California State University San Marcos

Sociology is the study of human societies, of the institutions, organizations, and groups that compose them, and of the way individuals and groups relate to one another. The discipline also offers comparative, cross-national, and cross-cultural perspectives throughout the curriculum. Sociological knowledge is vital to the understanding of contemporary problems such as crime, poverty, overpopulation, mental illness, and aging. Studying this field is highly relevant to careers in human services, research, and government that address these problems.

To study the broad subject of sociology, a student needs to acquire information (what we know), methodology (how we know), and theory (how we explain). A major in sociology will require students to develop backgrounds and strengths in each of these domains. Sociology students also need to acquire critical thinking skills necessary to understand the underlying sources of and policy responses to contemporary social problems. Students may choose to concentrate in a particular content area of sociology, such as health, education, and welfare; aging and the life course; critical race studies; or children, youth, and families.