Sociology Minor

Undergraduate Program

The American sociologist C. Wright Mills described the perspective of sociology as the “sociological imagination.” This point of view enables us to see how individual lives are shaped by larger social forces. Mills argued that we cannot fully understand ourselves without understanding the society in which we live. At Clark, the sociology faculty is committed to developing such an analytic capacity in students.

Through the examination of social processes, such as social stratification, social movements and social change, and through an investigation of diverse social institutions, such as the law, family, medicine and religion, students acquire the conceptual and analytical tools to enhance both their understanding of their own lives and the world in which they live.

One of the questions most frequently asked by students is, “What can I do with a degree in sociology?” Because of the emphasis placed on critical thinking, analytical and communicative skills, and methodological training, students majoring in sociology are well equipped to enter a variety of occupations, as well as professional careers and graduate schools. Sociology majors have gone to law school, medical school, social-work and business school. Others have become marketing analysts, government policy analysts, university administrators and political consultants.

Program Faculty

Parminder Bhachu, Ph.D.
Patricia Ewick, Ph.D.
Bruce London, Ph.D.
Deborah Merrill, Ph.D.
Robert Ross, Ph.D.
Shelly Tenenbaum, Ph.D.

Courses

• SOC 010 - Introduction to Sociology
• SOC 067 - Problems of Globalization
• SOC 085 - The Corporate Planet
• SOC 105 - Social Research Process
• SOC 107 - Classical Sociological Theory
• SOC 110 - Introduction to Woman Studies: Sociology of Gender
• SOC 125 - Cities and Suburbs
• SOC 130 - Genocide
• SOC 135 - Media and Society
• SOC 136 - Effects of Mass Media [Formerly Soc 273]
• SOC 138 - Observing Culture and Society
• SOC 160 - Global Cultures and Identities
• SOC 175 - The Sociology of Families
• SOC 180 - Aging and Society
• SOC 200 - Class, Status and Power
• SOC 203 - American Jewish Life
• SOC 205 - Sociology of the Environment
• SOC 218 - Work and Play in the City: Then and Now
• SOC 232 - Population, Environment and Development
• SOC 241 - Sociology of Medicine
• SOC 243 - Political Sociology
• SOC 252 - Race and American Society
• SOC 260 - Roots and Routes: Immigrants, Diasporas and Travel
• SOC 262 - Law and Society
• SOC 263 - Deviance
• SOC 267 - Poverty and Social Policy in Comparative Perspective
• SOC 272 - Punishment, Politics and Culture
• SOC 275 - Family Issues in an Aging Society
• SOC 276 - Environment and Inequality
• SOC 285 - Social Policy, Immigration and Poverty
• SOC 288 - Globalization: Fashion and Foul Play
• SOC 293 - Diasporas and Immigrant Cultures: Theory, Art and Media
• SOC 294 - Global Ethnographies: Ethnographers in the Making for the 21st Century
• SOC 297 - Senior Honors
• SOC 298 - Internship
• SOC 299 - Directed Study