Sociology

Sociology is the study of human behavior in society. At Salem, sociology students have the opportunity to study crime, social and criminal justice, family, race and ethnicity, gender, class, natural and man-made disasters, social inequality, housing and communities and immigration. Students will develop the abilities to investigate social problems from a historical and scientific lens, conduct academic research, explain causes behind human behavior and present their ideas in a professional and scholarly environment.

The bachelor of arts program at Salem offers courses towards two majors — sociology or sociology with a concentration in criminology.

Students in the sociology program interned at Bridges to Hope, a local organization that helps people escape intimate partner violence. They were able to guide people through the process of applying for 50B and 50C protective orders as well as view the court hearings for those orders.

• While most courses in the sociology program delve into social determinants of health, the class called Crimes in Healthcare is dedicated entirely to finding intentional harm in the healthcare system.
• This course introduces students to the many obstacles that come between individuals and healthy living in the United States. Students learn how social forces impact the wellbeing of individuals and investigate how sociological solutions can address health problems.

Salem’s sociology graduates are well prepared for graduate study programs in sociology or related fields, law school and occupations in fields such as education, health and human services, public policy, nonprofit management, business and communications. Students who concentrate in criminology will explore both practical and theoretical criminal justice topics, including the causes behind criminal behavior, society’s responses to crime and strategies for reducing crime. Salem graduates are prepared for jobs in the justice system, local and regional government and for graduate study.