I stumbled upon a scholastic discipline that I had never heard of before: Astrosociology.
Astrosociology is a relatively new field defined as the study of astrosocial phenomena (i.e., the social, cultural, and behavioral patterns related to outer space).
Apparently, this is a very new subtopic in sociology that is working earnestly to establish itself a legitimate area of inquiry. Based on reading the founder’s 2004 Inaugural Essays (Part 1 & Part 2), I find it to be a straightforward and valid topic that should be able to stand on its own.
Outbound is devoted to moving society into space as a matter of logical progression, and it frankly excited me to read what the Astrosociology folks have to say. If we can better understand how space is just another description of the cosmos we are socially connected to, another extension of our efforts, that will keep opening doors leading us off of Earth.