About the Department of Sociology

The department covers many major dimensions of sociology and over time has developed academic expertise and excellence in the following research areas:

Asia, Pacific, and Hawaiʻi in Regional and Global Contexts

Reflecting our department’s longstanding research strengths in the sociology of Asia and the Pacific, our faculty conduct research on a wide range of substantive topics in Hawai'i, Australia, Japan, Indonesia, China, and Korea, often adopting transnational and comparative approaches.

Nationalism, Globalization, and Sustainability

UHM sociologists studying Nationalism, Globalization, and Sustainability explore the transformative power of global-local interconnectedness, as well as the transnational impact of this interconnectedness on political, cultural, environmental and organizational issues.

Health, Aging, and Medical Sociology

Medical sociology investigates the social causes and consequences of health, illness, and health care over the life course.

Race, Ethnicity, Gender, and Class

Faculty working in this research area examine how inequalities organized by categories of race, ethnicity, gender, and class are formed, maintained, and disrupted.

Crime, Law, and Social Control

UHM Sociologists studying crime, law, and social control examine the making, breaking, and enforcement of social norms and formal laws.