Department of Sociology

Chair: Timothy Wolfe
Professors: Martin Malone, Christopher Smith
Assistant Professors: Kathleen Guidroz, Virginia McGovern
Lecturer: Joseph Vince

The Department of Sociology offers two Bachelor of Arts degrees: sociology and criminal justice.

Sociology is concerned with the development of knowledge about human social behavior. The human group is the primary unit of analysis and since groups vary in size from a two-person friendship to nations interacting, sociology is a very comprehensive discipline. In periods of rapid social and cultural change, such as the present, sociology is particularly important as a tool for describing and analyzing emergent social problems and social movements. The Department of Sociology aims to provide an awareness of the complexity of social life along with the analytical and creative skills appropriate to the theoretical and applied dimensions of the discipline. Such increased awareness and understanding is intended to lead to fuller and more satisfying personal lives and to a more sophisticated ability to contribute to the world in which we live. Sociology may be seen not only as integral to a liberal arts education but also as sound preparation for careers in social work, law, research, administration, business, government and other fields in which knowledge of human relationships is important. Sociology also provides a solid academic foundation for graduate study in social work, law, business and other disciplines, as well as sociology.

Criminal justice, as an academic discipline, is concerned with the development of knowledge about crime, criminal behavior and those social institutions that deal with crime and criminal behavior (e.g., law enforcement, the criminal courts and corrections). The criminal justice major at Mount St. Mary’s operates on three fundamental principles: (1) there can be no criminal justice without a commitment to the principles and practices of social justice; (2) critical and logical thinking, problem solving, and clear and effective communication skills must be coupled with technical proficiency if we are to have a well-run system of justice; and (3) a liberal arts education leads to a greater level of professionalism and to a fuller and more meaningful personal life for those pursuing a criminal justice career. As such, this program aims to educate the whole person. The criminal justice major may be seen not only as integral to a liberal arts education, but also as sound preparation for advanced study (i.e., graduate school) and careers in the criminal justice field.