Mission Statement
The mission of the Department of Sociology is to teach sociology students a specialized education within the broader liberal arts context of Otterbein College, using a variety of pedagogical techniques and collaborative learning in an effort to achieve the following:
- Familiarize students with the basic research achievements and research tools of sociology
- Familiarize students with the major theoretical orientations and debates in sociology
- Make available to students a choice of subject area courses so they may acquire special competence according to their career/graduate school plans and academic and intellectual interests
- Enable students to develop critical thinking skills, comparative analysis skills, and competence in oral, written and interpersonal communication
- Enable students to understand their own culture and to learn to appreciate other diverse cultures
- Contribute to building a community of lifelong learners responsive to the changing sociological needs of our society
