culture

Sociology of culture, or cultural sociology, is one of the most popular fields of sociology, particularly in the United States. Cultural sociology is a methodology that incorporates cultural analysis into interpretations of social life. Cultural sociologists are influenced by many social and cultural theories. More than other fields of sociology, cultural sociologists tend to explore interdisciplinary social and cultural theories including, but not limited to, postmodern and poststructural theory. Scientific investigation and the production of empirically verifiable analysis (especially in terms of testable theories) is considered taboo among many, but not all self proclaimed cultural sociologists.
Culture includes the ideas, norms, artifacts, and symbols of societies and emphasizes the meanings of these things. Sociology of culture studies cultural impacts on societies and of social interaction. Sociology of culture is incredibly varied with many different approaches and emphases.
While some fields of sociology are defined by their object of inquiry or dependent variable (for example, sociologists of law study of the variation in law), cultural sociology is a cluster of paradigms. The American Sociological Association section for the sociology of culture states that the sociology of culture is a "perspective" that "considers material products, ideas, and symbolic means and their relation to social behavior." As a perspective on social life, those that practice cultural sociology study all aspects of social life, including diverse topics such as racism, fascism, love, and family life. Whereas cultural sociology is popular in the United States, the British establishment of cultural studies means the latter is often taught as a loosely-distinct discipline in the UK.