The Department of Sociology contributes to the liberal arts mission of the University of Maine. We are committed to excellence in teaching, research, and public service. We emphasize critical thinking and analysis in our teaching and provide our majors intensive training in research methodology. We seek in this manner to prepare our students for the complex intellectual and vocational demands of modern society.

As sociologists we try to seek beneath the surface of common sense definitions of social reality and identify the more fundamental social processes that affect us. To further this goal, our work in all three areas of our mission emphasizes cultural diversity and pluralism, a focus integral to the sociological tradition. Through our application of the sociological imagination we contribute to a more comprehensive understanding of society and social change.