Overview

Sociology is the study of the social lives of people, groups, and societies. Sociologists investigate the impact of social structures (e.g., gender, race, class, ethnicity) and institutions on human decisions, societies, and opportunities.

Criminology is the study of crime and delinquency and their prevention and control. The major in Criminology is an interdisciplinary program designed to provide students with a comprehensive understanding of the social control systems of a society.

The Library's sociology and criminology collections primarily support the research and instruction of sociology and criminology students and faculty. Resource selection and retention is largely driven by faculty research interests and the curriculum. Faculty selections and course readings are prioritized.

The Sociology and Criminology department at Villanova offers four undergraduate degrees: the major and minor in sociology, and the major and minor in criminology.
 

Departments/programs/subject areas supported

The main areas of interest in sociology at Villanova include sociological theory, social movements, social problems, race, gender, class, deviance, poverty/inequality, the family, socioogy of law, sociology of religion, sociology of social work, residential segregation, sociology of sport, political sociology, and medical sociology.

The main areas of interest in criminology at Villanova include criminological theory; criminal justice policies; the criminal justice system; the interactions of gender/race/class and criminological topics; the courts; mass incarceration/prisons and punishment; juvenile delinquency/juvenile justice; sociology of punishment; and economics and crime.
 

Resources Collected

NOTE: Electronic format is preferred for all Library holdings unless otherwise noted.

  • Scholarly monographs in electronic and print format (academic and trade press preferred)
  • Academic journals in electronic format (peer-reviewed preferred)
  • Academic databases in the social sciences, including full-text news resources from the non-mainstream press

Resources and materials collected selectively or by request:

  • Audiovisual materials
  • Academic journals in print format (only if electronic is unavailable)
  • Reference data, handbooks, dictionaries, and other material (electronic strongly preferred)
  • Conference proceedings (selectively)

Resources not collected:

  • Microform
  • Non-Villanova theses and dissertations
  • Ephemera
  • Preprints
  • Print government documents
  • Software manuals
  • Instructor’s materials
  • Juvenile works

Collaborations within the library

The Library's sociology and criminology collections support a range of disciplines outside the department including, but not limited to, Global Interdisciplinary Studies, Gender and Women's Studies, history, communication, business, and political science.

Subject Librarian

Nicole Daly

Date

Last revised: 8/1/2022