About the Department of Sociology and Cultural Analysis
The Department of Sociology and Cultural Analysis examines how societies are organized, how they change, and how systems of power and inequality shape everyday life. Bringing together two longstanding strengths of the College of Liberal Arts - the empirical study of social life and the critical study of identity and power - we offer students an interdisciplinary approach to understanding the contemporary world.
Sociology
Sociology investigates social behavior at every level, from face-to-face interactions to global processes. Our faculty and students examine pressing social issues related to inequality, in areas including education, families, health, justice, migration and work. Through rigorous empirical research, sociology equips students to analyze social problems, evaluate policies and develop evidence-based solutions.
Cultural Analysis
Cultural analysis provides interdisciplinary, intersectional, and transnational perspectives on how identity, difference and power are created, contested and transformed. It emphasizes critical inquiry and public engagement, connecting scholarship to communities through collaborations with artists, organizations and the communities most affected by the questions we study.
Together, these approaches allow students to ask not only how the social world is organized but also how it is experienced, interpreted, challenged and changed. We believe scholarship should extend beyond the university and contribute meaningfully to public life.
Our students learn to study society with both rigor and care. They develop research skills to investigate inequality and critical frameworks to analyze culture and power, and communication skills to engage diverse audiences in classrooms, communities and policy settings. Graduates leave prepared for careers and advanced study in education, law, healthcare, research, public policy, advocacy, community organizing and many other fields.