Program overview
Sociology may sound abstract, but it actually studies the things around us: Why is there a gap between the rich and the poor? How do social media change our relationships? How do urban communities form? In Chinese universities, sociology courses typically include Introduction to Sociology, Social Survey Methods, Social Statistics, Social Psychology, and China's Social Structure. You'll also learn how to design questionnaires, conduct interviews, and analyze big data. The core is to develop your ability to "see the essence through phenomena"—for example, a simple phenomenon like "food delivery riders" can be deconstructed by sociology into multiple layers: platform economy, labor rights, urban space, and the digital divide. Who is this program for? If you enjoy observing people, are curious about "why," aren't satisfied with surface-level answers, and even have a bit of a "nosy" desire to understand social issues, then sociology will be right up your alley. Chinese universities have unique strengths in sociology: for instance, Peking University, Tsinghua University, and Fudan University all have strong sociology departments, especially excelling in research on China's urbanization, family changes, and the social impact of the internet. Many courses will take you on field research, such as visiting urban villages, factories, or rural areas, allowing you to directly engage with real social scenarios.