University of Mississippi Bachelor's Degree in Sociology

T h e Un i v e r s i t y o f M i s s i s s i p p i

D E P A R T M E N T

Sociology

O F

A N D

Anthropology BACHELOR’S

For additional information visit www.socanth.olemiss.edu or contact

Dr. Kirsten Dellinger Chair Department of Sociology and Anthropology

Evelyn Braxton Senior Administrative Assistant

University of Mississippi

Department of Sociology and Anthropology

University, MS 38677

University of Mississippi

662.915.7421

University, MS 38677

kdelling@olemiss.edu

662.915.7421 evefre@olemiss.edu

libarts.olemiss.edu

DEGREE

IN

SOCIOLOGY

Are you fascinated by the way people interact?

Would you like to investigate the causes of social problems?

Are you interested in social change?

Sociology is the systematic study of human social life, focusing on a diverse range of topics such as popular culture, religion, politics, health, work, deviance, social change, crime, and other social problems. Sociologists investigate the relationship between individuals and their social surroundings, especially how culture and social institutions shape individual opportunities and experiences. Sociologists are adept at understanding power relationships and inequalities, particularly those based upon race, gender, social class, sexual identity, and ability.

Why major in sociology?

Our program provides students with the basic tools of sociological analysis including social research methods (both quantitative and qualitative) and theory.

Furthermore, our curriculum equips students to more effectively understand and negotiate the diverse society in which we live by addressing social inequalities around race/ethnicity, gender, sexuality, and social class. Above all, the program emphasizes writing, critical thinking, group dialogue, and one-on-one faculty mentorship that give our graduates the strong writing, research, and analytic skills that are increasingly attractive to employers in the information age.

What can I do with a sociology degree?

Our sociology majors work in federal, state, local and international agencies, as well as private businesses and nonprofit organizations. In addition, many pursue graduate studies in law, medicine, journalism, and the social sciences.

 ADDITIONAL RESOURCES On our website, socanth.olemiss.edu, we feature select alumni and highlight their accomplishments to illustrate the career potential of a sociology major. Take a look!

For more information about entering the job market with a sociology degree, please see the “Career and Jobs” section of the American Sociological Association. www.asanet.org/employment/careers.cfm

DEGREE REQUIREMENTS The Bachelor of Arts in Sociology degree includes a general education component, courses for the sociology major, and courses for either a minor field of study or a second major in a different discipline, for a total of 124 credit hours. The major in sociology requires 30 credit hours (10 courses) of sociology, including: • SOC 101, 365, and 468

The sociology faculty are energetic teachers and scholars who bring an interdisciplinary perspective to their classrooms and research. Many are jointly appointed or affiliated with a variety of programs and institutes across campus including the Sarah Isom Center for Women and Gender Studies, African American Studies, the Croft Institute for International Studies, and the Center for the Study of Southern Culture.

The Center for Population Studies and the McLean Institute for Public Service and Community Engagement provide additional opportunities for service learning and community-based research.

• The Center for Population Studies (CPS), based at the University of Mississippi, educates, conducts research, and engages in public outreach concerning population issues. The CPS, the lead agency of the State Data Center for Mississippi and the Institute for CommunityBased Research, provides opportunities for students to work with faculty and staff on applied research and evaluation projects covering a wide range of demographic, social, and health issues.

• The McLean Institute for Public Service and Community Engagement, the university’s coordinating unit for community engagement and service learning, seeks to raise the quality of life for all Mississippians with its work to fight poverty through education. The Institute, in collaboration with the university faculty, staff and students, organizes and expands service-learning courses, community-based research activities, and community development and social entrepreneurship projects. The Institute serves Mississippi communities by cultivating leaders of all ages, researching problems, and working alongside communities to implement solutions.

Students explore the social and cultural construction of gender differences in contemporary U.S. society, focusing on the social history of gender roles and gender inequality in current cultural and institutional practices.

SOC 413. RACE AND ETHNICITY

• Two of the following three courses: SOC 325, 413, and 427

Why is the University of Mississippi a good place to study sociology?

Two of the following three courses are required for a completion of a MAJOR in sociology: SOC 325. SOCIOLOGY OF GENDER

Students examine the economic, political, cultural, and historical dimensions of contemporary racial and ethnic relations in both U.S. and international contexts.

• SOC 498: Proficiency test in the basic subject areas of sociology is required for graduation

SOC 427. SOCIAL STRATIFICATION

REQUIRED COURSES SOC 101. INTRODUCTORY SOCIOLOGY Students utilize theory and empirical research to analyze society and better understand how individuals are shaped by powerful social forces. They explore how groups create meaning through everyday interaction, how power functions in important social institutions such as the economy, politics, education, and the family, how systems of inequality are maintained and resisted, and how social change occurs.

Students survey the theories of stratification, class, social status, gender, and the conceptions of power, including the distribution of wealth and income in the United States, their concentration, income disparities for women and minorities, poverty, and upward mobility.

Minor in Sociology A minor may be taken in sociology (18 hours).

SOC 365. METHODS OF SOCIAL RESEARCH Students are introduced to social science research including conceptualization and research design, sampling, measurement, data collection and analysis, and the logic of scientific inference within the research techniques used by sociologists, such as surveys, field research, historical and comparative research, and content analysis.

Medicine and Health Quantitative Methods

Race and Ethnicity

Comparative and Historical Research

Population and Ecology Application and Practice

Gender and Sexuality

SOC 468. SOCIOLOGICAL THEORY Students examine the ideas of 19th- and 20th-century sociologists such as Marx, Weber, Durkheim, and Mead, and the orientations of major schools of contemporary sociological theory.

Place and Environment

SOCIOLOGY INTEREST AREAS

Family, Life Course, and Society

Inequalities and Stratification

Law, Crime, and Deviance Work, Economy, and Organizations

Politics and Social Change

Theory, Knowledge, Science

Sociology of Culture Social Psychology and Interaction

Qualitative Methods

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