What is sociology?

Sociology is the study of social life. This includes conducting research on how a couple interacts in conversation, comparing revolutions to understand how political powers rise and fall, and everything in between. It doesn’t matter how micro (small scale) or macro (large scale), if it has to do with people interacting, sociologists probably study it. Sociologists analyze intimate relationships, families of all forms, educational systems, crime and punishment, work and occupations, social inequality (such as race, gender, and class), sexuality, politics and the state, social policy, firms, economic relationships, health, and much more. Sociologists are interested in understanding how these organizations, institutions, and inequalities shape people’s lives.

Upon completion of the Sociology major, a student should be able to:

• Analyze how human behavior is shaped by individual and social factors.
• Formulate a sociological question about a contemporary social issue.
• Explain how social scientific methods are used to answer a specific sociological question.

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