SOC - Sociology

SOC 101, SOC 259, SOC 260 and SOC 261 must be completed with a grade of C- or above to fulfill the prerequisite for higher level courses.

SOC 101 Principles of 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.

Credits

3.0

Core

Social and Behavioral Analysis

Offered

Both Semesters

SOC 215 Social Problems

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.

Credits

3.0

Core

Social and Behavioral Analysis

Offered

Fall Semester

SOC 216 Criminology

Prerequisite: SOC 101 or SOC 215 or Permission of Instructor. 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.

Credits

3.0

Offered

Spring Semester

SOSW 217 Juvenile Delinquency and Juvenile Justice

Prerequisite: SOC 101 or SOC 215 or SOWK 201 or permission of the instructor. 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.

Credits

3.0

Offered

Fall Semester

PYSO 221 Social Gerontology

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.

Credits

3.0

Offered

Offered As Needed

SOC 259 Sociological Theory

Prerequisite: SOC 101 or SOC 215 or Permission of Instructor. An examination of classical and contemporary sociological theory including theorists that have been under-recognized but still influential in shaping the discipline. Issues, debates, and controversies in sociology will be explored as well as its contributions to the social sciences and society.  

Credits

3.0

Offered

Spring Semester

SOC 260 Methods of Social Research

Prerequisite: SOC 101 or SOC 215 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.

Credits

3.0

Offered

Fall Semester

SOC 261 Quantitative Methods for the Social Sciences

Prerequisites: SOC 101 or SOC 215 and MATH 098 or Level IB placement on the Basic Math Skills Inventory or permission of the instructor. 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 databases as well as apply their understanding of descriptive and inferential statistics.

Credits

3.0

Core

Computation/Quantitative Literacy

Offered

Spring Semester

SOC 263 Grant Writing & Community Based Research

Prerequisites: Completion of the English Composition and Social and Behavioral Analysis sections of the Core; or Permission of the Instructor
An introduction to grant writing and methods of community-based research that can be applied across the social sciences and practiced in a variety of human and social service settings. Students will develop grant writing and career exploration skills and at least one of the following areas based on their own academic or career interests: program evaluation, community-needs assessment and/or policy analysis.

Credits

3.0

Offered

Spring Term

SOC 299 Special Topics

Offered at the discretion of the department.

Credits

3.0

Offered

As needed

SOC 300 Social Inequality

Prerequisite: SOC 101 or SOC 215 or permission of the instructor. 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.

Credits

3.0

Offered

Spring Semester

SOC 308 Sociology of Sexuality

Prerequisite: SOC 101 or SOC 215 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.

Credits

3.0

Offered

Spring Semester (Even Years)

SOC 310 Topics in Sociology

Prerequisite: Completion of SOC 101 or SOC 215 with a grade of C- or above or permission of the instructor. 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.

Credits

3.0

Offered

Either Semester

SOC 310B Topics in Sociology: Gender and Crime

Prerequisite: Completion of SOC 101 or SOC 215 with a grade of C- or above or permission of the instructor. 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 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.

Credits

3.0

Offered

Either Semester

SOC 311 Sociology of Gender

Prerequisite: SOC 101 or SOC 215 or permission of the instructor. 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.

Credits

3.0

Offered

Fall Semester

SOSW 312 Addictions

Prerequisites: SOC 101 or SOC 215 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 and as familiarity with current programs, policies, and social work practice models for addressing addiction.

Credits

3.0

Offered

As Needed

SOC 318 Global Social Problems

Prerequisites: SOC 101 or SOC 215 or permission of the instructor. 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.

Credits

3.0

Core

Global Perspectives

Offered

Fall Semester

SOC 323 Ethnicity in the United States

Prerequisite: SOC 101 or SOC 215 or permission of the instructor. 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.

Credits

3.0

Offered

Spring Semester

SOC 335 Teaching Assistantship in Sociology

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.

Credits

2.0

Offered

Either Semester

SOC 353 Deviance and Social Control

Prerequisite: SOC 101 or SOC 215 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 and individual and institutional social control responses. Topics include substance use, family violence, body modification, belief systems, sexuality, mental disorders, physical disabilities and suicide.

Credits

3.0

Offered

As Needed

SOC 375 Independent Study

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

Credits

1.0 - 3.0

Offered

Both Semesters and Summer

SOC 397 Special Topics

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.

Credits

3.0

Offered

As needed

SOC 399 Internship

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.

Credits

3.0 - 15.0

Offered

Both Semesters and Summer

SOC 482 Practicum in Social Research

Prerequisite: SOC 260, SOC 261, and SOC 263; 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.

Credits

3.0

Offered

Spring Semester

SOC 499A Departmental Honors

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.

Credits

3.0

Offered

Both Semesters and/or Summer

SOC 499B Departmental Honors

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.

Credits

3.0

Offered

Both Semesters and/or Summer