Some scholars look to the sciences using large-scale survey and quantitative data to uncover causal connections among social phenomena;
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.