Sociology is the science of social action. Social action is often guided by norms, but deviations can also occur. These deviations can lead to conflicts, which may give rise to new norms. Through social action, the entire spectrum of human interaction emerges: flirting and chatting, friendships and rivalries, couples, families, clubs, networks, businesses, markets, political parties, states, religions, international organizations, societies, and more. Sociology studies these and other phenomena in their constant transformation and complex interconnections. To do so, it formulates theories to preserve knowledge and develops methods to gain valid findings about the social world. During your course of study, you will acquire all the essential theoretical and methodological fundamentals needed to work academically and apply sociological knowledge in practice.
The Department of Sociology at Goethe University is one of the largest of its kind in Germany. More than 20 professors and their teams teach and carry out research here. This ensures not only a broad and solid education in the fundamentals of the field but also a diverse and exciting range of topics addressing highly pressing current issues. Why do women earn less than men? Why are fewer and fewer citizens participating in elections? How can the integration of migrants be achieved? How do precarious jobs change the world of work? Are states at the mercy of global financial markets? How does climate change impact societies? What’s really happening on these social networks? And so much more …
Teaching and research at the Institute of Sociology are enriched through close cooperation with the Institute of Political Science, the Sigmund Freud Institute (SFI), the Institute for Social Research (IfS), the Cornelia Goethe Center for Women’s Studies and the Study of Gender Relations (CGC), the Institute for Economics, Employment, and Culture (IWAK), the Institute for Social-Ecological Research (ISOE), and the Center for Leadership and Behavior in Organizations (CLBO).