Sociology is the study of social life and behavior, especially in relation to social systems, how they are organized, how they work, how they change through history, the consequences they produce, and their complex relation to people’s lives. The Cornell Sociology Department has long been highly regarded for theoretically driven empirical research. Our library collections reflect the importance of social theory and quantitative and qualitative research methodologies. The Department’s focus on basic science is complemented by a deep commitment to informing public and educational policy, particularly on issues related to gender and racial inequality, income inequality, poverty, drug use, economic development, school funding, organizational practices, and race and ethnicity.

The collection also reflects the different fields that are represented in the department including: comparative and historical analysis, computational sociology, culture, deviance and social control, economic sociology, education, family, gender, inequality, mathematical sociology, organizations, small groups research, political sociology, public policy and public opinion, race and ethnic relations, science and technology, social movements, social network analysis, rational choice scholarship, social movements, social psychology, immigration, and work and occupations.