Critical Realism in Sociology
Critical Realism in Sociology is a research topic within Sociology and Political Science. Science Explorer counts 7k research works in it since 1950. 20.4% of them reached the world's top 10% most cited for their field and year.
This cluster of papers explores the interplay between social structure and individual agency, drawing on critical realism, relational sociology, and morphogenetic approaches. It delves into topics such as reflexivity, ontological commitments, power dynamics, and the emergence of social entities. The papers critically examine the relationship between structure and agency in social theory, offering insights into the complexities of human behavior within societal contexts.
- Critical Realism
- Social Structure
- Agency
- Reflexivity
- Morphogenesis
- Relational Sociology
- Ontology
- Empirical Research
- Causality
- Power
- Research works
- 7k fractional, since 1950
- In the world top 10%
- 1.4k per year above
- Top-10% rate
- 20.4% share of its works in the world top 10%
- Growth, 2013–17 → 2018–22
- +1% the tick is no change
Which countries lead Critical Realism in Sociology research?
By volume, the United States and the United Kingdom publish the most (220 and 161 works in 2022–2025).
By volume, 2022–2025
- 1 United States 220 works
- 2 United Kingdom 161 works
- 3 Germany 58 works
- 4 Canada 39 works
- 5 Australia 37 works
- 6 Italy 36 works
- 7 France 32 works
- 8 China 31 works
- 9 Russia 23 works
- 10 Netherlands 22 works
How concentrated that is
The same countries as shares of everything the list above accounts for. A node where two countries do two thirds of the work and one spread evenly across twelve read alike as a ranking and not at all alike here.
Shares of the rows listed above, not of the whole node.
Which institutions lead Critical Realism in Sociology research?
By volume in 2022–2025, University of Warwick publishes the most Critical Realism in Sociology research, followed by Sapienza University of Rome and University of Manchester.
By volume, 2022–2025
- 1 University of WarwickUnited Kingdom 9 works
- 2 Sapienza University of RomeItaly 9 works
- 3 University of ManchesterUnited Kingdom 7 works
- 4 University of BolognaItaly 7 works
- 5 University of CambridgeUnited Kingdom 6 works
- 6 University of OxfordUnited Kingdom 6 works
- 7 University of KansasUnited States 6 works
- 8 University of HelsinkiFinland 6 works
- 9 University of TorontoCanada 5 works
- 10 University College LondonUnited Kingdom 5 works
Who are the leading researchers in Critical Realism in Sociology?
The most-cited researchers publishing on Critical Realism in Sociology include Talcott Parsons.
- 1 Talcott Parsons United States 4.6k citations
Ranked by citations received across their whole record, among researchers with at least three works on this topic.
Where is Critical Realism in Sociology research done?
The largest centres of Critical Realism in Sociology research in 2022–2025 are London (United Kingdom), Paris (France), New York (United States) and Moscow (Russia).
Largest cities, 2022–2025
Where is the best place to study Critical Realism in Sociology?
Among universities, judged by research, University of Warwick and Sapienza University of Rome score highest, combining excellence, specialisation, size, growth and international reach. Research strength is one signal when choosing where to study; it does not measure teaching.
| # | University | Score | Top 10% | Specialisation | Works | Growth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of WarwickUnited Kingdom | 85.0 | 20.4% | 22.2× | 9 | +70.1% |
| 2 | Sapienza University of RomeItaly | 6.0 | 0.0% | 8.9× | 9 | — |
Universities only. Score blends excellence (30%), specialisation (25%), size (20%), growth (15%) and international reach (10%), 2015–2022; growth compares 2010–14 with 2015–19.
Is Critical Realism in Sociology research growing?
Output in 2018–2022 was 1% higher than in 2013–2017, peaking in 2026. The fastest-growing topics are Critical Realism in Sociology.
The same series as a ribbon — one cell per year, darker for more. The line above answers how much; this answers when.
Which topics inside it are moving
Growth and decline on one axis around a shared zero. Two lists side by side hide the thing that matters: whether the growth dwarfs the decline, or the other way round.