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 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.

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.

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 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.  

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.

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.

Offered at the discretion of the department.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Prerequisite: SOC 101 or SOC 215 or permission of the instructor. This course critically explores how race and ethnicity are socially constructed concepts and how these concepts manifest themselves in American society and our own personal lives. We will explore sociological principles that impact racial and ethnic relations and evaluate how racism, xenophobia, ethnocentrism, and discrimination have shaped experiences among all of us.

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 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.