Home page of the Department of Sociology, Anthropology, and Social Work
Humans are inherently social, unable to survive without interacting with each other. Every day you interact with family, friends, authority figures, and strangers. Sociologists study this human behavior and social interaction, with a particular focus on groups, networks, social institutions, and social change.
Anthropologists study human diversity and behavior within a broad range of environments over time. Through this lens, we prepare students for career paths aimed at solving 21st century issues in global health, climate change, historic preservation, gender and identity, migration policy, and forensics.
Social work studies people in the context of their environment and prepares graduates to work with individuals, families, small groups, communities, and organizations through an understanding of human development and behavior and how society, economics, and culture interact with these factors.
Alumni Spotlight
Alyssa White
PhD student, Oxford University
Alyssa White is currently a PhD student in the archaeology (bioarchaeology) program at Oxford University where she is researching Japanese...
Katie Massey Combs
Doctoral Student, Univ. of Denver
In 2005, Katie Massey Combs graduated from Auburn University with a bachelor's degree in social work and a minor in Spanish. She is currently a doctoral...
Davis Shelfer
Graduate School, Criminal Justice
Davis Shelfer, '17, graduated from Auburn with a degree in sociology. The Houston native credits the field of sociology in helping to develop...