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Academic Programs: Planning Your Program

Learning Goals for the Applied Sociology Concentration

The applied sociology major should demonstrate ability to:

1. think critically, such that the student will be able to:

   1. move from recall to analysis and application to synthesis and evaluation;
   2. identify underlying assumptions in particular theoretical orientations or arguments;
   3. identify underlying assumptions in particular methodological approaches to an issue;
   4. show how patterns of thought and knowledge are directly influenced by political-economic social structures; and
   5. present opposing viewpoints and alternative hypotheses on various issues.
2. communicate effectively, such that the student will be able to:
   1. clearly write documents of varied lengths for varied audiences;
   2. make an oral presentation that is tailored to the audience;
   3. use word processing, data analysis, and data presentation software to communicate with audiences;
   4. collaborate with others in joint projects; and
   5. network with others who are working in careers of interest to the student.

The applied sociology major should study, review, and reflect on:

3. the discipline of sociology, such that the student will:
   1. understand how sociology differs from and is similar to other social sciences;
   2. appreciate the value of the sociological perspective as one of several perspectives on social reality;
   3. appreciate the importance of reducing the negative effects of social inequality;
   4. develop an identity as a sociological practitioner; and
   5. adhere to the ethics codes of the Sociological Practice Association and the Society for Applied Sociology.
4. the relationship between sociological practice and academic sociology, such that the student will be able to:
   1. distinguish between applied and academic perspectives toward a problem;
   2. recognize how the social and political context constrains sociological practice;
   3. relate sociological concepts, theory, methods, and findings to practice settings, especially settings related to the student's own career interests; and
   4. complete a project within the internship that uses sociology to address a practical problem.
5. the role of theory in sociology, such that the student will be able to:
   1. define theory and describe its role in building sociological knowledge;
   2. compare and contrast basic theoretical orientations, with particular emphasis on those that relate to social action, change, and intervention;
   3. show that theories are social constructions of actors in particular settings; and
   4. identify the implications of theoretical perspectives for both public policy and practice.
6. the role of evidence and qualitative and quantitative methods in sociology, such that the student will be able to:
   1. identify basic methodological approaches and describe the general role of methods in building sociological knowledge, with particular emphasis on methods that relate to social action, change, and intervention;
   2. compare and contrast the basic methodological approaches for gathering data;
   3. develop an applied or clinical project that uses sociological research methods and theory;
   4. describe and evaluate the role of data as the basis for examining issues and making alternative recommendations for change; and
   5. critically assess a published research report and explain how the study could have been improved.
7. basic concepts in sociology and their fundamental interrelations, such that the student will be able to define, give examples, and demonstrate the relevance of the following: culture; social change; socialization; stratification; social structure; institutions; and differentiations by race/ethnicity, gender, age, class, sexual orientation, and disabilities.
8. how culture and social structure operate, such that the student will be able to:
   1. show how institutions interlink in their effects on each other and on individuals;
   2. demonstrate how social change factors such as population or urbanization affect social structures and individuals;
   3. demonstrate how culture and social structure vary across time and place, and the effect of such variations; and
   4. identify examples of specific policy implications using reasoning about social structural effects.
9. reciprocal relationships between individuals and society, such that the student will be able to:
   1. explain how the self develops sociologically;
   2. demonstrate how societal and structural factors influence individual behavior and the self's development;
   3. demonstrate how social interaction and the self influences society and social structure; and
   4. distinguish sociological approaches to analyzing the self from psychological, economic, and other approaches.

10. the macro/meso/micro distinction, such that the student will be able to: (a) compare and contrast theories at one level with those at another; and (b) summarize some research documenting connections among them.

11. sociological studies of work, labor, and organizations, such that students will be able to:
    1. identify current research trends;
    2. identify major theories of organizations, including critical theories; and
    3. relate appropriate theories to a specific setting.
12. the internal diversity of American society and its place in the international context, such that the student will know how to appropriately generalize or resist generalizations based on race/ethnicity, class, gender, age, sexual orientation, and disabilities.
13. The applied sociology major with an area of substantive emphasis
    1. will be familiar with current policies and trends in social policy in the area,
    2. will be familiar with important theories and methods in the area, and
    3. will conduct a senior project that is related to the area.