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Sociology
At Hollins, sociology begins with an interest in people: how we cope; how society influences our behavior; how, together or as individuals, we preserve or change the social order. The study of sociology develops a deeper understanding of the world in which we live and provides a foundation that can lead to a variety of interesting careers.
The Hollins sociology curriculum explores broad social questions and issues. In classes and in the field, you'll consider such questions as: How does society work? How does it affect the individual? How can individuals and groups initiate positive personal and social change?
All majors select a specialized concentration of courses and complete a common core of foundation studies in the history, research methods, and theoretical perspectives of the discipline. In classes and internships, students have opportunities to apply sociological concepts and methods of inquiry to contemporary issues and social problems.
Test the Career Waters with Hands-on Internships
Internships, an integral part of a Hollins University education, will give you entrees into careers. Most students do internships, particularly during the January Short Term. Recent internship sites have included:
- CNN, Atlanta
- Child Protective Services, Columbia, S.C.
- Cradle of Hope, Silver Spring, Md.
- Council for Community Services, Roanoke
- Offenders Aid and Restoration, Richmond
- Legal Environmental Assistance Foundation, Tallahassee
- Palm Beach (Fla.) Community United Way
- Total Action Against Poverty, Roanoke
- Turning Point (battered women's shelter), Roanoke
- West End Center, Roanoke
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LeeRay M. Costa, (homepage) associate professor of anthropology & women's studies.
B.A., University of California, San Diego; M.A. New York University; Ph.D. University of Hawai`i at Manoa.
Professor Costa's geographic areas of interest include Thailand and Hawai`i. Her research has focused on gender and sexuality, narrative theory and practice, globalization, development, activism, and food.
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William P. Nye, (homepage) professor of sociology; B.S., Tufts University; M.A., Ph.D., New School University
Professor Nye specializes in race and minority relations, crime and deviance, the sociology of education, and social theory.
PHOTO: Oil painting of Professor Nye, titled "Bill and Henri," by Professor of Art Bill White.
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Arthur R. Poskocil, associate professor sociology; B.S., Loyola College; A.M.,
Ph.D., University of Michigan
Professor Poskocil's special interests include social communication, sex-role behavior, current social problems, and personal adjustment. |
Hollins Graduates: Where are they now?
Hollins graduates with a major in sociology have entered graduate programs in social work and related human service fields, as well as in sociology. Sociology majors commonly find employment as case workers, administrators, or analysts in social welfare agencies or other nonprofit organizations, and in education and government.
An analysis of graduates of the department of sociology reveals that 35 percent have completed graduate programs at such institutions as the University of Virginia, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and the New School for Social Research. Others have obtained master's of social work degrees from such schools as Columbia University, UNC Chapel Hill, and Washington University. The data on employment show that 27 percent of graduates are employed in human services, 14 percent in education, 11 percent in public relations, and 8 percent in human resources.
Recent sociology graduates include:
- Director of human resources at the McLean Hilton
- Publisher of a magazine for college-bound students
- Practicing psychotherapist
- Head of counseling services for a Roanoke middle school
- Vice president for government affairs for the Business Council of Georgia
- Management trainee, Tiffany & Co.
- Online coordinator, CNN
What our Graduates Have to Say About Sociology at Hollins
Clarissa Johnson '00 recalls her first experience in the real classroom of life. The subject was social work, and her Hollins-arranged internship was at a domestic violence shelter for women and children. Clarissa also volunteered and interned with two group detention homes and a program for mentally retarded youth. Her senior practicum was with the Roanoke County Department of Social Services. Clarissa spent her last semester working for the county's Adult Protective Services team, investigating claims of adults who were being abused -- sometimes even conducting the home visits by herself.
"It was an awesome responsibility because I was really dealing with people's lives more than I thought I'd be.
Clarissa is doing graduate work in counseling at Virginia Tech.
Nina Pagadala '00 interned her junior year at the U.S. Department of Labor in the women's bureau. She worked on a project studying the implementation of child care into businesses. The summer before her senior year, she interned with the National Organization for Women, where she was able to shadow NOW's lead attorney/lobbyist. "I did research on different candidates to see if they went along with NOW's views."
Both internships helped pave the way for Nina's first post-college job, as an International Program Fellow for the U.S. Agency for International Development, a federal government agency that implements America's foreign economic and humanitarian assistance programs.
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