SOC - Sociology

Open to all students. Credit by exam. Fundamental sociological perspectives, processes, concepts and issues. Overview of the study of social structure, social organization, social institutions, social interaction, inequality, culture and social change.

A systematic study of the institutional roots and social consequences of major social problems: poverty, the environment, inequality, crime and the quality of education and work and family life. Includes critical analysis of assumptions underlying popular and theoretical explanations of social problems as well as programs and policies aimed at alleviating them.

Prerequisite: SOC 101. An introduction to the sociological analysis of crime. Explores dominant theoretical perspectives on the causes of and responses to crime and criminal behavior, the definition and measurement of crime, inequalities in the criminal justice system and policies directed at crime.

Prerequisite: SOC 101 or SOWK 201. An examination of major theories and research about the causes of juvenile delinquency and various approaches to its control, prevention, and treatment: juvenile court, correctional agencies, community-based programs, and strategies for working with delinquent and at-risk youth.

Prerequisite: PSY 101 or SOC 101. A study of the social aspects of aging. This course explores the role of aged individuals within society and the influence society has on them. Topics include health, income, housing, family relationships, retirement, leisure and institutionalization.

Prerequisite: SOC 101. An examination of the roots and development of the most important classical thinkers in sociology. The major emphasis in the course will be on Marx, Durkheim and Weber.

Prerequisite: SOC 101 or permission of the instructor. An introduction to the basic research methods of the social sciences. Includes an examination of the logic underlying the scientific study of human behavior and the social world as well as the research designs and techniques, both quantitative and qualitative, commonly used in social research: experiments, surveys, content analysis, field research, historical-comparative research, and program evaluation.

Prerequisites: SOC 101 or permission of instructor and MATH 098 or Level IB placement on the Basic Math Skills Inventory. An introduction to the methods used to analyze and interpret quantitative social science data with an applied focus. Students will demonstrate effective communication of quantitative data by accessing, interpreting, and presenting results in written and visual forms. Students will become familiar with various data bases as well as apply their understanding of descriptive and inferential statistics.

Offered at the discretion of the department.

Prerequisite: SOC 101. An examination of the organization of social inequality in society. Major theoretical and research problems in the study of stratification; the forms and functions, characteristics, correlates and consequences of stratification; the distribution of wealth and power; and the relationship of social stratification to social mobility, ideology, and societal institutions.

Prerequisite: SOC 101 or permission of the instructor. An examination of how sexuality is constructed and regulated within a set of cultural and organizational arrangements. Emphasis is on examining the role of dominant paradigms embedded in U.S. institutions such as family, work, politics, military and religion.

Prerequisite: Completion of SOC 101 with a grade of C- or above. An examination of relevant concepts, issues, theories and research literature pertaining to a selected substantive area in sociology. May be repeated for credit as topics vary.

Prerequisite: Completion of SOC 101 with a grade of C- or above. An examination of how gender construction is reproduced throughout the criminal justice system. Sociological constructs such as gender socialization, gender roles, gender within institutions and gender related violence will provide the theoretical tools of analysis. Emphasis will be placed on the intersection of gender with race, ethnicity and class. Topics will include women and men as offenders, victims, and professionals in the criminal justice system. Special interest will include children of prisoners, juvenile delinquency among girls and non-traditional forms of female offending.

Prerequisite: SOC 101. A critical assessment of gender at both the individual and institutional level. Prominent gender theories and research methods will be compared, as will intersections of gender with race/ethnicity and class. Key institutions that may be analyzed include family, work, military, media, politics and religion.

Prerequisites: SOC 101 or SOWK 201 or permission of the instructor. An examination of current social scientific research and theory about different forms of addiction such as alcohol and other drugs, gambling, pornography, sex, food, and the internet. Students gain both a sociological understanding of addiction in its different forms as well as familiarity with current programs, policies, and social work practice models for addressing the problem of addiction.

Prerequisites: SOC 101. An analysis of social problems in a global context. The first part of the course focuses on the economic, political and cultural changes that produce changes between and within countries. The second part focuses on the problems associated with globalization, including poverty; disease; environmental degradation; terrorism and war; gender inequality, overpopulation; and environmental degradation.

A survey of the status and treatment of ethnic groups in the United States: patterns of dominant and subordinate relations; prejudice and discrimination, historical and current problems, demographic and social background, political and social policies.

Prerequisites: Junior or senior standing and permission of the course instructor. Assist with a sociology course at the 100 or 200 level. Teaching assistants attend all classes and may also lead discussions and review sessions, tutor students, assist with grading, show films, teach a class, and other tasks as assigned; they will also meet periodically with the instructor. Grading is on an S/U basis.

Prerequisite: SOC 101 or permission of the instructor. A social constructionist approach to explaining non-normative behavior and its consequences. Analysis includes contextual processes affecting definitions of deviance as well as individual and institutional social control responses. Topics include substance use, family violence, body modification, belief systems, sexuality, mental disorders, physical disabilities and suicide.

Prerequisites: 6 credits in sociology and permission of the instructor. Reading and/or research in a selected field of sociology.

An upper-level special topics course offered at the discretion of the department. The content and methods vary with the interest of students and faculty members.

Prerequisites: 12 hours of sociology and permission of the department. Participation in a social action, research, advocacy, human service or other organization related to student's interests and/or career goals. Site approval and components of each student's internship must be approved by and coordinated with the department faculty. Grading is on a satisfactory/unsatisfactory basis.

Prerequisites: SOC 101, SOC 259 and SOC 260. A capstone course required of all sociology majors which analyzes issues, debates and controversies in sociology.  The course also assists students in applying the knowledge and skills gained in the major towards a post-college career or graduate school.

Prerequisites: SOC 260 and SOC 261 or MATH 112 or PSY 211 or permission of the instructor. Advanced strategies and techniques of social science research, with particular attention to the design and conduct of research in applied settings: evaluation research, needs assessment, community-based research, policy analysis, developing grant proposals, and implications of research findings for social policy, programs, and advocacy.

Prerequisite: SOC 260 and SOC 261 or permission of the instructor. Students apply social science research skills in projects undertaken independently or in collaboration with local community agencies. Independent research and individual meetings with the instructor and/or agency staff are supplemented by a weekly one-hour class meeting devoted to topics such as using online research resources, writing a literature review, questionnaire development, focus groups, and reporting research results.

Prerequisite: By invitation of the department. The departmental honors paper is a two-semester senior-year program designed for students who wish to pursue intensive research or special projects in close coordination with faculty advisers. Departmental honors students are known as the Christine P. Tischer Scholars and receive 6 credits for this work.