Some scholars look to the sciences using large-scale survey and quantitative data to uncover causal connections among social phenomena;
In honor of the Juneteenth commemoration, we invite you to read the article Break This Down: Juneteenth by Prof. Celia E. Naylor, posted on the Barnard website. Prof. Naylor explains the history behind Juneteenth (June 19) and how it fits into our current climate.
Racial inequality. Income inequality. Structural inequality. Health inequality. The novel coronavirus crisis has exposed issues of inequity and injustice that continue to shape local and nationwide responses. Introducing you to a podcast series, "Black Lives: In the Era of COVID 19." Join Columbia University professors Samuel K. Roberts, Jr., Mabel O. Wilson and their guests as they discuss the impacts of COVID19 on Black life in New York City and beyond.
Our course and research topics range far and wide:
From the big global forces that shape migration, immigration and refugee status in the United States and elsewhere, to the most personal of identity group membership and structural inequalities faced by our children;
From the powerful impact of law and politics on the design and flow of urban life, to the changing boundaries of gender, race, class and ethnicity;
From social life shaped by medicine, education, family and other hierarchical institutions, to the most intimate realm of sexuality and the body;
From the organization, ideology and functioning of social movements that shake established structures, to the use of social media, popular culture, and political speeches to translate something significant about our contemporary society;
From the complex entangled forces of labor markets and demographic change that produce inequality, to the micro forces that shape Wall Street traders and art auctioneers ...
The methods sociologists use may vary:
Others embrace the methods of historical inquiry, delving into archives and oral history to create and analyze biographical narratives.
Still others are drawn to the practices of participatory observation and ethnography, heading to the field to clarify conundrums through in-depth interviews, intimate contact and close observation.