Sociology

The scientific study of social life

Sociology provides fundamental insight on social matters. Our lives are affected not only by our personal psychology, but by our place in the social world. Sociologists study and work across a broad range of issues—from inequality to human ecology, from deviance to religion, from medicine to politics. Few fields offer students (and researchers) opportunities of such breadth.

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Featured Undergraduate Course

Sociology of Food (SOC 336)

Most Americans know or think little about the food they eat.  Yet food is a fascinating sociological topic with many social layers—it serves as an identity marker, is embedded in culture, can be a source of both pleasure and pain, is a social system, and is even a tool of power.  The goal of the course is to increase awareness and knowledge about food by investigating how the contemporary production, distribution, and consumption of food impacts the environment and reflects social and economic power relations, how food movements develop and change over time, how and why food insecurity persists and the consequences, and the human rights of food workers.  Students say that this a great elective course that made them more mindful about this important resource and opened their eyes to significant issues surrounding the food system.

Sociology of Food counts toward earning the new Health & Society minor.

 

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Experiential Learning

Take your education out of the classroom and into the world! Experiential learning opportunities and the capstone course help you apply your academic learning to effect change in communities and workplaces or get involved in hands-on research.

• Internships
• Research Opportunities
• Service Learning
• Study Abroad