This course contains the use of artificial intelligence.

Sociology is the science of the invisible — the study of forces, structures, and patterns that shape our lives without our awareness. This course covers the full sweep of classical and contemporary sociology, from the founding theories of Marx, Durkheim, and Weber through modern debates on inequality, deviance, culture, and power. Whether you are studying sociology for the first time or returning to deepen your understanding, this course provides the conceptual tools you need.

The first half builds your sociological foundation: how the discipline works, how societies are structured, how culture forms identity, how stratification reproduces inequality across generations, and how institutions exercise control. You will engage with major theoretical frameworks — functionalism, conflict theory, symbolic interactionism — and see how each illuminates different features of social life. Concrete examples drawn from work, family, education, digital life, and politics show sociology in action at every turn.

The second half extends into medical sociology, one of the discipline's most applied and rapidly growing fields. You will explore the social determinants of health, the politics of healthcare access, inequalities in illness and treatment, and the emerging frontiers of digital health, embodiment, and mental health sociology. By the end of this course, you will have a comprehensive sociological toolkit for analyzing nearly any social phenomenon you encounter in work or daily life.