Community Partnerships to Addressing Substance-Exposed Pregnancies in Portland, OR , Amanda Mercier

Socio-spatial Transformation and Contested Space at the Street Level in Latin America: The Case of Cali, Colombia , Maria Janeth Mosquera Becerra

Beyond the McNair Program: A Comparative Study of McNair Scholars' Understandings of the Impacts of Program Participation on their Graduate School Experiences , Cristina Restad

The Impact of Documentation Status on the Educational Attainment Experiences of Undocumented Hispanic/Latino Students , Brittanie Alexandria Roberts

Racism, Heterosexism, Depression, and HIV Risk Behaviors of Native Men Who Have Sex With Men: Findings from the HONOR Project , Matthew Alan Town

"But There's a Black History Month": A Content Analysis of Ideological Framing and Presentation in White Nationalist Publications , Dylan Tomas Waite

Cultivating Common Ground? A Case Study of a Community Garden Organization in Northeast Portland, Oregon , Bryan James Zinschlag

Theses/Dissertations from 2013 2013

First-Generation Latinos at Pacific Northwest University: Their Adjustment and Experience during Freshman Year , Marco Antonio Aguirre

"We don't have any of those:" Looking for leaders in the horizontal structure of Occupy Portland , Aaron Martin Bach

Queer! Narratives of Gendered Sexuality: A Journey in Identity , Kym Bradley

The Effects of Race, Socioeconomic Status, and Religion on Formal End-of-Life Planning , Tina Dawn Lillian Burdsall

I'm Not Gonna Be Like That Guy: Exploring the Montana Meth Project Through the Eyes of That Guy , Jaysen Nicole Ferestad

A New Low in Getting High: Illegal Drug Use and Crime , Erica Jean Ferrelli

The Use of Music as a Pedagogical Tool in Higher Education Sociology Courses: Faculty Member Perspectives and Potential Barriers , Jerry C.L. Loveless

Division of Labor within the Household: The Experience of Bosnian Immigrant Women in Portland, Oregon , Miro Paljevic

Can Cross-Race Mentoring Help Minority Students and Break Down Prejudice? Mentoring Experiences in Higher Education , Jennifer Brooke Rainer

From College to Career: Understanding First Generation and Traditional Community College Transfer Students' Major and Career Choices , Jeff Scott Shelton

Learning to Adapt: Online Social Science Instruction in Higher Education , Patrick Steven Smith

The Economic Impact of Veteran Status: The Effect of Veteran and Demographic Statuses on Household Income , Daniel Standridge

"Game Over" for the Climate: The Keystone XL Pipeline on TV News , Elisabeth Wilder

Theses/Dissertations from 2012 2012

Assessing Environmental Inequality in Portland, Oregon: An Exploration of Local Environmental Justice Struggles , Jordan Douglas Folks

Atheist Scripts in a Nation of Religiosity: Identity Politics within the Atheist Movement , Jacqueline Frost

Understanding the Role of Patient Activation in the Association between Patient Socio-Economic Demographics and Patient Experience , Katsuya Oi

Gendering Gardasil: Framing Gender and Sexuality in Media Representations of the HPV Vaccine , Maura Kathleen Pisciotta

Understanding Sand Mining on the Maha Oya: The Conflict Between Economic and Environmental Survival , Meredith Corea Talbert

Cultural Hybridization, Glocalization and American Soccer Supporters: The Case of the Timbers Army , Jesse Harold Wagner

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Sociology Dissertation Topics

It is a common fallacy, which almost all researchers initially commit, that ‘research’ is something that can bring an entirely new innovation in academia. Dissertations should always be based on the golden rule that the word ‘research’ is a combination of two words ‘re-‘ and ‘search’. So ideally, a dissertation should be focused on adding value to an existing research area by ‘re-searching’ the current material. Instead of going for buzzwords and a generic area of research, an optimum dissertation is always focused on a precise, narrow and easy to manage research area. While developing dissertation topics, research aims and objectives, researchers should always follow the advice to ‘never choose a topic merely on the grounds that it is hot in current debate.’ A preferable topic would be the one that may be less common but matches the researcher’s interest and aptitude. This article suggests topics for your sociology dissertation in the areas of cultural sociology, sociology of education, sociology of religion, sociology of family, economic sociology, criminology, industrial sociology, political sociology, comparative sociology and the sociology of gender.

Cultural Sociology dissertation topics

Sociology of education dissertation topics, sociology of religion dissertation topics, sociology of family and marriage dissertation topics, economic sociology dissertation topics, sociology of crime/criminology dissertation topics.

• Industrial Sociology dissertation topics

Political Sociology dissertation topics

Comparative sociology dissertation topics, sociology of gender dissertation topics.

Cultural sociology is one of the most commonly used disciplines of sociology. It covers analysis of a society’s macro level and micro level cultures, including their values, beliefs, norms, material and non-material culture etc. Normally cultural sociology is encountered through the ideas and theories of famous sociologists including Marx, Weber and Durkheim. Topics within this area that could be used for your sociology dissertation are:

• Analysing the validity and application of Marx’s ‘Conflict Theory’ in UK society.
• Is Weber’s theory of rationalism applicable to the social structure of the UK?
• Analysing the changing trends of the UK’s high culture over the years.
• Is the popular culture of the UK the same as it was few decades ago?
• What are the impacts of cultural invasion from immigrants on the UK’s indigenous values, norms and beliefs?
• What are the dimensions and types of cultural shock that a foreigner from Asia or the US can have?
• Analysing the cultural lags in UK society.
• Tracking the changing elements of counterculture in the UK.
• On a geographical basis, what are the different subcultures prevailing in UK society?
• Identifying the positive and negative aspects of inter sub-cultural social interaction.
• Is the Gramscian concept of hegemony relevant for an understanding of UK culture today?
• Assessing how the methodological ideas of Max Weber can describe the concepts and principles relevant for present day cultural developments.
• Can the ideas of whole groups in society mentioned by Durkheim, and later by the Durkheim school, be used to construct a view of modern culture?

Sociology of education studies the impact of various social elements on the education system of a society. These elements may include individuals of a society, public policies for education, structure of education and public sector institutes. It includes public sector schools as well as higher, further education and continuing education systems. Topics within the sociology of education that could be used for your sociology dissertation are listed below:

• A historical study of education and the sociology of its policy in the UK, since the Second World War.
• Analysing the link between a teacher’s motivation level and class performance in a public school.
• Analysing the structure of the education system in public schools with relevance to socially excluded young people.
• Examining the structure and impact of social guidance and counselling in primary schools.
• The effect of the school environment on children’s perception of the macro level society.
• Analysing the fees/scholarship policies in higher education systems, with relevance to social stratification in UK society.
• Examining and determining the ways and amendments through which a school system itself can narrow the gap in education outcomes for vulnerable groups.
• Examine the readiness of the public school environment to create and develop inter-faith harmony and understanding among children.
• Exploring Marx’s Conflict Theory in education: Is the UK’s public school system maintaining the social status quo?
• Analysing the focus of the national curriculum towards sociological outcomes, as compared to economic outcomes, for students?
• Should the theory of Neo-liberalism be used as a guiding framework for UK Education?
• Is the interaction that occurs between teacher and student beneficial or disadvantageous for students at primary schools?
• Do children fail at school because of ‘individual problems’ or ‘public issues’: The relevance of C Wright Mills ideas in today’s UK education system.

Sociology of religion encompasses a vast range of issues related to the impact that different elements create on religion and the impact that religion creates on various social issues. For instance, it includes the study of various beliefs, values and structures of religions in society, along with the impact that social elements, such as, social interaction, media and politics impose on religion. Similarly, this field of sociology covers contemporary issues, such as, the impact of social issues like gender, inequality and stereotyping on religion. If the area of sociology of religion interests you and you decide to write about it in your sociology dissertation, the following topics may prove useful to you:

• Comparison of cross-religious beliefs and values in the UK.
• How have print and electronic media in the UK created perceptions about different religions?
• Analysing the common religious grounds for developing inter-faith harmony in the UK.
• How has social interaction between people from different religious backgrounds led to religious diffusion?
• Analysing the link between gender and sexual issues with relevance to different religions.
• Is there any link between religion and social change?
• A critical analysis of religious organisations in the UK and their impact on social structure.
• Identifying the link between religion and political behaviour in the UK.
• Identifying the impact of religion on marriages in the UK.
• Exploring the relationship between religion and education as a social institution.
• Can Goffman’s ‘ritualised interactions’ and his interaction of everyday life be used for the analysis of contemporary religious life?
• How, and in what ways are religious values and religious norms binding for members of UK society today?
• Should the public sphere be separate from the private sphere, when the private sphere for some is religious?

This branch of sociology is related to the study of a family and marriage system of a society. The topics include the structure of the family, number of children in a family, parent-child relationships, intra family gender dynamics, family internal and external social interaction, effect of social change on the family, marriage systems, dynamics and types of marriage and rituals and post marriage social interaction. This area will enable you to make comparisons between different cultures, or different periods in history. Some possible topics for your sociology dissertation include:

• Historical analysis of the basic family size and structure in the UK.
• Analysing the impact of periodic social change on family structure in the UK.
• Comparison of benefits and costs of living in a nuclear family system or extended family system.
• Exploring intra household dynamics of child-parent relationships in a typical UK household.
• Analysing the trend of fertility rates in the UK and the causes behind any changing trends.
• Comparative study of marriages in various sub cultures of the UK.
• Historical analysis of changes in the rate of divorces and its main causes in UK society.
• Exploring the nature and outcomes of residential patterns in UK society.
• Identifying the social causes of domestic violence in a family.
• Examining the impact of domestic violence in the family on children.
• Exploring the changes and continuities in the family and how today’s families have patterns that link back to past patterns of family structure.
• Family diversity and stratification: its connection to inequality in society.
• What is the response to family diversity from academic bodies, public bodies and the government, and what impact have such responses had on the commitment to family life?

This field of sociology examines the economy as a social institute that organises a society’s production, distribution and consumption of goods and services. Economic sociology can examine different systems such as socialism, communism and capitalism, corporations, social organisations of labour markets, job types, labour migration, sociological dimensions of consumer spending and social aspects of money and informal economy. You could base your sociology dissertation on any of the following topics:

• Comparative study of communism and capitalism as economic models, and their impacts on social hierarchy.
• Is there still a blue collar and white collar social divide in the contemporary UK economy?
• Analysis of the UK economy with relevance to Marx’s critique on capitalism.
• What are the social changes that were generated from transition of the UK’s economy from industrial revolution (capitalism) to the recent informational revolution?
• What are the social impacts of increased international labour migration on UK’s society?
• Can the communist model be applied to UK society? A critical analysis.
• Can informal economy generate local socio-economic development?
• What are the main sociological dimensions of consumer spending in the UK?
• What are the effects of economic downturns on the social status of members from the secondary labour market?
• Identifying the intra-household economic relationships of a UK family.
• The ‘Deliveroo effect’ – what are the social impacts of the growing ‘gig economy’?
• Comparative study of families with one employed parent versus families with both parents working. What are the social effects of dual working?
• Planning for the future? Comparing the spending/saving habits of young people with their parents’ and grandparents’ generations.

This field of sociology is focused to understand the nature and social dimensions of crime, concept of deviance, types of crime including youth crime, gang crime and large-scale crimes and old and contemporary crime control mechanisms, such as state punishment. With crime becoming a prominent and much talked about topic in modern society, a sociology dissertation on the sociology of crime / criminology may prove useful and well read.

• What are the key social factors behind increasing knife crime in the UK?
• Offences ‘known’ and recorded in police records: The issues surrounding UK crime statistics.
• What are the main dimensions of deviance in UK society?
• Historic analysis of social causes behind street and gang fights in the UK.
• Are there any signs of abuse in crime reporting?
• Are there any ethnical, gender and religious dimensions to crimes in the UK?
• Is Durkhaim’s idea of ‘Anomie’ the main cause behind increased youth crime in the UK?
• Critical analysis of the Government’s crime prevention reforms and policies.
• Is punishment the only solution to stop crime? Exploring the social alternatives of crime prevention.
• Is alcohol consumption the main social and behavioural cause of street crimes in the UK?
• A study of victimology: Are offenders the real victims of crime?
• How does positivism account for the control of the criminal?
• The intervention by the state and the social construction of individual crime behaviour.

Industrial Sociology Dissertation Topics

Industrial sociology is also known as sociology of work. This applied field of sociology explores social and human relationships within a workplace. It includes a range of issues, such as productivity, motivation, unionisation, corporate citizenship, line manager-worker relationships, social structures of organisations, social groups in organisations, and cultural diversity in the workplace, technological advancement and social impact on workforce, inequality and anti-discrimination laws. For your sociology dissertation, the following topics could be considered:

• What is the social structure of a typical large scale UK organisation?
• What are the changing trends in the role of trade unions in the social well being of workers in the UK?
• Is there any link in cultural sensitive organisational policies and worker satisfaction and productivity?
• What are the ways through which organisations can create cultural harmony and management of cultural diversity?
• What are the social impacts of automation in workplaces on workers?
• Has the social organisation of a British firm guided the macro level societal norms, values and social status?
• What are the key features of industrial societies like the UK?
• What is the link between motivation of a worker and productivity?
• What are the social dimensions of communication within an organisation?
• Should a line manager-worker relationship be based on social requirements or organisational goals? How can managers create a balance?
• How is the individual viewed in the sociology of work in terms of postmodern identity, control and orientation to work?
• Asian-owned organisations and the social organisation of work.
• Work motivation and the benefits of worker selected reward packages.

Political sociology deals with complex relationship, such as power, authority, individual and group interests and social change. It may cover the historical journey of political movements generated by social forces, as well as the contemporary impact of politics on society due to the power politics between individuals, groups, political institutions and economic interests. If you are interested in creating a sociology dissertation based on political sociology, the following topics may help you to narrow down your research:

• To what extent is power politics in the UK generated by social forces?
• Is politics in the UK a based on social class theory of power struggles between elites of the society? A critical analysis of the UK’s politics on the basis of Marx’s views.
• Is democracy an applicable political model in a capitalist society?
• What is the appropriateness of ‘pluralism’ as a political model in UK society?
• What are the gender dimensions of voting in the British political system?
• Critical analysis of the UK welfare state system.
• What are the intersecting links of religion and politics as major social institutions?
• Considering the British society, is the charismatic leadership or rational-legal model more suitable?
• What is the scope and importance of ethnic minorities in mainstream British power politics?
• What are implications of globalisation in modern nation-state and politics?
• How, and in what ways are political ideology and political values acquired through culture?
• How do individuals manage to shape the social and political events of society?
• What sorts of threats to democracy emerge in society and how does the state respond to such threats?

This field of sociology deals with the comparison of various modes of societies such as capitalism, socialism, communism, welfare capitalism and state capitalism. Sociology can also deal with cross-society comparisons regarding social institutions such as education, economy, family, marriages, health, religion and comparison of social issues such as race, ethnicity and gender. For ideas for your sociology dissertation, see below:

• Comparative study of social inequality – Capitalism vs Communism
• Comparative study of labour markets and labour market movements in the UK and China
• Comparative study analysing the well-being of citizens The UK as a welfare state vs Japan’s State Capitalism?
• Is the UK keeping hold of its own ‘traditional’ culture? Comparing diffusion of multiple cultures within contemporary British society.
• Comparative study of gender issues between UK society and the Middle East.
• Comparison of marriage as a social institution in UK and India.
• Comparing issues of sexual equality between highly religious and non-religious countries?
• Comparative study of family structure in UK society and Russian society.
• Comparing the education system as a social institute for shaping the societal norms in the UK and North America?
• Determining the wellbeing of a citizen and social development – Comparison of the democratic system vs totalitarianism?
• Comparative study examining the health and wellbeing of citizens of countries with predominantly free-to-access healthcare vs predominantly private healthcare.
• Caring for elderly relatives – Comparison of the attitudes and approaches of Western and Eastern societies.
• Comparative study of the family unit – countries that encourage shared paternity/maternity leave vs maternity leave only.

Sociology of gender has been one of the most popular fields within sociology for a substantial period of time. Academically, most of the work in this field is carried out within the context of developing countries, which often exhibit complex gender relations within their society. This field includes intra-household gender dynamics as well as the role of males and females in societal functioning. Additionally, the feminist school of thought has taken the sociology of gender as a means of analysing patterns of discrimination against females. This could be an interesting area for you to base your sociology dissertation on.

• What is the extent of female bargaining power within a household in a developing country?
• What are the stated reasons behind discrimination against women within a rural household in a developing country?
• What are the social forces that shape gender relations in a society?
• What are the links of patterns of inheritance with defining gender roles?
• What are the reasons behind the exclusion of females from accessing education?
• What are the sources of discrimination against women in workplaces?
• How does religion shape gender relations and roles?
• How are women involved in income generation activities in developing countries?
• How can power politics within society determine the role of females in a society?
• What is the role of the media in shaping gender roles in a society?
• How does social media influence gender identity within developed countries?
• Sexual harassment within the workplace – what factors have increased its prevalence and what are the barriers to reporting such encounters?
• Same job, different pay: what are the reasons behind the inequality of male:female pay scales within society?

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Sociology Theses and Dissertations

This collection contains theses and dissertations from the Department of Sociology, collected from the Scholarship@Western Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Theses/Dissertations from 2023 2023

Mathematics Self-Efficacy and its Relation to STEM Education , Shahar Dangur-Levy

Disengaged or Differently Engaged? Students’ Motivations, Expectations, and Engagement in the Multi-Expectational Undergraduate Experience , Clifford Davidson

The World Awaits! An Audit Study Measuring Employment Outcomes of Study Exchanges , Katelyn Mitri

Examining long-term change in employment across men’s and women’s life course using the PSID: Employment stability, multiple jobholding, and women’s labour force participation , Vesna Pajovic

Finding Azadi: South Asian Canadian Women’s Experiences of Sexual Well-Being , Syna Thakur

Matters of Measurement: Investigating the Universal Welfare State , Kaitlin Pauline Wannamaker

Theses/Dissertations from 2022 2022

The Impact of COVID-19 on Undergraduate University Students with Part-Time Jobs , Miguel F. Bernard Bravo

Canadian Social Assistance & Poverty Trends , Elena I. Draghici

The Places We'll Go: Rural Migration in Canada , Lindsay Finlay

Introducing the social-ecological model of cyberbullying and uncovering post-secondary students’ perceptions of cyberbullying through interviews with young adults , Molly-Gloria R. Harper

Prosumer Capitalism: The Meanings and Motivations for Working in the Platform Economy , Lyn N. Hoang

The Links Between a Postsecondary Education and Adult Health Behaviors , Anthony Jehn

The Spatial Concentration, Stability, and Specialization of Mental Health Calls for Service: Evidence in Support of Proactive, Place-Based Interventions , Jacek Koziarski

Predicting Education-Job Mismatch and Its Consequences for A Cohort of American Workers , Emily J. Orr

Theses/Dissertations from 2021 2021

“Act Surprised, Show Concern, Deny, Deny, Deny:” An Intersectional Analysis of Police Culture, Institutional Betrayal, and Upholding the Status Quo in Canadian Policing , Lesley J. Bikos

Changing the narrative from the inside: A look at how strength and narrative based service delivery can function as a space of resistance for Indigenous women , Jennifer Elgie

Neoliberalism, Race and Empowerment: A Study of Microenterprise Programs in Toronto and Los Angeles , Julie N. Young

Theses/Dissertations from 2020 2020

The Social Construction of the Chinese by Canada , Anna Chen

Professional gaming and work: Challenges, trajectories, and labour market impacts amongst professional gamers , Michael Haight

Hiding in plain sight: A mixed methods analysis of older adults who are reported missing in two Canadian cities , Larissa Kowalski

No Future , Matthew Lomas

Organizational Change, Work Conditions and Professional Learning, a Case Study of Nurses in Ontario , Elise McClenaghan

Hegemonic Masculinity and the Ideal Male Hockey Player: The Constructions of NHL Injuries in Popular Canadian Newspapers, 2016-2017 , Rachelle Miele

Gender and Sexuality-Based Bullying: Student Experiences and Educator Responses , Elizabeth Torrens

Free Public Transit and the Right to the City , Ari Vangeest

Post-secondary Education (PSE) Indigenous Students' Perspectives: Sharing Our Voices on How We Fit into Residential School (RS) History of Canada and the United States Using Photovoice , Natahnee Winder

Theses/Dissertations from 2019 2019

Capturing the Diversity within Canadian Families , Kathya Aathavan

Resignation or Resistance? Examining the Digital Privacy Attitudes and Behaviours of East Yorkers , Kaitlyn Cavacas

Living Alone: Five Decades of Change, and Its Implications for Health , Xiangnan Chai

Forms of Capital in Immigrants’ Social and Economic Integration , Georgina Chuatico

Critical Urban Renewal: A Theoretical Construct and Case Study , Michael Courey

"A Deadly Game of Russian Roulette": Exploring the Framing of The Opioid Crisis in Canadian News Media , Lorna Ferguson

Factors Affecting Resistance and Receptivity to Evidence-based Policing Practices in Canada , Hina Jawaid Kalyal

Examining the role of integration experiences in shaping immigrants’ post-migration food choices and eating practices in Ontario, Canada , Eunjeong Eugena Kwon

The Canadian Urban - Rural Health Disparity: The Role of Health Lifestyles and an Alternative Explanation for Rurality's Higher BMI Rates , Matthew J. Stackhouse

Constructions of Learning Disabilities within Contemporary Canadian Society: Discourse, Biopower and Governmentality , Bea Waterfield

Rethinking Gentrification and Eviction in Toronto: Are Homes Still Built for Living? , Keefer Wong

Theses/Dissertations from 2018 2018

Ideology of Multiculturalism as a Double-Edged Sword: Second-Generation of Black Jamaicans and Dark-White Portuguese , Esra Ari

Student Perceptions of the Context of Mass Higher Education , Caitlin Burd

Symbolic and Material Justice: The Case of Displaced Persons in Chocó, Colombia , Allison Cordoba

Opportunity, Constraint, and Capital in Canadian Ice Hockey , Andrew English

Cumulative Childhood Adversity and Disparities in Adult Psychological Distress and Educational Attainment , Loanna Heidinger

Ideology Over Evidence? The Place of Values Within the Safe Streets and Communities Act , Alyssa Holden

Transgender YouTubers and the Power of Coming Out: Existentialism, Gender Performance, and Self-Actualization , Meghan Miller

Accessing Healthcare in Ontario: Influences on Utilization Among Asian Immigrant Women , Gwynne Ng

"Mine" or "Ours": Property and Moral Reasoning , Robert J. Nonomura

The Economic Integration of LGB Immigrants: The Role of Social Relationships , Sagi Ramaj

Oral health, dental insurance coverage, and preventive dental care utilization: The case of immigrants in Canada , Yujiro Sano

Nationalism and Sovereignty in Niue, the Cook Islands, Fiji and Hawai‘i , Craig Spurrier

Canadians Misbehaving: A Quantitative Analysis of the Factors Contributing to Perceived Frequency of Organizational Misbehaviour by Employees and Employers , Brendan S.J. Watts

Theses/Dissertations from 2017 2017

Toward an Inclusive Islamic Identity? A Study of First- and Second-Generation Muslims in Canada , Aisha Birani

Dads and Dyads: stress and coping when a child has Retinoblastoma , Rob Downie

'The environment says it's okay': The tension between peer support and police culture , Cindy Hohner

Criminal Justice Theories and Variations in Legal Decisions Across Youth Justice Acts , Brenda Kobayashi

"I Feel Like I Just Need To Be More Careful, You Know?": Gay And Bisexual Post-Secondary Students Contemplate The Job Market , Kyle Carmelo Militello

The retention of international students to their place of study upon permanent resident status , Sonia P. Nguyen

Theses/Dissertations from 2016 2016

A Critical Examination of Immigrant Integration: Experiences of Immigrants from Turkey to Canada , Guliz Akkaymak

Transnational Engagement and Immigrants’ Well-Being in Canada , Jonathan Anim Amoyaw

School–Work Transitions among Second-Generation Immigrants , Awish Aslam

An Examination of the Emergence of the Queer Figure in North American Culture Using a Queer Marxist Theoretical Framework , Jade C.R. Da Costa

Gender and Health Over the Life Course: Temporal, Contextual, and Intersectional Considerations , Nicole Etherington

Social Connectedness, Social Support and the Health of Older Adults: A Comparison of Immigrant and Native-born Canadians , Natalie Iciaszczyk

"Support for sisters please": Comparing the Online Roles of al-Qaeda Women and their Islamic State Counterparts , Hillary Peladeau

Representations of Youth Crime in Canada: A Feminist Criminological Analysis of Statistical Trends, National Canadian Newspapers, and Moral Panics , Jennifer Silcox

Victimization, Stress, and Psychological Well-being: An Analysis of the 2009 Canadian Victimization Survey , Bryce E. Stoliker

“Follow Me So I Can DM You Back”: An Exploratory Analysis of a Female Pro- ISIS Twitter Network , Joseph A. Varanese

Theses/Dissertations from 2015 2015

Physical and Digital Disengagement Behaviours in the University Classroom , Emily M. Alexander

Looking to the Future: Considering the Educational Transitions of Deaf Youth in Ontario , Kaitlyn A.W. Blair

Exploring the Career Pathways, Professional Integration and Lived Experiences of Regulated Nurses in Ontario, Canada , Godfred O. Boateng

The Social Costs of Industrial Growth in the Sub-Arctic Regions of "Canada" , Caylee T. Cody

Children's Mental Health over the Early Life Course: The Impact of Economic Resources, Neighborhood Disorder, and Family Processes , Jinette M. Comeau

The Demographic Links Between the 1890 and 1918 Influenza Pandemics in Ontario , Stacey A. Hallman

Are White Collar Criminals Exceptional? , Jordan Harel

The Value of Postsecondary Education: Human Capital Theory in Ontario's Postsecondary Education Discourse 1962 - 2005 , Adam M. Jog

Cyber-Psychopathy: Examining the Relationship between Dark E-Personality and Online Misconduct , Andrew D. Nevin

Internal Migration, Networks and Gender Roles among Domestic Workers in Vietnam , Van Nguyen

The Influence of Parenting Style and Perceived Mattering on Identity Style Orientation , Rebecca L. Williams

Early Adult Transitions in Canada: Expectations, Stability and Change , Laura Wright

Theses/Dissertations from 2014 2014

Children's Mental Health , Yvonne A. Asare-Bediako

Policing Cyber Bullying: How Parents, Educators, and Law Enforcement Respond to Digital Harassment , Ryan Broll

Dowsing for Potential Temporary Autonomous Zones: A Psychotopology of the Alternative Lifestyles of Nomadic Artisans in Mexico , Annaliese M. Pope

Pathways to mental health in young adulthood and beyond: The long-term effects of childhood experiences expressed through self-esteem , Haosen Sun

Examining Contextual Factors and Resilience in Adolescents who Faced Adversity as Children , Veronica Zapotoczny

Theses/Dissertations from 2013 2013

Abortion and Crime in Canada: A Test of the BMDL Hypothesis , Timothy Kang

Cracking Down on Exotic Dancers: How the Act, the Media and Interest Groups Frame Human Trafficking Policy in Canada , Leanne E. Kuchynski

Who Produces Urban Space?: Gentrification and Contestations Over Urban 'Authenticity' , Daniel Kudla

Negotiating Elder Care in a Transnational Context: Taiwanese Families and Vietnamese Migrant Workers , Stephen Lin

Selected Cases on the Continuum of First Nations Learning , Julie Peters

Family Structure and Children's Socioeconomic Attainment in the Transition to Adulthood , Jamie Seabrook

Return to Work After Retirement: Contributing Factors and Health Implications , Jason Settels

A Mile In My Shoes: A Prolegomenon for an Empathic Sociology , Hart J. Walker

Theses/Dissertations from 2012 2012

A Taste for Distinction: Food Representations in Popular Canadian Magazines , Rory A. Davis

"Proving Yourself" in the Canadian Medical Profession: Gender and the Experiences of Foreign-trained Doctors in Medical Practices , Vanessa Noelle Dolishny

The Transformation of Conjugal Partnerships: Union Transitions and Trajectories in Canada , Ching Jiangqin Du

Identity Formation and Acculturation: The Case of Karen Refugees in London, Ontario , Secil Erdogan

Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) and the Social Determinants of Aboriginal Peoples’ Health: A Case Study of First Nations Women’s Resilience, Resistance, and Renewal , Julie A. George

Do women engage in self-protection because of violence generally or sexual violence specifically? An analysis based on the 2009 General Social Survey , Pamela R. Glatt

Flexible Workplace Practices in Small IT Firms: A Multiple Case Study , Catherine E. Gordon

Ascertaining the Impact of Relativism on Moral Reasoning , Claire B. Henderson

The Cross-Border Migrant Experience in Lang Son Province, Northern Viet Nam , Donald Hickerson

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Undergraduate Dissertation Example (Including Feedback)

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As part of your sociology undergraduate course, you will most likely be expected to sit a dissertation module. For many, the dissertation may be a major source of worry particularly as it is probably the first time they have ever had to write one. The requirement to complete such a large piece of work can be daunting, especially given that a dissertation can be 6,000+ words. Some institutions allow for students to complete fieldwork in relation to their dissertation but many students either do not have the option to do so or prefer to forego the field research to concentrate on a purely theoretical exploration of a topic.

The following example is my own actual undergraduate dissertation. It is a number of years old now but rather than have it sit in a digital vault never to be seen again, I thought I would utilise it as an example for other people. Hopefully, it may offer some insight into how to do one. This dissertation scored 80+/100 making it a mid-first. It is copied verbatim and so includes any mistakes, errors, inaccuracies, or other issues as contained at the time of submission. It also includes the feedback I received after marking which will also give you insight into some of the comments you might receive. Needless to say, it is quite a long read at nearly 6400 words (not including appendices). It is ordered as follows:

Introduction

Methodology, bibliography.

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Locating Contemporary U.S. Sources of Venezuelan Social Divisions

“Any nation’s right to form a government and an economic system of its own choosing is inalienable. Any nation’s attempt to dictate to other nations their form of government is indefensible.” Dwight D. Eisenhower – 34 th President of the United States of America

Venezuela is a country with large swathes of outstanding natural beauty, where the people are considered as some of the most positive people globally and have a community spirit even among those in the extensive Barrios of Caracas, the largest slum in Latin America outside of Rio (Power, 2007: 123; Clifton, 2012). It is also rich in the natural resources of oil and minable elements such as Gold (Rosales, 2019; Monaldi, 2015; Stronen, 2017). Venezuela is known for its deeply nationalist mindset and places great esteem on its historical figures such as Simón Bolívar who is widely considered as the emancipator of Latin America from Spanish colonial rule (Chávez, 2009: vii). Its borders are shared with Colombia, Brazil and Guyana and its landscape is dominated by deep forest including its own share of Amazon rainforest (Salas, 2015: 2). From the democratic election of Hugo Chávez in 1998 to his death in 2013, Venezuela experienced significant social investment after Chávez nationalised Venezuelan oil and redistributed profit (Bistoletti, 2019: 68). The redistribution facilitated one of the most comprehensive education programs in the world which almost eliminated illiteracy (Bruce, 2008: 11). Additionally, free healthcare was provided to Venezuelans with the assistance of Cuba leading to a medical model which became the envy of even the most developed countries, and which simultaneously sought to expand humanitarian focused healthcare across Latin America (Brouwer, 2011: 18, 56). Furthermore, sharp rises in living standards for the poor and middle classes were evidenced (Ystanes, 2018: 42; Pantoulas & McCoy, 2019: 396). Today, Venezuela in 2020, under Nicolás Maduro, Hugo Chávez’s successor, is experiencing one of the worst humanitarian crises in history with over 4 million people having fled the country (UN News, 2019). Those who have not fled are subjected to hyper-inflation making basic goods unaffordable (Friedman, 2017; Friesen, 2018). The poverty rate now stands at 87% (Espana & Ponce, 2017), health services and medicine supplies have evaporated (Trejos, 2017; Rhodes & Valencia, 2019), supermarket shelves are empty (McGonigal & Cook, 2019; Rosati, 2018) and violent crime is uncontained (Leon, 2020: 1). It will be argued that the Venezuelan situation is not a coincidence but, rather, outcomes-in-flux deriving from US actions.

The US’ position as a dominant, semi-hegemonic power on the world economy synchronised with its bullish character derived from American exceptionalist belief and its heavy militarist inclinations facilitate the ability to be uniquely influential globally (Connor, 2020; Restad, 2014). Furthermore, the US is heavily corporatized with US corporations commanding many of the top companies globally including in the oil, health, media and arms sectors (SIPRI, 2019; Palmer, 2019; Muspratt, 2019; O’Reilly, 2016). Historically, the US has been involved in, either overtly or covertly, with or without military intervention, many regime changes globally with the aim of installing leaders favourable to US state and corporate interests (Appendix A). From the 1940’s onwards, these became more frequent and heavily focused on Latin America and the Middle East. By framing US interference in Venezuela within the loci of US geo-economics, neo-imperialism, neo-colonialism and neoliberalism as prescribed by the ‘Washington Consensus’ (Appendix B), it presents a lens through which to understand contemporary social divisions in Venezuela. Focusing on historical US behaviour globally, the aim of this paper is three-fold: to form a coherent four-point modus operandi with which the US attempts to perform neo-colonial and neo-imperialist actions to implement neoliberal globalist ideological hegemony onto other nation states; to use this modus operandi to locate the current severe economic, social and political situation in Venezuela with US origins; and to demonstrate the resulting social divisions in Venezuela. The volume of US actions globally which can be framed in this way is so significant that it is far beyond the scope of this paper thus a select number will be drawn upon to exemplify US behaviour and construct evidence for the current Venezuelan situation.

To establish a body of evidence for historical US behaviour it was necessary to review wide-ranging literature including books, journals, web pages and leaked documents to piece together where, when and how the US behaves towards other nation states. Forming a rough timeline of events, it was possible to isolate a relevant starting point for modern geo-economic and neo-colonial interference and establish US targeted countries. Further analysis was applied to determine what types of behaviour were typical and a pattern quickly emerged. From analysing these patterns, coincidence was found with nations which have formerly been, have been converted to, or have been targeted for, neoliberalism or neoliberalisation. Applying various related terms to in-text mass document searches revealed significant evidence, much beyond the scope of this paper, which could be drawn upon providing enough evidence to establish US historical behaviours. These behaviours were then considered through the lens of the current situation in Venezuela through analysing media, academic and NGO reports, making it possible to connect Venezuela’s crisis with US behaviour. As the situation still continues at time of writing, academic works and books are not readily available thus there is a reliance on news media to view current effects on social divisions. Attempts to circumvent this limitation, however, were made by considering not only mainstream corporate media, but smaller, independent and state news media for balance.

Exploring Historical U.S. Behaviour

In 1908, Britain discovered oil in Iran and subsequently took control of the industry under the name ‘Anglo-Persian Oil Company’ whilst syphoning the majority of profits (Bayandor, 2010: 12). In 1953, the US, at the behest of Britain, launched a coup d’état after the then democratically elected Prime Minister, Mohammad Mossadegh, nationalised Iranian oil removing what Mossadegh called the British “network of colonialism” from Iran (Blum, 2003: 63-71; Petherick, 2006: 82; Bayandor, 2010; Weiner, 2007:  81-92; Gasiorowski, 2004). Numerous techniques were employed by the CIA in the precursory stages: bribing media to print anti-Mossadegh propaganda, funding of pro and anti-Mossadegh mobs to instigate street violence, economic boycotts of Iranian oil, and bribery of military and religious leaders (Blum, 2003: 64, 67; Zepezauer, 1994: no pagination ; Snider, 2009: 274; Weiner, 2007: 86). These precursory actions assisted in destabilising Mossadegh’s leadership allowing the Shah, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, to take supreme rulership after the coup and reopen Iranian oil to US corporations (Harvey, 2010: 110). Subsequently, backed by US finance, the Shah founded SAVAK, a secretive police force which went on to become a violent repressive state apparatus and simultaneously cemented the US’ reputation for imperialist and colonialist interference in the middle east (Abrahamian, 1982: 419; Trento, 2005: 56). The tactics used in Iran became the blueprint for many future colonial manoeuvres including Syria 1956-58 and Costa Rica throughout the 1950’s (Yaqub, 2004; Blum, 2004: 82-84). The Iranian example outlines the US’ 4-point modus operandi : destabilisation, ousting of leader, installation of US aligned leader and finally colonisation. These will now be examined in more detail.

From 1970, with orders from US president Nixon to “make the economy scream”, the CIA worked to overthrow Chilean socialist president, Salvador Allende (Kornbluh, 2004: 1-2). Of primary focus was geo-economics, defined by Wigell (2016: 137) as “the geostrategic use of economic power”, for the purpose of destabilisation which, itself, can come in many guises. For Chile, geo-economically, this was limited to CIA backed strikes (Golinger, 2006: 102; Muñoz, 2008: 36), cuts to foreign aid (Eyler, 2008: 174-175) and pressuring US companies with Chilean operations to divest (Kornbluh, 2004: 18). However, drawing more widely upon US behaviour we see Cuba subjected to sanctions of trade and travel bans (LeoGrande, 2015: 940; Gabilondo, 2017: 52), Haiti the freezing of national assets (Staibano, 2005: 41), and Nicaragua the blocking of loans (Bothmann, 2015: 90). Whilst occasionally sanctions can be a positive move, on arms for example (Farrall, 2007: 110), they are often weaponised to prevent supplies entering a country and to disrupt vital imports such as medicine, food, and oil (Rendon & Price, 2019; Venezuela Under Sanctions, 2019). The media can also play a crucial role in destabilisation. Utilising smear campaigns, disinformation and accusations against leaders within the target country, the US manipulates public opinion both in the US and the target country. Often, significant mainstream news propaganda in support of, or uncritical of, US foreign policy or favouritism towards US corporations is disseminated concurrently (Cabellero, 2018: 241; Brouwer, 2011: 203, Bennett, 1990). The campaign against Guatemala’s Jacobo Arbenz in 1954 by the US in light of Arbenz’ attempt to expropriate and nationalise Guatemalan land from US corporation ‘United Fruit Company’ used such a media campaign. Tales of Guatemalan communist training camps were published whilst United Fruit Company Guatemalan policy was heavily praised despite significant human rights abuses (Schlesinger et al., 2005: 88-89; Colby, 2011). Furthermore, many media outlets are subsidised by CIA funds with media propaganda absorbing up to 29% of CIA budget and can be aimed at dissolving a leaders’ legitimacy often by promoting a rival or through disinformation campaigns disseminating US refusals to acknowledge the democratically elected leader (Blum, 2003: 104). In addition to geo-economic and media methods of destabilisation, incitement of street violence also features regularly. US backed protests in Nicaragua since 2014 paralysed the country after an injection of millions of dollars of US funding to promote ‘democracy’ (Luna et al., 2019: 177-179) as well as in Japan post-world war II where the US funded ultra-nationalist and Yakuza mobs to combat the rise of leftism (Kaplan, 2012: 44).

For Chile, the aim of destabilisation was to oust Allende before he could implement a socialist system which would lead to nationalisation of US investments (Qureshi, 2009: xii). This was successfully achieved in 1973 when Allende was overthrown in a coup d’état (Girardi & Bowles, 2018: 16). Coup d’état’s are the most common form of forcibly ousting a leader from power whether by the US directly such as Grenada in 1983 or, as is more often the case, a US backed assault such as Nicaragua and Vietnam 1969-70 (Manning, 2011: 727; Hybel & Flecke, 2014: 17-54; Blum, 2003: 290-304). Either way, the premise is to install a leader favourable to US state and corporate interests (Harvey, 2007: 151). General Pinochet’s installation as military dictator in Chile after the coup against Allende signified the end of Latin America’s longest democracy and began a new era of dictatorship not only in Chile but across Latin America (Dinges, 2004: 2-3). Argentina’s Isabel Martínez de Perón was ousted in favour of US backed Jorge Rafael Videla (Lutz, 2008: 148); Guatemala’s Jacobo Arbenz for Carlos Castillo Armas, the first of a line of US backed Guatemalan dictators (Baldwin, 2008: 49); and Brazil’s João Goulart for Humberto de Alencar Castelo Branco (Hecht, 2010: 113). This tactic however commonly ends with violent and repressive outcomes. The backing of Pinochet led to 3000 known deaths, torture and displacing over one million people (Horvitz, 2006: 78; Lazzara, 2011; Dinges, 2004); Armas and subsequent Guatemalan dictators led to hundreds of thousands of deaths in civilian massacres, genocide of Maya, concentration camps, bombing of civilians and civil war (Brett, 2016: 4; Doyle & Kornbluh, n.d.; Cullather, 1994; Schlesinger et al., 2005); Videla employed forced disappearances, torture and murder of 30,000 (Strier, 2014: 361-362; Arditti, 2002: 19; Horvitz, 2006: 22); and Branco opened up the Amazon rainforest to corporate investment and became the first in a line of ever more repressive Brazilian military rulers (Rosenbaum & Tyler, 1971: 422). Asides from the common penchant for murder and death, there exists a connection between each US backed leader and each ousted leader: the ousted leader is usually a leftist and democratically elected as is the case with Arbenz (Murphey, 2017: 32), Mossadegh (Armstrong, 2003: 77) and Goulart (Toussaint, 1999: 121); and each US backed leader is usually rightist and engages in political cleansing of leftists whether through death such as Pinochet and Videla (Kornbluh 2004: 164; Horvitz, 2006: 22) or dismantling of leftist policies as with Branco  (Dulles, 2007: 66). Perhaps to encapsulate the issue, John Foster Dulles, former US Secretary of State, once stated that Latin American dictators were “the only people we can depend on” (Westad, 2007: 148). Such a statement implies awareness of the level of unacceptability of US colonialist manoeuvres. However, the severity of the US opposition to leftist politics is of such significance that the US claimed in 1966 that in the event of a leftist election victory in Uruguay, a military invasion would be required ( ibid : 151). Thus, US behaviour is clear: violence is near-mandatory, and it forms the opportunity for neo-colonisation in the structural ashes of the overturned nation.

It is in the milieu of violence where the neo-colonial enrooting of the neoliberal model takes place. Nichols (2014: 454) defines neo-colonialism as the “means by which sovereignty extends outward and is then reterritorialized through continual internal reorganization…through containment, capture and divisive social organization”. Additionally, neoliberalism is a political corporatist ideology based upon free market economics, privatisation, deregulation, retrenchment of public welfare and services and dominance of capital over everyday lives (Brown, 2015: 28) whilst simultaneously “a form of governmentality…that can be identified as interventionist…deploying state-apparatuses…to govern society” (Madra & Adaman, 2018: 113). It is the ideology of the global capitalist class, structurally pre-planned and diametrically opposed to leftist ideals (Miller, 2010: 23). The military Juntas , a state apparatus in themselves, of Operation Condor, a US backed state terror operation precipitated through Pinochet and utilising numerous Latin American leaders, carried with them the limitless repressive violence of the neoliberal restructuring apparatus both economically and socially beginning with Chile and extending outwards (Watt, 2012: 116-117; Taylor, 2006: 1). Through mass killings and containment through imprisonment of leftists across Latin America, the US deployed neoliberalism via a neo-imperialist crusade. Neo-imperialism has been defined as “the objectless disposition on the part of a state to unlimited forcible expansion” (Schumpeter, 1919: 6) with the aim of “steal[ing] the wealth generated by the people…generated by the labour power of the worker” (Maddy, 2009: 2). Through the forcible spread of violence, countries of Latin America began to adopt the neoliberal ideology. Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Paraguay, Venezuela and Peru, for example, all underwent neoliberal restructuring (Huber & Solt, 2004: 153).  Restructuring is often shielded by the façade of a need for ‘democratisation’ within the target country due to its chaotic social and economic landscape (Watt, 2012: 117). In actuality, it is the reconfiguring of the social order both nationally and globally to align with neoliberal global capitalism (Robinson, 1997: 208). The idea of ‘democratisation’ is rendered invalid when drawing upon Chile, Iran, Guatemala and Uruguay as these were already democratic prior to US interference (Qureshi, 2009: 75; Petherick, 2006: 16; Valdes-Ugalde, 2014: 27; Shoman, 2010: 47). Before we turn our gaze towards today’s Venezuela, we can deeper analyse how neoliberalism infiltrated Venezuela historically through examining the application of the definitions of neo-colonialism and neo-imperialism using a specific and pivotal example: oil.

Venezuela has one of the largest oil reserves in the world which have consistently been at the forefront of social and political divisions and are Venezuela’s leading source of national income (Wilpert, 2007: 88; Salas, 2015: 73; Peet, 2009: 193). In 1958, the three major Venezuelan political parties formed a power sharing pact called ‘Punto Fijo’ which essentially created a political corporatist alliance to prevent any other candidate from being elected (Marsh, 2016: 52). During this time oil booms and oil busts came and went and in 1979 the economy began to decline for the next two decades causing poverty to increase from 17% in 1980 to 65% in 1996 (Wilpert, 2007: 13). In 1989 Venezuela implemented a neoliberal restructuring following the election of Carlos Andrés Pérez which became known as El Gran Viraje after Pérez requested ‘structural adjustment’ loans from the IMF to tackle the economic decline (Moreno & Shelton, 2014: 283; Brading, 2012: 47). The IMF is itself a US backed neoliberal finance institution whose loans are conditional based upon the prescription of the Washington Consensus (Babb & Kentikelenis, 2018: 18; Marangos, 2008: 227). It is neo-imperialist insofar as the loan conditions force the opening of, and deregulation of, markets allowing in US multinational corporations who, in turn, extract the wealth of both people and nation (D’Arista, 2002: 22; Dutta, 2015: 11-12, Beder, 2009; Chalfin, 2010: 168). Simultaneously, neoliberalism is the colonising ideology as it carries with it US corporatism and requires internal reconfiguration of both state and society to its structural rules (Hibben, 2016: 18). Much of the oil industry was infiltrated by US multinational oil corporations sympathetic to neoliberal corporate ideology with oil wealth mostly harboured by Venezuelan elite hiding behind the neoliberal rhetoric of the ‘trickle-down effect’, a theory which assumes that wealth creation at the top will eventually make its way down to the poorest (Ewell, 1984: 193; Peet, 2009: 192; Bistoletti, 2019: 79). As part of this reconfiguration, neoliberalism commands a two-tier social structure which necessarily supports the moral relativist notion that poverty is inevitable (Dorey, 2011: 5; Lazzarato, 2017: 39). By the overthrow of the neoliberal stranglehold in Venezuela when Hugo Chávez was elected in 1998, fiscally, the Elite 10% took 37% of national income compared to 0.9% for the poorest 10% (Peet, 2009: 192) demonstrating the corruption of ‘trickle-down’ theories. Looking still deeper into the Venezuelan oil industry, we can frame it not only within the notion of an ideological state apparatus as suggested in Madra & Adaman’s (2018: 113) definition of neoliberalism, but as a starting point for locating US sources of the current situation in Venezuela.

Using the Modus Operandi to Locate the Current Severe Economic, Social and Political Situation in Venezuela

The US modus operandi in Venezuela is wide ranging and complex and, as such, is beyond the purview of this work thus must be constrained to select examples. Following the establishing of the four-point modus operandi incorporating: destabilisation, ousting of leader, installation of US backed leader and neo-colonisation by neoliberal restructuring, we can utilise this to begin analysing today’s Venezuelan situation by considering Althusser’s (1971) notion of ideological state apparatuses (ISA’s) in the historicity of Venezuelan oil through to targeted destabilisation today. Althusser (1971: 145) conceptualises ISA’s as a vehicle for ideological dissemination. Dissemination occurs through religion, education, media and politics which transmit the values and attitudes expected by capitalism (Cole, 2008: 83; Wright & Roberts, 2013). Althusser (1971: 145) also conceptualises the ‘repressive state apparatus’ (RSA) which incorporates violence and control through military, prisons and policing in order to maintain capitalist power (Cole, 2008: 83; Althusser, 1971: 144-145). ISA’s still contain an element of repression although this is often covert, and RSA’s still maintain the ideological strand that controls them. The pre-Chávez Venezuelan oil industry under corporatist control was functioning as an ISA by serving the interests of the elite and simultaneously inflicting its secondary RSA function by reinforcing poverty through vastly unequal income distribution. Confusion arises however in how the neoliberal domination of a non-neoliberal state-owned asset fits into Althusser’s ISA. It can be argued that, as the oil industry was controlled by foreign corporatist ideology, it was, in fact, acting as a foreign state ISA vessel ; specifically, the US. Chávez’ predecessor, Pérez, implemented neoliberal policies from the IMF allowing the oil industry to be opened to foreign companies essentially creating said vessel (Moreno & Shelton, 2014: 283). This led to major social divisions in employment, wages and rising prices and caused significant riots which in turn invoked the RSA through military attacks on protestors ultimately taking up to 3000 lives (Stronen, 2017: 38). Althusser (1971: 142) stated “the proletariat must seize state power in order to destroy the existing bourgeois state apparatus” and this is essentially what Chávez did. In successfully being elected despite a prior failed coup (Bruce, 2008: 2), Chávez, as a proletariat, seized state power and set about taking control of the ISA not only from the Venezuelan state, but from multinational corporatists (McGowan, 2011: 56-60). Although this process started in 1999, it continued until his death in 2013 demonstrating the difficulties in the process of removing neo-colonial ideology.

The importance of oil in this situation cannot be overstated and it acts as a pivotal and powerful tool in the US arsenal of destabilisation techniques. Oil is particularly vulnerable to global ‘market fluctuations’ (Rentschler, 2013). However, the ‘nature’ of oil markets is highly dubious. US shale oil over-flooded the market in 2014 in coordination with purposefully cheap Saudi oil which drove down global oil prices (Maupin, 2016). Venezuela, now presided over by Nicolás Maduro after the death of Chávez in 2013, faced a severe and continuing impact resulting from significantly declining national income ( ibid ). The US continues to exacerbate the situation by applying sanctions on importing Venezuelan oil which is significant as Venezuela is one of the US’ major sources of oil (Weisbrot & Sachs, 2019; US Department of State, 2016). Sanctioning however is not restricted to US imports as the US also issues threats to sanction other countries purchasing Venezuelan oil (Saefong, 2019; Paine & Zhdannikov, 2019). Additionally, the US has actively prevented Venezuela receiving help from OPEC the oil cartel in which Venezuela was a founding partner (Sharma, 2019; Fornes, 2018: 101). Furthermore, China, Venezuela’s major buyer, has withdrawn in fear of US sanctions essentially cutting off most oil exports (Wain, 2019).

Destabilisation does not end with oil, however. The US is the only country globally to impose sanctions on other countries where narcotics production occurs (Hufbauer, 2007: 15). Trump personally selected both Venezuela and Bolivia in 2017 to be nominated under sec. 706(1) of the FRAA as countries which have substantially failed to meet obligations under international counter-narcotics agreements (BINLEA, 2018: 5). Colombia, designated as having a much higher narcotics problem than Bolivia and Venezuela, was exempted on the grounds that they are “security partners of the United States” ( ibid : 7) demonstrating that selection is not based on severity of a narcotics problem but rather as a tactical manoeuvre. This geo-economic manoeuvre has two faces: firstly it allows the US to undermine and commandeer obligated financial aid destined for Venezuela under Sec. 490(e) of the FAA 1961 facilitating the prevention of financial aid to Venezuela; and secondly, bilateral financial assistance programs in the ‘national interest’ of the US are still permittable under FRAA sec. 706(3)(a). The Red Cross has specifically called out this underfunding of aid to Venezuela as a purposeful “tool to destabilize the country” (Vaz, 2019a) and it is this destabilisation which is intended to pressurise Venezuela into accepting bilateral assistance which usually has strict conditionality aligned with the neoliberal Washington consensus (Corrales, 2011: 108; Appendix B). Bilateral assistance usually comes from US aligned, neoliberal agencies such as the World Bank, IMF and other IFI’s (Blakeley, 2009: 53; Appel & Orenstein, 2018: 95; Birch, 2017: 20). Further significant leverage has been applied through Trump’s freezing of Venezuelan assets in the US as well as other countries such as Japan who are under pressure to comply with US demands,  essentially cutting off another line of national income (Spetalnick & Rampton, 2019; Associated Press, 2019). Sanctions, as well as cyber-attacks, have been linked to Venezuela’s electricity blackouts due to lack of fuel and imported parts to keep it functioning (Dominguez, 2019; Vaz, 2019b). This alone caused a loss of 6.4% GDP in 2019 (Weisbrot & Sachs, 2019: 14). Perhaps most significant are large-scale food shortages due to a drop of around 80% in imports ( ibid : 4) combined with substantial reductions of medical supplies (Page, 2019: 1255). Geo-economic chicanery is further exemplified through economic sanctions which are utilised in parallel to offers of aid and with sanctions targeted towards Venezuelan oil (Patel, 2019: 8). Expressed bluntly, the sanctions are weaponised to force the acceptance of aid, thus accept the neo-imperial, neo-colonial, and neoliberal conditions attached. To refuse this aid, as Maduro has, is constructed by the neoliberal corporate media as a dictatorship starving the people in what is essentially a gaslighting campaign (Daniel & Lenihan, 2019; O’Grady, 2019). Whilst economic destabilisation is clear, it also exists concurrently with the remaining three points of the modus operandi in flux.

At the time of writing, Venezuela resides in a milieu through which intersects all four-points of the US modus operandi simultaneously. Within the complexities of geo-economic destabilisation, Maduro is confronted by attempts to oust and replace him with US backed opponent, Juan Guaidó (BBC News, 2019; Gaouette & Hansler, 2019). This is simultaneously occurring alongside the attempts at neo-colonisation hidden within the aforementioned humanitarian aid; both functioning in tandem with the media who misrepresent blocking of humanitarian aid in order to discredit or malign Maduro. It is possible to isolate a connection between US aid to Venezuela, US sanctions and media false narratives of Maduro. By taking medicine as an example, US sanctions cut off Venezuela’s access to international payment systems which subsequently cut off access to medicine imports and hospital equipment (Weisbrot & Sachs, 2019: 4). This inevitably led to medicine shortages (Patel, 2019: 9). Furthermore, Venezuelan assets frozen in the sanctions represented the value of six years-worth of medicine supplies for the nation (Nebehay, 2019). The US, with the support of Guaidó, attempted to force ‘humanitarian aid’, including medicine, across the Colombia-Venezuela border and were subsequently blocked by the Venezuelan National Guard (Venezuelanalysis, 2019). The media frame this event as the act of a dictatorship (Polanco et al., 2019), criminal (Gibbs & Dixon, 2019), a way of Maduro controlling the population (Meredith, 2019), or just outright deny that economic sanctions have contributed to the situation (Trombetta, 2018). Additionally, the media also seem forgetful about previous US neo-colonial, neo-imperialist ‘humanitarian aid’ incarnations which funnelled arms to Contras in 1980’s Nicaragua which were subsequently employed in murdering literacy assistants to the poor to start with, then continued with the death of 20,000 more people (Gomez, 2003: 137-139); or the $2.6 billion dollars of direct and indirect ‘aid’ to El Salvador between 1980 and 1989 facilitating the US backed rightists of the Salvadoran state in slaughtering the rural poor ( ibid : 112-113). It would be reasonable to expect that Maduro would be aware of these events. In actuality, Venezuela has been requesting aid and has been receiving it from the Red Cross (Dobson, 2019; ICRC, 2019) as well as medicine shipments from Russia (Nebehay, 2019) and further humanitarian aid from CERF, ECHO, WHO and UNICEF (WOLA, 2019). This, however, is ignored by the western corporate media in favour of constructing the aforedetailed false narrative with the intent of delegitimising Maduro in favour of legitimising Guaidó who claims presidential authority over Venezuela with US backing (Cohen & Blumenthal, 2019). The outcomes of these methods remain to be seen as they persist at time of writing. Within this milieu however, the wider public are experiencing significant resulting social divisions.

Part Three:

Demonstrating resulting social divisions in venezuela.

The culmination of the US modus operandi in Venezuela has been pronounced. In 2019, the number having fled Venezuela was around 4.7 million and expected to rise to 6.5 million in 2020 (UN News, 2019). Those who cannot, or will not, leave, face spiralling social divisions. So severe is the situation that Zakrison & Muntaner (2019: 2586) claim that the US is currently committing a genocide as defined under the UNCPPCG Article II to which the US is a signatory and is thus breaking their own agreements. Food prices are astronomical in comparison to wages due to corporate entities facilitating a market for US dollars causing hyperinflation of the Venezuelan Bolívar and in despite of government price controls to attempt to stabilise food prices (Graham-Harrison et al., 2019). Severe lack of food security has led many people to lose significant amounts of weight which, through the continuum of the crisis, has led to the reappearance of malnutrition (Doocy et al., 2019a; Sequera, 2018). Already by 2016, 32.5% ate less than two meals a day. In 2017 this had risen to 63.2% and in 2018 78.6% (Denova, 2018: 198). The media commonly report that supermarket shelves are empty (McGonigal & Cook, 2019; Rosati, 2018). There also exists a counter-narrative that some supermarket shelves are full (McEvoy, 2019; RT, 2019). It seems however, that those who have access to US Dollar currency can buy groceries, and those who do not find themselves unable to do so (Pons & Armas, 2018). At time of writing, the minimum wage for Venezuela was 40,000 Bolívars per month (Pereira, 2019). Buying one kilogram of apples costs around 40,000 Bolívars; 4 toilet rolls was 30,000 and basic cold medicine around 72,000, nearly two months wages (Expatistan, 2020). Rich Venezuelans are known for their connections to Miami, Florida which Macleod (2019: 7) refers to as ‘the unofficial capital of Latin America’ where the elite often travel for shopping trips or maintain property thus giving them access to the US currency market (Salas, 2015: 3, 107). What makes this particularly interesting is that the US FAA downgraded Venezuela’s air safety rating, essentially a sanction banning flights to and from the US, which raises the question on how the Venezuelan elite are making trips to Miami (Ash, 2019). The impact of this is that those who can afford such luxury are complicit with US sanctions insofar as aiding hyperinflation by importing US dollars. This essentially causes a major social chasm between the rich and the remaining 87% in poverty (Espana & Ponce, 2017). Additionally, this has empowered US currency itself in becoming a tool of colonialism. Aside from food retailers, there are many globalist brands such as Zara, Reebok and Adidas trading inside Venezuela and these only accept payment in US dollars (Long, 2019) thus the Neoliberal corporate world has its influence within Venezuela’s retail and excludes those without access to the correct currency.

Many more divisions are pronounced including mental health associated with migration (Schwartz et al., 2018), post-emigration adaptation (Salas-Wright et al., 2020), adolescent alcoholism (Vaughn et al., 2020) and shortened life expectancy (Garcia & Aburto, 2019). However, with a poverty rate at 87% (Espana & Ponce, 2017), effects on health are significant. Alongside the aforementioned malnutrition due to food shortages, other serious health implications have arisen and shall be collated to demonstrate the wide social division in Venezuela. Sanctions have contributed to an 85% shortage of medicines (Trejos, 2017; Rhodes & Valencia, 2019). This has directly affected child immunisation availability and coincides not only with sharp rises in infant mortality and maternal mortality, but significant rises in mumps, measles, tuberculosis and diphtheria which are traditionally prevented through child and adolescent immunisation (Beyrer & Page, 2019: 286; Garcia et al., 2019; Friedrich, 2019: 1041, Rodriguez et al., 2019: 5). Medicine shortages have also significantly affected diabetes and HIV patients including delayed diagnosis and clinical shortages (Weisbrot & Sachs, 2019: 4; Doocy et al., 2019: 86; Page et al., 2019: 1257). Malaria cases have gone from around 70,000 in 2013 to 400,000 in 2018 (PAHO, 2018) and numerous other vector-borne diseases have seen significant increases (Grillet et al., 2019). Weisbrot & Sachs (2019: 21) estimate that such sanctions have contributed to 40,000 additional deaths in 2017-2018 alone which the VSC (2019: 3-4) argues fits the definition of ‘collective punishment’ under both the Geneva and Hague International Conventions which the US was again signatory to. However, these conventions are regulatory frameworks applied in times of war, in the traditional sense, and may not stretch to geo-economic ‘wars’ or ideological ‘wars’ (Fruchterman, 1983: 304). This does not make the VSC wrong as sanctions in general are considered a form of collective punishment as they target a civilian population for the actions of governments over which the population has little or no control (Horvitz, 2006: 380). As such, there seems little in the way of protection for the population except in the form of aid from NGO’s. However, NGO’s themselves play perhaps an unexpected role.

Whilst the effects on social division within the population at large are demonstrable, there is a deeper, and possibly more concerning issue: that of political division, that is, political division between those who are supposed to assist the population in times of crisis: NGO’s. What makes this particularly problematic for Venezuelan society is that, rather than simply help and assist a people and country in need, a subversive element is ‘piggybacking’ covertly under the guise of NGO’s. The International Crisis Group (ICG) (2018: i), which claims to be independent, explicitly states that sanctions are aimed at achieving “negotiated transition” and are “the best path out of the crisis” thus supporting sanctioning and an ideological transition. However, on closer examination of ICG, it is backed by corporate donors including BP (or, as formally known as, Anglo-Persian Oil Company ) and has a corporate advisory council made up of neoliberal globalist corporations including Shell, Chevron and HSBC ( ibid , 27). Amnesty International has repeatedly, albeit almost imperceptibly, aligned itself with Trumps numerous suggestions of military intervention in Venezuela whilst ignoring US sanctions in favour of apportioning blame on Maduro for food shortages (Amnesty.org, 2019; Emersberger, 2019). Amnesty ( ibid ) suggested the use of ‘universal jurisdiction’ under which the ‘responsibility to protect’ can be invoked. Such protection can involve the use of military intervention which Schabas (2012: 205-206) argues is becoming ingrained within NGO discourse. These are two examples of a wider set including HRW, known for its anti-Venezuelan biased reporting (Human Rights Watch, 2008; COHA, 2008), and IBAHRI who are partners with the neoliberal OECD (Bouhali, 2015). Even taking the academic research into account shows that there is a deep political partisanship within the research and significant and uninvestigated assumptions being made regarding causation of the Venezuelan situation. For example, Beyrer & Page (2019: 287), Rendon & Price (2019: 3-4) and Alhadeff (2018) all highlight Maduro as the root problem. This is not to suggest that Maduro is infallible however, yet each author specifically finger-points whilst clearly ignoring key information regarding neoliberal and neo-colonial ideology. For example, Alhadeff (2018) does not acknowledge US sanctions within their report, subsequently blaming economic mismanagement on Maduro’s part and a crackdown on political opposition as if the aforementioned neoliberal political cleansing of leftists was not a thing. Perhaps economic mismanagement is doublespeak for ‘not in line with the Washington consensus’ thus implying a call to the IMF is needed for economic restructuring. Ultimately, the NGO’s and various academic actors seem fixated on reigniting and reinforcing neoliberal dominance as solution, a solution which has already demonstrably failed before (Santarcangelo, 2019: 1-2), as opposed to providing a human-centred temporary safety net to help the populace whilst the Venezuelan government focus on retaining Venezuelan sovereignty and a return to social stability.

The first goal of this paper was to establish a four-point modus operandi with which the US attempts to perform neo-colonial and neo-imperialist actions to implement neoliberal globalist ideological hegemony onto other nation states. By drawing upon the actions of previous US interference in Iran, Guatemala, Chile, Cuba, Syria, Nicaragua, Grenada, Vietnam, Brazil, Argentina and Haiti, this modus operandi has taken shape. Through the utilisation of geo-economic manoeuvres, it has been demonstrated that destabilisation of the nation state acts as a starting point. Through employing the use of economic sanctions aimed at disrupting Venezuela’s national income as well as sanctions aimed at disrupting trade in critical goods such as food and medicine for the people, the US not only destabilises the economy but also the leadership. Evidence presented shows additional leverage is applied through media propaganda financed though covert means and funded mobs. Secondly, once a country is destabilised, the US seeks to oust the leader. Evidence has shown that there is clear political and ideological purpose in this on two points: to remove a leader oppositional to US ideology and to facilitate a political cleansing of left-wing politics. Removal is often achieved through employing coup d’états when pressure alone is not enough. Thirdly, installation of a leader favourable to US interests occurs and is currently being attempted in Venezuela through the aforementioned methods and the delegitimising of Maduro whilst recognising Juan Guaidó as rightful leader. This is the current milieu within which Venezuela currently resides. If Maduro is overthrown, the third point will be complete: installation of US aligned leader. Subsequently, it is extremely likely that that the fourth point will begin: colonisation and the neoliberalisation of Venezuela through the forcing open of markets, particularly the oil and mining industries, and a return to the authoritarian, two tiered-society experienced in the pre-Chávez era of neoliberalism. In the meantime, the failure and corruption of mainstream NGO’s in assisting people through non-partisan humanitarian means are essentially abandoning the people of Venezuela to starvation and severe health inequalities whilst the US continues its neo-colonisation and geo-economic warfare.

Ultimately, US actions have contributed to the breaking down of Venezuela as a nation state. The Economist (2018) denotes Venezuela’s gradual slide into authoritarian rule since 2014, around the time of the US / Saudi oil price slump, but this perhaps belies the fact that, under such a united effort aimed at neo-colonisation of Venezuela, Maduro has been forced to defend it through more authoritative means. The US has clearly used its unique and powerful position on the world stage to spread its own brand of dominance around the world and particularly in Latin America. Through often covert methods incorporating the clandestine CIA, left-wing leaders in opposition to US hegemony have been purposefully ousted in favour of US aligned, often brutal dictators who have subsequently incorporated repressive regimes in turn leading to uncountable loss of human lives. Considering the US’ own home-grown social problems, for example, US healthcare as the leading cause of personal bankruptcy and education unaffordable for many (Austin, 2014: 2; Kornblum, 2012: 406; Senak, 2016; Poutre et al., 2017), 38 million people in poverty and drug addiction and killing at epidemic proportions (Semega et al., 2019; Ritchie & Roser, 2019), it demands further academic enquiry into what the fundamental purpose of violently spreading such an ideology actually is when one’s own backyard crumbles under it. As Cuba, Russia and China, all opponents of the US, support the Maduro government; whilst Mexico and Uruguay sought to be intermediaries between Venezuela and the US and while Norway tentatively acts as mediator, the US openly continues to disregard preventative diplomacy seeking only the solution they desire: overthrow of Maduro, leading to significantly heightened tensions between global superpowers (Ramcharan, 2020: 99-100), mass migration and a once positive Venezuelan people facing starvation and death.

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Sequera, V. (2018). Venezuelans Report Big Weight Losses In 2017 As Hunger Hits. Retrieved 17 January 2020, from https://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-food-idUSKCN1G52HA

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Snider, L. (2009). Congress and The CIA . New York: Nova Science Pub.

Spetalnick, M., & Rampton, R. (2019). Trump Freezes All Venezuelan Government Assets in Bid To Pressure Maduro. Retrieved 13 January 2020, From https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-venezuela-politics-usa-order/trump-freezes-all-venezuelan-government-assets-in-bid-to-pressure-maduro

Sprague, J. (2012). Paramilitarism And the Assault On Democracy In Haiti . New York: NYU Press.

STAIBANO, C. (2005). Trends in UN Sanctions: From Ad Hoc Practice To Institutional Capacity Building. In P. Wallensteen, International Sanctions: Between Words and Wars In The Global System . Routledge.

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Stronen, I. (2017). Grassroots Politics and Oil Culture In Venezuela: The Revolutionary Petro-State . Cham, Switzerland: Palgrave Macmillan.

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Appendix A:

Selection of nations subject to historical u.s. interference.

Whilst the list of countries which the US has subjected to colonial and imperialist interference stretches back to the 19 th century, the scope of the countries referenced in this work begins with Iran in 1953. A small selection and light description of each is mentioned here along with some suggested readings.

As outlined in the paper, Iran was targeted by the US after British requests to overthrow the democratically elected Mohammad Mossadegh to take control of Iranian oil. Under the guise of anti-communism, the CIA and Britain orchestrated a successful coup d’état to prevent the nationalisation of the Anglo Iranian Oil Company which later went on to become BP (British Petroleum). The project was codenamed TPAJAX.

Abrahamian, 2013; Kinzer, 2008; Gasiorowski, 2004; McMurdo, 2012.

Guatemala: 1954

Under the rule of Jacobo Arbenz, Guatemala sought to expropriate land from the powerful US corporation the United Fruit Company. The company was known for its near enslavement of Guatemalan peasants and its vast ownership of Guatemalan land. The United Fruit Company was the largest land holder in Guatemala at the time. Under the codename operation PBSUCCESS, the democratically elected Arbenz was overthrown in a violent US backed Coup d’état by Carlos Castillo Armas who went on to become the head of a brutal Guatemalan dictatorship ultimately killing thousands of civilians.

Chapman, 2007; Schlesinger et al., 2005; Colby, 2011.

Cuba: 1959 – Present

After seizing power in 1959, Fidel Castro set about a redistribution of Cuban wealth to the peasantry in addition to the expropriation of US corporate assets. Soon after, a wide ranging and complex web of US interference including sanctions and terrorism took place to try to overthrow or assassinate Castro. Cuba, aligned with Russia, became the centre stage for the Cuban-missile crisis, a standoff between the US and Russian over strategic weapons placement. The CIA partook in biological warfare, assassinations, including that of Che Guevara, and terrorism. US interference continues to this day.

Kornbluh, 1998; Dapena, 2004; Latell, 2012.

Chile: 1973

After almost winning an election in 1958, the US set up a major CIA operation to prevent Salvador Allende from becoming President at the next election. It succeeded through mass propaganda campaigns. This continued until 1970 when Allende, despite US interference, won the election. The US set about utilising a destabilisation program which led to an economic freefall. The US then assisted General Pinochet in a Coup d’état which lead to Allende’s ‘suicide’. Subsequently, Chile fell into violent military rule leading to the US backed state terror campaign Operation Condor which spread across Latin America.

François, 2018; Kornbluh, 2004; Qureshi, 2009.

Nicaragua: 1978-1990

Nicaragua was ruled by a family dynasty installed by previous US interference. Support by a US national guard indulging in murder, rape, contraband and drugs, helped maintain the dynasty. After this regime was overthrown by the Sandinista’s seeking to reconstruct an impoverished society created by the dynasty, President Jimmy Carter flooded Nicaragua with ‘aid’ directed at funding the ‘Contras’ and destabilising most of Nicaragua’s major industries. The Contras subsequently ran a campaign of barbarism against the Nicaraguan population including severe human rights atrocities encouraged by the provision of a CIA technical manual instructing them on how to run such a violent campaign. Eventually, after years of war, the US backed opposition political party UNO, in a bought election, saw the Sandinista’s lose power.

Perla, 2016; Garvin, 1992; Brown, 2001; Dickey, 1985.

Haiti: 1986-1994

After decades of violent oppression, Haiti’s violent ruling family, the Duvalier’s (AKA Papa Doc and Baby Doc), were forced from Haiti. In their place, a new election was to be held with a high likelihood that a priest, Jean-Bertrand Aristide, a liberation theologist who helped teach the poor about ideas of resistance against authoritarian oppression, would win. The US along with the CIA launched a campaign to prevent him coming to power. Aristide triumphed even in the face of rigged elections against him. However, after a few months in power, and after providing hope to the Haitian people of a new beginning free of tyranny, a coup violently overthrew Aristide and a new military regime began a new era of human rights abuses. While there is no apparent evidence to suggest US interference in this coup, the military regime was CIA trained in brutality. The US, this time, rather than interfere, simply left the country to fall into violence on its own accord. 

Aristide & Wargny, 1993; Podur, 2012; Sprague, 2012.

Appendix B:

The washington consensus.

The Washington consensus is a set of 10 policy instruments with which the US believe can realistically be ‘implemented’ in other nations. These are:

• Fiscal restraint: as imposed by IMF conditionality to maintain low deficit (often through austerity)
• Public expenditure reduction : this is unnecessary as tax revenues can be increased but spending reductions are always preferred by the right wing
• Tax reform: widening the tax base and incorporating marginal tax rates
• Interest rates: should be determined by the market and be positive to prevent capital flight
• Exchange rates: to make exchange rates as competitive as possible
• Trade policy liberalisation: anti-protectionist measures, removal of restrictions
• Foreign direct investment: facilitating an inward influx of foreign investment. The US is anti-economic nationalism for other nations but not for itself.
• Privatisation: transfer of state assets into private corporate hands
• Deregulation: removal of restrictions to facilitate increased competition
• Property rights: strong property rights fundamental to the operating of the capitalist system

(Williamson, 1990; Marangos, 2008: 230-231).

Reviewer 01

The dissertation relies on an impressive body of literature. Its analysis of USA’s political interference in Venezuela, Latin America, and beyond is thus very detailed and has remarkable historical depth. The dissertation makes use of pertinent theoretical frameworks, although some of these would have deserved a more subtle use. For instance, more recent theories of neo-imperialism could have been introduced. Also, while the understanding of Venezuelan oil as ISA is interesting, Brian should have further defended this analysis, making it clearer how oil serves an ideological function. The historical reconstruction has the issue of not dealing with geopolitical context – for instance, the transformations occurred after the Cold War should have been taken into examination. Another problem of contextualisation has to do with the analysis of Venezuela, and this is, to me, the main problem with the work. There is little discussion of local politics, social organisation, and conflicts. Of course, while it is absolutely legitimate to consider the US strategy as the prime factor of social disgruntling, no social scientist would think societal conflicts purely derive from external influence. Some more attention to the local political dialectics should have thus been presented, linking it to discussion on the local elites joining the side of USA (which appears in the text). In the same vein, while no analysis of the Venezuelan crisis can ignore the geopolitical stakes it has, and US influence, the author should have at least discussed some endogenous theories of the crisis, such as the ones about the failure of many resource-based states in diversifying their economy. In this sense, the dissertation reads, at times, more like a pamphlet than like an academic analysis. Finally, the analysis of NGOs role in constructing consensus against Maduro should have been more consistently carried out.  

The dissertation lacks abstract and ethics form.  

Reviewer 02

Overall this is a piece of work which demonstrates strong research skills and a high level of competence in terms of academic writing and presentation.  It offers a rich case study of politico- structural origins of social divisions, providing an original synthesis of available research to identify a ‘4-point modus operandi’ which attributes current social divisions to US policy.  The value of this analysis is attested with a number of examples before applying this to the case of Venezuela. The dissertation is an accelerated immersion into substantive detail and analysis that deserves much credit.  It is a case study illuminative of political sociological concerns and as a piece of historical sociology.  It draws on Althusser’s notions of RSA and ISA to make sense of politically motivated structural adjustment.  The dissertation would have been further strengthened by further development of its framing as a political sociological and historical sociological analysis.  For example, the following deserve greater introduction to set the dissertation up: structural versus individual explanations for poverty and inequality; locating the case study vis-à-vis political sociology and economic sociology as sub-disciplines; critiques of methodological nationalism as insufficient to explain national issues and including in this a discussion of Government/ governance/ governmentalities in relation to the politics of economic globalisation; the notion of ‘structural adjustment’ as top-down policy and bottom-up experience. Within the word count restrictions, it would have been impossible to address all these elements and succeed in the depth of case study presented.  A suggestion, were the piece to be developed/ adapted for publication, would be to clearly locate a selective representation of the case study to particular theoretical debates and disciplinary foci.   

Maintaining Intellectual Honesty in Sociology

The lord of the rings: the one ring as metaphor for consumerism, brian waldock.

Brian is a current PhD student in sociology. His thesis focuses on a range of concepts including platonism, bureaucracy, and abstract space. When not destroying his mind with theories, he indulges in the occasional video game, anime, chinese takeaway, or maybe even a very rare pint.

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• ProQuest Dissertations and Theses Definitive subject, title and author guide to virtually every American dissertation from 1861-1980. Dissertations published from 1980 forward include 350-word abstracts written by the author. Master’s theses published from 1988 forward include 150-word abstracts. More than 600,000 are available in PDF formats for immediate free download. Citations to pre-1980 dissertations also included.
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A Case for Friendship: A Mixed Methods Investigation of Close Friendships in Adulthood , Grace Kelly

Coverage Error Properties of Smartphone and Smartphone Operating System Ownership on Web Surveys: A Total Survey Error Perspective , Angelica Phillips

Attitudes Towards Public Basic Needs Programs: An Analysis of Question Order Effect, Period and Cohort Changes, and Differences Across Religious Traditions , Jamy K. Rentschler

The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Well-Being of People Incarcerated in United States Prisons , Kimberly Rivera

Settler colonial origins of intimate partner violence in Indigenous communities , Maia C. Behrendt

The Burden of Giving: Race, SES, and Nativity Differences in Providing Informal Financial Assistance , Nestor Hernandez

Factors Associated with Racial Differences in Health Care Access , Memory Manda

Effects of Victimization and Community Characteristics on Health Outcomes , Katie Meyer

Cover Guys: Masculinity, Sexuality, and Representations of Men's Bodies in Popular Magazines for Men , Trenton M. Haltom

MEASURING SOCIAL INTEGRATION: LINKING PERSONAL AND ASSOCIATIONAL TIES IN EGO NETWORKS , Sela Harcey

Protective Factors against Dating Violence Perpetration and Victimization , Meagan Kunitzer

Housework: Socialization Influences on Individual Performance, Couple Division of Labor and Mental Health , Jaala Robinson

The Relationship between Quality of Life, Extreme Climatological Conditions and Social Unrest in India , Daniel Schaefer

Twitch.tv and its LGBTQIA+ Tag: A Digital Ethnography Investigating How LGBTQIA+-affirming Video Game Streamers and Viewers Interact and Build LGBTQIA+ Spaces Online , Cadyn Alexander Williamson

How Does the Social World Shape the Experience of a Rare Disease? Social Position and the Development, Progression, and Medical Care for People With Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis , Jennifer A. Andersen

‘Do Unto Others’: Religiosity and Bullying in Adolescence and Emerging Adulthood , Joseph Jochman

The Consequences and Correlates of Racial Identity Discordance: An Explication of the Social Construction of Race , Eli X. Ornelas

Examining the Association Between Interviewer and Respondent Speaking Pace in Telephone Interviews , Angelica Nicole Phillips

THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN STATE-LEVEL DYNAMICS, FIREARM POLICIES, AND COUNTY-LEVEL HOMICIDES , Shawn M. Ratcliff

Relationship Quality in Kin and Chosen Kin Familial Networks , Eliza Thor

Drinking Behaviors, Relationships And Recovery: A Relational Sociological Examination Of Addiction , Maia C. Behrendt

Interpersonal Discrimination and Mental Health among Minority Students at Predominantly White Institutions: Does Racial Identity Matter? , Marissa Lynn Cardwell

The Perfect Match? Correlates of Job Placement Among PhD Earners , Andrea Johnson

Social Networks and Science Identity: Does Peer Commitment Matter? , Grace Maridyth Kelly

Disabled and Out? Social Interaction Barriers and Mental Health among Older Adults with Physical Disabilities , Raeda Anderson

Disentangling the Roles of Modernization and Secularization on Fertility: the Case of Turkey , Dogan Hatun

Understanding Mental and Behavioral Health of American Indian Youth: An Application of the Social Convoy Model , Jerreed D. Ivanich

Birds of a Feather? Friendship Utilization by Sexual Minority Students During the Transition to College , Jessica Morrow

How State-Level Dynamics Shape Individual-Level Welfare Payments , Jamy Rentschler

Examining Retrospective Measurement of Ambivalence About First Births and Psychological Well-Being Using A Hybrid Cross-Survey Multiple Imputation Approach , Stacy Tiemeyer

Assessing Risks and Potential Protective Factors of Dating Violence Perpetration and Victimization , Brian Ermon Tussey

Not Infertile, Can’t Have Children: Non-Reproductive Health Barriers to a Wanted Child , Jennifer A. Andersen

WHO DO YOU KNOW: IMPROVING AND EXPLORING THE NETWORK SCALE-UP METHOD , Patrick Habecker

Protests in the Post-Cold War Era: World Systems Dynamics and Hardship Effects in Post-Colonial Countries , Shawn M. Ratcliff

Changing Public Opinion Towards LGB Rights: An Analysis of Data from the American National Election Studies, 1992-2012 , Jacob Paul Absalon

Examining the Interplay Between Spousal and Non-Spousal Social Support and Strain on Trajectories of Functional Limitations among Married Older Adults , Scott A. Adams

Fear and Loitering in Los Angeles: Contextualizing Fear in the Efficacy Framework , Benjamin J. Forthun

Three Studies Examining the Mechanisms Linking Stress Exposure to Delinquency and Substance Use among North American Indigenous Adolescents , Dane Steven Hautala

Understanding Transgender Community: Locating Support and Resiliency Using the Minority Stress Model , Rosalind D. Kichler

On The Street and On Campus: A Comparison of Life Course Trajectories Among Homeless and College Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer Young Adults , Rachel M. Schmitz

A Mediational Analysis of the Influence of Negative Coping Behaviors on Health Outcomes Associated with Adolescent School Bullying , Joseph C. Jochman

NETWORK SUPPORT VARIATION FOR BLACK WOMEN IN THE UNITED STATES: A MOBILITY STUDY OF IMMIGRANT AND NON-IMMIGRANT BLACK WOMEN , Lesa Annette Johnson

Capturing the Gendiverse: A Test of the Gender Self-Perception Scale, with Implications for Survey Data and Labor Market Measures , Alian Kasabian

A Model for Understanding Structure Versus Agency in the Participation of Minors in the Commercial Sex Market , Courtney Thrash

Faculty Parental Status: An Investigation of Network Homophily, Marginalization, and Supportive Work-Family Academic Culture , Megumi Watanabe

WHAT YOU DON’T KNOW CAN HURT YOU: EARLY LIFE COURSE RACIAL HEALTH DISPARITIES IN UNDIAGNOSED DIABETES , Anna C. Bellatorre

A Stress Process Model of Arrest among Homeless Women: Exploring Risk and Protective Factors , Kari C. Gentzler

Is Gaining, Losing or Keeping a Self-Identified Fertility Problem Associated with Changes in Self-Esteem? , Elizabeth A. Richardson

CONTEXTUALIZING COUPLES: THREE ESSAYS ON INEQUALITY, STRESS, AND DYADIC FUNCTIONING AS A LONGITUDINAL AND RECIPROCAL PROCESS , Deadric T. Williams

The Dynamics of Network-Religion Autocorrelation in Adolescent Friendship Networks , J Benjamin Cook

Sins of our Fathers (and Mothers): Impact of Parental Incarceration upon Education Outcomes , Patrick Habecker

Adolescent Depressive Symptoms and Substance Use: The Mediating Influence of Health Service Utilization , Sarah E. Malone

Does Exclusion From Normative Peer Groups in Early Adolescence Predict the Development of Substance Use Problems in Early Adulthood? , Cody R. Meyer

Multiple Motherhoods: An Examination of Mother Status on Life Satisfaction and Psychological Distress , Kayla M. Pritchard

Witnessing Inter-Parental Violence at Home: Adolescents and School Achievement , Renita Dawn Robinson-Tyrance

Tentative Transitions and Gendered Pathways: Exploring the Revolving Door of Young Adult Homelessness , Rachel M. Schmitz

Exploring Educational Pathways: Reintegration of the Formerly Incarcerated through the Academy , Grant E. Tietjen

A Phenomenology of the Meaning of Motherhood for African American and Hispanic Women Who Do Not Have Children in the United States , Amy M. Clark

PERCEIVED STIGMA AND STIGMA MANAGEMENT OF MIDWEST SECULARS , Christopher R. H. Garneau

The Sociology of Harriet Martineau in EASTERN LIFE, PRESENT AND PAST: The Foundations of the Islamic Sociology of Religion , Deborah A. Ruigh

Hard Work, Overcoming, and Masculinity: An Ethnographic Account of High School Wrestlers' Bodies and Cultural Worlds , Bryan Snyder

Abortion and Distress: The Role of State-Level Restrictive Policies Regarding Reproduction , Elizabeth Straley

Influences of Farming Background on Farm Women’s Employment Motivations , Alexis Swendener

Motherhood Situation and Life Satisfaction: Are Reasons for Having No Children Important? , Kari C. Gentzler

AVERSIVE RACISM AND IMPLICIT BIASES IN CIVIL RIGHTS WORKERS , Anne NM Hobbs

Religious Affiliation and Attendance as Predictors of Immigration Attitudes in Nebraska , Courtney Lyons Breitkreutz

Race and Gender Differences and the Role of Sexual Attitudes in Adolescent Sexual Behavior , Laura E. Simon

Infertility Help Seeking and Social Support: Do Conventional Theories Explain Internet Behaviors and Outcomes , Kathleen S. Slauson-Blevins

The Effect of Caretaker Separations on Indigenous Adolescents , Melissa L. Welch

Service Utilization Patterns of Homeless Youth , Sarah L. Akinyemi

Comparing Individual- and National- Level explanations of Environmental Attitudes , Andrew V. Bedrous

Variations in Social Support and Mental Health Among Black Women by Socioeconomic Status , Lesa A. Johnson

Learned Workers: Predicting Adult Education in the Labor Force , Alian S. Kasabian

Explaining College Partner Violence in the Digital Age: An Instrumental Design Mixed Methods Study , Lisa Melander

He Said, She Said: (Dis)agreement about the Occurrence of Intimate Partner Violence among Young Adult Couples , HarmoniJoie Noel

Marital Satisfaction Across the Transition to Parenthood , Kayla M. Sanders

Gender and Race Differences in Job Satisfaction and Commitment among STEM Faculty: The Influence of Network Integration and Work-Family Balance , Megumi Watanabe

The Relationship Between Breastfeeding and Child Care for Working Mothers in the United States , Patricia Wonch Hill

PREDICTORS OF EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM USAGE WITHIN UNITED STATES PRISONS , Grant E. Tietjen

Roscoe Pound and American Sociology: A Study in Archival Frame Analysis, Sociobiography and Sociological Jurisprudence , Michael R. Hill

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• Dissertation Example

Sociology is a vast field of social study that relates every social aspect of human life. Writing a sociology dissertation can prove challenging as it studies human society's structure, functioning and development.

• Find Quality Sociology Dissertation Topics

This article is a complete guide with examples showing how students can write a dissertation in sociology. Ranging from choosing a quality research topic to literature review and writing methodology, this article comprises every component of dissertation writing in the subject field of sociology.

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Objectives of a sociology dissertation.

Writing a dissertation in sociology brings about the focal point of your research based on the social environment. It aims to highlight social issues, social concerns, developments in society, ambiguities and opportunities provided by society to people living in them.

The primary purpose of writing sociology dissertation is to provide a pathway for students and researchers seeking to conduct research in sociology. This includes a complete guide from selecting topics in sociology to writing a convincing end of their research work.

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Step-by-Step Guide on Writing a Sociology Dissertation

A comprehensive guide at every step of writing a sociology dissertation is mentioned below for students seeking assistance in the dissertation writing process.

• Find a Suitable Dissertation Title

After deciding on the subject of dissertation writing, finding a suitable dissertation title is the first step. This stage is crucial as it lays the foundation of your dissertation. At this point, you need to find a quality sociology dissertation topic that is easy to understand and carries the potential to conduct research. For this purpose, you would be required to conduct a mock test of your selected topic.

• Conduct Literatue Review

The next step in the sociology dissertation writing process is conducting thorough and deep research about your selected topic. Here, you must ensure that you can find plenty of data to research your topic. If you don’t find suitable data, your selected topic will raise a question of doubt. You can read research journals, executive summaries of research papers , and the latest global developments on your sociology topic to find relevant and meaningful data enough for your specific research.

• Collect Primary and Secondary Data

Following that, the collection of primary and secondary data for your sociology dissertation is the next important step. At this point, you must analyse your researched material and find all relevant information at primary and secondary levels.

• Review Using Primary and Secondary Data for Research

Afterwards, you must be able to use that information in a productive and effective manner.

• Decide on the Dissertation Methodology

After data analysis, selecting a sociology dissertation methodology is the next step. This stage requires a technical approach towards making the right choice of the dissertation writing method.

• Review Methodology Dissertation Examples

This is the deciding stage of whether you choose a qualitative approach, a quantitative dissertation writing methodology, mixed research or an interviews-based research methodology.

• Design Your Dissertation Structure

The next essential step is to design the structure of dissertation writing in sociology.

• Review Dissertation Methodology Structure

Here, the researcher devises a standard structure for writing a dissertation in sociology that includes three major portions: the introduction, the main body, and the conclusion.

• Start Writing

Once you have selected the dissertation writing methodology and structure, you can proceed toward writing your sociology dissertation.

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Structure of a sociology dissertation.

The structure of a sociology dissertation, like other dissertations, includes the abstract that showcases the entire research, an introduction that provides insight into the selected sociology topic, the main body that includes sociology research chapters and data analysis, and a conclusion that summarises the entire research.

Introduction

Any dissertation or research paper’s abstract gives insight into your complete research. It provides a brief summary of your dissertation involving the sociology dissertation topic, literature review, research methodology, research analysis, research findings and reviews, and concluding statement. In short, the abstract introduces your entire research work.

Any research thesis or dissertation starts with an introduction paragraph which introduces the sociology matter in discussion.

• Review How to Write an Introduction for a Research Paper

The introduction of a dissertation should start with a catchy statement regarding the research topic that may include a quotation, an anecdote, or a statistical figure. It must also include a thesis statement that shows the main idea of your research from specific to general form.

The main body of a dissertation is the section that presents the main argument or narrative of the researcher. It shows the entire process that conducts research on the topic under discussion and develops the argument accordingly. This section includes a literature review , data analysis, and research findings.

The conclusion is to summarise your research proposal and findings after completing the research writing. This section briefly concludes your research from general to specific form based on your thesis statement. It also proposes some recommendations for the problem under research.

• Review Quality Dissertation Conclusion Examples

For any dissertation, starting statements and ending remarks make an impact. Therefore, this section should be done with deep care and concern.

A Sociology Dissertation Example

The Contribution of Feminism and Feminist Movement to the Field of Sociology:  A Literary Perspective

This sociology research aims to analyse the impact of feminism on society. The study finds out an intersectional relationship between sociology and feminism and shows the role of women’s movements against oppression and subordination. The study conducts research on the literary review of feminism in the past five decades in undeveloped and developing countries where the situation of women was wretched and deprived and found out how feminism in sociology gained momentum in the following years of the 1990s. It conducts a comparative analysis of the development of feminism in sociology in various parts of the world. The study uses a mixed research approach to draw a conclusion.

This research focuses on the intersectional analysis of feminism, which is indeed one of the important recent theoretical contributions of feminism to sociological analysis. Arguably, it is admitted that this research has made an important contribution to the world of sociology in the field of intersectional analysis (McCall, 2005). Feminist movements include the evaluation of women’s suppression in the period before the 1980s in the undeveloped and developing world. The study is based on the premise that one source of suppression varies with the combination of other potential sources. Women have faced subordinate positions to men owing to their gender or biological sex. Literature in this period has shown the contribution of women to society with their subordinate roles. However, in the post-1990s, the situation changed altogether because of feminist movements for women’s rights. This feminist development has contributed effectively to the field of sociology in an exponential manner.

Data Analysis (Main Body)

The role of feminism in intersectional sociological analysis has been evident from the evaluation of primary and secondary research data extracted during the research study. Primary data has been collected from various feminist organisations headed by feminists. This shows the invisibility of women from various literature during the period under consideration. The study evaluates how women were treated as minute creatures owing to their vulnerable character. The primary data involves first-hand information from interviews, meetings, collaborations, and the rest. The secondary data has been collected from all secondary sources, including summaries of articles, synthesis of research, and others. Data analysis of secondary sources shows a similar case of the deplorable situation of women in literature as well as society.

To conclude, feminism has made a pivotal contribution to the field of sociology, and its intersectional analysis has given the true picture of deprived women in undeveloped and developing societies. After analysing the sociology literature review pre and post-1980s, the deplorable situation of women in many undeveloped countries came out. Efforts were made to uplift the status of women in the past five decades, which resulted in feminist movements and eventually contributed to the field of sociology.

The Importance of Dissertation in Sociology

Sociology is among the very few subjects that require applying existing theories as well as innovative research models. It demands an up-to-date knowledge of social issues and their viable solutions.

Although the pattern of writing a dissertation is very similar to any other subject, sociology demands innovative content and qualitative discussion.

Benefits of a Sociology Dissertation

Writing a dissertation results in multiple benefits. In sociology, the advantages multiply as the subject matter relates to the people in society. Some of the perks of writing a sociology dissertation are listed below;

• Raises social issues and demands their resolutions
• Injects organised planning qualities for devising meticulous public policies
• Enhances project management abilities for business growth
• Develops professional communication skills to handle tasks
• Enables to manage time and resources
• Allows room for professional growth and development

In light of the discussion conducted above, it can be depicted that this blog post prvides an excellent opportunity for students to learn the basic and fundamental priniples of dissertation writing in sociology.

This guide, with sociology dissertation examples, provides a complete pathway toward writing a quality dissertation for achieving distinctive grades in the academic field, resolving issues in the social structure, and grooming space in the professional career.

Below are some more sources of information for acing the art of dissertation writing;

• Tips for Simplifying Your Dissertation Writing Process
• How to Structure Your Dissertation for Optimum Impact
• How to Write the Appendix of a Dissertation?
• Choose Quality Dissertation Topics

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