Sociology - Marymount Manhattan College

Sociology from Marymount Manhattan College is a Campus Bachelor Sociology degree that prepares you for a Human Services career. The mission of the Sociology Department is to prepare students to become critically active and civically responsible agents in the world so they may shape those mechanisms through which the sociological imagination impels us to develop a concern for, participate in, and improve society. Sociology is one of the core majors of the social sciences. It is organized around the study of the complex forces that influence human behavior in modern societies. As a field of study it emerged in the 19th and 20th centuries as part of an effort to identify the underlying dynamics of urbanized industrial societies. In the decades following World War II the field became highly empirical and grew exponentially. Today, Sociology is a thriving field of study with an impressive span of theoretical perspectives and thematic concerns. Its areas of inquiry range from ethnicity, gender, and religion to the social organization of sexuality, and the social impact of the development of science and technology. Its theoretical arsenal ranges from its traditional underpinnings in conflict and consensus theory to feminist, post-colonial and queer theory. The MMC Advantage The Sociology major offers a carefully crafted sequence of courses that take students on a journey from basic concepts to advanced critical analysis. The program places particular importance on exposing students to a variety of theoretical approaches that may be used in professional settings as well to acquire the empirical research skills for understanding the methodology by which social science data is gathered and analyzed. Learning Goals for the Major in Sociology Students who graduate with a major in sociology should be able to do the following: 1. Demonstrate ability to analyze human behavior from a sociological perspective understanding the influence of social and cultural forces and the interplay of biography and history. 2. Analyze social situations utilizing the different theoretical perspectives implicit in the sociological imagination including functionalism, conflict theory, symbolic interactionism, postmodernism and psychoanalytic theory. 3. Design valid and reliable research consistent with scientific methodology while at the same time recognizing the limits of science for studying human behavior. (Our department values and will accept many forms of social knowledge production. However, we will demand competence in the methods of science as to make them competitive in the field of sociology) 4. Be critical readers of qualitative and quantitative research articles in the field. 5. Recognize that their understanding of human relations and interactions gives them a unique and valuable perspective that can be used in many career settings. Why Study Sociology? Students benefit from the study of sociology because it affords them a better understanding of the complex socioeconomic and cultural dynamics shaping individual, community and international behavior and values. With that understanding students will be better prepared for their political and social responsibilities as members of civil society. The major also sponsors a program in Social Work that helps prepare students for graduate education and careers in human services. In a sequence of five classes, three of which include a required internship experience, students study professional values, knowledge and skills. They are exposed to various ways to think about the social, political, economic and personal factors involved in the construction of human problems. Courses are also designed to enhance the quality of each student's civic and communitiy involvement as well as to help students become more thoughtful and successful providers of human services. Ultimately classes direct students to think critically about their communities and to act powerfully within them. Where do you go from here? Students majoring in Sociology have gone onto successful careers in journalism, urban planning, survey research, human resources, business, law, criminal justice, social work and nonprofit administration. Graduates of the program have also entered academically competitive programs at the Master's and Ph.D. levels. View more details on Marymount Manhattan College . Ask your questions and apply online for this program or find other related Sociology courses.