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Diverse and Progressive
At the heart of our disciplines lies a determination to understand complex social and cultural issues – both past and present – so that we may inform the future.
I realized that the changes I want to inspire cannot be achieved without social and systemic change. My education here has given me the knowledge and training I need to make those ideas reality.
Investigating Society, Culture and Behavior
Founded in 1920, the Department of Sociology and Anthropology is diverse and progressive. We are dedicated to excellence in research, teaching, extension and outreach.
Our research and outreach serve the citizens of the state, including business, industry and government. Our wide-ranging research encompasses poverty and inequality, archaeological science, school diversity, child abuse, family issues, food environments, obesity, health and physical activity, gender-related issues, crime and criminal justice organizations, to mention a few areas.
We offer students the chance to study and practice in the disciplines that critically analyze human society, culture and behavior. Undergraduates can pursue studies in sociology, criminology and anthropology, either as a major or minor. NC State also offers a minor in forensic science.
At the graduate level, we offer a Doctorate in Sociology and a Master of Arts in Anthropology, both of which prepare graduates for successful careers in teaching and research.
Our department is one of the largest of its kind in the United States and one of the largest on NC State’s campus. With around 30 full-time faculty, as well as lecturers and instructors, we teach more than 9,000 students each academic year.
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NC State Students Excavate Prehistoric Settlement in Cyprus
In May and June of 2018, a group of 15 NC State undergraduates traveled to the island of Cyprus in the eastern Mediterranean to take part in an archaeological field school. Directed by NC State faculty Dr. Kathryn Grossman (Sociology and Anthropology) and Dr. Tate Paulette (History), this new study abroad program provides students with in-depth, hands-on training in archaeological field methods within the context of the Makounta-Voules Archaeological Project (MVAP).
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Graduate Students Showcased at NC State Research Symposium
More than 200 NC State students participated in the 13th annual symposium. The event, sponsored by the Graduate School and the Graduate Student Association, showcases the outstanding quality and diversity of graduate-level research at NC State. The College of Humanities and Social Sciences had 38 presenters this year. That’s more than any other college on campus. In addition, six students received awards for their research posters.
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Ethnographic Field School in Guatemala
NC State’s Ethnographic Field School teaches students about the environmental, socio-economic and cultural impacts of tourism for a quarter century. The program, located in Lake Atitlán, Guatemala, gives participants the opportunity to conduct independent research and gain cultural competency in an increasingly global society. Professor Tim Wallace and his students have gathered 17 years of data on the views and impact of education, politics, health, ideology/religion and more on local Guatemalan communities. The data — and more importantly, the overall experiences — shape students in unique ways.
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Tourism in Guatemala: Local Impacts
Some cities surrounding Guatemala's Lake Atitlán have greatly benefitted from tourism. Other towns haven’t seen the same rate of development. NC State graduate student Adriana Szabo studied the uneven trend in San Pedro La Laguna, on the shore of Lake Atitlán. Her research raises up the voices of locals who want to change the tourism development model.
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