Why study Sociology at MC?
Sociology is the study of people, society, and social life. Majoring in Sociology means exploring diversity among people, practices, and populations. Thinking like a sociologist means uncovering the taken-for-granted, testing the assumed, and critically exploring social situations.
As a Sociology major at Maryville College, you will learn fascinating and challenging things about the world around you including the realities of inequality, social problems, and social change. Classes explore areas such as marriage and family, religion, education, and social movements. Sociology majors graduate with skills in social theory and a variety of scientific methods used to understand people. The Sociology major at Maryville College is a welcoming and inclusive major for students of all backgrounds, providing a learning environment in which to better understand your own life circumstances as well as those whose life circumstances may be quite different from your own.
Sociology students will find unique opportunities at Maryville College including service learning, research with professors, and an option for certification in non-profit management. Your chosen senior thesis topic will let you explore any area of sociology under the two-semester mentorship of a sociology faculty member. Here are just a few of the recent senior thesis projects of sociology majors:
- Organizational Development in Nonprofit Settings: Blount County Habitat for Humanity
- The Romantic Revolution: A Sociological Study of Online Dating
- Globalization and the Effects of Cosmetic Surgery on Women in South Korea
- The Effects of Urban Agriculture on Urban Youth
- Gender Norm Transmission Through Magazines to Teenage Girls
- THIS COULD BE YOUR CHURCH: A Study of Church Signs
Sociology deals with social relationships, the structure of society, and the variety of human cultures. The Major in Sociology prepares students for endeavors such as teaching, research, human services, and community organization. The Minor in Sociology provides a useful supplement to majors in a variety of academic fields.
Meet a Current Scot
Emily Cooper
Hometown: Nashville, Tennessee
Before taking an Introduction to Sociology course, Emily had no experience or prior knowledge about the field in which she’s now majoring.
“Sociology quickly piqued my interest, because I enjoy learning about how social groups, institutions and structures influence society today and in the past,” she said.
Since declaring her major, she’s been given the opportunity to serve as the social outreach coordinator for the Maryville College Counseling Center, using knowledge gained in the classroom to better serve the mental health needs of and provide resources to her fellow MC students.
“As of right now, I’m looking into clinical social work after I receive my degree, but earning a Sociology degree will allow me to have a broad range of options and opportunities,” she added.
Meet a Recent Grad
Hailey Carmichael ’22
Currently: Full-time legal assistant specializing in personal injuring, worker’s comp and Social Security disability cases
Born and raised in the East Tennessee community of Kodak, Hailey discovered that her Sociology degree, along with minors in Appalachian Studies and in History, helped her to develop critical research and composition skills that are paying dividends in the professional world. Her work as an undergraduate included the thesis “American Mythology: Nationalism and American Exceptionalism in Textbooks Utilized by Tennessee’s Public Schools,” as well as a content analysis of “Transgender, Non-Binary and Gender Fluid Representation in Children’s Literature,” a collage on the “Matrix of Oppression” now cataloged in MC’s Academic Success Center and a public service campaign titled “Identity Formation and Respecting Others.”
“I have used the skills I gained at Maryville College to author reports regarding systemic inequalities as well as social programs and patterns, and I plan to continue such efforts as they grow more important within our society with each passing day,” she said.