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 Sociology Minor (18 credits)

Students are required to take SOC 100 (Introduction to Culture and Society) and any five courses from the following six courses:

• SOC 252/PSY252 Social Psychology 3 credits
• SOC/SWK 245 Introduction to Peace Studies 3 credits
• SOC/SWK 270 Contemporary Environmental Issues   3 credits
  
• SOC 304 Inequality and Power in American Society 3 credits
  
• SOC 329 Policies, Practices and Politics of Aging 3 credits
  
• SOC 321 Family as a Social Institution 3 credits