WHAT IS SOCIOLOGY?

Sociology is the scientific study of human society and social interactions. The point of view used within the discipline has been termed "the
sociological imagination." The sociological imagination involves:

• "Seeing the General in the Particular" - C. Wright Mills/Peter Berger,
• "Seeing the Strange in the Familiar" - John J. Macionis, and
• "Seeing the Individual in the Social Context" - Emile Durkheim.

As Macionis points out in his text entitled Society: The Basics, the benefits of seeing the world sociologically range from:

• being able to critically access the truth of commonly held assumptions,
• helping to see the opportunities and constraints in our lives,
• empowering us to be active members of our society,
• and assisting in our success as a culturally diverse world.

In "The Promise of Sociology," sociologist, C. Wright Mills wrote:

To be aware of the idea of social structure and to use it with sensibility is to be capable of tracing such linkages among a great variety
of milieu; to be able to do that is to possess the sociological imagination.

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SOCIOLOGY CAREERS

Careers in sociology are almost as diverse as the human society itself.

With an undergraduate's degree, students have moved on to become:

• low-level researchers, research assistants, counselors, consultants, journalists, government and political personnel, public relations
  specialists, business persons, and public administrators.

Additionally, undergraduate sociology programs have also served as a springboard for individuals interested in pursuing careers in:

• law, education, medicine, and social work.

Graduate and post-graduate sociology students have taken on careers as:

• researchers, professors, applied sociologists, policy analysts, human resource managers, program managers, gerontologists, statisticians,
  urban planners, criminologists, and demographers.

For those who are currently pursuing a career in sociology, we wish you the best of luck with expanding your "sociological imagination." Above all
else, have fun with your sociological pursuits. If you do that, your pursuits will be that much easier and, perhaps, more attainable.

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MISSION STATEMENT

We are a group of students and faculty dedicated to the following goals:

• To better inform students of the benefits of sociological thought
• To enable them to use a "sociological imagination" and sociological theory & research to broaden their knowledge of the world around them
• To discuss and debate contemporary social issues
• To promote empathy with the human condition locally and globally
• To explore professional/occupational opportunities for “students of society”

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CONSTITUTION

A constitution was created during the Fall 2002 and will be posted here shortly.

OFFICERS

President: Stephanie Hodges
Vice-President & SGA Delegate: Crista Cuccaro
Secretary: Alex Calder
Treasurer: Tiffany Hutchins
Public Relations: Ebonie Potter

FACULTY

Advisor: Aqueil Ahmad, Ph.D.

MEMBERSHIP

Membership is free, voluntary, and open to all UNCG students, faculty, and staff. Club participation is based upon any given member's
availability. The club is to each person what he or she makes of it. Our meetings are open to everyone and do not require club membership.

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FUNDING

We affiliated ourselves with the Student Government Association (SGA) during the Fall 2002. Crista Cuccaro, club Vice-President, is
the current SGA Delegate. Attendance at SGA meetings is mandatory for every club that hopes to gain the financial benefits of being
affiliated with the SGA. We are applying for funds for the allocation period which starts October 25 and goes through February 14, 2005.

Contributions are always welcome and completely voluntary, and we're always open to fund raising suggestions.

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CONTACT INFORMATION

General Information: Contact one of our officers or Aqueil Ahmad, Ph.D.
Web Content: Gene Huller

Postal Address:
University of North Carolina at Greensboro
Frank Porter Graham Building, 3rd Floor
PO Box 26170
Greensboro, NC 27402-6170

Email: a_ahmad@uncg.edu or stephaniehodges81@hotmail.com

Telephone: (336) 334-5295
FAX: (336) 334-5283

HISTORY

This section will include a general history of the club's origins. It will also
contain significant activities held by the club since its origins.

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KEY CONCEPTS #2:
Family and diversity, represented below by this multiracial family, are two
major areas of study in sociology. The appearance of today's family is a
reflection of the world's growing diversity. Family is the primary group
organized around kinship ties and designed to regulate sexual behavior,
in addition to reproducing, nurturing, protecting, and socializing the young.
Diversity is defined as the condition of being different or having variety.
Sociologically, diversity pertains to variety in race, ethnicity, sexual
orientation, age, and physical/mental abilities. Sociologists support
and encourage empathetic views of family and diversity.
   

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Copyright © 2004 UNCG Sociology Club and Gene Huller.
All rights reserved.