Sociology, Anthropology and Social Work
Building relationships with our students and our community.
Sociology, cultural anthropology and social work study human behavior, focusing in particular on culture, institutions and inequality. Our department is committed to excellence in teaching and research and to building relationships with and between our students and community.
Academics
Our undergraduate programs include a B.A. in sociology as well as minors in sociology, anthropology, social work and family development. All programs are designed with flexibility in mind to encourage students to build paths of study that suit their interests and future goals.
Academics
Our undergraduate programs include a B.A. in sociology as well as minors in sociology, anthropology, social work and family development. All programs are designed with flexibility in mind to encourage students to build paths of study that suit their interests and future goals.
Sociology is the scientific study of how social forces influence human behavior and social outcomes, and how human interaction shapes institutions, organizations and society more broadly. We offer two paths of study in Sociology: a bachelor of arts and a minor.
Anthropology is the holistic and comparative study of people around the world, including the role of culture in human adaptations to economic, social, political and environmental conditions. We offer a 15 semester hour minor in anthropology.
The study of social work provides the knowledge, values and skills needed to support people who are vulnerable because of need, crisis, health status, structural violence or other factors. We offer a 15 semester hour minor in social work.
The minor in family development increases understanding of the meaning and dynamics of marriage and parenthood in contemporary society and examines contemporary issues across various stages of family life.
Experiential learning is at the core of all of our programs. Opportunities to engage with the Dayton community are available in many of our classes and we offer a variety of unique course offerings that expand student knowledge beyond the classroom.
Research
The Department of Sociology, Anthropology and Social Work is committed to the creation, transmission and application of knowledge concerning the relationship of individuals and groups with their social and cultural environments. Our faculty are active scholars in their fields, and our students conduct their own research through coursework, capstone projects and supervised research with faculty.
By taking a familiar egg drop activity in which students design a “nest” to protect a raw egg from a high fall and adding several class-conscious twists, a sociology professor illustrates the relationships to introduce students to the topic of social inequality and vulnerability.
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Aligned with the University of Dayton's mission to be an anti-racist institution, a recent racial wealth gap simulation was an opportunity for students to learn how political systems uphold racism and to engage in thoughtful conversation outside of the classroom.
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A University of Dayton sociologist is working to reduce gender-based violence around the world through a competitive fellowship program that places scientists in U.S. federal government policy positions.
Read moreRecent Faculty Research
Simanti Dasgupta's recent article titled, "Of Raids and Returns: Sex work movement, police oppression, and the politics of the ordinary in Sonagachi, India" has been published in the current issue of Anti-Trafficking Review. This is a publication of the Global Alliance Against Traffic in Women (GAATW). Watch the GAATW video below: