Sociology is the scientific study of the social behavior or social actions of human beings - a study that provides decision-making data for a wide range of institutions that require a deeper understanding of people and the things they do.

Sociology is also an adventure. It is exploring and comparing other cultures (Central America and the Middle East are specialties of Whitworth's sociology-department faculty), discovering the treasures of our own heritage, and working for progress and justice in the institutions around us. At Whitworth, sociology is also a joint effort by students and faculty, an exploration guided by a Christian view of what is important in our personal and social lives. The Whitworth Sociology Department emphasizes the development of sociological skills - seeing, analyzing and interpreting the events of human behavior at the individual, family, group, national and international levels.