SOC 100 - The Sociological Perspective
(3 hours)
Gen. Ed. SF
Core Curr. SB
Sociological insight into study of humans, society, and culture.
SOC 105 - Foundations of Social Justice
(3 hours)
Gen. Ed.
This course examines how principles of social justice are conceptualized in diverse communities and translated into strategies for social change. The course draws on multidisciplinary perspectives to examine how systems of inequality and oppression perpetuate past and present injustices, highlighting case studies of attempts to create a more just world. The course emphasizes experiential learning by connecting students with the resources, organizations, and communities that align with their own social justice commitments. Students will work on projects to amplify existing campus or community justice efforts, propose their own ideas, and discover how to integrate social justice into their unique academic and career goals.
SOC 111 - Contemporary Social Problems
(3 hours)
Gen. Ed.
Core Curr. SB
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.
SOC 240 - Research Methods
(3 hours)
Gen. Ed.
Core Curr. EL
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 SOC 111 or consent of instructor.
SOC 300 - Gender in Cross-Cultural Perspective
(3 hours)
Gen. Ed. NW
Core Curr. GP WC
Examines the construction of gender in societies around the world, concentrating on the way gender shapes and is shaped by power relations in these societies. Prerequisite: SOC 100 or SOC 111 or ANT 101; or consent of instructor.
SOC 308 - Immigration: People, Place and Power
(3 hours)
Gen. Ed.
Core Curr. MI,SB
This course examines the origins and outcomes of international immigration. Using perspectives and evidence from diverse fields in the social sciences and the humanities, we consider issues including the complex social and environmental factors that drive immigration; state, popular and media responses to immigration; and the effects of immigration, both for immigrants and for the nations they leave and enter.
SOC 310 - Sociology of Families
(3 hours)
Gen. Ed.
Examination of the notion of the U.S. American family from a sociological perspective. Focus on perceptions of the family throughout U.S. American history, in mass media, and in relation to public policy; the historical transformation of families; the diverse and changing aspects of families; and the impact of social change and problems on the families of U.S.A. Emphasis on how society and the economic system affect families.
SOC 311 - Families in Cross-Cultural Perspective
(3 hours)
Gen. Ed. NW
Core Curr. GP WC
Comparative study of family systems in societies around the world, with a focus on variation across cultures and times. Prerequisite: SOC 100 or SOC 111 or ANT 101, or consent of instructor.
SOC 312 - Social Inequality
(3 hours)
Gen. Ed. SF
Core Curr. SB
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.
SOC 313 - Race, Ethnicity, and Power
(3 hours)
Gen. Ed.
Core Curr. SB,WI
Analysis of dominant-minority group relations. The emergence and dynamic of racism. Exploration of the experience of various ethnic and "racial" groups. Prerequisite: SOC 100 or SOC 111, or consent of instructor.
SOC 313 - Race, Ethnicity, and Power
(3 hours)
Gen. Ed.
Core Curr. SB,WI
Analysis of dominant-minority group relations. The emergence and dynamic of racism. Exploration of the experience of various ethnic and "racial" groups. Prerequisite: SOC 100 or SOC 111, or consent of instructor.
SOC 313 - Race, Ethnicity, and Power
(3 hours)
Gen. Ed.
Core Curr. SB,WI
Analysis of dominant-minority group relations. The emergence and dynamic of racism. Exploration of the experience of various ethnic and "racial" groups. Prerequisite: SOC 100 or SOC 111, or consent of instructor.
SOC 315 - Gender and Society
(3 hours)
Gen. Ed. SF
Core Curr. SB
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 320 - Social Theory
(3 hours)
Gen. Ed.
Core Curr. WI
Review of sociology's major perspectives, from classic statements on social life to contemporary theories. Emphasis on the contributions of theorists of color, women, and non-Western scholars to the development of social thought. Application of sociological theories to contemporary problems and issues. Prerequisite: SOC Major, SOC Minor, or consent of Instructor.
SOC 322 - Self and Social Interaction
(3 hours)
Gen. Ed.
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 325 - Environmental Sociology
(3 hours)
Gen. Ed.
Core Curr. SB
This course introduces students to the social causes and consequences of environmental problems and the conflicting interests and power dynamics that make sustainable solutions difficult to find and implement. The course begins by examining a range of philosophical perspectives on the relationship between Humans and Nature, followed by a brief survey of the range and extent of current environmental crises. We will then focus on four macro-sociological causes of environmental harm worldwide: international development, modern agriculture, armed violence, and energy production. Special attention will be paid to the linkages between environmental harm and political and economic inequality.
SOC 326 - Sociology of Globalization
(3 hours)
Gen. Ed. SF
Core Curr. GP GS,SB
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 330 - Perspectives On Deviance
(3 hours)
Gen. Ed.
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 or SOC 111
SOC 331 - Correctional Policies and Society
(3 hours)
Gen. Ed.
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 or SOC 111.
SOC 332 - Juvenile Delinquency
(3 hours)
Gen. Ed.
Core Curr. MI
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 or SOC 111.
SOC 333 - Sociology of Violence
(3 hours)
Gen. Ed.
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 or SOC 111.
SOC 334 - Crime and Society
(3 hours)
Gen. Ed.
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 or SOC 111.
SOC 341 - Medical Sociology
(3 hours)
Gen. Ed.
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 or SOC 111, or ANT 101, or consent of instructor.
SOC 343 - Sociology of Mental Health
(3 hours)
Gen. Ed.
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 344 - Social Movements
(3 hours)
Gen. Ed.
In some contexts, social movements have been considered legitimate political actors; in others, treacherous and subversive. Always they constitute a potential threat to those in power. When do movements emerge and how are they organized? How and when can they successfully bring about social change? We will examine key aspects of social movement theory and practice against the backdrop of a number of important American and international movements that have emerged in the last half century, such as the American civil rights, women's, environmental, and anti-war movements of the 1960s and 70s, the current "Fight for 15" and Black Lives Matter movements, and the global justice, autonomist, and Occupy movements internationally. Prerequisite:
SOC 345 - People, Power, and Politics
(3 hours)
Gen. Ed.
This course will introduce students to major themes, concepts, and debates in political sociology. Focus is on the relations of power between the State and other collective actors in society (e.g. interest groups, political parties, social classes, and social movements), with an emphasis on key axes of contention in US politics today, such as: the political power of corporations; the separation of church and state; political parties, polarization, and congressional gridlock; the trade-off between liberty and equality in free market, socialist, and social democratic systems; taxation and the role of the State in addressing social inequality; and the tension between national security and civil/human rights. Prerequisite:
SOC 346 - Sociology of Education
(3 hours)
Gen. Ed.
Focus on the institution of education and its relationship to the broader society within which it is situated. Emphasis on the ways in which schools reproduce and challenge prevailing economic, social and political relationships; the link between schools and societal stratification; and sociological perspectives on contemporary educational reform. Prerequisite: SOC 100 or consent of instructor.
SOC 390 - Topics in Sociology
(3 hours)
Gen. Ed.
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. Prerequisite: SOC 100, SOC 101, or consent of instructor.
SOC 391 - Internship in Applied Sociology
(3 hours)
Gen. Ed.
Supervised work in applied settings; study of practical problems from the perspective of the discipline. Prerequisite: Prior arrangement, and consent of Instructor.
SOC 490 - Directed Readings
(1-3 hours)
Gen. Ed.
Special study on topics with faculty supervision. Prerequisite: Consent of instructor.
SOC 491 - Directed Research
(1-3 hours)
Gen. Ed.
Empirical research with faculty supervision. Prerequisite: 3.5 GPA in Sociology and consent of instructor.
SOC 492 - Advanced Research Colloquium
(1-3 hours)
Gen. Ed.
Students will synthesize and integrate perspectives from their sociology courses and apply these perspectives to the empirical investigation of real-world social problems. Prerequisite: 3.5 GPA in major, completion of SOC 240, completion of SOC 490 or 491, approved proposal, and consent of instructor.
