In the intertwined disciplines of sociology and anthropology, you explore social inequalities, cultural diversity, and contemporary social issues in a changing world. These topics encompass frequently controversial issues such as poverty and homelessness, crime and deviance, racial relations, physical and mental health, gender and sexuality, family, religion, social justice, and globalization. The fields attract students from a variety of backgrounds interested in learning how society operates and how to influence social change.
In the SOAN Department, you focus on differences across cultures and nations, as well as within the United States. You learn how to understand people's experiences and participate as citizens in a global community. Through engaging discussions and real-world experiences, you acquire high-demand skills in research, analysis, critical thinking, and communication for today's careers.
The department combines the two disciplines to provide knowledge about human societies, to demonstrate how that knowledge is acquired and applied through social science, to inform and enrich experiences in the global community, and to prepare students for a broad range of careers and graduate programs.
Truly understanding issues of social justice and taking effective action requires knowledge and skills in areas such as economics, politics, philosophy, education, religion, sociology, and more. OWU's social justice major will help you develop the knowledge and skills needed to analyze social injustices and theorize and work toward positive social change.
Five courses consisting of SOAN 110 or SOAN 117 and SOAN 111 and three electives.
No course in the minor may be taken credit/no entry.
Six courses consisting of SJ 110, a course on theories of social justice (PHIL 354, SOAN 358, or WGS 499), Mentored Activism (SJ 390) and three electives.
Professor Hildebrand is a cultural and medical anthropologist who investigates the complexities involved in providing medical care for vulnerable populations, especially women and infants.
Professor Kim teaches introductory sociology, social theory, cultural and social change, and crime and deviance. He strives to help students understand the social world critically and take conscious actions, using sociology and criminology courses as a means of collective emancipation.
Professor Dean's research areas include social Inequality, race and ethnicity, first-gen students, social movements, globalization, and teaching and learning. He has two co-authored books on globalization, and a forthcoming book on first-gen college graduates with Rutgers University Press.
OWU's chapter of the Alpha Kappa Delta sociology honor society was founded in 1932.
In the Ethnographic and Documentary Film and Filmmaking class, students create short documentaries about sociological topics of their choice. The films are shown at the annual OWU Documentary Film Festival.
In the Social Inequality class, students complete a semester-long service-learning project, where they put theory into practice in a real-world setting. Students have completed their service learning at organizations such as Lutheran Social Services Food Pantry, Linden Elementary School, Big Brothers/Big Sisters, Ohio Democratic Party, SourcePoint, T.E.A.M. Mentoring Program, and YMCA.