Sociology
Welcome to the Concentration in Sociology page.
The field of sociology represents the systematic study of human societies and is centrally concerned with developing a deeper understanding of how we shape and are shaped by our social environments. Sociology inspires an original way of looking at the social world that C.Wright Mills called the "sociological imagination" - the ability to see the interconnections between our personal lives and our social location in the world. It exposes students to a wide range of perspectives and experiences by critically exploring the various institutions (family, education and livelihood), and processes (life course, cultural and social capital) that shape human experience. The goal is that students develop a comprehensive and compassionate understanding of human issues involving culture and diversity, inequality, race, gender and globalization, and ultimately a sense of social responsibility toward shaping the future.
Sociology is an exciting field of inquiry that facilitates students' career and life aims. The program is geared toward developing practical skills in a variety of quantitative and qualitative research methods. Students learn to think analytically, communicate effectively, and be competent at presenting findings and writing reports. These are highly employable skills in the marketplace. Graduates from this discipline have pursued professional careers in health, law, policing, social welfare, education, journalism and international relations. Many sociology graduates also enter research positions in government or the private sector.
"The Sociological imagination enables its possessor to understand the larger historical scene in terms of its meaning for inner life and the external career of a variety of individuals...The sociological imagination enables us to grasp history and biography and the relations between the two within society. That is its task and its promise."
- C. Wright Mills, The Sociological Imagination, London and New York, Oxford University Press, 1959: 5-6.