Sociology

Phone: 831.479.6377

Location: Aptos Campus, Rm. 433C

Area of Study Faculty and Staff

Sociology is the scientific study of human interaction. As such, it explores the various factors that bring people together to form groups, as well as the factors that make groups either persist over time or break apart. Sociology may focus on the "micro" level of social interaction, which is concerned with the ways individuals interact in face-to-face settings to create and sustain social meaning. Sociology also focuses on the "macro" level of society, which is concerned with larger entities such as economic, political, religious, educational or familial institutions. At this level, sociology is concerned with both the internal operation of these institutions, the ways in which they influence one another, and the functioning of society as a whole. Any topic related to how or why people treat each other in the ways that they do is a legitimate question for sociology. One major concern of sociology is with modern social problems, which include topics such as racism, sexism, poverty, health care, deviance, population and the environment.

A bachelor's degree in sociology is an excellent general preparation for careers in social work, personnel and human resources, the criminal justice system, education, marketing research, law firms, political campaigns and journalism.