Multiple Loyola University Chicago students attend a sociology lecture. Two students in front are in focus while smiling and taking notes on the class while the rest are blurred in the background.

Department of Sociology

From our faculty, to our graduate students, to our undergraduate majors, our department is a place for intellectual growth, a commitment to understanding and engaging major societal challenges, and collegial fellowship.

Through research and publication, in-class teaching, and out-of-the-classroom experiences, members of the department reach out in the best tradition of both the sociological discipline and the social justice commitment of Jesuit universities.

Programs

Our Community

A group of Loyola University Chicago students gather in the lobby of a restaurant and pose for a photo together

CELTS grant support for Sociology 215 - Law and Society

The Center for Engaged Learning Teaching and Scholarship (CELTS) has supported the Introduction to Law and Society, Sociology 215, with a small grant in the Spring of 2023.

Undergrad Jonathan Nerenberg and Dr. Peter Rosenblatt Analyze Chicago Evictions

This summer, Jonathan Nerenberg worked alongside associate professor Peter Rosenblatt to create and analyze a unique database of rental properties in Chicago that were matched to court records on evictions. Their study examined the inequality of Chicago’s eviction rate by investigating differences within properties owned by the same landlord.

A large group of people gather for a group photo. Some are seated at square white tables while others stand in a row behind them. All wear PPE masks

SOCL 216 Students Visit Kolbe House

On Feb. 5, twenty students from Dr. Elfriede Wedam's Sociology 216 Sociology of Violence visited Kolbe House Catholic Ministry to Cook County Jail. The students were hosted by several volunteers as well as staff of Kolbe House where they were shown artwork depicting some of the jail detainees' stories.

Three people kayak down a river on a cloudy day

SOCL 272 - Environmental Sociology Students Explore Floating Islands on the Chicago River

Students from Professor Maria Akchurin's environmental sociology class met with the non-profit organization Urban Rivers and explored floating islands on the Chicago River, planting irises and collecting seeds from rose-mallow and swamp milkweed plants. The experience raised questions about the complexities of working with the city, community groups, and local businesses to restore the river, as well as leading participants to reflect on how city residents experience "urban nature."

A large group of people gather in a room at large round tables and chairs for an award ceremony. Six individuals who won awards stand in front of ever

Congratulations!

Congratulations to all of our 2022 Sociology award recipients; both undergraduate and graduate students.

Rita Padawangi, PhD

Rita Padawangi, a 2008 alumna of Loyola's Sociology PhD program, recently gave the 2024 Eleanor Fails Lecture. Her talk, "Urban Development, Politics, and the Spatial Imagination: Reflections from Indonesia and Timor-Leste," was an insightful and thought-provoking exploration of urban developmental aspirations and consequences in Southeast Asia and the challenges for sociologists there.

Sociology Offers a Host of Research Opportunities

Faculty Values Statement

As scholars and teachers, the faculty in the Department of Sociology at Loyola University Chicago share in the mission of the University, with its paramount focus on human dignity...

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