How do social factors affect crime and people’s choices? Family life, access to resources, school discipline and neighborhood characteristics are just a few forces that influence a person’s choice to engage in crime, or how to respond to it. 

Whether you are defending someone from prosecution, advocating for victims, helping an offender return to society, or working on reforms in the justice system, you will be more effective with an understanding of the social forces at play. 

Health care is more than writing a prescription. Sociology helps you to see the whole patient and the social surroundings that influence their behavior. 

With a minor in sociology, you will learn how a patient’s social support from others, experiences of discrimination, work opportunities, family structure, and access to health care and knowledge about health impact their ability to live healthfully. This will allow you to take a more holistic approach toward their health care. 

Sociology prepares journalists to enrich their reporting by going beyond the obvious questions and answers. By understanding the forces that shape society and influence individual behavior, journalists can think more critically about current events, the history that led to them, and major issues affecting readers’ lives. 

Whether running for office or providing services in a government agency, your career in public service will benefit from a greater understanding of your constituents' lives. Sociology will help you think about issues that governments deal with—including crime, inequality, health, and more—and craft better policies to serve your community. 

Every major technology change is created by people, and in turn, technology shapes our lives in unseen ways. If you want to work on technological innovations, understanding social forces will help you design more effective products, think through the ethical implications of proposed technologies and create effective solutions for societal problems.