We live in a society. We live in communities. We live among thousands of other people  and we interact with hundreds of those people in our day-to-day lives. From the moment you get up in the morning with your roommate(s), to walking to class, to standing in line for food, to studying in the library, and finally at that party every Friday night downtown you are constantly surrounded by other people. Every thought, decision, and action you make is affected by and affects those around us. And there’s a science behind all of that.
Wouldn’t it be nice to be able to understand the in’s-and-out’s of how our society works, runs, and functions? You can! The study of people within a society and how those people and that society work together is called sociology. And we have a great Sociology Department right here at UNCG!
Take classes like Intro to Sociology to learn about the basic fundamentals of our society here in the U.S. or Social Problems Global Context which looks at problems within our world society. If you’re more into studying criminals and understanding what makes them function the way they do, look into Criminology. Criminal Justice talks about both the different crime myths that our society makes us believe and our criminal justice system. And those are only the ones I’ve been able to take; there are many more focused on drugs (Drugs and Society), families (Marriage and the Family, Family Violence), and – a popular term you will hear in every SOC class – Race, Class, and Gender.
There’s something for everyone! Even if your current field of study or future career doesn’t necessarily involve lots of people or the need for understanding society, you still live in the world. No matter where you go or what you do, you will have to interact with others on some level and the more you know how and why people do the things they do, the easier it will be for you. Plus, sociology is just fun! You get to be challenged to look at the world in a different way – with your “Sociological glasses” on, as one of my professors likes to put it. Once you become aware of your surroundings from a sociological perspective, your entire mindset shifts. You’ll be able to look at why people do the things they do and, in the end, gain a better understanding about why the American society is the way that it is.
In addition,  there’s great room for discussion and debates for those of you who feel strongly about certain controversial topics such as race, the death penalty, and human rights. All of the SOC classes that I’ve been a part of have had open discussions and an environment where people can feel comfortable speaking up. Being able to discuss these topics in class can start the process to bring about change in the world.
Something that I have found interesting from the SOC classes I’ve taken is that all the things we were taught as children – all of the things that just seem to be the way of the world – actually have reasons behind them. The truths that we accept and live by in our society didn’t come about just because. They were caused by something and have effects on everything else around us. That may seem vague and confusing but if you take a Sociology class, I’m sure you’ll come to see what I’m talking about.
Professor-wise, I have two recommendations. Now, I haven’t been a part of the SOC department for as long as others have but I can tell you two professors that I’ve had great experiences with and would highly recommend. If you’re looking for a more strict but very dedicated to her topic professor, Dr. Dollar – who I had for Criminology – was great! She is serious about her students paying attention and being present in class but she is also very passionate about her work and can teach you a lot, especially because of the unique background she has. If you’re looking for a more chill, fun-loving professor – who still takes class seriously, but allows and encourages more laughing and personal stories – Prof. Patterson is the way to go! She teaches Intro to SOC and Deviance.
Overall, sociology classes have been a great experience for me. They have always been the class that I look forward to going to because there are so many different topics to discuss and they are all relevant for us in society. You’ll always have those fun-to-listen-to, passionate people who aren’t afraid to speak their minds or challenge someone on their opinion and those are the types of debates and discussions that keep me awake during class. I would highly recommend taking at least one Sociology class during your college career and I guarantee that once you’ve taken one, you’ll be back for more!