Applied Sociology – Minor

Sociology is the systematic study of human society. It is not so much a body of knowledge as it is a distinctive
point of view called “the sociological perspective.” Using this perspective students learn how their place in society
affects their life experiences. The essential wisdom of sociology is that our social world guides our actions and
life choices.

The curriculum seeks to introduce students to the major approaches to knowledge in areas that the faculty
considers indispensable to sociological education. It aims to show what kinds of knowledge and what forms of
inquiry exist in these areas, how different means of analysis are acquired, how they are used, and what is their
value. The courses within the curriculum in sociology are equivalent in the sense that, while their subject matter
may vary, their emphasis on a particular way of thinking is the same.

A Brief Background of Sociology

Requirements for the Applied Sociology Minor (18 credits)

Students are required to take SOC 100 (Introduction to Culture and Society) and SOC 218 (Social Problems in
American Communities) and any four courses from the following six courses:

• SOC 252/PSY252 Social Psychology 3 credits
  
• SOC 227 Theory and Analysis in the 21st Century 3 credits
  
• SOC 304 Inequality and Power in American Society 3 credits
  
• SOC 329 Policies, Practices and Politics of Aging 3 credits
  
• SOC 201/Hon210 Science off the Pedestal 3 credits
  
• SOC 321 Family as a Social Institution 3 credits