Department of Sociology, Anthropology, and Social Work

The Auburn University

College of Liberal Arts

People

Anthropology

Sociology

Social Work

• Undergraduates
• Graduate
• Resources
• Faculty
• Alpha Kappa Delta

Sociology as a Discipline

What is Sociology?  Simply put, it is the study of social arrangements and groups.¹ Sociology is a basic social science devoted to the empirical analysis of the social and cultural contexts of human behavior and interaction, with a particular focus on groups, networks, social institutions and social change.  A key element of sociological inquiry emphasizes how social forces influence individual experiences.²

The program serves Sociology majors and minors, majors in other programs within the department, students in other programs of study, the university core curriculum, and the honors college.  In doing so, a primary goal of the Sociology program is to provide undergraduate and graduate majors a solid foundation within the discipline, particularly in the areas of theory, research methods and statistics, and human diversity.  The program is also active in Alpha Kappa Delta, the international honor society for Sociology.  Students completing the Sociology degree are required to develop and demonstrate skills in oral and written communication, critical thinking, and in research. 

Faculty members in the Sociology program teach courses and conduct research in the following areas:

• Criminal and Deviant Behavior (including societal responses to it)
• Lethal, Non-lethal, and Sexual Violence
• Alcohol and Drug Use/Abuse
• Homeland Security and Terrorism
• Family Issues
• Social Organization
• Global Sociology
• Medical Sociology
• Sociological Theory
• Environmental Sociology
• Demography
• Culture of Sports

Sociology faculty members participate in a variety of service/outreach activities, including involvement with the Domestic Violence Intervention Center and the Rape Counselors of East Alabama. Faculty are active in a number of discipline-related organizations, including the American Sociological Association, the Southern Sociological Society, the Mid-South Sociological Association, the American Society of Criminology, the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences, and the Homicide Research Working Group, among others. Individual faculty members hold editorial positions for a number of journals, including the International Journal of Contemporary Sociology and Homicide Studies.

¹ Wilson, Everett K. and Hanan Selvin.  1980. Why Study Sociology? A Note to Undergraduates. Belmont CA: Wadsworth Publishing Company.

² McKinney, Kathleen, Carla B. Howery, Kerry J. Strand, Edward L. Kain, and Catherine White Berheide. 2004. Liberal Learning and the Sociology Major Updated. New York: American Sociological Association.

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Last updated on June 25, 2008

Department of Sociology, Anthropology and Social Work | 7030 Haley Center | Auburn University, AL 36849-5049
Phone: (334) 844-5049 | Fax: (334) 844-2851 | © 2009. All rights reserved.