| Sociology
College of Social Sciences
Social Sciences 247
2424 Maile Way
Honolulu, HI 96822
Tel: (808) 956-7693
Fax: (808) 956-3707
E-mail: socdept@hawaii.edu
Web: www2.soc.hawaii.edu/soc
Faculty
*E. L. Wegner, PhD (Chair)-social psychology, sociology of medicine and aging
*H. R. Barringer, PhD-theory construction, migration and assimilation, comparative sociology (Korea)
*D. B. Chandler, PhD-sociology of law, victimology, conflict resolution
*L. Edles, PhD-sociological theories, cultural analysis and political sociology
*C. M. Endo, PhD-social stratification and mobility, methodology
*K. Ikeda, PhD-evaluation research, social change, ethnic relations
*D. T. Johnson, PhD-criminal justice, comparative sociology (Japan), law and society
*H. Koo, PhD-development, social stratification, comparative institutions
*Y. J. Lee, PhD-methods, demography, family, gender stratification, aging/life-course,
East Asia
*P. T. Manicas, PhD-theory, conflict, sociology of knowledge and political sociology
*A. B. Robillard, PhD-Pacific Basin health development, ethnomethodology
*L. O. Ruch, PhD-formal organization, sex roles, victimology
*P. G. Steinhoff, PhD-conflict theory, comparative sociology (Japan)
*D. W. Swift, PhD-sociology of education, telecommunications
*E. L. Wegner, PhD-social psychology, sociology of medicine and aging
*M. G. Weinstein, PhD-sociology of community, field methods, sociology of knowledge
*S. Yeh, PhD-urban and population studies
Cooperating Graduate
Faculty
L. B. Arthur, PhD-design and society
M. Chesney-Lind, PhD-criminology, gender and women's issues
J. Chinen, PhD-women and work intersection of race, class and gender, race and ethnic relations
M. Delucchi-education
S. Millman, PhD-demography
D. W. Wood, PhD-health services administration and planning
Affiliate Graduate Faculty
L. J. Cho, PhD-demography, human ecology
C. T. Hayashida, PhD-gerontology, medical, health services and policy
*K. A. Joe Laidler, PhD-criminology, deviance, sociology of law, methodology
Y-S. F. Lee, PhD-environmental sociology
J. Leon, PhD-survey research
R. D. Retherford, PhD-population, social change
*A. So, PhD-China, development, Chinese Americans
P. S. Xenos, PhD-social demography, comparative social stratification
Adjunct Faculty
P. Adler, PhD-conflict management, community studies
J. Dannenberg, JD-law and society
J. Manis, PhD-social psychology, social problems
*Graduate Faculty
Degrees Offered: BA in sociology, MA in sociology, PhD in sociology
The Academic Program
Sociology (SOC) is the study of how society organizes itself and how various groups interact with each other and the consequences of these processes. Sociology's subject matter includes marriage and family patterns, race and ethnic relations, demography, social change, class structure, formal organizations including bureaucracies, value systems, conflict, deviant behavior, and the people and institutions of other societies.
Sociology uses a range of research techniques for studying social phenomena that can be applied to many areas, whether one is interested in the incidence of crime, client satisfaction, policy evaluations, or demographic trends. In addition to preparing people as professional sociologists in academic settings, sociology is an excellent background for careers in law, social work, public health, urban planning, public administration, and other fields. The graduate program provides students with a foundation in basic theory and methods of research. In addition, faculty and advanced graduate students are involved in several broad areas of sociological interest: the comparative sociology of Asia; population studies; the study of crime, law, deviance, and human services in the United States; aging and medical sociology; and race and ethnic relations.
Undergraduate Study
Bachelor's Degree
Requirements
Students must complete a prerequisite introductory sociology course and 30 credit hours of upper division courses, including:
- 9 credit hours at the 400 level
- SOC 300 and 321
- One course from SOC 475, 476, 478, or SOCS 225 (Note: SOCS 225 is a lower division course and cannot be counted toward required upper division credit hours)
Consult the department for graduate and career opportunities.
Minor
Requirements
Students must complete a prerequisite introductory-level sociology course and 15 credit hours, including:
- SOC 300
- One 400-level course
- Three other upper division sociology courses
All courses must be passed with a grade of C or better.
Graduate Study
Two programs of graduate study in sociology are offered: a PhD program, intended to provide a professional basis for research and university teaching, and an MA program, designed to offer a general sociology curriculum and specialized areas of study relevant to career lines other than university scholarship. Applicants for graduate study in the department must specify which program they wish to enter. Letters of recommendation and GRE General Test scores are required of all applicants; scores for the GRE subject test in sociology are not required but are recommended. A sample of written work is also required of applicants to the PhD program. An undergraduate major in sociology is not required for admission, but some sociology background is recommended. Makeup course work may be required in some cases. Applications will be accepted for either fall term or spring term admission. The application deadline for admission is February 1 for the fall semester and September 1 for the spring semester. The department also provides a more detailed statement of its graduate degree programs and procedures. Persons interested in applying should request a copy of A Program of Graduate Study from the department.
Master's Degree
The department offers the MA Plan A (thesis) and MA Plan B (non-thesis).
Plan A (Thesis) Requirements
The general MA curriculum in sociology (Plan A) should prepare the student for possible positions in government and private industry, especially in research activities. In addition, preparatory training is provided to those who aspire to a doctoral degree, but the general MA candidate cannot assume that satisfactory completion of this curriculum will automatically lead to placement in the department's PhD program.
The Plan A program aims to provide the student with a firm foundation in sociological theory, methods of social research (including statistics), and the application of theory and methods to various areas of study.
A minimum of 24 credit hours of course work is required for this program, with an additional 6 credit hours for thesis (SOC 700). All candidates are required to take at least one course each in the areas of sociological theory, research methodology, and social statistics. A minimum of 12 credit hours must be taken in a subfield that reflects the student's special interests. All courses credited toward the 30-credit hour minimum required for the MA degree must be passed with a grade of B or better. At least 12 credit hours of the 30 must be at the 600 level or higher (exclusive of the 6 credit hours for thesis).
The first semester's work is planned in consultation with the graduate chair or an interim adviser appointed by the graduate chair. During the first semester, under the guidance of the graduate chair or the interim adviser, the student prepares a statement outlining a study plan that reflects his or her special interests and meets the credit requirements of the program. Also, the graduate chair or the interim adviser assists in forming the student's three-member thesis committee. One member of the thesis committee may, but need not, be from outside the department. The thesis committee approves the thesis topic, supervises thesis work, conducts the final oral examination in defense of the thesis, and certifies the completion of the thesis, after which the student is certified as having completed the MA degree program in sociology.
Plan B (Non-thesis) Requirements
Plan B (non-thesis) is offered only in the specialized area of population studies. The population studies program is designed to provide practical training in demographic techniques and to teach the student facts and theories of population studies. Details regarding this area may be obtained from the sociology department. |
