Sociology

Overview

Sociology is the study of social life, social change, and the social causes and consequences of human behavior. Sociologists investigate the structure of groups, organizations, and societies and the patterns that characterize contemporary social life. Although we are often unaware of its influences on us, the social world structures our opportunities, shapes our aspirations, and provides the stage for our actions. As individuals, we are both sustained and constrained by a web of social relations.

Even our perceptions are affected by the way we are situated in the social world and by our participation in the construction of social reality. What kind of society do we live in? What are its distinctive characteristics and problems? Where is it headed? As part of a liberal arts education, sociology offers theories and research relevant to our ability both to make sense of our circumstances as individuals in contemporary society, and to act efficaciously and constructively in shaping the modern world.

At New College, courses in sociology draw on a range of theoretical perspectives and research traditions. Key themes and topics include: the causes and consequences of particular distributions of power, wealth, and prestige; the significance of class, ethnic, and gender differences in modern societies; social organization at the level of small groups, complex institutions, and entire societies; social movements and change; the sociology of work; cultural production and consumption in both popular and elite arts; the processes of face-to-face social interaction; socialization and social construction; and the social production of the urban environment.

A student concentrating in sociology is required to acquire competence in content knowledge, written and oral communication skills, and critical thinking skills. These are gained by mastering the fundamental tools of the discipline through five required courses, one empirical Independent Study Project (ISP), and five elective courses. Courses, tutorials, and independent projects may change in accordance with current student and faculty interests.

Faculty in Sociology

David Brain, Professor of Sociology/Urban Studies Program Director (On Leave)
Emily Fairchild, Associate Professor of Sociology (On Leave)
Barbara Feldman, Professor of Sociology
Sarah Hernandez, Associate Professor of Sociology and Caribbean and Latin American Studies
Queen Meccasia Zabriskie, Associate Professor of Sociology (On Leave)

Requirements for the AOC in Sociology

The expected knowledge and competencies in the Sociology program are gained by mastering the fundamental tools of the discipline through a set of five foundational courses, one empirical Independent Study Project (ISP), and five elective courses. In addition to traditional classes, you will also engage in ISPs, group research projects, and off-campus contracts that provide important opportunities to gain direct experience of social issues explored in courses and tutorials. Students are encouraged to do field research, particularly in the local community.

A minimum of eleven (11) academic units.

¹

Students must complete the sociological research methods course prior to doing this ISP, and must go through the IRB process.

²

Some courses fit more than one category.

Requirements for the Joint AOC in Sociology

A minimum of seven (7) academic units.

¹

See the full AOC requirements above for a list of examples of courses in each of the three analytical areas; some courses fit more than one category. 

²

Students completing a Joint AOC must have one faculty member from Sociology on their thesis committee.

Requirements for a Secondary Field in Sociology 

A minimum of six (6) academic units.

¹

See the full AOC requirements above for a list of examples of courses in each of the three analytical areas; some courses fit more than one category. 

Sample Four-Year Pathway

The New College Sociology program builds the skills that employers today seek: an understanding of the social context of creativity and innovation; an ability to work with others in organizational settings; multicultural and global understandings; quantitative and qualitative analysis; critical thinking; and effective written expression. Sociology graduates have gone into a variety of fields, including Ph.D. programs and subsequent employment in academia (in Sociology and other fields), Arts Administration, Law School, International NGOs addressing Human and Refugee Rights, Public Health, Education, Social Work, Public Relations, Media and Communication, Urban Planning, Community Organizing, and Non-profit Community Development.

Representative Senior Theses in Sociology

• Blocking the Blockers: Charrettes, Urban Planning, and Deliberative Democracy
• Crafting the Next World Through Poetry
• Bounce for Your Yard: A Grounded Theory Approach Investigating the Role Cultural Intermediation Plays in the Development of Local Sensibilities in New Orleans Bounce Music
• Labor of Labor: Exploring the Working Conditions of 21st Century Midwives in the U.S. 
• Living to Survive: Causes and Solutions to Poverty Among Low Income, White, Single Mothers 
• Identity Negotiations of Bilingual LGBTQIA+ Latinos/As/Es/Xs
• Menstruating and Doing Masc: Trans Experiences of Menstruation
• "A Combination of Serious Politics and Joyful Living": Connections Between Political Goals and Sense of Community in AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power (ACT UP)
• Together for Liberation, Together for Our Nation: An Examination of Feminist Literary Practice's Navigation of Contested Membership in Palestinian Nationalist Discourse
• "Choose Life, Have an Abortion": How Shout Your Abortion uses a Public Pedagogy of Hope to Reframe the Conversation Surrounding Abortion
• Off to the Mother Country: Community Cultural Wealth and the Construction of Empowered Motherhood by Windrush Jamaican Transnational Mothers
• Potential for a 'Greener Sense of Self': An Exploration of the Photocatalytic Degradation of Water Pollutants via Tio2 Nanoparticles Through a Citizen Science Framework and Its Impact on Environmental Stewardship Attitudes and Scientific Agency in Volunteers