Department Chair: Dr. Elizabeth Kelly
Sociologists, unique among social scientists, define their work not by content but by perspective and methods. That uniqueness challenges and liberates. Our challenges reside in developing theoretical skills and empirical methods to address sociological questions. Sociology’s uniqueness liberates in allowing flexible upper division undergraduate study without requiring narrow focus early in intellectual life.
Sociology systematically studies how groups and individuals interact and how societal change influences that interaction. Put differently, what is the human toll of the transformation from primitive toward contemporary, complex forms of social organization? Who falls through the cracks? And what factors influence change among institutions, groups, and individuals? Sociological perspectives and methods lead understanding to the social nature of human activity. We encourage our students to productively engage their cultures and to pursue reflectively the life of the mind within their Christian faith.
Training in sociology prepares majors for employment in social work, higher education, religious-related vocations, as well as business, engineering, government, law, medicine, teaching, and administration.