Why Study Sociology?
Sociology examines how humans behave and relate to each other in a range of social institutions, from individual households to different cultures to entire societies. This area of study will help you understand the social dynamics of different groups, and specialists can ultimately have an impact in developing more effective social policy. Sociology majors have a wide array of career options, including counseling, education, law, ministry, community development, social work, and more.
Faculty Spotlight: Peter St. Jean
Dr. Peter St. Jean says the choice to teach at North Park was easy, because the core values of the University aligned with his personal life mission: 鈥渢o reduce suffering and improve quality of life.鈥� That mission shows through Dr. St. Jean’s teaching as well as his nonprofit and consulting work, scholarship and writing in criminology and sociology, and documentary films on justice.
Practicum In Sociology
Students in this hands-on class use qualitative research methods to develop service-learning projects in Chicago institutions. In one recent project, students created a reading program to promote literacy in an elementary school and presented their results at a prominent conference.
Interesting Classes
Our sociology classes provide frameworks for understanding groups in Chicago and around the world. Some courses that focus on the international arena include: Modernizing China and Japan, Globalization: Transforming Economy and Culture, and Mexican History and Culture.
Careers and Graduate Schools
Students have pursued careers in counseling, social work, law, sociology, media studies, ministry, public policy, community development, ESL instruction, and more, as well as graduate studies at New York University, Johns Hopkins University, UCLA, University of Illinois, University of Notre Dame, Northwestern University, and others.
Alumni Profile
ESL instructor Sharon Hughes C’10聽connects her creativity in the classroom and interest in sharing the stories of her students to the sociology coursework she completed at North Park.