Exploring life in front of a classroom
Stephanie Naing is working with sixth and seventh graders this summer who want to gain entrance into New York City's independent schools.
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Exploring human social organization, institutions and groups
Department of Sociology
The department is known for the cutting-edge research of its faculty and for its exceptionally strong graduate and undergraduate training programs.
The department’s focus on basic science is complemented by a deep commitment to informing public and educational policy, particularly on issues related to gender and racial inequality, income inequality, poverty, drug use, economic development, school funding, organizational practices and race and ethnicity.
Sociology News
New book documents lives of unaccompanied minors
For six years, Klarman Fellow Chaira Galli helped youths from Central America navigate the United States’ labyrinthine asylum process while doing an ethnographic study.
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Sociology department unveils new augmented reality window
The AR redesign of a display in Uris Hall was a collaborative exploration involving student researchers, staff and faculty.
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Sociology department unveils new augmented reality window
The Department of Sociology has redesigned a glass case on the third floor of Uris Hall with Augmented Reality (AR) to represent the wide field of sociology. The redesign was a collaborative exploration involving student researchers, staff and faculty.“I have always loved these kinds of small recess...
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Mia Krishnamurthy ’22 published article on the Undergraduate Research Journal
Mia Krishnamurthy is graduating with a Sociology major with minors in Business and Inequality Studies from Cornell. Her interest in high-technology regions, start-up culture, entrepreneurship, and venture capital directed her to take Dr. Sullivan’s course “the Sociology of High-Tech Regions”Mia expl...
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Carolyn Chun’22 presented thesis on the Digital Divide during CURB Poster Session
Carolyn Chun’22 Sociology major presented her Honors Thesis research: Hidden Universal Right: Dissecting The Digital Divide and Its Impacts on Dryden, New York at CURB Cornell Undergraduate Research Board Poster Session of the Spring Symposium of Undergraduate Research “I did a case study in Dryden,...
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'I did research on human rights violations in Syria and Nigeria'
Youssef Aziz is a Sociology and Psychology major.
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'It's a joy to be in spaces where serious discussions can be inclusive'
Trinity Stewart is an Anthropology & Sociology major.
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Academic Opportunities
What is Sociology?
Sociology is the study of social life, social change, and the social causes and consequences of human behavior. Sociologists investigate the structure of groups, organizations, and societies, and how people interact within these contexts.
Because all human behavior is social, the subject matter of sociology ranges from the intimate family to the hostile mob; from organized crime to religious cults; from the divisions of race, gender, and social class to the shared beliefs of a common culture; and from the sociology of work to the sociology of sports.
Because sociology addresses the most challenging issues of our time, it is a rapidly expanding field whose potential is increasingly tapped by those who craft policies and create programs.
If you think you might be interested in Sociology, start by taking a class. Or, learn more about the major.
The Graduate Program
Cornell’s Graduate Field of Sociology provides top-notch training toward the PhD in Sociology, and has long been known for its emphasis on both theoretical innovation and methodological rigor. The Field, which is much larger than the Department, has close to thirty faculty members.