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About

Sociology

Overview

School of Arts and Sciences / Sociology

Sociology is the scientific study of human groups in modern societies and the social and cultural forces that affect them.

As a very broad major, sociology offers students a valuable preparation for such varied professions as law, medicine, business, education, politics, social research, and public service. Most importantly, perhaps, it helps you cultivate a critical awareness of society, which is essential for survival and success in today’s postmodern society.

Courses in this Major

SOC 231 Love, Interpersonal Relationships, and Family

This course examines the myths, trends, and the reasons behind these trends in the changing world of interpersonal relations. Topics include mate selection, marriage and its alternatives, parenting, parting by divorce or death, and trying again.

SOC 151 Social Problems and Social Policy

This course is an exploration of how social conflict and social organization affect human and societal well-being. Topics: mental health, personal safety, economic well-being, and intergroup relations in an industrial society and a developing nation.

SOC 237 The City: Conflict and Change

This course is a study of world cities; their growth and influence on personality; urban violence and its control; neighborhood development and metropolitan planning; and the effects of national and international economic forces on cities in developing and industrial nations.

SOC 385 Theories of Deviance

This course is an intensive analysis of contemporary theories of deviant behavior. Theories examined through seminar discussions of primary materials and critiqued by consideration of research findings. Social policy implications discussed and specific criminal justice programs considered in the light of these theories.

"Society is unity in diversity."

— George Herbert Mead

Blaze Your Own Path

Career Paths

Graduates from the sociology program have started careers in research, advertising, marketing, banking, sales, insurance, government, community service organizations, and health agencies. Others have begun careers in business, special education, and rehabilitation services. A few graduates are involved in research, training, teaching programs, and business.

In addition to knowledge in specific concentration areas, students develop skills in social research design, statistics, and data analysis. As a result, many students have been successful in entering the business world. Corporate recruiters are interested in serious students with strong analytical skills, verbal and written communication skills, computer literacy, and familiarity with statistics and research. Students can improve all these skills while pursuing a B.A. degree in sociology at La Salle. Graduates of La Salle’s sociology program have taken many different paths after graduation, including (but not limited to):

victim advocate
police officer
high school guidance counselor
graduate student in social work
medical editor
youth counselor in a juvenile detention center
geriatric counselor
insurance adjuster
law school student
graduate student in sociology

Career Paths

Internships

Professional internships serve a number of important functions.

Linking Theory with Practice:

La Salle’s mission is to foster “creative teaching that blends theory with practice, producing an educational experience with practical applications.” The link between the theories, best practices learned in class, and the practical application of that knowledge in a professional setting is a quintessentially Lasallian tradition. Your internship allows you to take the academic ideas and theories you have learned in class and apply that knowledge in a real world, hands-on setting where you will be mentored and apprenticed by experienced professionals in criminal justice, legal, government, advocacy, and nonprofit settings.

Building Professional Networks, Getting a Job, and the Resume:

Today it’s both what and who you know. Several of our students have obtained employment at the organizations where they interned. While the jump from one’s internship experience to permanent employment at the internship agency site is a possibility, the social networks developed through the internship experience are permanent, far-reaching and can aid in future employment possibilities. Internships provide students with occupational and social networks that are invaluable in a competitive, tight labor market.

Building the Resume:

Internships provide students with a way to distinguish themselves on their resumes from other job applicants adding an experiential component to their list of academic achievements.

Testing the Waters

Internships provide students with the chance to determine if their career choice is right for them. Part of the intellectually and experiential journey of an internship is trying your hand at different career possibilities. It may be the case your internship confirms what job is right for you or you may come to realize that your career interests lie elsewhere. Our students have interned at places such as:

Philadelphia Adult Probation and Parole
New York City Council/Public Technology
New Leash on Life
Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office
Philadelphia Police
Attorney’s Office
Delaware Valley Intelligence Center

Internships

Advising and Career Center

Good advising is essential as you progress through your time here at La Salle. We will help guide you through your undergraduate program and help you understand where you are in your studies and what you need to do to succeed. We’ll not only help you select the courses that will keep you on track to graduation, we’ll help you think through your skill set and interests to choose the perfect career after graduation.

The support does not end at graduation, either. As a benefit to alumni, the resources of our Career Center will always available, in conjunction with the Office of Alumni Relations. Alumni return to La Salle to network, explore opportunities to change careers, and recruit new employees for their organizations.

Advising and Career Center

Kathleen A. Bogle, Ph.D.

Kathleen A. Bogle, Ph.D., is an associate professor of sociology and criminal justice at La Salle. She received her master’s degree in criminal justice from Saint Joseph’s University and her doctoral degree in sociology from the University of Delaware. Her major areas of research interest include gender, intimate relationships, and violence against women, particularly sexual assault […]

Kathleen A. Bogle, Ph.D.

Kathleen A. Bogle, Ph.D., is an associate professor of sociology and criminal justice at La Salle. She received her master’s degree in criminal justice from Saint Joseph’s University and her doctoral degree in sociology from the University of Delaware. Her major areas of research interest include gender, intimate relationships, and violence against women, particularly sexual assault on the college campus. Her first book, Hooking Up: Sex, Dating, and Relationships on Campus, was released by New York University Press in 2008. Since the release of her book, Bogle has done extensive media interviews, with quotes appearing in Cosmopolitan, Men’s and Women’s Health, The New York Times, Newsweek, O Magazine, Seventeen, Wall Street Journal, USA Today, and many more. She has also appeared on several national radio and television programs, including NPR, the CBS Early Show, and ABC’s Nightline. Her second book, Kids Gone Wild: From Rainbow Parties to Sexting, Understanding the Hype Over Teen Sex (co-authored with Joel Best) was released in 2014. Bogle has been an invited speaker at colleges all over the country.

Beyond the Classroom

Clubs

Be active on campus

Clubs

There are over 120 clubs and organizations at La Salle. You’ll find anything from academic honor societies to Improv groups and Harry Potter Club. For sociology majors, there are two distinct groups to make your experience more robust and fulfilling.

The Society for Social Transformations

An active organization on campus, the Society is open to all majors. The Society is a student-run organization designed to offer social, service, and professional opportunities aimed at enhancing the sociology major. Among other things, the club sponsors lectures and is responsible for initiating several social events, including some that involve the faculty such as the alumni night. The Society also carries out fundraising activities to benefit nonprofit agencies identified by students.

Alpha Kappa Delta

Academically distinguished students are also eligible for membership in the La Salle chapter of Alpha Kappa Delta, the national sociology honor society.

Study Abroad

Journey to a new place for an entire semester

Study Abroad

Students who study abroad have the opportunity to immerse themselves in a new culture, a new language, and a new environment for an entire semester. Through our own programs in Italy, Mexico, Ireland, and Australia, or through partnerships with other Lasallian schools around the country, students can choose among programs on six continents.

A trip to another country can reveal the subtle nuances of what makes a culture its own. Studying abroad can help a sociology major better understand the human person and develop a well-rounded world view. Comparing cultures first hand and immersing yourself in a different society can become an invaluable experience for your career ahead.

To explore more about study abroad visit http://www.lasalle.edu/travelstudyabroad/.

Inside-Out

A prison learning immersion experience

Inside-Out

At La Salle we offer a number of “Inside-Out” academic courses, which are taught inside Philadelphia prisons. These courses are designed to bring college students and incarcerated men and women together to examine fundamental issues of social justice. Half of the students are La Salle students (“outside” students) and half are incarcerated students (“inside” students). Recent Inside-Out courses have centered on questions such as: How do we account for America’s exceptionally high incarceration rate? Why certain behaviors are categorized as crimes and other behaviors are not? What are prisons for? Why do people commit crime? How does incarceration impact individuals? What are the current goals of our criminal justice system and what should be the goals? What are some of the myths and realities of prison life? Not only do the courses allow students to discover the impact the prison system may have on human groups, it gives them a first-hand experience in examining how our beliefs as a society help shape our criminal justice and prison systems.

92% of graduates are employed, volunteering full-time through service programs or pursuing additional education full time within one year of graduation.

83% of faculty hold a Ph.D. or the highest degree in their field.