About Us

After being introduced as a concentration in 1940, Sociology at San Diego State University has weathered through many ups and downs.  The department currently consists of 14 tenure track faculty and a varying number of adjunct professors.  We continue the rich tradition of training our students to develop a deep understanding and appreciation of complex social issues such as inequalities in the distribution of wealth and social resources, poverty and transnational migration, social change and political movements, and crime and community reintegration. Sociology majors are well grounded in both classical and contemporary theoretical frameworks, and required to master the basics in both qualitative and quantitative research methods.  Our rigorous and theory-driven curriculum is designed to teach our students three things: (1) to think analytically and critically about social structures and processes in an increasingly globalized environment, (2) to formulate sociological inquiries and search for solutions to society’s persistent problems, and (3) to articulate a course of action. 

Aside from our teaching responsibilities, Sociology faculty members are also active researchers in their respective fields of expertise and prolific in their scholarly pursuit.  Some have attained regional and national recognitions through their funded research endeavors. Our faculty members spearhead or collaborate with researchers from top tier research universities on projects of enormous social and policy implications, such as illegal migrants and public health, community corrections, and statistical strategies for sampling racial/ethnic minorities and other hard-to-reach populations.  Taking advantage of our geographical location, our faculty members actively engage in trans-border and trans-cultural projects on migration and public policies.  In addition to our strengths in teaching and research, we also provide assistance to a wide range of government and non-profit entities in their research and policy making endeavors.  I welcome you to browse our faculty biographies and learn about the exciting projects we are undertaking.

Sheldon X. Zhang, Chair