Sociology

Christie L. Parris, Associate Professor of Sociology; chair

Beiyi Hu, Visiting Assistant Professor of Sociology
Daphne John, Associate Professor of Sociology and Director of Assessment and Accreditation
Alexander B. Kinney, Assistant Professor of Sociology
Greggor Mattson, Professor of Sociology
Alicia C. Smith-Tran, Associate Professor of Sociology
Veljko M. Vujacic, Professor of Sociology
JeffriAnne Wilder, Associate Professor of Sociology and Executive Director of the Center for DEI Innovation and Leadership

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Sociology is the study of social life, social change, inequality, and the social causes and consequences of human behavior. Sociologists investigate the structure of groups, organizations, and societies and how people interact within these contexts. Since all human behavior is social, the subject matter of sociology ranges from the intimate couple to globalization; from organized political parties to informal institutions like the family; and from systems of inequality such as race, gender, and social class to the shared beliefs of a common culture.

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Majors, Minors, and Integrative Concentrations

Curriculum

The curriculum of the Department of Sociology at Oberlin College reflects the breadth of the discipline and, responding to the variety of student interests, addresses the educational objectives of students who wish to:

apply sociology in professions such as law, education, public health, or urban planning;
employ sociology in public policy, public service, nonprofit work, or the private sector;
study for advanced degrees in sociology as preparation for careers in teaching or research;
use sociology to contribute to majors in other liberal arts disciplines and interdisciplines; or
increase and enrich their civic engagement via the sociological imagination.

The sociology curriculum includes courses at all levels:

100-level courses are interchangeable introductory courses (only one may count toward credit for graduation)
200-level courses cover established sociological subfields
300-level courses are core courses (methods and theory) and interdisciplinary seminars
400-level courses include the required senior capstone

Sociology

Majors, Minors, and Integrative Concentrations

Curriculum

Courses