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Sociology is the study of how society organizes itself and
how various groups interact with each other, as well as the
consequences of these processes. The subject matter of sociology
encompasses marriage and family patterns, race and ethnic
relations, demography, social change, class structure, formal
organizations including bureaucracies, value systems, conflict,
deviant behavior and the people and institutions of different
societies. For those seeking careers in law, social work,
public health, urban planning, and public administration,
the study of sociology provides an excellent background for
such fields.
The Department of Sociology at the University of Hawai'i at Mānoa (UHM) offers graduate programs leading to the MA and
the PhD. The department aims to develop well-rounded academic
sociologists who are also qualified for professional research
positions.The MA program provides sound academic preparation
but concentrates on preparing students for mid-level applied
research positions. However, many students who begin in the
MA programs later transfer smoothly into the PhD program.
The PhD program emphasizes the early involvement of every
student in individual research that leads to professional
presentations and publications, plus opportunities for innovative
teaching.
The departmental view of the world is both local and global.
The university's geographic location in mid-Pacific offers
not only the natural social laboratory of multi-ethnic Hawai'i and the city of Honolulu, but exceptional resources and opportunities
for the study of Asia and the Pacific. The diverse student
body at UHM is drawn from the local community, from all over
Asia and the Pacific, and from the U.S. mainland and Europe.
The themes of ethnic and race relations and the study of Asian
and Pacific societies appear in the work of nearly all of
the department's faculty and graduate students.
The department is committed to developing the potential of
each student accepted into the graduate programs. With a ratio
of only three to four graduate students per faculty member,
the department is able to offer a personalized program that
strives to develop each student's special abilities while
preparing every student for a productive professional career.
The department's programs combine high quality instruction,
hands-on research, and strong professional preparation. Students
begin their courses of study with broad foundation courses
in theory and methods (both qualitative and quantitative)
of sociological research. They then continue on to advanced
studies in focus areas. The department offers the following
focus areas:
Comparative Sociology of Asia and the Pacific
The department's programs combine the theoretical approaches
and research methods of the discipline of sociology with substantive
studies of contemporary Asian and Pacific societies. The department
has particular strength in the comparative sociology of East
Asia. The goal of the comparative East Asian program is to
prepare students for career opportunities requiring an analytical
understanding of contemporary East Asian societies in relation
to the wider context of that world region.
The department is well-equipped to offer a comparative program
on Asia and the Pacific. In addition to recognized specialists
on China, Japan, and Korea within the department, the program
is able to draw upon the multi-disciplinary Asian and Pacific
area specialists affiliated with the East-West Center, the
UHM School of Asian and Pacific Studies, and other
departments of the College of Social Sciences.
Crime, Law, and Deviance
The department has long maintained a primary concentration
of instruction and research in crime, law, and deviance. These
areas of study focus on the causes and patterning of criminal
and delinquent behavior, the organization and effectiveness
of correctional agencies and programs, dispute processing
in and outside of courts, and programs aimed at preventing
or controlling deviant behavior. Specific studies have included
child abuse, drug abuse, group and gang response programs,
disproportionate ethnic group representation in the penal
and juvenile justice caseloads in the state, programs for
status offenders, street drug use, and drug use histories
of male and female prison inmates.
The department has extensive working connections with personnel
in state agencies. The compact location of state agencies
and institutions facilitates access to data and field inquiry.
Ethnic and Race Relations
The department has always focused on the study of race and
ethnic groups in the Pacific Basin, the state of Hawai'i, and
throughout the United States. Faculty members have conducted
studies on Asian Americans and Native Hawaiians from U.S.
Census data, on ethnicity in the arrested and confined population,
ethnic diversity and academic progress in the university system,
and ethnic factors in health and medical communications, as
well as in crime and deviance.
Health, Aging, and Medical Sociology
The department also concentrates on issues of health and health
services delivery in a comparative framework, with a focus
on the Asian-Pacific basin. Specific areas of study include
the social organization of health care professions and institutions;
the processes of interaction between professionals and clients;
social and cultural barriers in communication; the adaptations
of individuals to trauma, health problems and aging; and needs
assessment and program evaluation for health care interventions.
Collaborative work with a number of state agencies and health
provider organizations offers research and training opportunities.
Population Studies
An important portion of the comparative work of our department
has been in the discipline of population studies and demography.
Faculty members, including affiliate faculty members, have
been active in research on population control, national censuses
and sample surveys, and studies of migration and demographic
change, in societies throughout Asia and the Pacific.
Studies involving population and health studies and demography
have direct connections with the Program on Population of
the East-West Center. Courses and faculty in the UHM Population
Studies Program also enhance the environment for sociology
students interested in population studies.
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