why study sociology?

Sociology takes as its goal the understanding of human social groups and how they function and change. As Western societies underwent rapid transformation during the transition to "modernity" (ushered in by the Industrial Revolution and various political, religious, and scientific revolutions), a number of questions arose. What is the nature of modern society? What has caused it to develop as it has? What are its problems and challenges? How will it change in the future? The discipline of sociology emerged in the attempt to answer such questions. These questions, and many new ones, continue to motivate the study of society today. One might say that current societies are experiencing equally dramatic changes as technology, globalization, environmental dilemmas, and other phenomena continue to influence how we live and organize social life.

Whether aware of it or not, everyone is inextricably part of the social – we shape it and, at the same time, it shapes us. Studying sociology can help us better understand society, and thus to better understand ourselves and our immediate social worlds.

Whether you decide to major in sociology, pursue a minor, or just take a class, sociology is directly relevant to you!

The Sociology Program at Sweet Briar College provides a strong foundation in the discipline and offers a wide variety of substantive course topics (including but not limited to: social inequality, work, the environment, community, crime, religion, the automobile, and much more). Moreover, the skills learned-general theorizing, research design, data analysis, and statistics-are extremely valuable academically, personally, and professionally.