Department of Sociology
Our department is recognized for excellence in research, teaching, and community outreach. We specialize in sociology and criminology with concentrations in Africana Studies, American Indian Studies, Women's and Gender Studies, Inequality, Research Methods, and a minor in Peace Studies.
NEWS AND STORIES SPOTLIGHT
Nicholas Copeland Uses Fulbright to Advance Food Sovereignty in Guatemala
Fields of snow peas encompass Guatemala’s mountainous landscape. Lush and green, these non-native crops are the manifestation of hours of labor by indigenous farmers, who grow the produce for export.
According to Nicholas Copeland, an assistant professor in the Virginia Tech Department of Sociology, farmers could sustain themselves, their communities, and urban populations in an ecologically sound way that works in harmony with their worldviews. Yet large landholders and multinational corporations maintain control of vast areas of land and waterways, impoverishing rural farmers and undermining their potential. View more Sociology stories.
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