1. Students will understand the sociological perspective, a distinctive analysis of the ways people think, feel, and behave that focuses on how they are situated in historically, culturally, and socially specific environments.
2. Students will understand key questions addressed by the discipline and the ways in which social structure and social interaction shape human behavior. 3. Students will develop the skills necessary to read and evaluate social science research in an intelligent and critical manner.
4. Students will understand the role of theory in the construction of sociological inquiry. Majors will demonstrate mastery of the central ideas of major classical and contemporary theorists.
5. Students will understand sociological methods of research. Majors will demonstrate mastery of the full research process of conceptualization, operationalization, data collection, statistical analysis, ethical issues, and presentation of the results.
