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Welcome to Berkeley Sociology

Berkeley’s Sociology Department is known around the world for its excellence in research and teaching. Our faculty advance cutting edge research and teach in most sociological specialities. Our PhDs are leaders in universities and research centers across the US and in many other countries. And our BAs populate the ranks of innumerable professions, bringing with them the skills and special perspective of Berkeley sociology. 

We are proud to make these contributions from the world’s leading public university. At Berkeley, we combine intellectual rigor with a commitment to public service through our research, teaching, and service on campus and beyond. 

For the past six decades, Berkeley’s Sociology Department has consistently been ranked among the world’s top sociology departments. Our graduate program is ranked #1 in the latest U.S. News and World Report, and our undergrad degree is currently the best in the US according to College Factual and features on Grad Reports’ Best College List 2020.

Faculty Spotlight
Kim Voss
Professor
Labor, social movements, inequality, higher education, political sociology, historical sociology
G Cristina Mora
Associate Professor
Culture, Race and Ethnicity, Organizations, Immigration, Religion
Armando Lara-Millan
Associate Professor
Economy & Society, Law, Medicine, Historical Sociology, Ethnography
In Memoriam
Albert Einstein (1941)
Albert Einstein (1941)
EMERITUS PROFESSOR

Prof. Einstein served graduate students as a model of prudence in remaining unfashionably true to the grand…

Faculty Publishing
For many Americans, participation in community organizations lays the groundwork for future political engagement. But how does this traditional model of civic life relate to the experie...

Civic Hopes and Political Realities

For many Americans, participation in community organizations lays the groundwork for future political engagement. But how does this traditional model of civic life relate to the experiences of today’s immigrants? Do community organizations help immigrants gain political influence in their neighborhoods and cities? Civic Hopes and Political Realities shows that while immigrant organizations play an important role in the lives of members, their impact is often compromised by political marginalization and a severe lack of resources. The volume brings t...
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Departmental Colloquium Series

Sanyu A. Mojola, "Death by Design: Producing Racial Health Inequality in the Shadow of the Capitol "

Monday January 27th, 2025 at 2:00 pm - 3:30 pm
Blumer Room - 402 Social Sciences Building & Via Zoom LIVE ONLY
Followed by a Reception at 3:30pm Room TBD

Abstract:

Why and how does racial health inequality persist and get reproduced? Throughout its history, Washington D.C., the capital of the United States, has had many of the nation’s worst epidemics, including maternal and infant mortality, homicide, heroin overdoses, and HIV/AIDS. And these epidemics have disproportionately affected African Americans. Starting from the city’s founding in the late 1700s until the present, and drawing from multiple sources, including archival and spatial material, Census, vital statistics and disease surveillance data, and life history and key informant interviews, this book illustrates how the city’s physical, social and policy design contributed to the production and reproduction of disproportionate death among African Americans.