Sociology is a wide-ranging discipline of social science, which investigates the structure of society and the diversity of social activity in theory and practice. Sociology evolves alongside society, with its focus areas ranging from globalisation and societal structures to cultural practices and customs as well as intimate social relationships.
Sociology is one of the largest disciplines in the Faculty of Social Sciences, conducting diverse and topical research which is reflected in the teaching provided.
Graduates in sociology are experts capable of independently acquiring and analysing information on societal phenomena, as well as processing and utilising it in a range of duties. Sociology also trains students to apply critical thinking and challenge social truisms.
Demography
Demography is a fundamental social science that investigates change in the population, including births, deaths, immigration, emigration, marriages and common-law relationships as well as divorces. While these phenomena concern individuals and families, they also broadly affect societal structures on the population level. At the University of Helsinki, special emphasis is given to research topics in social demography, such as inequality associated with mortality and causes of death, education, social mobility, relationships between couples, and differences in wellbeing among population groups. At the University of Helsinki, demography is located at the Faculty of Social Sciences in the Master’s Programme in Social Research and the Doctoral Programme in Social Sciences.