Why Boston College and What is the Program in Social Economy and Social Justice?

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Boston College occupies a special niche within the discipline of Sociology. Its graduate program is entitled "Social Economy and Social Justice: Race, Class, and Gender in a Global Context." By naming our program in this way, we signal that we focus on issues of social justice; that we social analysis of the economy as crucial to understanding contemporary society, and that we must take into account race, class, and gender in a global context. The department has a strong orientation toward sociological analysis that promotes social change. We are heavily involved in both critical sociology—which involves unraveling ideology and conventional wisdom through careful study, and to public sociology—which involves serving larger publics. Our faculty work on a variety of areas, from critiques of globalization and neo-liberalism, to analyses of post-colonial discourses, to consumer culture to social movements. We have deep expertise in qualitative methods, as well as growing strength in quantitative analysis. We are a medium-sized department with a relatively small graduate program, and offer small classes, extensive opportunities for one-on-one teaching, and high levels of mentoring and faculty time. In recent years, we have undertaken an aggressive program of faculty recruitment and hiring, and have added seven new faculty members. The department provides two ongoing research and writing seminars for graduate students, one designed for second year students, and the other for those at the dissertation stage. In addition to a full program of speakers throughout the year, we have a regular departmental seminar series, and a Distinguished Visiting Scholars Series, which brings scholars of world-renown to the campus for graduate seminars and a public lecture. Our newsletter, Sociology Speaks, describes these and many more of our deparmental activities.