Welcome to the Department of Sociology

Our Programs

Sociology at Arizona has a history of excellence in research and teaching, and has long been a wellspring of innovation in theory and methods.

Sociology explores and analyzes issues vital to our own lives, our communities, our nation, and the world. The undergraduate major provides a foundation for careers in many professional fields, and for graduate training as a sociologist in academia, government, business, or community agencies. Learn More ...


Our graduate training prepares students for careers in research and teaching. The Department is widely recognized as one of the top programs in the United States. Our faculty includes senior members who are nationally and internationally acknowledged authorities in their fields, and some of the best young scholars in the country. Learn More ...

Departmental News

Scott Eliason and Robin Stryker published "Goodness-of-Fit Tests and Descriptive Measures in Fuzzy-Set Analysis" in the journal Sociological Methods & Research.

Joe Galaskiewicz gave an invited lecture at the Institute for Policy Research Seminar on Performance Measurement in the Nonprofit and Public Sectors at Northwestern University, October 14, 2009. The title of his talk, co-authored with Joy Inouye and Paola Molina, was "Patterns of Accountability and Control among Nonprofits, For-profits, and Government."

Karen Gordon received a research grant from the Social and Behavioral Sciences Research Institute for her dissertation ""The Processes Controlling Residences of Registered Sexual Offenders."

Don Grant, Alfonso Morales, and Jeff Sallaz published "Pathways to Meaning: A New Approach to Studying Emotions at Work" in the American Journal of Sociology.

Linda Molm is the 2009 recipient of the Cooley-Mead Award, presented annually by the Social Psychology Section of the ASA for distinguished career contributions to social psychology. Her award address, "The Structure of Reciprocity" will be published in the June 2010 issue of Social Psychology Quarterly.

Robin Stryker and Thomas Christiano (UA-Philosophy) received a grant from the American Bar Foundation to fund a Rogers Program conference to be held at UA on February 12-13, 2010. The conference is titled "Confronting Normative Concepts of Human Rights with Empirical Research on Rights Achievement."

Kathleen Schwartzman gave at talk at the University of Notre Dame entitled "Responding to NAFTA: Voice or Exit? Examples From The World Of Poultry."