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Sociology
Students who study sociology will understand the individual's place in larger
social and historical processes and be able to use, convey, and critique the frameworks,
methods, and sensibilities of sociology to enhance active and critical citizenship
in a globalized world.
As part of this mission, we encourage students to seek a just, free, and egalitarian
society. That search requires disciplined inquiry, analysis, and research. Our
overarching goal is for students to develop what C. Wright Mills called a "sociological
imagination." As such, we aim for students to critically examine social
structures and inequalities, make links between the personal and political in
order to comprehend the impact of social forces on lived experience, and envision
alternative futures at both the local and global level. Utilizing intersectional
analysis, students come to understand and challenge interlocking systems of
oppression and privilege based on race, class, gender, sexuality, age, and national
origin.
With a strong foundation in classical and contemporary theory, students come
to apply sociological frameworks and concepts to their everyday lives and to
"real world" social problems. We motivate students to consider social
theories and social policies in terms of their implications for social change
and social justice. Through critical comprehension of research methodologies
and published sociological research, including the ethical and political aspects
of various methods, students learn to formulate and carry out solid independent
research and to communicate the results. Finally, we strive to instill in our
students the importance of clear and polished writing and effective public speaking
in all of their learning endeavors from the theoretical, epistemological, methodological,
and substantive investigations undertaken in and outside of class, to their
more concrete, action-oriented engagement in the wider community.
Sociology Department Learning Outcomes
Students will have the ability to:
- Analyze critically social practices, structures, and inequalities
- Discuss and differentiate major sociological theories, frameworks and traditions
- Formulate, conduct, and communicate independent social research
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