Sociology

Welcome to West Valley’s Sociology Program

The American Sociological Association defines the discipline of sociology as the study of society, a social science involving the study of the social lives of people, groups, and societies, the study of our behavior as social beings, covering everything from the analysis of short contacts between individuals on the street to the study of global social processes, the scientific study of social aggregations, the entities through which humans move throughout their lives', and an overarching unification of all studies of humankind, including history, psychology, and economics.

Sociologists work in a myriad of jobs including human resources, marketing and sales, urban planning, social work, rehabilitation, counseling, non-profits, law enforcement and education.

The Sociology Program at West Valley College endeavors to instill a critical analysis of how society influences both individual and group behavior and thought. Students will engage topics such as sexuality, gender, deviance, marriage and family, social stratification, social class, social mobility, religion, criminality and the law, race and ethnicity.