Sociology

Sociology is the scientific study of social behavior, social structures, and social change. The field of sociology offers to students a unique perspective on social life as local as social clubs, friendship circles, and communities, or social behavior broadly understood globally or throughout history. Sociologists are interested in understanding social behaviors like crime and deviance, how mobs form, where political movements come from, or why people join cults or new-age religious groups. Students of sociology also study social structures which have an impact on human behaviors. Social structures such as social classes, social institutions or complex organizations are studied.

At Baker University, students focus on (1) courses designed to help develop a scientific as well as a humanistic understanding of complex social behaviors, social structures, and social change, and (2) opportunities for engaging in research as well as “field experiences” designed to help students more keenly understand sociological concepts.
Sociology students Emily and Adam (right)
conduct a survey for a class project.
Students who major in Sociology have freedom to develop a program of study that fits their interests and career plans. The Department offers a concentration in Criminal Justice or a concentration in Human Services to those students who want to specialize in these areas of social study. Many students also choose to double-major since Sociology blends so well with all areas of learning.

The Sociology Major
The Sociology major at Baker University requires 33 credit hours of course work.
Students then complete 18 hours of coursework in three of the five fields of Sociology
  • social inequality
  • social problems
  • social organization and change
  • social psychology
  • social institutions

The Criminal Justice Concentration
The Emphasis in Criminal Justice allows students to pursue a specialized study of crime and deviance within the broader framework of Sociology. Students are first required to have a foundation in basic sociological concepts, including the study of social problems, the varieties and responses to deviant behavior, and the theories and methods used to study social phenomena.
The emphasis expands student knowledge of crime, law and criminal behavior, and, equally as important, the student’s ability to apply this knowledge to contemporary social issues. At least four courses are required for the concentration – the student chooses those matched to student interests.
Students wanting to study the policing, corrections, law, and criminal justice systems are encouraged to enroll in:
  • Criminology
  • Criminal Justice I
  • Criminal Justice II
  • Sociology of Law
Students interested in the causes of crime and deviance, social services or theoretical perspectives of crime take:
  • Juvenile Delinquency
  • Criminology
  • Sociology of Deviant Behavior
Other courses in Sociology can also complement either track. These courses include Urban Studies, Sociology of the Family, Majority/Minority Relations and others. Special topics courses are also offered periodically focusing on current issues in criminal justice.
Given the nature of the field of criminal justice, we encourage students to consider double majors. Fields of particular interest include:
  • Computer Crime (Sociology and Computer Science)
  • Forensics (Sociology and Psychology)
  • White Collar Crime (Sociology and Accounting)
  • Crime and Other Sciences (Sociology and Chemistry or Biology)
Faculty will work with students to create a unique major that makes students competitive in the job market, or excellent candidates for graduate programs and advanced degrees.

The Human Services Concentration

The Emphasis in Human Services requires 12 credit hours of study. This concentration is designed to meet the growing job market in this field. Required courses for this emphasis include Introduction to Human Services and Juvenile Delinquency. Student may then choose among the following courses:
  • Social Inequality
  • Majority-Minority Relations
  • Sociology of the Family
  • Aging and Society
  • Sociology of Medicine
  • Power, Politics and Modernity
Many of these courses have a Community Service component. Students are also encouraged to complete a Field Practicum as part of this Emphasis.
This approach is consistent with current recommendations from the American Sociological Association’s applied and clinical sociology programs. The emphasis here is on methodologies of community and personal intervention as well as methods of research and program evaluation. Students are then encouraged to study Human Services in context of specific populations, such as youth, the aged, minorities, or other groups.

Getting a Minor in Sociology
The Department of Sociology also offers a Minor to students who wish to combine their major field of study (e.g., Business, Computer Sciences, Psychology) with a special focus in sociology. For example, students majoring in Business with a concentration in Management may wish to develop a Minor in Sociology that studies Majority and Minority Relationships, Social Organization and Change, or Social Research Methods. To be awarded a Minor in Sociology students must complete 12 credit hours, including Principles of Sociology, and an additional 9 hours in Sociology.