Sociology Courses
SOC 100 - The Sociological Perspective
(3 hours)
Gen. Ed. SF
Sociological insight into study of humans, society, and culture.
SOC 211 - Contemporary Social Problems
(3 hours)
Sociological analysis of current social problems in the U.S.: poverty, racism, sexism, agism, medical care, the environment, population, urban disorganization, crime, juvenile delinquency, alcoholism, drug addiction, family disorganization, and mental illness. Use of different perspectives promotes a broad understanding of the study of social problems. Prerequisite: SOC 100 or consent of instructor.
SOC 240 - Research Methods
(3 hours)
Social research methods: research design and models of observation, including single subject and program evaluation, quantitative and qualitative methods, sampling techniques, questionnaire construction, types of surveys, measurement problems, and data analysis. Prerequisite: SOC 100 or consent of instructor.
SOC 300 - Cross-Cultural Perspectives On Gender
(3 hours)
Gen. Ed. NW
Examines the construction of gender in non-western societies, concentrating on the way gender shapes and is shaped by power relations in these societies. Prerequisite: SOC 100 or consent of instructor.
SOC 301 - Peoples and Cultures of the Non-Western World
(3 hours)
Gen. Ed. NW
Course examines modes of social organization and dimensions of culture worldwide. Students are introduced to the diversity of human cultures and to anthropological theories and methods through ethnographic examples drawn from a variety of non-Western cultures. The course focuses on processes and institutions of enculturation, including economic, kinship, religious, political, and aesthetic practices. It also examines cultural changes associated with globalization. Prerequisite: SOC 100 or consent of instructor.
SOC 302 - Sociology of Diversity
(3 hours)
Gen. Ed. CD
Analyzes nature, forms, and problems of social "diversity" with emphasis on patterns of difference and commonality, advantage, and disadvantage in the area of race, ethnicity, class, gender, sexuality, and physical disability. A particular focus will be on ways inequalities in wealth, education, employment, health, the criminal justice system, popular culture, and the political process are reproduced and challenged in contemporary societies. Prerequisite: SOC 100 or instructor consent.
SOC 310 - Sociology of the Family
(3 hours)
An examination of the American family, with two major areas of focus: the structural diversity of families within the U.S. and the ways in which family practices reflect, reproduce, or challenge society's norms, values, and modes of social organization. Prerequisites: SOC 100 or instructor consent.
SOC 311 - Comparative Family Systems
(3 hours)
Gen. Ed. NW
Comparative study of non-Western family systems, with a focus on cross-cultural differences and the potential conflicts of migration. Varying focus on families of Asia, Africa, and the Middle East. Prerequisite: SOC 100 or instructor consent.
SOC 312 - Social Inequality
(3 hours)
Gen. Ed. SF
Inequality in income, wealth, prestige, and power. Theories explaining roots of and changes in inequality. Emphasis on the U.S.; variations in the extent and forms of inequality across different nations. Prerequisite: SOC 100 or consent of instructor.
SOC 313 - Race, Ethnicity, and Power
(3 hours)
Gen. Ed. SF or CD
Analysis of dominant-minority group relations. The emergence and dynamic of racism. Exploration of the experience of various ethnic "racial" groups.
SOC 314 - Native Americans
(3 hours)
Gen. Ed. NW or CD
Socio-historical analysis of the experience of Native Americans spanning the last 500 years. Focus on a variety of stereotypes and misconceptions regarding native Americans.
SOC 315 - Gender and Society
(3 hours)
Gen. Ed. SF or CD
An examination of gender as a system of stratification, as a social construction, and as a system of meaning which changes trans-historically and differs cross-culturally. Focus on structural and interactional aspects of gender inequality, as well as the relationship between gender and other social hierarchies, including class, race, ethnicity, religion, and sexuality. Prerequisite: SOC 100 or instructor consent.
SOC 316 - Sociology of Work and Occupations
(3 hours)
The organization of work, occupational processes, and experiences of workers with a focus on the manufacturing industry and the impact of technology on the structure of work; the rise of the service sector; the emergence of temporary and contract work; professions and professionalization; workplace inequality; and the intersection of gender, family, and work. Prerequisite: SOC 100 or consent of instructor.
SOC 320 - Social Theory
(3 hours)
Development of contemporary social thought from its Euro- American past. Emphasis on contemporary social theory and its major strands in American sociology. Prerequisite: SOC 100 or consent of instructor.
SOC 321 - Individual and Society
(3 hours)
Gen. Ed. HP
Various philosophical conceptions of the relationship between the individual and social order; nature and status of individuality in the modern world. Emphasis on critical evaluation of influential systems of thought: Marxism, phenomenology, and critical theory. Prerequisite: junior standing or consent of instructor.
SOC 322 - Self and Social Interaction
(3 hours)
Focus on relationship between individuals and the broader society, the formation of personality, and group influences on human perception and behavior. Prerequisite: SOC 100 or instructor consent.
SOC 324 - Sociology of Religion
(3 hours)
Analysis of relationship between religion and social structures; emphasis on anthropological and social context of the origin of religion, and relationship of religion to contemporary industrial societies. Prerequisite: SOC 100 or consent of instructor.
SOC 325 - Science, Technology, and Modernity
(3 hours)
Gen. Ed. SF
Analysis of the impact of science and technology on society and culture, the promises and threats of the growth of science and technology, as well as the ethical and social issues raised by technological progress. Prerequisite: SOC 100 or consent of instructor.
SOC 326 - Sociology of Globalization
(3 hours)
Gen. Ed. SF
Analysis of the process of global integration and its impact on communities, social institutions, and culture. Emphasis on theories of social change and social conflict over the nature and pace of globalization and its impact on non-Western societies. Focus on social class, ethnicity, gender, media, religion, the environment, and social problems confronting non-Western Societies. Prerequisite: SOC 100 or consent of instructor.
SOC 331 - Correctional Policies and Society
(3 hours)
Analysis of theoretical and practical aspects of corrections, concepts of punishment and treatment, and their variations in practice. Includes analysis and evaluation of specific alternatives: prisons, probation, treatment centers, and sentencing. Prerequisite: SOC 100.
SOC 332 - Juvenile Delinquency
(3 hours)
Analysis of the nature and origin of juvenile delinquency within an historical and theoretical context with emphasis on causation of delinquency and evaluation of different responses to it. Prerequisite: SOC 100.
SOC 333 - Sociology of Violence
(3 hours)
Sociological analysis of the concept and nature of violence in a macro and micro setting, its various manifestations, and evaluation of responses to it. Prerequisite: SOC 100.
SOC 334 - Crime and Society
(3 hours)
Analysis of the concept and nature of crime, the relationship between social structures, social institutions, and crime with a focus on social forces and social controls involved in the creation of crime. Prerequisite: SOC 100.
SOC 340 - Urban Life and Culture
(3 hours)
Examination of past and present population trends within the United States including fertility, mortality, immigration, and urbanization. Application of classic and contemporary theoretical perspectives to current patterns of urban development, with an emphasis on the spatial structure of cities, the social and economic characteristics of urban populations, and the impact of structural environmental characteristics on perception and behavior. Discussion of current social issues associated with urban developments (e.g., poverty and discrimination) and their implications for urban policy and planning. Prerequisite: SOC 100.
SOC 341 - Medical Sociology
(3 hours)
Application of a critical perspective to the institution of medicine. Focus on epidemiology, the social construction of illness, and current healthcare trends. Prerequisite: SOC 100.
SOC 342 - Social Policy
(3 hours)
Focuses on the major institutions of social structure, such as education, family, government, healthcare, work, and the legal system. Investigates why social policies are developed, how social policy is implemented, and the direct and indirect effects of policy. Prerequisite: SOC 100 or consent of instructor.
SOC 343 - Sociology of Mental Health
(3 hours)
Emphasis on social, cultural, and political factors involved in the definition and control of mental illness. Topics include labeling theory, the impact of status characteristics and social relationships on levels of stress, and legal and ethical issues associated with current modes of treatment. Prerequisite: SOC 100 or consent of instructor.
SOC 390 - Topics in Sociology
(3 hours)
Topics of special interest which may vary each time course is offered. Topic stated in current Schedule of Classes. May be repeated under a different topic for maximum of 9 hrs. credit.
SOC 391 - Internship in Applied Sociology
(3 hours)
Supervised work in applied settings; study of practical problems from the perspective of the discipline. Prerequisites: prior arrangement, consent of Department Chair. SOC 391 is prerequisite for SOC 392.
SOC 392 - Internship in Applied Sociology
(3 hours)
Supervised work in applied settings; study of practical problems from the perspective of the discipline. Prerequisites: prior arrangement, consent of Department Chair. SOC 391 is prerequisite for SOC 392.
SOC 420 - Critical Theory
(3 hours)
Gen. Ed. HP
Analysis of major intellectual traditions in sociology with a focus on critiques of social and cultural forms of domination and analysis of types of emancipatory and life-style politics. Prerequisite: SOC 100 or consent of instructor.
SOC 421 - Culture, Identity, and Cyberspace
(3 hours)
The contemporary revolution in human interaction via computer. The social construction of virtual communities and the new culture, institutions, and norms emerging in the experience of cyberspace. New concepts of space, time, and social order; electronic subjectivity and anonymity; new representations of gender, race, and class; emergence of new languages of expression; and the revolutionary impact of hypertext and multimedia technologies on human thinking and learning. Prerequisite: junior/senior standing.
SOC 430 - Perspectives On Deviance
(3 hours)
Analysis of the concept and nature of deviance and its various forms, with emphasis on various theoretical perspectives on nature and causation of deviance. Prerequisite: SOC 100.
SOC 490 - Individual Study in Sociology
(1-3 hours)
Special study on topics with faculty supervision. For sociology majors; non-majors require approval of the Department Chair. Prerequisite: consent of Department Chair.
SOC 499 - Honors Colloquium
(3 hours)
Special study or projects with faculty supervision. Oral presentation. Prerequisite: 3.5 GPA in sociology and consent of Department Chair.
SOC 571 - Field Studies
(1-3 hours)
Individual research. Prerequisite: senior or graduate standing and consent of Department Chair.