Sociology

Bryan Rookey, Ph.D., chair

Faculty: Alfrey, Guest, McRee, Monto, Rookey

The sociology program serves the academic mission of the University of Portland by offering a strong undergraduate major program in sociology, major program in criminology, and an essential university core offering: SOC 101 Understanding Society. Consistent with the principles of a Catholic and Holy Cross education, the faculty is committed to the development of students as socially responsible, informed citizens with an awareness of social problems, and an appreciation for individuals of diverse backgrounds, the ability to look critically and analytically at social life, and a commitment to contribute to positive change in the world.

Sociology contributes to a multidisciplinary department that includes the disciplines of criminology and social work. Faculty of the entire department are committed to offering rigorous core and major courses, regularly assessing the quality of our programs, and working to support the education of students across disciplines.

Majors in sociology complete coursework and receive personalized advising that prepares them for graduate studies, leadership, and service in areas such as law, public health, education, tech, public planning and administration, social research, human resources, government, and activism and non-profit work. The curriculum imparts to students an understanding of society and culture as it is organized in various social institutions and provides training in the methods and theories of social research. Topics of study include social inequality, health and illness, race and racism, environment, crime, deviance and delinquency, gender and violence, social psychology, social problems, technology and society, family and relationships, and social change.

Learning Outcomes for Sociology Majors

Graduates from the University of Portland with a sociology major should be able to:

1. Demonstrate structural thinking about social phenomena.
   1. Describe and apply central theoretical concepts and ideas through analysis papers.
   2. Identify fundamental insights of the field of sociology.
2. Understand, interpret, and design social research.
   1. Distinguish the strengths and weaknesses of types of research.
   2. Identify relevant ethical and cultural issues related to sociological research.
   3. Successfully conduct sociological research projects.
3. Express themselves both orally and in writing.
   1. Justify conclusions, hypotheses, research questions, and need for further study.
   2. Write with clarity, economy, and precision.
   3. Clearly convey ideas and information in public settings.
4. Think critically about social life, question assumptions, and consider alternatives.
   1. Describe social factors shaping human behavior and social change.
   2. Identify relevant questions and make predictions about sociological phenomena.
   3. Critically analyze and evaluate contemporary social institutions, organizations, and policies, recognizing their strengths and weaknesses.
5. Articulate how inequalities can result from one’s class, race, ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, or other social statuses.
   1. Identify the fundamental insights of sociology into issues of race, ethnicity, and gender.
   2. Articulate the fundamental concepts of sociology regarding minority-majority interaction and the basic characteristics of the genders, and racial and ethnic groups in the United States.

Learning Outcomes for Criminology Majors

Graduates from the University of Portland with a criminology major should be able to:

1. Analyze and interpret data to explain its measurement, nature, extent, and societal impact, and compare statistical trends and patterns across different sociological contexts, especially as related to crime. 
2. Apply knowledge to analyze the structure and function of modern criminal justice systems including evaluating the roles policing, court processes, and corrections. 
3. Apply criminological and sociological theories to explain behavior, including criminal offending, and evaluate the relevance of these theories in contemporary cases in writing.  
4. Critically evaluate existing and proposed crime policies by analyzing their effectiveness and synthesizing alternative approaches for crime prevention and reduction.
5. Articulate how the skills and capacities developed in the study of criminology translate into potential career and life paths.  

Internship

Students have opportunities to secure internships with local, regional, national, and international agencies and community partners. These opportunities (typically pursued during a student's junior or senior year) are individually arranged and may occur in a variety of settings.

Advancing Skills in Sociological Research and Inquiry

The 430-439 suite of courses takes advantage of faculty expertise to provide advanced methodological training and practice in social research. Building on theoretical, methodological, and analytical skills students develop in previous courses, these seminars engage special topics in sociology and criminology, and feature hands-on training in data collection, analysis, and interpretation of research.

Capstone Experience

The capstone experience for the sociology program and criminology program is provided by the course SOC 498 Senior Project. This course is taken in fall of the senior year and provides a structured opportunity to demonstrate and learn more about the complexity of sociological knowledge. While upper division courses in sociology normally focus on a particular issue, problem, institution, etc., the content of the senior seminar examines the discipline as a whole, what it offers graduates, what it offers society, and what debates and conflicts it contains. The course also serves as a professionalization seminar, with the goal of assisting students to prepare for successful entry into the work environment, community service, or graduate-level training. Over the course of the semester, each student is expected to complete a project utilizing the knowledge and skills gained in their earlier coursework.