Program Overview

The mission of the Sociology Department is to provide students with opportunities to gain the knowledge and skills required to study groups, organizations, subcultures, cultures, and societies.  Our students study the dynamics of social interactions, identities, inequalities, and social change by investigating social structures, norms and values which shape our lives, our institutions, and our societies.

The primary goals of the Sociology Department are as follows:

• Develop a sociological imagination in our students. The sociological imagination is defined as the ability to grasp the relationship between the individual and society in order to understand how larger social patterns influence the lives of individuals and, conversely, how individuals can exercise agency to effect change in society. Key to the development of a sociological imagination is fostering the growth of students’ creative and critical thinking skills.
• Provide a strong disciplinary foundation. The foundation of the discipline of sociology rests upon two areas: research methods and social theory. Two required courses in research methods, one in quantitative methods, one in qualitative methods, provide the knowledge and skills necessary to design ethical and rigorous studies that involve the collection and analysis of empirical evidence. Two required courses, one in classical sociological theories and one in contemporary social theories, provide sociological perspectives that inform the selection of research methods for a particular project and guide the analysis of collected data. Together, these courses provide students with the abilities to produce theoretically driven and empirically grounded scholarship.
• Encourage growth in each student’s ethical judgment and understanding of identity. We emphasize the development of ethical judgment in the production of and use of sociological knowledge because sociological knowledge has applied value when fostering intellectual growth and emotional maturity in students. In addition, we encourage students to examine diverse, complex, and situated identities, while increasing their awareness and understanding of the sources of social power which shape their own and others’ experiences.
• Prepare students to live meaningful and productive lives. The sociology department is committed to helping student live meaningful lives that are filled with an ever-present critical awareness of social dynamics and with a commitment to bring about positive social change. In addition, the sociology department offers courses which develop a broad base of knowledge and skills applicable to a variety of occupational fields and various areas of graduate study.