Public Policy

Sociology is excellent training for a career in public service and government. Sociology training differs from political science training in an important respect. Political science teaches a great deal useful material on the operation of governments at the federal, state and local levels. We strongly encourage our majors with an interest in public policy to make generous use of the outstanding intellectual resources that the A & M political science department offers. Sociology training in public policy emphasizes understanding the causes of important social problems. Public officials, whether elected or appointed are expected to be able to solve social problems. Without an understanding of the root causes of social pathologies, it is hard to develop policies or legislation that represent meaningful solutions. Sociologists are central to public policy debates in such areas as poverty, family breakdown, education, urban decline, racial and ethnic inequality, crime, overpopulation, welfare reform, and the decline of social values..

Macrosociology is the study of large scale social change at the level of the society or the world-system as a whole. The study of social institutions involves the analysis of components of these societies, such as the family or the media, which have important effects on societies and on global social change. Among the courses that teach about macrosociology and social institutions are:

SOCI 314: Social Problems
SOCI 324: Social Change
SOCI 423: Globalization and Social Change
SOCI 206: Global Social Trends
SOCI 313: Military, War, and Society
SOCI 330: Sociology of Nutrition
SOCI 404: Sociology of Community
SOCI 415: Sociology of Education
SOCI 425: Medical Sociology
SOCI 321: Urban Sociology
SOCI 407: Rural Sociology

Governments are often expected to intervene to prevent pathological behaviors that are not effectively regulated by ordinary citizens themselves. Crime is an example of such a problem. Knowing about the causes of disruptive behavior and the capacity of societies to use legal and non-legal means to regulate themselves helps policymakers develop effective strategies for increasing social harmony. Courses in deviance and culture include:

SOCI 304: Criminology
SOCI 326: Sociology of Religion
SOCI 411: Social Psychology
SOCI 445: Sociology of Law
SOCI 413: Social Movements

Stratification is the study of social inequality. Policy makers are expected to both reduce levels of poverty in society and insure that whatever inequalities do exist are those that are considered to be equitable and reasonable, as opposed to being the product of unfair treatment. The study of stratification helps to identify the causes of low income and social disadvantage, and suggests what types of public policy represent effective and practical remedies. Stratification courses include:

SOCI 419: Social Class in Contemporary Society
SOCI 317: Minority Groups
SOCI 316: Sociology of Gender
SOCI 322: Industrial Sociology
SOCI 424: Women and Work in Society
SOCI 323: Sociology of Black Americans
SOCI 403: Sociology of Mexican Americans

Many social problems are the direct results of population trends rather than any government policy per se. Demography is the study of population dynamics. Demographic processes operate in an orderly fashion, and can be predicted with some accuracy for periods as long as twenty or fifty years. Understanding fundamental population trends can be essential to developing social programs that will be viable over the long term. Courses in demography include:

SOCI 312: Population and Society
SOCI 207: Introduction to Gender and Society
SOCI 315: The Marriage Institution
SOCI 328: Environmental Sociology
SOCI 337: International Migration

An understanding of formal organization can be critical to understanding the bureaucratic environment in which social policies are formulated and implemented. Statistical methods are important to public policy as well, because they are essential to both the analysis of causes of social problems and to the evaluation of social programs to assess their effectiveness. Courses in organizations and methods include:

SOCI 335: Sociology of Organizations
SOCI 220: Methods of Social Research
SOCI 420: Advanced Methods of Social Research

Additional coursework that may prove to be helpful would include courses in Economics and Political Science. These courses may include but are not limited to:

POLS 306: Contemporary Political Problems and Issues
POLS 307: The Texas Legislature
POLS 340: Introduction to Public Administration
POLS 440: Public Policies and Policymaking
POLS 442: Social Welfare Policy