Courses

Major theoretical models and research methodologies used by sociologists in examining the institutions of societies and the everyday lives of individuals. Topics include social stratification, ethnic relations, race, poverty, gender roles, the family, population, and urban/suburban communities. Study Area III

SOC 111 Social Problems

Conditions or patterns of behavior that are considered to be harmful to society or its members, about which it is considered that something should be done. Included as possible topics are sexism, physical and mental health, drug and alcohol abuse, inequality, discrimination, environmental problems and abuses of power. Study Area III.

SOC 210 Sociological Inquiry

Prereq. SOC 110. Majors Only. Exposes students to the sociological imagination, the link between theory and methods, how evidence is assembled to produce explanations of social phenomena, and the impact of sociological knowledge on public policy and culture.

SOC 212 Race, Class, and Gender

Sociological definition of race, and gender, at academic and experiential levels; the interrelationship of these social characteristics as they affect individual consciousness, group interaction, and access to institutional power and privileges in the United States. Study Area III

SOC 232 City and Suburban Life

Prereq. SOC 110. An examination of the development of preindustrial cities and how they differ from modern urban areas. Research on differences between suburban and urban life will be explored as well as contrasting lifestyles which coexist within urban areas. Post-World War II policies which helped to lead many of today’s problems will be identified and discussed.

SOC 232 The Family

The family in its social context, including cross-cultural perspectives and theories of family structure and change. The contemporary American family and its emerging alternatives will be studied, with special reference to the family life cycle, and current issues in family studies. Study Area III

SOC 234 The Social Construction of Self and Society

Prereq. SOC 110. Symbolic interactionism and social constructionist theories are used to explore the making of meanings and identities by methodologies used by sociologists in examining the institutions of societies and the everyday lives of individuals. Topics include social stratification, ethnic relations, race, poverty, gender roles, the family, population, and urban/suburban communities.

SOC 240 Sociology of Gender

Gender as biology, social learning, social organization and social structure. The gendered nature of friendships, sexuality, conversation, power and violence. Interpersonal/institutional sexism as it affects women and men. Issues of inequalities in work, education, politics, and health. Women’s and men’s movements. Study Area III

SOC 300 Sociological Theory

Prereq. SOC 210. Examines the work of Marx, Weber, Durkheim, Goffman, and selected other theorists. Discussion of theories within their historical context.

SOC 310 Research Methods

Prereq. SOC 210. Examines scientific method as used in sociology. Topics include inductive and deductive reasoning, quantitative and qualitative research designs, measurement, sampling, methods of data collection, and analysis strategies.

SOC 312 Class, Power, and Status

Prereq. SOC 110 and SOC 212. Examines theories and forms of class inequality and social stratification within society. Assesses the consequences of class and status inequality on prospects for social change, the degree of political influence, institutional structures,

SOC 322 Race and Ethnic Relations

Prereq. SOC 110 and SOC 212. Examines the social forces and structures that privilege one racial/ethnic group over another and the cultural dynamics that perpetuate and make these arrangements possible. Particular attention will be given to the historical and social construction of race and ethnicity.

SOC 332 The Sociology of Poverty

Prereq. SOC 110. Analysis of poverty conditions and their causes in historical and cross-cultural perspectives. Role of poor in the larger social system and on the way needs and potentialities of the poor are determined.

SOC 336 Deviance and Social Control

Prereq. SOC 110. Investigates the production and enforcement of the boundaries between social forms that are deemed normal, acceptable, good, healthy, moral, and/or natural and those that are considered deviant, bad, sick, evil and/or unnatural. Approaches the study of topics in deviance and control through an engagement with a number of theoretical and historical perspectives on deviance.

SOC 340 Aging in American Society

Prereq. SOC 110. Analysis of demographic changes, role shifts, age stereotyping, institutionalization and their implications for the treatment and status of the elderly. Exploration of the processes of aging in the later years, and the impact of the same on people's lives.

SOC 350 Gay and Lesbian Communities

Prereq. SOC 110. Examines the history and structure of American gay and lesbian communities. Questions the social forces that have contributed to the formation, growth and consequences of such communities. Topics such as the gay and lesbian identity are addressed.

SOC 400 Topics in Social Theory

Prereq. SOC 210 and SOC 300. Selected topics in social theory. May be repeated with different topics for up to 6 credits.

SOC 410 Quantitative Analysis

Prereq. SOC 310 and STAT 215. Analysis of quantitative data using computer applications to test hypotheses and to complete a research project.

SOC 411 Oral History for the Social Sciences

Prereq. SOC 310 or HIST 301 or ANTH 374. Examination of oral history as a social science methodological approach. Emphasis on the collection, transcription, analysis, archiving, indexing, and dissemination of primary data.

SOC 412 Qualitative Analysis

Prereq. SOC 310. Intensive exposure to participant observation, in-depth interviewing, and content analysis. Emphasis on the collection, coding, and interpretation of primary data. Additional focus on the ethics and politics of qualitative research designs.

SOC 422 Sociology of Immigration

Prereq. SOC 11o and 3 additional credits in Sociology. Explores the sociological dynamics of coming to the U.S. and changing this society. Includes issues such as undocumented immigration, the impact of immigration on the economy, and questions of assimilation.

SOC 425 Information, Images and Inequality

Prereq. SOC 110 and 3 additional credits in Sociology. Examines the new forms of property, value, social control, identity formation, social relations, and class inequities that have emerged with the information age and the electronic marketplace. Presents a political economy of virtual reality.

SOC 426 Sociology of Revolution

Prereq: Soc. 110 and 3 additional credits in Sociology. Examines major theoretical perspectives used by sociologists to interpret and explain revolutions. Emphasis on bourgeois, socialist, nationalist, populist, and post-modern revolutions.

SOC 427 American Poverty and Social Welfare

Prereq: Soc. 110. Overview of how poverty is measured and understood, and how it has changed over time. Explores the emergence and development of the American welfare state.

SOC 428 Globalization and Its Discontents

Prereq: Soc. 110. Exposes students to the political, cultural, and economic processes of globalization. The social consequences of globalization are examined, including its impact on the state, production, and the movement of people. Analyzes the emergence of the Global Justice movement as a response to global transformation.

SOC 429 Animals and Society

Prereq: Soc. 110. Using Symbolic Interaction as the main theoretical perspective, this course explores the social relationship between humans and animals and examines the social meanings that shape the role and status of animals in society.

SOC 430 Schools, Education and Society

Prereq. SOC 110 and 3 additional credits in Sociology. Examines the role of educational institutions with a particular focus on social processes that create, reproduce, or alleviate various social inequalities. Some of the following topics may be covered: relations between communities and schools; effects of government control and privatization; and interactions between individuals in schooling contexts

SOC 433 Independent Studies in Sociology

Prereq. Permission of instructor. Advanced study and projects in sociology of special interest to students under the supervision of one or more department members. May be taken for 1, 2, or 3 credits.

SOC 440 Death and Dying: Sociological Implications

Prereq. SOC 110. The different cultural, social and historical perspectives on death and their impact on social roles. The problems faced by the health care profession in meeting the needs of the terminally ill and the bereaved. Student will be required to have a field experience with a terminally ill patient.

SOC 444 Sport and Play in Society

Prereq. SOC 110 and 3 additional credits in Sociology. Examines the institution of sport from social, political, economic, and cultural perspectives. Substantive topics may include: sexism and racism in sport; sport and the mass media; deviance in sport; sport and social mobility; and the relationship of sport with religious, political and economic structures.

SOC 445 The Social Construction of Sexuality

Prereq. SOC 110 and 3 additional credits in Sociology or permission of instructor. Explores how sexuality is constructed in American culture in the 21st century. Criticizes common assumptions that naturalize sex and sexuality to investigate the complex and changing social contexts of sexualities.

SOC 450 Social Justice and Civil Society

Prereq. SOC 110. Examination of situational contexts, institutional structures, and cultural differences on social justice concerns in a civil society. Particular emphasis on distributive, procedural, interactive, and/or organizational justice. Analysis of criteria use to assess fairness and examination of responses to real and/or perceived injustices.

SOC 452 Organizations, Occupations, and Work

Prereq. SOC 110 and 3 additional credits in Sociology. Systematic study of large scale, bureaucratic organizations with emphasis on relations among the organization's members, the organization as a social entity, and its social and physical environment.

SOC 455 Men, Masculinity, & Manhood in American Society

Prereq. SOC110. Overview of Men’s Studies with an emphasis on the historical conceptualizations of masculinity and masculine identity and its social construction.

Special topics to be covered include men’s socialization; men and relationships, sex, and friendships; men and power/violence; fatherhood; and depictions of men in the mass media.

SOC 460 Social Movements and Collective Action

Prereq. SOC 110 and 3 additional credits in Sociology. Goals, composition, and impact of collective efforts to address an injustice or achieve social change are considered in historical and cultural context. Emphasis on recent American movements in opposition to government policies, established elites, and dominant cultural norms, which may include the Civil Rights Movement, the women’s movements, the peace movement, and the environmental movement.

SOC 478 Current Topics in Sociology

Prereq. SOC 110. Analysis and evaluation of special topics in the general field of sociology. Topics will vary from year to year. This is not a seminar. If topics differ, may be taken more than once.

SOC 482 The Social Experiences of HIV/AIDS

Prereq. SOC 110 and 3 additional credits in Sociology. Examines global and U.S. experiences of the HIV/AIDS epidemic from a sociological perspective. Explores the social forces that determine the social construction, distribution and experience of the epidemic. Considers the impact on, and response to the epidemic by, communities and cultures worldwide. Approved for International credit.

SOC 484 Sociology of Music

Prereq: Soc. 110. Examines the ways in which people use music to define social rituals, build collective identities, and make meaning of our everyday lives. Emphasizes how music relates to core sociological concepts, including norms, power, inequality, and social change.

SOC 485 Ads, Fads, and Consumer Culture

Prereq: Soc. 110. Examination of the socio-cultural causes and consequences of consumption and consumer behavior. Exploration of socially-constructed motives, meanings, and outcomes of shopping, with an emphasis on the role of advertising and market research industries.

SOC 490 Community Intern Experience

Prereq. Permission of Instructor. Sociology major with 2.70 GPA or higher and two letters of recommendation addressing academic ability and maturity. Taken concurrently with SOC 491. Assigned readings and research projects related to work assignment of SOC 491. The internship seminar is offered every spring semester.

SOC 491 Intern Seminar and Research

Prereq. Permission of Instructor. Sociology major with 2.70 GPA or higher and two letters of recommendation addressing academic ability and maturity. Taken concurrently with SOC 490. Assigned readings and research projects related to work assignment of SOC 490. The internship seminar is offered every spring semester.

SOC 495 Passages and Prospects

Prereq. 27 credits in Sociology or permission of department chair. This one-credit capstone seminar examines sociologists in American society and influence of the discipline on social policy. Student portfolio review explores academic achievements, sociological understanding, and career alternatives.