Student Spotlight

"I enjoy being able to apply my field of study to things I read about in the paper and hear about on the news," says Joe Chapman ('09) a Sociology major at Chapman University. In particular, he has been intrigued by the sociological understanding of how media communications function in American Society.

With a diverse faculty, Joe feels the Sociology major provides the opportunity to discuss pertinent issues with individuals from different backgrounds. One of Joe's favorite classes is Cultural Mythology with Dr. Apodaca, which explores the creation of myths across the world, and how they apply to the modern world. In addition, he has enjoyed his sociology courses focusing on criminology. After graduation, Joe plans on pursuing a teaching credential and earning his masters degree.

Student Spotlight

"What I like most about the Sociology department at Chapman is its small size and intimacy," states Erica Bender ('09). She also appreciates the department's diversity as well as their breadth of the faculty's respective fields of study. She comments that the faculty are not only "brilliant and fascinating" but also committed to learning.

Erica was motivated to become a Sociology major by the idea that reality is a social construction. Her studies at Chapman have been an enriching and transforming force in her life, challenging and shaping the way she understands the world around her. Through classes such as social inequality, Erica has been inspired to devote her life to changing the systematic barriers in society, working to improve the lives of others through social work, social policy, and/or original research.

Erica encourages students to study Sociology because it teaches the dynamics of social functioning on a personal, societal, national, and global level. "I will be forever grateful for my mentors in the Sociology department who helped me become the person I am today, and who will continue to shape the person I grow into tomorrow."