Conspiracy Theories

Conspiracy theories are an integral part of contemporary societies, yet sociological research on the topic is still scarce. This is particularly problematic because conspiracy theories are not just theoretical ideas formulated in the abstract but are lived social and cultural phenomena that beg for more sociological analysis and explanation. In this entry, we review the history of the academic study of conspiracy theories, moving from pathologization to normalization. We then discuss conspiracy theory research along six well‐known sociological dimensions: demographics and stratification; politics and ideology, identity and community, religion and re‐enchantment, science and knowledge, and media and communication. We highlight as much sociological research as possible, but supplement that with research from other disciplines as they are informative to get more sociological understanding of conspiracy theories in contemporary societies. More diverse sociological research is needed to empirically map and theoretically understand the various manifestations of conspiracy theories and their adherents in light of larger cultural transformations.