Library Policy Statements

I. PROGRAM INFORMATION

The Department of Sociology is committed to three primary missions: high quality instruction at the undergraduate and graduate levels; research; and service. In research, the department's mission is to produce sociological research of high quality and originality, with particular emphasis on the societies of Asia, particularly East Asia, and the Pacific, including Hawaii.

The department offers the BA, MA (Plan A, thesis and Plan B, non-thesis), and PHD degrees. The department also offers the MA (non-thesis) in population studies and participates also in the graduate level, interdisciplinary certificate program in population studies. The department includes the Center on Aging, which offers an advanced certificate in gerontology. Four areas of special emphasis for graduate level training, research and service have been identified by the department: comparative and historical sociology of Asia and the Pacific; population studies; crime, law, and deviance; and, health and aging. Comparative sociology of Southeast Asia, especially the Philippines, is one of the areas proposed for future development.

As of January 1989, the department enrolled 225 undergraduate majors, 13 masters', and 30 PhD candidates. The faculty consists of 20 full-time members, in addition to seven affiliated faculty members.

II. COORDINATION OF COLLECTING RESPONSIBILITIES

Sociology is one of the core disciplines of the social sciences and it relies heavily on and uses materials, methodologies, and theories of the other social sciences.

The focus of comparative sociology relies on the area collections of Hawaii, the Pacific, and Asia. The East-West Center Population Institute houses one of the best collections of Asian and Pacific population materials, especially non-trade publications.

III. GUIDELINES TO MATERIALS COLLECTED OR EXCLUDED

Language:

English is the primary language of the collection. A limited number of current imprints in other western languages are selected by the faculty.

Chronological:

No limitations, but emphasis is on contemporary societies. Historical materials are sought for comparative historical sociology and historical demography.

Geographic:

The primary interest is in Asia, the Pacific, and the United States. There is less emphasis on other areas and selection is limited to instructional support materials.

Date of Publication:

No limitations.

Type/Format of Materials Collected:

Monographs, monographic series, journals, reference books, and primary sources are collected. Dissertations are acquired only on faculty request. Statistical sources, especially socio-economic data and methodology are collected. Government documents, especially those from the Department of Health and Human Services, Bureau of Vital Statistics, and Bureau of the Census, as well as publications of the United Nations and its affiliated organizations are of interest. Audio-visual materials illustrating various sociological phenomena are collected for instructional purposes.

Treatment:

No limitations. Material treating sociological, legal and political aspects of institutions are emphasized, as are materials on macrosociology (world systems, comparative and historical). Biographical and ethnographic aspects of immigrant groups are also obtained.

IV. SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS

Because of the cross-disciplinary nature of the subject, materials from other social science disciplines, as well as the humanities (e.g., religion, philosophy) and science (medicine) are required. Both qualitative and quantitative methodology are of interest to the faculty and students.

The Human Relations Area Files, on microfiche, is of limited use to the discipline.

The Center for Research Libraries supplements the Hamilton Library collection in the areas of newspapers, foreign dissertations, and primary source materials on microfilm. A published catalog of holdings is available.

Date Compiled: 4/90 Compiler: Shiro Saito