1. About Sociology
Sociology attempts to understand life patterns of individuals with diverse characteristics who live in “society.” It also aims to explain various social phenomena and to seek ways to make society a better place. Therefore, sociology is one of the most basic studies in humanities and social sciences and is closely related with other disciplines. Many theories and methodologies employed in sociology are applied in other studies. In addition, the various assertions and implications from those studies are also implemented to develop sociological theories. Yonsei Sociology has three academic goals.

1) Sociology combines both theories and practices:
Although sociology emphasizes a theoretical approach to the society we live in, this theory is not separated from reality but continuously reconstructed through empirical research and analysis. That is, the purpose of sociology as a field of study is the systematic explanation of diverse social phenomena by investigating specific and practical problems that arise in various areas of our society.

2) Sociology pursues diversity:
We can say that another characteristic of sociology is diversity - individuals with diverse characteristics and different roles interacting within the larger matrix of society. “Diversity” also means democratic and egalitarian ways to look at society. It emphasizes interdisciplinary approaches with other academic fields because it seeks for multiple ways to resolve the problems through critical thinking and creative analysis on social phenomena and social problems.

3) Sociology emphasizes open-ended discussions and seeks better answers.
Yonsei Sociology values and appreciates communicative and collaborative discussions between professors and students as well as among students. We stress systematic observation for our undergraduate and graduate students to gain and obtain tools and methodology to understand various social phenomena. Through this process, we strive to build a creative culture of active discussions by overcoming the essential problems in our education system, - a one way street from professors to students as well as a monopoly of knowledge held by a small group of individuals. There is no one single best answer for the sociological questions, but we can try to find "better" answers.

2. The Department of Sociology
The Department of Sociology, since its establishment in 1972 in the College of Liberal Arts, has undergone many changes and developments during the past 30 years. From its humble beginnings in 1972 without any full-time professors, the Sociology Department has currently grown to accommodate 11 full-time professors as well as an estimate of 20 lecturers every semester. It has awarded Masters and Doctorate degrees to 350 people. Behind these numerical and qualitative accomplishments are the passion and dedication of the people who built and developed the Sociology Department throughout three decades of its history.

1) The Faculty
In 1973 Professors Byong Je Jon and Kye Choon Ahn were simultaneously appointed as full-time professors, and Professors Bok Song and Yong-Shin Park were appointed during the first and second semester of 1975 respectively. In the first semester of 1980 Professor Jae-sik Chong was appointed. In 1981, during the first semester, Professor Hae-joang Cho was appointed. In 1987 during the first semester Professors Yong-Hak Kim and Seok-Choon Lew were appointed as full-time professors. In 1990 Professor Jae-sik Chong moved back to Boston University and later, in the first semester of 1992, Professor Ho-Ki Kim was appointed. In the second semester of 1995 Professor Dong-No Kim was appointed and the number of full-time professors became nine. There have been very active recruitments of faculty members since the year 2000. In the year 2000, Professor Hyun Mee Kim was appointed. In the spring of 2001, Prof. Wang-Bae Kim joined the department. After that, Prof. Jun Han joined the department in the fall of 2002. Prof. Chan-Ung Park joined the department in the fall of 2003. The year 2005 added two new faculty members, Prof. Jaeyoun Won in the spring, and Prof. Yoosik Youm in the fall. Also, Yonsei Sociology initiated the Special Professor Exchange Program to invite well-known World-Class sociologists from all over the world since the second semester of 2000. They bring outstanding research and teaching credentials to the department. Finally, as of the year 2005, Prof. Byong Je Jon, Prof. Kye Choon Ahn, Prof. Bok Song and Prof. Yong-Shin Park retired, and now serve the department as professor emeriti.

2) The Present Output Status of Graduate School and College Graduates
a. Undergraduate
In 1972 the first 30 students were admitted to the Sociology Department. Up until 1978, 30 students were admitted to the Sociology Department each year. In 1979 the process of selecting students was changed and in 1979 and 1980 students admitted to the Liberal Arts College through respective departments could choose to major in Sociology and each department's student quota was 60. In 1981 only students admitted through the Sociology and Psychology Departments could choose Sociology as their major, and each department's student quota was increased to 90. From 1982 to 1984, due to the enactment of the Graduate Quota System, the student quota was increased to 104. The student quota gradually decreased thereafter and from 1985 to 1987 the quota was 88, and from 1988 to 1989 only 80 students were admitted. Since 1990, 70 students have been admitted each year. From the first semester of 2000, students with majors in Humanities and the School of Social Science have been selected within a 50% limit of each to become Sociology majors, 35 students from each school. However, in the year 2005, the department moved to the school of Social Science with the maximum of 70 undergraduate students.
b. Graduate
In 1976 the first graduate school course was established and in 1978 we had the first graduate with a Masters Degree. By the year 2005, 50 doctorate degrees and 300 master's degrees have been conferred.

3) Research and Publications
Our Sociology Department has published Yonsei Journal of Sociology, a collection of all the research materials that have accumulated since 1976. Yonsei Journal of Sociology has served an important role as an academic journal for professors in the Sociology Department, masters and doctorate degree students and fellow researchers to publish their research results. From the first publication in 1977 to 1994 there have been 14 issues. In March of 1992, with the Sociology Department as the major contributor, the 'Institute for Social Development Studies' was established as an affiliated department of the Liberal Arts College and also as an interdisciplinary research center between departments. The 'Institute for Social Development Studies' was established to do extensive research on not only on the current social problems that Korean society faces today, but also on problems that will undoubtedly arise as we aim and develop towards a future information society. The spirit of Yonsei Journal of Sociology has survived through Journal of Social Development Studies, a publication of the 'Institute for Social Development Studies,' which is quickly being acknowledged as a national academic journal. The full-time professors of the Sociology Department are currently working as the chief researchers at the 'Institute for Social Development Studies.'

4) The Culture of the Sociology Department
The Sociology Department prides itself on its 'communicative and collaborative culture,' which is difficult to discover in other colleges and departments in Korea. In order to achieve this, Yonsei sociology has several special events and occasions each year. There is a spring field trip for both undergraduate and graduate students for a 1 night, 2 day trip. In Graduate School, there are spring semester athletic competitions and the fall semester hiking trip. During these events, we try to broaden the range of communication channels between the students and professors. The Fall Hiking Trip has been a tradition of the Sociology Department since 1986. It has provided an opportunity for both the students and professors to escape the confinement of the campus together by hiking up a mountain while breathing in nature. Also during the Fall Hiking trip, graduate students have chances to raise many issues about their academic life and personal well-being at the department. Professors listen to their concerns and demands, and try to incorporate their ideas into departmental activities.

3. Concentration Fields
Yonsei Sociology selected four “concentration fields” to focus on because it is unrealistic and impossible to operate a program which covers all the possible areas of sociology with a limited number of faculty. These concentration fields are distinctively specialized by the research interests of our faculty members and reflect the future direction of the department. By setting up concentration fields, we try to avoid the unnecessary duplication of research subjects, and achieve synergy among the different specialization fields. This way, we can better prepare our undergraduate students for the demands of a global society and increase their marketability for job prospects. At present, the concentration fields are: Comparative Studies on East Asian Societies, Industrial Society and Labor Studies, Information Society Studies, and Cultural Studies. It is our goal to emphasize the unique characteristics of our department from others by strengthening the research and teaching credentials in these areas. In graduate school, most of the classes will be on these fields among which the students can choose their own sub-fields. In selecting graduate students, the interests of the persons in these fields are important factors.

1) Comparative Studies on East Asian Societies
There is growing need for ‘area specialists' in East Asia as the process of globalization intensifies. We emphasize on the balance between regional expertise and sociological theories in the East Asian region. Our interests in this part of the world not only derive from the prospects of East Asia becoming the center of the 21st century and China, with great potential for growth in the future, becoming a crucial factor in the world political system, but from the fact that it is the most direct and important unit of analysis in constructing a prospect for Korea's future in the coming era. Comparative East Asian studies with sociological research methods incorporate previous approaches based on both Western and traditional theories.

2) Industrial Society and Labor Studies
Although interest in industrial sociology was diminishing in the 1990s, the research on industry and labor must be continued because they still remain an important part of our daily life. The main subjects of interest in industrial sociology include industrial organization, labor-management relations, the labor process, wages, labor market, government and the labor policy, and labor movements. The industrial sociology we intend to specialize at Yonsei is based upon the need for research themes, differentiated from those of the Department of Business Administration. In other words, conventional business studies were limited to industrial sites, whereas today's labor studies should be analyzed considering the changes of ‘social context' or ‘cultural change' because a distinguishing feature of recent developments is that industrial changes progress simultaneously with other changes in society.

3) Information Society
We cannot deny the fact that at the center of today's rapid social changes lie new information technologies. As the information flow of society increases and social changes resulting from information technology accelerate, there naturally arises a desperate need for the re-examination of conventional research subjects as well as the development and pioneering of new areas of study. We often make a mistake of considering the information society or informatization as narrowly limited to ‘information and communications technology.' As it is already known, informatization or information society refers to the changes in overall society, beyond the matters limited to technology. In other words, it is a concept which embraces the changes of social relationships in corporations, families and nations as well as the changes of value systems and social and cultural ideas. Therefore, we aim to develop new perspectives and methodologies which will allow students to view the relationships between technology with various aspects of society, politics, economy, culture, philosophy, and ethics.

4) Cultural Studies
In sociology, it is extremely important to discuss critical issues of society such as gender & sexuality, new social movements & the transformation of identity, globalization & localization, the rush of new media, and changes in forms of time & space. A new effort to accelerate research and develop theoretical interests in these new areas is essential. Unlike other existing sociology faculties in Korean universities, Yonsei Sociology has provided systematic courses on cultural studies and related subjects, and is producing productive research publications in the fields of cultural anthropology and mass culture. In addition, from March 2001, the ‘Graduate Program in Culture and Gender Studies' was established, the first of its kind in Korea. It has produced professionals equipped with more profound knowledge in cultural studies. In this new course of study, we focus on accommodating the essential theoretical themes and findings which are presented in cultural studies. At the same time, we also concentrate on emphasizing the practicality of the knowledge obtained in humanities.
Cultural Studies focuses on cultural theories, cultural industry and gender studies as major subfields. It also intensifies the interaction among educational systems and is in preparation for cooperative studies between various research centers at Yonsei University.

4. A Program for Special Exchange of Faculties
In the 2nd semester of 2000, the Department of Sociology at Yonsei initated a 'Program for Special Exchange of Faculties.' Through this program, many well-known Korean and foreign sociologists are invited to Yonsei to bring their expertise for research and education. The main goal of this program is to devise cooperative research groups with world renowned scholars and the professors of Yonsei Sociology, and in the long run, promote exchange of students and researchers. The scholars who have taught at Yonsei soicology are as follows:
Fall 2000: Gilbert Rozman, Professor (Dept. of Sociology, Princeton University), Comparative studies in East Asia
Fall 2001: Kuan-Hsing Chen, Professor (Dept. of Foreign Languages and Literature, National Tsing Hua University, Taiwan), Cultural Studies/ Inter-Asia Cultural Studies.
Spring 2002: Jae-On Kim, Professor (Dept. of Sociology, The University of Iowa), Political Sociology, Social Inequality, and Quantitative Methods
Fall 2002: Hong Yung Lee, Professor (Dept. of Political Science, University of California at Berkeley), The Domestic Politics of China and Korea, and Political Economy and International Relations in East Asia
Spring 2003: Hagen Koo, Professor (Dept. of Sociology, University of Hawaii), Labor Politics, Political Economy of Korea and East Asia
Fall 2003-Spring 2004: Eui Hang Shin, Professor (Dept. of Sociology, University of South Carolina), Political Demography, Internal Migration, and Adaptation Process of Korean Immigrants in the U.S.
Fall 2004: Tejaswini Niranjanar, Director and Senior Fellow (The Centre for the Study of Culture and Society), Post-Coloninal Theory
Spring 2005-Fall 2005: Shin-Kap Han, Professor (Dept. of Sociology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign), Social Networks, Economic Sociology, Organizations, Korean Society (Historical/Contemporary)
Spring 2006: Hyo-Jung Kim, Professor (Dept. of Sociology, California State University), Social Movement, Sociological Theory
Spring 2007 - Fall 2007: Asanga Tilakaratne, (University of kelaniya, Srilanka), Sociology of Religion, Justice Theory, Social Philosophy