Sociology is a behavioral and interpretive science.
Sociologists seek to understand and explain how human actions, thoughts and feelings interact with the social environment. Emphasis is placed on how human relationships are formed, how groups emerge, and how institutions, such as the family and religion, are created and maintained. Other specific topics of interest to sociologists range from the most common to the most extraordinary, and from traditional to more deviant types of behavior. Ultimately, the goal of sociological inquiry is to benefit human beings. Students learn what their society is and why, and also explore their own beliefs and actions.