What is Sociology?
Sociology is the study of
social relations, how they are formed and what their consequences are.
Sociologists look at how cultures develop, how organizations function (or don’t),
and how states and public policies shape ordinary people’s lives.
It is the broadest of all social
science disciplines, as all spheres of social life—cultural, economic, and
political—are open to sociological inquiry. Students learn to analyse social
conditions that shape human lives, and confront topical issues in migration,
poverty and inequalities, the climate crisis, ethnic relations, the changing
face of religiosity, shifts in family forms, aging, mental health, welfare
regimes and social policies, and science and technological disruptions.
At NTU, our faculty are passionate
about research and committed to teaching. As sociologists in a public
institution, faculty members are committed to playing our part in the larger
society. Our faculty members, who come from different parts of the world, form
a vibrant intellectual community. Over the years, we have shared our research
with key stakeholders—policy makers, non-profit organizations, and the general
public.
Faculty conduct research in many areas,
including:
Climate change and the environment
Migration and social integration
Urban sustainability
Social forces shaping science and technology
Ageing and mental health
Demographic changes and the sociology of the family
Social policy and state power
Gender, class and ethnoracial inequalities
Political economy of land and food
Religion and religiosity
Pop culture and social psychology
We take on questions about the present
and future of societies, the wellbeing of persons through the life course, and
the search for meaning and dignity in a difficult world.
Faculty members challenge students to
rethink their assumptions and prejudices about the world. We strive to give
students tools—lenses, language, logic, creativity—for critically evaluating
social phenomena and tackle the complexities of the contemporary world in agile
and empirically rigorous ways.
Our students go on to an exciting range
of careers—education, civil service, business, marketing, media, the arts,
non-profit work, and more. Through our curriculum, we aim to forge in students
the skills and confidence for lifelong learning and social engagement so that
they can continually adapt to a complex and changing world.
Please check out these FAQs about our undergraduate
programme.