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New majors expand the understanding of sociology
Two new majors in the Sociology & Human Services Department offer timely and cutting-edge programs to complement the existing Sociology & Human Services major. With social justice work at the heart of the department's diverse academic philosophy, these majors not only strengthen students' transcripts and resumes but also encourage a deep, grounded understanding of the contemporary human condition.
From integrating Spanish into coursework in the new Borders & Languages major, to Criminology & Justice Studies, which develops a balanced approach to explorations of justice systems while developing leadership and communication skills, the Sociology & Human Services Department brings together talented faculty and access to regional resources to ignite passion for positive change in our local communities and beyond.
Borders & Languages
Forget the traditional learning style of conjugation and vocabulary memorization. Borders & Languages offers an innovative, highly-accessible, and practical approach to how language is studied -- making sense of language through immersion and cultural context. Using current events, pop culture, and media content, students both hone their Spanish-language skills while developing a broad understanding of the immigration experience.
"If you're learning music, or art, or film, or about current events, or about immigration, you're learning the Spanish language as well. And you're learning in a way that will stick in your mind differently than just memorizing vocabulary," says Chair and Associate Professor of Sociology Becky Clausen. "That's going to benefit our students in their retention of language skills, but it's also going to get them thinking about cultural and current events, bringing that together in the context of language."
Featuring both bilingual teaching and bilingual courses, this progressive approach appeals to students from different majors while also catering to more advanced students. There are no prerequisites required to take courses offered in the Borders & Languages program, making it easy to simply explore something of interest or create a double major.
Criminology & Justice Studies
Criminology & Justice Studies prepares students for one of the largest, most diverse, and fastest-growing job markets, from the FBI to tribal justice systems. Rooted in addressing harms and healing in society, this major features a path for students who are passionate about restoration in criminal systems, work in law enforcement, and other issues related to law enforcement and legal systems.
"We teach about crime in a social context. We learn about how power affects and influences the justice system so that whether you're in it or you're trying to reform it, you understand the roots of why we have the current criminal justice system that we do, and where the opportunities are to work to make it better," says Claussen.
The program does that by helping students seek a better understanding of poverty, inequality, race, and the fluidity of laws that shift and change. Led by faculty with access to local, federal, and tribal law enforcement, justice systems, and detention centers, students learn about and experience ways of thinking about how society heals from harm, and how we can improve those systems.
“We want to help some students learn how to be police officers, and we want to have all students welcome and embrace and support them being police officers, but we want to be broader," Claussen adds. "We want our students to be the most open-minded people in any positions, seeing the whole person and not just the criminal.”