Sociology is the systematic study of the organization and condition of society.
Using both empirical and conceptual tools, the discipline analyzes the behavior of groups and the workings of social institutions. Sociology is empirical in the sense that most sociologists gather facts, but facts do not speak for themselves. Uncovering the underlying patterns that make facts meaningful is the purpose of social theory. Sociology offers a coherent method by which social patterns can be brought to light and applied to the making of social policy decisions. The student sociologist learns to observe, measure, report, analyze, and draw conclusions about human social behavior in all its complexity.