What is sociology?
Simply put, sociology is the study of society, of the values that hold it together, the challenges that tear it apart, and the forces that change it over time. Sociology looks beyond normal, taken-for-granted views of reality, to see the full complexity of what is really going on underneath it all. It takes us into the complex core of our surroundings, not merely as participants or as observers, but as creators, because sociology is the study of the world that we human beings have created, and continue to re-create over time. We've created our world through our actions (or inactions), but we can also change the world. We are not passive receivers of the system; we are active creators of it and we play a role in enforcing the system. This is how the social order is maintained and preserved.
The discipline of sociology gives us the tools we need to remake society; therein rests its power. Sociology gives you knowledge about how the world works and it gives you knowledge about how to change it if you choose. Sociologists and their students have often been at the forefront of significant social change.
Sociology covers a wide range of areas. Some of the topics we explore in our program include:
- Social inequalities;
- Genders and Sexualities;
- Technologies;
- Social and cultural theories;
- Families;
- Ethnicity;
- Diversity;
- Global development and change;
- Social movements;
- The politics of identity;
- Social and cultural aspects of death and dying
At Grenfell Campus, sociology is one of the constituent disciplines in the social/cultural studies program. Students may also complete a minor in Sociology. A minor in sociology is beneficial to students in several different majors including: psychology, history, business, and environmental studies.
Requirements
Students completing a minor in Sociology must complete::
SOCI 1000 (principles of sociology) SOCI 3040 (methods of social research) SOCI 3150 (classical social theory)
Five more sociology courses, two of which must be at the 3000 or 4000 level