Sociology is a dynamic and integral part of Vanderbilt University, and Vanderbilt sociology is a vital and visible part of the national and international profession of sociology.  At Vanderbilt University, the research and teaching of the sociology faculty addresses a broad set of enduring themes of scholarly and practical interest.  The thematic diversity of Vanderbilt sociology stems from not only the wide-ranging interests and methodological competencies of the faculty, but also our strong commitment to academic freedom.

Our faculty research expertise and undergraduate and graduate teaching curricula encompass several major sociological themes, including:

  Arts, culture, religion
  Cities, states, and political economy
  Deviant behavior and social control
  Gender and sexuality
  Health and the life course
  Race, ethnicity, and immigration
  Social movements, politics, and power
  Work, labor, and occupations
BREAKING NEWS!

  American Sociological Review is coming to the Department of Sociology! Beginning with the February 2010 issue, ASR--the flagship journal of the American Sociogical Assocation--will be edited by the team of Tony Brown, Katharine Donato, Larry Isaac, and Holly McCammon.

 The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Center for Health Policy at Meharry Medical College was announced on March 5, 2009. The center will involve faculty and graduate students from the Departments of Sociology and Economics at Vanderbilt, with the goal of increasing the number and diversity of scholars trained in the social sciences who are engaged in health services and health policy research. ( Click here to read the full press release and watch video. )