Defining and Investigating Contemporary Social Issues

Analyze how shared traditions, specialized social roles, and normative expectations maintain stability and ensure the survival of human communities across generations.

Examine the diverse forms of spontaneous and structured collective behavior and evaluate their historical and contemporary power to alter society.

Critically analyze and compare the foundational and contemporary sociological theories that account for collective action and group behavior.

Apply sociological research methodologies to systematically define, operationalize, and analyze complex social issues in contemporary communities.

Examine the internal and external factors that erode social cohesion, disrupt community functioning, and lead to institutional collapse.