What is Sociology?

~ The Sociology Program at Missouri State ~

What is Sociology?

Sociology is a behavioral science, one that studies social relations between people, people and groups, and between groups. Other areas of investigation include culture, social institutions (i.e., the family, economy, faith/religion, education, health care, the media), and social structures. The impact of the individual upon society and society's impact on the individual are also topics of interest in sociology.

Since its inception in the 1800s, the study of sociology has expanded to include the field of criminology, gender studies, race and ethnic relations, social psychology, and many others. If you look at the curriculum we offer, you will find many courses in these and other areas. organizations.

Do you sometimes wish that "things" were better? That we didn't have so much crime, poverty, and hunger? Are there other social issues that concern you? Schools? Government? The growth of military powers? Corporate America? Many who come to the field of sociology have these and other concerns and look to sociology for ways to study the problems and pursue their solution. You can visit the site of the American Sociological Association to learn more about what sociology is.