Sociology - Hamilton College Clinton

Sociology from Hamilton College Clinton is a Campus Bachelor Sociology degree that prepares you for a Human Services career. HUMAN BEINGS ARE SOCIAL CREATURES, shaped and in some ways defined by their interactions. Sociology is the study of that process. It explores patterns of social life and examines the ways in which social structures and cultures influence our personalities, families, attitudes, behavior, work, leisure ? our very identities. Sociology at Hamilton is a rigorous but creative program in which accomplished professors and engaged students work closely together on a broad range of topics. In sociology , you can study politics, economics, religion, sex, race, power, ethics, history, mathematics and just about anything else involving human beings. Sociologists ask, for example, how our lives are affected by our positions on the social and economic class structure, or how and why society creates and maintains gender roles. Does technology isolate us or bring us closer together? How can groups and organizations encourage ethical behavior? Sociology majors learn to conduct and assess many types of social research. They receive instruction in both the methodology of research and the theoretical debates and principles that make social inquiry vital to human understanding. And they are trained to write and speak effectively to a variety of different audiences. RESEARCH OPPORTUNITIES Doing sociology means developing, evaluating and understanding research, so every course involves hands-on research possibilities for students, carried out in small classes with the close assistance and supervision of faculty members. Many courses involve field trips; others provide training in computer-based research techniques. In addition, students have independent-study options in which they can develop their own research methods. The sociology program is designed to promote ambitious, independent scholarship. The curriculum is not a strict hierarchy of courses, but a spectrum of opportunities in which good students are encouraged to advance as quickly as they can. Our goal is intellectual challenge ? for every student, at every level. THE SENIOR PROGRAM The Senior Program is an integrating, culminating academic experience for all sociology majors. Drawing on the methodology, research and thinking skills that they have developed during the first three years of study, seniors work closely with at least one faculty member to plan and complete the senior thesis. Work on the thesis includes an oral presentation in a public forum, where the audience includes visiting faculty members from other colleges and universities as well as faculty and students from the Hamilton program. RESOURCES Each year the Sociology Department hosts several visiting speakers who are widely noted for their scholarship and insight. Recent speakers have included G. William Domhoff, author of Who Rules America: Power, Politics, and Social Change; Diane Vaughan, who studies the behavior of organizations; Randall Collins, whose wide scholarly interests include the sociology of conflict as well as economics and philosophy; Nancy Denton, who writes and teaches about race, urban neighborhoods and demography; and Jodi O'Brien, who explores meaning and identity in such works as The Production of Reality and Everyday Inequalities. Hamilton students have the opportunity to talk with these distinguished guests in a variety of settings. View more details on Hamilton College . Ask your questions and apply online for this program or find other related Sociology courses.