Sociology

As social scientists, sociologists apply scientific reasoning and methodologies to understanding the array of formidable problems facing our country and our world.

  • Black Lives Matter Teach-In

  • Dr. Marchioni in Alaska studying how climate, economy and culture effect traditional practices.

  • Dr. Alberti leads students on archaeological fieldwork in New Mexico

The Sociology Department is home to three majors and four minors. It is also home to a vibrant community of committed faculty and engaged students. The relationships between students and faculty – through teaching, researching and service – are what makes it all come together. You will find four years with us a rewarding and enriching experience.

Sociology Program Learning Objectives:

  1. Recognize the impact of social patterns, human diversity, cultural difference, and globalization on social life. [Comprehension]
  2. Use sociological principles, theories, and concepts in the interpretation of social phenomena. [Application]
  3. Design and conduct an empirical sociological research project using quantitative and qualitative methods. [Synthesis]
  4. Assess the extent, consequences, causes, and potential solutions of social problems and inequalities. [Evaluation]

 

Criminology Program Learning Objectives:

  1. Explain criminal behavior, criminal justice systems, constructions of deviance and conformity, and mechanisms of social control. [Comprehension] 
  2. Apply criminological schools of thought to interpretations of the social world. [Application] 
  3. Design and conduct an empirical criminological research project using quantitative and/or qualitative methods. [Synthesis] 
  4. Assess causes and consequences of inequality as they relate to crime, criminal behavior, and the criminal justice system. [Evaluation] 

Global Studies Learning Objectives:

Students will be able to understand what globalization means and explain its various dimensions. They will discuss the origins and causes of global processes and of the formation of transnational social identities.

Students will explain the relationships among local and global communities at different scales (local, regional, national, and supra-national).

Students will explain and apply different theories of globalization and make connections across disciplines. They will apply social scientific research skills, including data collection, analysis, and presentation.

Students will gain an understanding of a region of the world (usually other than the US) or an issue that involves various regions of the world.

Students will access knowledge of a wide variety of global issues and concerns beyond their particular specialty through participation in regular colloquia and events at the University.

Students will be encouraged to directly encounter other cultures through study abroad.

Students will learn to work independently on a research project initiated during an internship or equivalent experience related to global issues.

 

The degree programs we offer include Sociology, Criminology, Anthropology, and Global Studies. What they all share is a determination to understand societies and cultures, through time and in any place imaginable. Importantly, what motivates many of us in the department is a desire to work out how we can impact the world in a positive way, how we can bring about social change.

You can become a part of this community. So join us – we will be pleased to welcome you!


Department of Sociology

Spotlight on Sociology

Student Spotlight
New Mexico Fieldwork

Archeology Students

Dr. Ben Alberti is in the field with several FSU students with the Gorge Archaeological Project, a joint venture directed by Columbia University professor, Dr. Severin Fowles. Students Sarah Morgan, Nikki Husselbee, and Emily Petro are investigating rock art and landscape in the Rio Grande Gorge in northern New Mexico. You can follow their exploits on the unofficial Facebook page, FSU Gorge.

Student Spotlight
Talia Johnson '17

Criminology Major

"I came in with the desire to be a District Attorney, and have done everything in my power in order to achieve the career goal. Having interned at both a prison and a District Court, I have gained the experience that has strengthened my love for the criminal justice system as a whole. Upon sharing my goal of becoming a District Attorney with my professors, they both encouraged and challenged me to strive to achieve it."

*Ms. Johnson has been accepted at the University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth Law School and will be attending in the fall. Congratulations!

Faculty Spotlight
Dr. Ellen Zimmerman

Sociology Professor

Dr. Ellen Zimmerman, Professor of Anthropology, has been awarded a USIEF Fulbright Nehru Senior Scholar Fellowship for fall 2017 and will be teaching at University of Hyderabad in India. A primary component of her project involves collaboration with Indian colleagues at University of Hyderabad’s Center for Human Rights, as well as its Center for Social Exclusion and Inclusive Policy. Faculty members involved in these centers are engaged in researching and teaching about issues of human rights and social justice, and working with them will enable Dr. Zimmerman to include a more global focus in a proposed Peace and Justice Center at FSU. Dr. Zimmerman and her Indian colleagues will also share ways in which they engage students in issues of human rights and peace and justice by infusing these issues into their teaching.

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