Almost all liberal arts colleges have core requirement classes that students must complete upon graduation, and these classes typically do not count towards someone’s major–although there may be some overlap. Susquehanna University requires its students to fulfill seventeen sections of the central curriculum, which includes analytical thought, diversity/ethics, historical perspectives, etc. Most sociology classes will complete one of these core requirements, which would likely cover a diversity or social interactions portion of it. If you have room in your schedule or need to fulfill these requirements, then I would highly recommend taking a sociology class.
Sociology is the study of society, and it focuses on patterns of human interaction. In my SOC-101 class, we’ve covered a lot of topics that bring awareness to our differences and help us realize how there are systemic advantages and disadvantages that impact everyone, regardless of their socioeconomic status. Some of these topics include intersectionality, gender and sexuality, criminology, race and ethnicity, and education. Students learn the right terminology when addressing different groups and learn the impact of when someone is misgendered, treated poorly because of the color of their skin, etc. I believe all of these topics are extremely relevant to today’s social climate, and everyone should be aware of current social issues and what can be done to promote equity and equality. Whenever we have a discussion about these issues, the conversation is genuinely productive, and it provides a safe space for students to be vulnerable about things that are impacting them.
I always look forward to my sociology class, and I have even decided to add it as a second major. I think that everyone could benefit from taking a sociology class, even if it is more geared towards a particular topic rather than a variety of topics. The more people who are conscious about how society negatively treats certain groups and sets them up to fail, the more this creates room for an actual change to occur on a widespread level. If you can’t take a class like this, then I would still encourage everyone to keep up with current social issues and do what they can to advocate for others that aren’t in a position to help themselves.