Sociology

Sociology is grounded in the dual traditions of humanism and science. As a science, sociology looks objectively at individuals and groups to understand how people act in different social contexts. There are two general approaches within sociology — the macro level approach, focusing on the large scale, looking at how societies function and change over time, and the micro level, focusing on the small scale, looking at how individuals interact and the relationship between individual and society. Loyola's sociology major grounds students in both perspectives, exposing students to numerous theoretical and methodological approaches in the disciplines and providing opportunities for real-life application of sociological principles.

Building on the strengths of its faculty, the department offers courses in the areas of gender, neighborhood and community, deviance and criminology, sexuality, health, inequality, population studies, political sociology, and others. Many courses examine the interaction of race, class, and gender and how they influence the way we think, feel, and act.