While the subject matter of Sociology holds considerable interest for its own sake, it also offers values preparation for a wide variety of careers, including law, criminology, business, education, the health and medical professions, social work, politics, public administration, and communication. The Sociology Major at OUC is a valuable preparation for advanced studies in Sociology. For further information on the benefits of a Sociology Major, see the following booklets and pamphlets available in Arts 125, North Kelowna Campus, or from any of the Sociology faculty. Also plan to attend our Welcome to Sociology Information Session to be announced in our Bulletin Board . Hiring Sociologists is a Great Place to Start To apply for admission to the Sociology Major, see our Application for Admission to the Sociology Major form.
Sociology is the study of social life and the social causes and consequences of human behaviour.
It investigates the structure of groups, organizations and societies, their formation, development and interactions. Since all human behaviour is social, the subject matter of sociology ranges from the intimate family to the global corporate elite, from crime to religion, from the divisions of race, gender and social class to the shared beliefs of a common culture, from the Sociology of Work, Education and Health, to the Sociology of Violence. The task of Sociology is to understand how and why we interact with each other the way we do and the extent to which we, as individuals, create our own lives, and the extent to which we are created by forces outside our individual control. One of the major assumptions of Sociology is that we are shaped by the groups we belong to. Understanding the structure of social groups, and why we conform or deviate from their rules, helps us gain more control over our own lives and over the future.