Department of Sociology
"Sociology faculty bring diverse theoretical perspective to their courses and use a wide variety of methodological strategies in their research and teaching."
- Based on the assumption that human beings are capable of inquiring and reflecting about themselves, “Sociology is the scientific study of human society and social behavior” (Ian Robertson 1987:3).
- Degree options are available in sociology, criminology, rural and environmental change, and, in the planning stages, inequality and social justice.
- To entice, here are some course titles: Race, Gender, and Class; Political Sociology; Criminology; Criminal Justice System; Sociology of the Family; Sociology of Alternative Religions; The Community; Rural Sociology; Society and Environment; Social Psychology; Population Problems.
Undergraduate Student Jeff Reoch
Jeff Reoch
Hometown: Sandpoint, Idaho
Degree Pursuing: B.A. Sociology, Option: Rural and Environmental Change; B.A. Minor, International Development Studies
Faculty Advisor: Professor Teresa Sobieszczyk
Position: Head Resident of Pantzer Hall
Jeff grew up in Sandpoint, Idaho, a town of 6,800 in the northern panhandle of Idaho on Lake Pend Oreille. Initially, he thought he would pursue an education in photojournalism. However, Jeff became increasingly interesting in sociology after taking Professor Lyn Macgregor’s Principles of Sociology course (Soc 110) his sophomore year and interning with one of the world’s largest media entertainment corporations in Orlando, Florida the summer before his junior year. Jeff was struck by the incredible potential such an organization has on influencing us and our culture. While he was living in Florida, Jeff also witnessed the effects of strong racial tensions between the people with whom he lived in company housing. He also met people who had been displaced from their homes in the lower ninth ward of New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina. Meeting these people and hearing their stories furthered Jeff’s interest in understanding the world through sociology.
During his junior year, Jeff decided to make the switch from majoring in journalism to sociology. He became more interested in global social issues after taking Professor Sobieszcyk’s course on population problems (Soc 355). Jeff then decided to add the Rural and Environmental Change option to his degree as well as the minor in International Development Studies. To further understand global systems, Jeff traveled to Vietnam and Cambodia before his senior year. During this service-learning trip sponsored by the Office of Civic Engagement, he toured social advocacy groups that dealt with child trafficking and HIV/AIDs issues in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), Vietnam as well as in Siem Reap, Cambodia.
During the school year, Jeff works for the Residence Life Office as the Head Resident of Pantzer Hall. He would like to eventually work abroad in socially responsible development and has always dreamed of living in Washington D.C. Jeff is also considering graduate studies in Social Work.
Undergraduate Student Katie Undem
Katie Undem
Hometown: Circle, Montana
Degrees Pursuing: B.A. Sociology, Options: Criminology; Rural and Environmental Change and B.A. Communication Studies, Option: Organizational Communication
Faculty Advisors & Mentors: Kathy Kuipers & Rebecca Richards
Having grown up on a farm and ranch outside of a town with less than 1,000 people, Katie has continually been involved in agriculture and rural life even after coming to Missoula. During the summers, Katie has worked as a Soil Conservationist Aide with the U.S. Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) and as an International Marketing Intern with the Montana Department of Agriculture. Currently, Katie is serving her fifth year on a national junior board of directors for the professional association for breed of cattle that she shows throughout the nation, the American Salers Junior Association, where she has served as director, secretary, and president. Katie continues to volunteer at her county fair back home and helps the local 4-H kids with their fair projects.
During her years at UM, Katie has served as Student-at-Large Representative for the Associated Students of UM (ASUM) and as a representative on the Scholarship and Financial Aid Committee. She has been a UM Peer Advisor and currently serves as Chair of the Advisory Board for the advising program. Katie has also served as scholarship officer for Lambda Pi Eta, the Communication Studies Honor Society and secretary for the Mortar Board Honor Society. In the fall, 2007, Katie became an undergraduate teaching assistant (preceptor) for Professor Richards’ Rural Sociology (Soc 346) course, in which she presented a final lecture on rural life back in her home town. Katie is planning to graduate in the spring, 2008 and is looking forward to pursuing a career in agricultural extension and community development.
Graduate Student Jeff Gutierrez
Jeff Gutierrez
Hometown: Riverside, California
Degree Pursuing: M.A. Sociology, Option: Rural and Environmental Change
Position: Teaching Assistant, Sociology
Supervisor: Professor Dan Doyle
Thesis Advisor: Professor Teresa Sobieszczyk
Research Project: “No Hay Guerra y No Hay Dinero: A Case Study of UCA Miratlor, Nicaragua”
Although Jeff grew up and attended college in a highly urban area, his interests concern rural, undeveloped areas. Jeff’s thesis research focuses on a union of agricultural cooperatives in the mountains of northern Nicaragua and attempts to assess their economic and ecological sustainability. In order to collect in-depth interview data, he visited Nicaragua in the summer of 2007 and developed ties with residents of two rural communities in the Estelí area of the country. In between travels, Jeff has served as a teaching assistant for courses in criminology (Soc 230) and classical social theory (Soc 455). Because he is interested in land use and resource protection, Jeff currently volunteers in program development for the Five Valleys Land Trust here in Missoula.
Graduate Student Sarah Puckett
Sarah Puckett
Hometown: Ryegate, Montana
Degree Pursuing: M.A. Sociology Option: Criminology
Position: Research Assistant, Social Sciences Research Laboratory (SSRL)
Supervisor: Chuck Harris
Thesis Advisor: Dr. Dan Doyle
Research Project: Sexual Encounters and Campus Safety Study
Sarah came to UM with an undergraduate degree in psychology and criminal justice from Gonzaga University in Spokane. Her enthusiasm and energy had an immediate effect on the department where she served as a teaching assistant her first year in Criminology, Sociology of Policing, and undergraduate Statistics. She is currently working as the research assistant for the Social Sciences Research Laboratory where she supervises lab assistants and coordinates the use of the computer labs. Her own research focuses on women and assaults and she presented her preliminary survey findings at the American Society of Criminology Conference in Atlanta in November 2007. Outside of graduate school, Sarah works as a referral technician in the Community Medical Emergency Room. In the summers, she joins other physically fit young adults working for the US Forest Service as a firefighter and line EMT. Her long-term plans include pursuing a PhD degree or a securing a position with the federal government as well as taking a trip to Europe or South America.
