SOCIOLOGY

WHAT IS SOCIOLOGY?  Sociologists are interested in all sorts of topics. For example, some sociologists focus on the family, addressing issues such as marriage, divorce, child-rearing, and domestic abuse, the ways these things are defined in different cultures and times, and their effect on both individuals and institutions. Others examine larger social organizations such as businesses and governments, looking at their structure and hierarchies. Still others focus on social movements and political protest, such as the American civil rights movement. Finally, sociologists may look at divisions and inequality within society, examining phenomena such as race, gender, and class, and their effect on people's choices and opportunities. As you can see, sociologists study just about everything.

Definition of SOCIOLOGY  so·ci·ol·o·gy noun \ ˌ sō-sē- ˈ ä-lə-jē, ˌ sō-shē-\  1: the science of society, social institutions, and social relationships; specifically : the systematic study of the development, structure, interaction, and collective behavior of organized groups of human beings  2: the scientific analysis of a social institution as a functioning whole and as it relates to the rest of society

Some of the most fascinating subjects explored by sociologists include:  Sex and gender: Do men and women have different hiring, employment, and promotion experiences? This would be a research question for a sociologist specializing in how sex and gender affect the workplace.  Medical sociology: How is AIDS transmitted (and thus prevented) in different subgroups of the population? How has public opinion about AIDS shifted? These are the concerns of medical sociologists.  Organizations and occupations: Which management styles increase productivity and worker satisfaction would engage the attention of an organizational sociologist.  Racial and ethnic minorities: Do minority children get “tracked” within the public schools? Do minority parents get “cooled out” from participating in and knowing about the informal power structure within schools? Someone specializing in minority relations would explore these questions.  Family: Are children of divorced parents more likely to divorce, or to reject marriage themselves? What factors predict whether abused children would are better in foster care or reunited with their birth family?

A degree can lead to employment opportunities in all of the following areas:  Criminal Justice- In corrections, rehabilitation, law enforcement, the justice system, parole system.  Business and Industry- Advertising, Consumer and Market Research, Management of Non-profit organizations, Human Resources, Training and Human Development, Leadership Training.  Research and Planning- Governmental and regional planning departments, research firms, evaluation research, public opinion research.  Agencies-Social Services, Mental Health Services, Adoption, Child Care, Youth Services, Developmental Disability Services.  Government- Social Science Analysis, Census Bureau and other federal agencies, Administration, Policy Analysis, Personnel, Homeland Security.  Education- Public and Private Schools, Colleges and Universities, Administration, Alumni Relations, Placement Offices, Educational Research.  Advocacy- Environmental, Child Welfare, National Policies, Victims Rights, Labor Rights, Community Organization.  Communications- Technical Writing, Newspaper and Magazine Reporting, Public Relations.

social contract  The social contract is an intellectual device intended to explain the appropriate relationship between individuals and their governments. Social contract arguments assert that individuals unite into political societies by a process of mutual consent, agreeing to abide by common rules and accept corresponding duties to protect themselves and one another from violence and other kinds of harm.

FIRST SOCIAL CONTRACT IN AMERICA  The Mayflower Compact was the first governing document of Plymouth Colony. It was written by the colonists, later together known to history as the Pilgrims, who crossed the Atlantic aboard the Mayflower. Almost half of the colonists were part of a separatist group seeking the freedom to practice Christianity according to their own determination and not the will of the English Church. It was signed on November 11, 1620, by 41 of the ship's 101 passengers, while the Mayflower was anchored in what is now Provincetown Harbor within the hook at the northern tip of Cape Cod.

CAN IT FAIL?