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About the Sociology & Anthropology Department

Department Mission

Sociology and Anthropology Faculty

The Sociology and Anthropology Department supports the University's goals of providing a liberal arts education for our students. We emphasize in our programs the ability to examine and understand an increasingly complex, diverse, and ever-changing world. We actively work with our students to apply sociological and anthropological perspectives towards the improvement of the human condition.

We are committed to:

  • Assisting students in crafting a personal academic plan towards the fulfillment of their intellectual and career goals.
  • Preparing students for post-graduation learning and work experiences through our teaching, via departmental projects and programs, and by providing students with individual support and mentoring.
  • Engaging in active scholarship through which we may practice and model our disciplines.
  • Maintaining a welcoming environment for all faculty members, staff, students, alumni, and friends.

Through our curricula:

  • We offer diverse courses, many without formal prerequisites, that make sociology and anthropology accessible, interesting, and useful to IWU students at all levels.
  • We challenge students to critically examine what it means to be prepared for democratic citizenship and life in a global society, and the ideals for which they stand.
  • We involve students in their own education by encouraging them to engage personally in research, analysis, writing, and experiential learning.
  • We provide the guidance and resources for students to undertake internships or volunteer work in the community, conduct independent research, work on honors projects, and present their work in professional settings.

Honor Society

Sociology and Anthropology share their honor society induction ceremony.

2018

Keynote Address

Keynote 2018 Ceremony

Sociology anthropology

2019

2019 Alpha Kappa Delta inductees:

2019 Induction Ceremony
Professor Courtney Irby and students Amanda Breeden, Amanda Wesche, and Olivia Causer

The 2019 inductees for Lambda Alpha were Kathryn Jefferson and Kayla Ranta.

2020

The ceremony for 2020 was originally scheduled for late March, but was canceled due to safety measures for COVID-19.  

Events

Fall 2020

As our campus community works together to lessen the spread of COVID-19, event occurrences have been reduced for the semester. However, we are still working to challenge and involve students as they pursue their studies in Sociology and Anthropology.

  • Virtual Sociology Grad School Alumni Panel
    September 16, 2020

Past Events

Spring 2020

Fall 2019

  • Information Literacy & Research in Sociology & Anthropology (Fact or Fiction series)
  • Adulting 101: Skills for Success
    Monday, September 30 at noon in SFH 201

  • "Rock and Rolls: Exploring Body Positivity at Girls Rock Camp"
    Monday October 28 at 4:00 p.m. in SFH 202

    The Sociology Research Colloquium hosted Trisha Lanae Crawshaw, Ph.D. Candidate at Southern Illinois University – Carbondale to give a talk titled "Rock and Rolls: Exploring Body Positivity at Girls Rock Camp."

  • Writing in Sociology & Anthropology
    November

Todd Fuist - Chair and Associate Professor of Sociology

Department - Sociology & Anthropology