What
is Sociology?
Sociology is the study of societies, institutions, organizations,
groups, and individuals
that is conducted at two different levels.
At
the societal level, study is focused on the components
of society—biophysical environment, technology,
population, social organization and culture—how
they are interrelated, how they change, and how they
come to shape our collective social existence. At
the individual level, sociologists focus on how the
behavior, thoughts, and emotions of individuals are
created and modified by the social and cultural conditions
in which they live. Thus, sociology studies society
and social life from two different perspectives.
The strengths of the department of Sociology
at Maryland, College Park, are the study of population
(demography), military sociology, political economy,
social psychology, and the connections among gender,
work, and family.
The
department offers four undergraduate areas of
specializations:
Social Psychology,
Family
and Demography,
Social
Organizations,
and
Social
Stratification.
These specializations can often be integrated with a
second major. This program versatility and the
rich experiential learning possibilities of the Washington
metropolitan area combine to make the sociology curriculum
valuable preparation for a career choice.
Read the American
Sociological Association's Report:
"What
can I do with a Bachelor's degree in Sociology?"
Apply
for Admission
Undergraduate
Areas of Specialization Offered
Social
psychology is the study of people’s thoughts,
feelings, and behaviors in social and cultural contexts.
Social psychologists study how individuals are affected
by the societies and cultures in which they live and
the groups to which they belong; how individuals
shape their societies and cultures; how individuals
develop identities and make sense of their interactions
with others; and the processes that play out when individuals
interact within and across groups.
Demography
is the study of births, deaths, migration, and family
formation/dissolution. Populations differ markedly
with respect to the rates at which they engage in these
four basic processes. Demographers study this
variation across countries and over time. They
also investigate, for example, how birth rates vary
within countries according to socioeconomic characteristics
such as education and race. The study of demography
also emphasizes both how individual decisions add up
to group rates and how social and demographic contexts
impinge on individual decisions. Family as a social
institution functions as one of the most important contexts
in which demographic activities are experienced.
Because
organizations and institutions are central to social
life, organizational sociologists must master
the principles of organizations and institutions to
think sociological about their world. Institutions
are normative systems built around important functions
in society like the family and reproduction; education
and the training of children for adult roles; and the
military and the defense of society.
The
study of social stratification focuses on the
causes, correlates, and consequences of the unequal
distribution of power, property, and prestige.
