Sociology Program Goals

Sociology Program Goals

Sociology Program Goals

The Sociology major prepares students for work in a variety of settings as well as graduate school. The overall goal of the major is to give students an awareness of how human behavior, including their own, is influenced by social forces. Further, the sociology area attempts to prepare students to function in the urban environment by fostering an understanding of the multiplicity of ethnic and cultural groups in modern societies. Sociology emphasizes understanding people in groups, from small groups like the family to large bureaucratic institutions that characterize contemporary society. Courses offered allow majors and minors to emphasize one of the following areas of concentration or select their own: The Urban Community; Social Deviance; The Family; Medicine and Health; and Social Stratification. Increasingly the courses offered are oriented towards an applied approach, encouraging students to use sociological concepts, theories and methods in their everyday lives.

The Gerontology Area of Emphasis is a specific emphasis added to the major in sociology drawing from several different departments. It is designed to offer students a multidisciplinary perspective for working with an aging population. Students who select this emphasis do not need a separate minor.