What is the Study of Sociology?

    Sociology is the stude of social life and the social causes and consequences of human behavior.  Subject matter ranges from family life to hostile mob, from crime to religion, from the divisions of race and social class to the shared beliefs of a common culture, from poverty to law, from the sociology of work to the sociology of sport.  Few fields have such a broad scope.

    Sociology provides a rich fund of knowledge that concerns human behavior in a variety of settings -- the home, war, professions, and civil society.  Many students use Sociology as preparation for graduate studies in law, business, education, and medicine.  Many students also go on to graduate study in Sociology itself.

    More and more, there are specific career areas that Sociology majors successfully pursue.  These include:  research telecommunications, human resource management, social planning in state and federal agencies, and other fields.  A major in Sociology also may be comvined with an emphasis in other fields.  Sociology is used in various humanities such as Theology, Social History, Art History, Philosophy, Literary Criticism, and American Studies.

The Major

    The bachelor of arts in Sociology at Saint Louis University relates to the whole area of social life.  As a student in this program, you will be instructed in the basic theory that underlies development of social and service skills as indicated.

    A fieldwork practicum is strongly encouraged for all majors.  Examples of these practica include working in a neighborhood center in St. Louis or with the Commission on Human Rights of the Archdiocese of St. Louis.

    In the Sociology major, you also will be encouraged to take electives from several areas of the discipline.  One area deals primarily with microsociology (Marriage and the Family, Small Groups, etc.).  Another addresses macrosociology (Poverty, Social Stratification, International Relations, etc.).   Still another is the study of organizations and their problems.

The Major

   In addition to a traditional major in Sociology, one can emphasize a specialization, which addresses social change and the application of Sociology to contemporary problems.  Such a specialty would include a fieldwork practicum in a social agency and courses in the area of social development in the department and elsewhere in the University.  The goal of this specialty is to help the student articulate values regarding human society using sound sociological analysis of problems and possible remedies.

    Since the applied area of criminal justice is also in our department, we have many connections with social agencies in the St. Louis area and are heavily involved in the community.  We also offer one course in Anthropology and are working to expand this area gradually.  In our courses and the application to problems, we emphasize a multicultural perspective that generates respect for different traditions in modern society.

    The study of Criminal Justice and Social Development requires experience in practical applications.  Thus we have many connections with agencies in the St. Louis area and are heavily involved in the community.

    Faculty members are involved in a variety of community service and research efforts.  This benefit will help you make connections in the field of Sociology and to learn in real work settings.

    One area being researched is involuntary trends in population relocation.  Other topics include:  the socio-historical development of English law; the social impact of air disasters; quiltmakers and quiltmaking; and the historical development of social welfare.

    Faculty members have helped to evaluate programs such as police officer response to radio dispatches, effectiveness of the welfare reform programs, and a variety of educational programs.  One faculty member is currently studying factors that might enable neighborhoods to identify and solve problems in their locale.

    The department has been instrumental in relating to other units of the University in the development of research and education in the area of Social Justice.  Several of the faculty have been instrumental in establishing Friedens Haus, a community care center in an inner city neighborhood of North St. Louis.  As a student of the Sociology program, you will be a part of this important research environment.

After Graduation

   Students with a bachelor of arts degree in Sociology can continue with graduate work in sociology in a wide variety of programs throughout the country.  A Ph.D. in Sociology prepares the student for teaching and research related to a university setting.  Within Saint Louis University, the student might pursue graduate work in the interdisciplinary programs of American Studies and Public Policy Studies (related to Sociology and other Social Sciences).  There are also possibilities of professional programs in Social Work, Law, Education, and several health-service fields, including Medicine and Nursing.

    The beginning practicums in Sociology also provide an opportunity for students to be related to agencies and organizations that may provide a possible link to careers.

    Former graduate of the Sociology program are involved in diverse types of careers, for example:  president of a management consulting firm; methodologist for a health organization; researcher for an urban research center; professors in several universities; director of a community center; and analyst with the Bureau of Census.