Sociology

Return to: College of Behavioral and Social Sciences

James C. Davies, Chair
301 Edmonds Classroom Building
Telephone: (919) 530-6222
Fax: (919) 530-7610
Email: jdavies@nccu.edu

The Department of Sociology offers programs of study leading to the Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts degrees in sociology.

Sociology is the study of human behavior and the social context within which human behavior occurs. Human behavior can be studied in a range of settings involving people in small intimate groups, students in a classroom, people in a large business organization, or countries negotiating with one another.

A major focus of the discipline of sociology is social inequality. Through course lectures, readings, and discussions in the sociology program, students learn about the presence of disparities in areas such as race, ethnicity, social class, gender, sexual orientation, political affiliations, and health. These inequalities can be found in the business world, the legal and criminal justice system, health and health care, economics, education, the environment, housing, social attitudes, and social relationships. Students who major or minor in sociology discover the causes of social inequalities, and they learn to consider and evaluate the consequences of various social disparities.

W.E.B. Du Bois was a pioneer in the development of sociology in the United States. Through studying his innovative work in demography, ethnography, anthropology, urban life, business and labor, family, religion and morality, and crime, students can examine the intersection of race, ethnicity, class, and gender in society and the workplace. In addition to Dr. Du Bois’ work, the contributions of other African American sociologists (e.g., Davis, Mays, Frazier, Himes, Billingsley, Anderson, and Wilson) to the study of the human condition are studied in SOCI 2600  and in other sociology courses.

Since 2006, most humans live in cities. Internationally, cities have come to dominate living styles. Following the lead of the Chicago School, cities are known for their size, density, heterogeneity, and interaction of people of different economic, national, and racial origins. Many social policies have been put forth to address how cities function when most of their citizens are minorities. Using behavioral results, such policies can be evaluated in historical and empirical ways. Such skills are important for those who are seeking jobs in government, education, social services, and desiring to become informed citizens.

Competence in analyzing and interpreting tables, charts, graphs, and similar skills is now required in most jobs, including human resource departments, social service agencies, and especially in scientific and business careers. The development of the Web has made many tools available to collect and interpret data without considerable cost. In sociology courses, students learn skills such as analyzing tables and other data, working in groups, writing reports, making presentations, and using computer software. Completion of a sociology degree provides students with skills to interpret both small-scale surveys and larger data sets, useful for those seeking careers in research, family and governmental resource centers, businesses, or governmental agencies. Graduate and professional entry examinations (e.g., GRE, GMAT, LSAT, MCAT) for the sociology major and for those interested in careers in business, law, and medicine, emphasize the interpretation of tables, charts, and similar skills that are learned in sociology courses.

The Department of Sociology strives to work with students to help realize their service-oriented goals through the creation of community-based learning environments that provide opportunities for both service- and project-based experiences. Service-learning courses support the significance of community involvement. Upon completion of service-learning courses, students are equipped to form action plans for serving the community. Applying what is learned in the classroom fosters the development of solid community participation through education and service. Service-learning courses also provide students with opportunities to consider social service occupations, such as, working with specific age groups (children, teens, adults, or older adults) or with people who have problems or disparities.

The Sociology Department also provides educational and professional opportunities for students outside of the classroom. The department hosts colloquia that bring to the campus top scholars who engage in social research focusing on significant societal issues. There are multiple opportunities for students to work together on projects and give group presentations. The Sociology Club and Alpha Kappa Delta International Sociology Honor Society offer opportunities for students to engage in volunteer work at the local, national, and global levels. In addition, both organizations help students to build leadership skills.

For students who wish to pursue further education, the undergraduate sociology program prepares them for graduate or professional degree programs in law, education, business, counseling, criminal justice, psychology, and public policy in addition to the field of sociology. For those planning to embark upon a career after graduation, the program prepares them to serve as research statisticians, career placement workers, counselors, affirmative action coordinators, public relations officers, legislative assistants, community and social service workers, Peace Corps volunteers, public health supervisors, police officers, market researchers, demographers, parole officers, substance abuse counselors, case managers/social workers, census researchers, data analysts/social researchers, admissions counselors, child care workers, corrections officers, journalists, sales managers, human rights officers, teachers, special agents of the FBI or SBI, realtors, public survey workers, criminal investigators, ministers/priests/preachers, public housing directors, state troopers, advertising executives, or public health educators.

Return to: College of Behavioral and Social Sciences