Welcome

Welcome to the homepage of the Department of Sociology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Founded in 1920 by Howard W. Odum, our department has played a prominent role in the development of sociology as a major field of study in the social sciences. Several years after founding the department, Odum also founded Social Forces, a journal that continues to play a leading role in the dissemination of groundbreaking social research.

Since the 1930s, when we were judged "distinguished" by the American Council of Education, we have been regarded as among the most productive, innovative, and respected sociology departments in the United States. Current and past faculty members have been important figures in regional, national, and international social science, including Peter Blau, Hubert Blalock, Glen Elder, Amos Hawley, Gerhard Lenski, and Tony Oberschall. Seven former members of our department and alumni have served as presidents of the American Sociological Association. Arne Kalleberg was ASA president in 2007-8.

We invite you to explore the department through the website. Please direct any questions to sociology@unc.edu.