This paper introduces \textit{Satellite Sociology}, a framework for interpreting satellite-observed spatial patterns as material traces of human activity and social organization. The framework treats Earth observation data not only as predictors of external social outcomes, but also as evidence of how social processes become materially embedded in space. A characteristic feature of the framework is the explicit definition of spatial units. Buildings, grids, buffers, parcels, neighborhoods, and administrative areas are not neutral technical containers; they define the social objects that can be observed and interpreted. In this sense, Satellite Sociology treats spatial-unit dependence as a methodological principle: different units and categories reveal different aspects of social organization.
To demonstrate one implementation, the paper analyzes urban environmental capital in Shinagawa Ward, Tokyo, and Christchurch, New Zealand. Building footprints from the Overture Maps Foundation are combined with Sentinel-2 NDVI imagery to construct two building-level indicators: the Building-Level Vegetation Exposure Index (BVEI), which measures vegetation exposure around buildings, and the Log Built--Vegetation Imbalance Index (LBVII), which identifies where large built structures coincide with low vegetation exposure on a logarithmic scale. The results show contrasting spatial patterns: Shinagawa is characterized by broadly low vegetation exposure, while Christchurch shows more spatially differentiated exposure associated with green spaces and urban function. High-LBVII locations are interpreted as candidate indicators of built--vegetation imbalance and possible structural constraint.
The paper argues that satellite-derived indicators can support sociological interpretation by identifying reproducible spatial regularities that motivate further investigation. Satellite Sociology does not replace surveys, administrative data, ethnography, planning history, or institutional analysis. Rather, it extends the observational basis of social science by adding a spatially extensive and materially grounded layer for studying how human activity, institutions, and economic processes become expressed in space.
