Department of Sociology, Anthropology, and Crime and Justice Studies

Faculty and Fields of Interest

Sadhana Bery critical race studies and whiteness; race, class and gender; Postcolonial Africa; political sociology

Suzanne Joseph research methods, political economy of population and health, anthropological demography, ecological anthropology, medical anthropology, biocultural anthropology, social class inequality, marriage and the family, Middle East

Andrea C Klimt (Chairperson) sociocultural anthropology, ethnicity and nationalism; Europe, contemporary US, & Portuguese diaspora; medical anthropology, transnational migration, history and memory

Lisa Maya Knauer racial, economic, and cultural dynamics; immigration and diaspora; ethnography

Susan Krumholz (Director, Crime and Justice Studies) crime and justice; theories of crime, law and society; domestic violence; women’s studies

Yale R Magrass social theory, historical and political sociology, methodology, social impact of science and technology

Larry M Miller historical sociology, Meso-America, social theory, sociology of art and literature

Thomas K Ranuga third world studies, social movements, comparative ethnic relations (emeritus)

R Penn Reeve cultural anthropology, social inequality, race and ethnicity, gay and lesbian studies

Robin A Robinson female deviance, delinquency, and criminality; social policy; restorative justice, psychology of crime and justice, female religiosity

Isabel Fêo Rodrigues ethnicity, race, gender, creolization, nationalism, colonialism; Sub-Saharan Africa, Afro-Atlantic, Luso-African Atlantic, and Brazil

Maria da Glória de Sá Portuguese-speaking diaspora in the United Sates, immigration and ethnicity, ethnic and race relations, the family and stratification

Viviane Saleh-Hanna Black music, sociopolitical liberation movements and resistance, penology, criminological theories and the history of punishment, socio-structural analyses of institutional racism, classism and (hetero)sexism

Jack Stauder anthropology, marriage and family, social change, morality and human nature, environmental issues, ranching and the American West

About the Department

Welcome to the Department of Sociology/Anthropology/Crime and Justice Studies. As an interdisciplinary department, we offer students a unique opportunity to explore the social world through distinct but related branches of knowledge in the social sciences.

The programs in Sociology, Anthropology, and Crime and Justice Studies all share the broader goal of understanding society and culture through a comparative and historical perspective. Specifically, the curriculum is designed to foster students’ understanding of the social construction of difference, entrenched systems of inequality and oppression and the dynamics of local and global distributions of power.

Our wide range of courses explore the complex interconnections between race, class, ethnicity, culture, gender and sexuality and focus on understanding contemporary social issues, both in the U.S. and around the world. Majors learn how to apply theoretical debates in sociology, anthropology and crime and justice studies (as appropriate to a student’s selected concentration) to the investigation of social life, and develop critical insights into possibilities for social change.

The Department’s curriculum features multiple opportunities for connecting classroom learning, community engagement, and individual exploration. Students are encouraged to pursue issues of interest to them through community-based research, internships and seminars, as well as independent study and thesis options. A central aim of the Department’s curriculum is to help students develop the essential skills of critical thinking and clear and persuasive self-expression.

Students may pursue a degree in any of the following areas:

BA in Sociology Major
BA in Sociology with an option in Anthropology
BA in Crime and Justice Studies
Minor in Sociology
Minor in Anthropology

Students may major and minor within the Department (e.g. major in Sociology, minor in Anthropology or major in Crime and Justice Studies and minor in Sociology). It is not possible to double major within the Department (e.g. major in Sociology and CJS). Students majoring in a college other than Arts & Sciences and choosing to minor in Sociology or Anthropology do not need to fulfill College Distribution requirements.

There are many other fields that complement study in sociology, anthropology and crime and justice studies. We strongly encourage students majoring in the Department to consider choosing a double major or adding a minor in fields such as history, psychology, political science, women’s studies, education, foreign language or policy studies. Students should discuss possible options with their advisor.

For more information on courses offered by the Department, see Sociology, Anthropology, Crime and Justice course listings.

Student Learning Goals

Discipline-specific:

Understanding concepts of culture and society;
Understanding of systems of inequality and the dynamics of local and global distributions of power;
Understanding the constructed nature of gender, race, ethnicity, class, sexual orientation and culture;
Understanding of basic theoretical arguments in sociology/anthropology/crime and justice studies as appropriate to their major concentration;
Critical understanding of social scientific approaches to research, sound research designs and basic social scientific research methods; and
Ability to apply knowledge from discipline-specific research and theory to issues in their lives and communities.

General skills:

Present organized and coherent arguments both orally and through written essays;
Understand and critically evaluate social-scientific work; and
Ability to assemble relevant published background research, critically evaluate the research, and integrate it into an argument.

Admission into the Departmental Majors

UMass Dartmouth students seeking admission into the Sociology major must have earned a minimum of 45 credits with a minimum overall GPA of 2.50. Transfer students seeking admissions into the Sociology major must have a minimum overall GPA of 2.75. Students interested in majoring in Sociology or in Sociology with the Anthropology Option must see the Department Chairperson for permission to enter the program, to discuss the program requirements and to arrange for a permanent advisor.

Students seeking admission into the Crime and Justice Studies major must have earned a minimum of 45 credits with a minimum overall GPA of 2.75. Students interested in majoring in Crime and Justice Studies must see the Director of the Crime and Justice Studies Program for permission to enter the program, to discuss the program requirements and to arrange for a permanent advisor.