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Program Goals
The Sociology program at Skidmore College seeks to develop each student's knowledge of and abilities in the following areas.
| 1. | Critical thinking | ||
| The sociology major should be able to: | |||
| a. | identify assumptions underlying theoretical arguments. | ||
| b. | identify limitations of theoretical arguments. | ||
| c. | identify assumptions underlying particular research methodologies. | ||
| d. | identify limitations of particular research methodologies. | ||
| e. | understand alternative viewpoints on social scientific issues. | ||
| 2. | The discipline of sociology and its contributions to understanding social life | ||
| The sociology major should be able to: | |||
| a. | describe similarities and differences between sociology and the other social sciences. | ||
| b. | describe how sociology contributes to understanding human experiences. | ||
| c. | apply your sociological imagination--that is, understanding of the intersection of biography and history within social structures. | ||
| d. | apply sociological concepts and principles to individual experiences and the social world. | ||
| 3. | Sociological theory | ||
| The sociology major should be able to: | |||
| a. | describe how theory contributes to sociological knowledge. | ||
| b. | compare and contrast major theoretical orientations. | ||
| c. | explain how theories reflect and affect the historical and cultural context in which they developed. | ||
| d. | major theories in selected substantive areas of sociology. | ||
| 4. | Methodology | ||
| The sociology major should be able to: | |||
| a. | explain how empirical evidence contributes to sociological knowledge. | ||
| b. | formulate empirical research questions. | ||
| c. | identify materials, research, and data relevant to research questions | ||
| d. | identify major methodological approaches and describe the general role of methods in building sociological knowledge | ||
| e. | explain and apply basic statistical principles and techniques. | ||
| f. | evaluate statistical information and analyses. | ||
| g. | design and carry out a research project | ||
| h. | critically assess empirical research of others. | ||
| 5. | Basic concepts in sociology and their interrelationships | ||
| The sociology major should be able to explain basic concepts such as culture, roles, norms, social structure, social institution, socialization, and stratification. | |||
| 6. | Social structure and social institutions | ||
| The sociology major should be able to: | |||
| a. | describe relationships between culture and social structure. | ||
| b. | demonstrate how culture and social structure vary across time and place and describe the effects of such variations. | ||
| c. | demonstrate how demographic and other social changes affect social structures and individuals. | ||
| d. | demonstrate how social institutions affect each other. | ||
| e. | demonstrate the effects of social institutions and their interactions on individuals. | ||
| 7. | Reciprocal relationships between individuals and society | ||
| The sociology major should be able to: | |||
| a. | explain how the self develops sociologically. | ||
| b. | demonstrate how societal and structural factors influence individual behavior and the self's development. | ||
| c. | demonstrate how social interaction and the self influence society and social structure. | ||
| 8. | Knowledge of a substantive area within sociology | ||
| The sociology major should be able to: | |||
| a. | summarize basic issues in the area. | ||
| b. | compare and contrast basic theoretical orientations and middle-range theories in the area. | ||
| c. | explain how sociology contributes to understanding of the area. | ||
| d. | summarize current research in the area. | ||
| e. | suggest specific policy implications of research and theories in the area. | ||
| 9. | Social and cultural variations | ||
| The sociology major should be able to: | |||
| a. | describe the significance of variations across social categories. | ||
| b. | describe the significance of cross-cultural variations. | ||
| c. | describe social and cultural trends. | ||
| d. | generalize appropriately or resist inappropriate generalizations across groups and through historical time. | ||
| 10. | Sociological analysis of values | ||
| The sociology major should be able to: | |||
| a. | explain how personal and cultural values result from and affect social processes. | ||
| b. | explain the degree to which values are historically and culturally situated. | ||
| c. | explain relationships between beliefs and behavior. | ||
To learn more about how courses link to specific goals, click here. These linkages are to a considerable extent arbitrary since pursuance of most goals runs through all sociology courses.
