SOC 101 — Introduction to Sociology (3)

The course introduces sociology’s basic concepts, theories, research methods, and subfields, covering such topics as socialization, deviance and crime, family, economic inequality, cul­ture, gender, religion, and social movements. Students will come to understand the many ways in which people’s lives, including their own, are shaped by the social world, and the many ways in which human behavior and interaction serve to reinforce or challenge and reshape or social world. This course was previously listed as CORE 157.

SOC 197 — Global Social Problems (3)

This course surveys the major social, cultural, economic, political, and historical dynamics of pervasive and emerging social problems in our interconnected local, national, and global society. Together we will explore how and why certain social issues, processes, and outcomes are determined to be problematic for society; as well as why others are not seen or understood as problematic. Potential topics include global and local manifestations of inequality; demographic challenges of fertility, migration, and urbanization; global health systems and problems of access, cost, and chronic disease; the changing economics of food and water; ethnic and religious conflict; and environmental issues of pollution, desertification, and climate change.   This course was previously listed as SOC 212.

SOC 225 — Social Psychology (3)

This in an introductory course on sociological and psychological theories and research about human social behavior. As such, this course provides a broad but brief survey of various topics in social psychology followed by a detailed focus on a selection of key theoretical perspectives that currently dominate the study of self, identity, and interaction processes. Further discussion will center on current events and the impact of contemporary culture and social structure on the individual, social groups, and society at large. Cross-listed as PSYC 357. Prerequisites: PSYC 101 or SOC 101, or consent of the instructor.

SOC 251 — Probability and Statistics in Social Sciences (3)

This course provides an introduction to the methods of statistical analysis for social and behavioral sciences. The course familiarizes students with statistical analysis programs such as SPSS. Students will learn how to identify the appropriate test for various research designs and understand accepted standards and criteria for adequate sampling, generalization, and causation. Cross-listed with POL 321.

SOC 252 / SOC 252L — Research Methods in Social and Behavioral Science (4)

This course covers the procedures and techniques which social scientists use to describe, explain, and predict human behavior. Develops a critical understanding of research conclusions and basic research skills for conducting rigorous social science research. During the course, students complete an original research proposal. This course is offered as a 3-credit seminar paired with a 1-credit lab (4 credits total). Prerequisites: SOC 101 or consent of the instructor. This course was previously listed as SOC 261/SOC261L.

SOC 255 — Principles of Social Work (3)

A survey of Social Work that considers the religious, philosophical and historical foun­dations of the social welfare institution in American society. There is a special focus on the role of government in social work as well as the development of the profession. The course is designed to develop in students a commitment to social responsibility, as well as an enhanced awareness of the personal and professional values critical to a career in the field. An important part of this course involves service learning through volunteer work at a social work agency.

SOC 310 — Cultural Anthropology (3)

A comparative look across the cultures of the world, past and present, from very simple, subsistence level societies to the modern post-industrial societies of the 20th century. The origins and evolutionary courses of social institutions, such as marriage, kinship ties, war, religion, and government, will be considered.

SOC 312 — Dynamics of Population (3)

This course examines modern demography, also known as population studies, which studies population growth and change under a variety of conditions, including the causes and consequences of changes in birth rates, death rates, and migration patterns. Specific topics include the relationship between population trends and crime rates, economic development, and AIDS; the negative consequences of urban sprawl; issues of popula­tion control, food production, and use of natural resources; and policies and programs designed to address these issues. Cross-listed as ENST 312.

SOC 314 — Environmental Sociology

Human societies vary tremendously in how they interact with the natural environment, including how they define, use, and allocate natural resources, how social systems have been shaped by climate, space, and the presence of other species, how society’s members have viewed their role in local ecosystems, and the manner in which human activity has altered their habitat over time, both intentionally and unintentionally. In this course, we will explore the relationship between humans and the environment throughout history and across the globe, with particular attention to environmental justice issues, the emergence of environmental consciousness and cultures, and the interaction between environmental, economic, and social components of “sustainability.” Cross-listed as ENST 314.

SOC 333 — Criminology (3)

The origin, causes, and history of crime; sociological and social psychological theories dealing with crime prevention; programs for special treatment of crime; and study of institutions and rehabilitation. Cross-listed as CJ 333.

SOC 341 — Social Inequality (3)

The examination of social inequality is a central theme of sociology. This course examines patterns, processes, and trends in social inequality, including: the structure, meaning, and measures of social class in contemporary society; inequalities in education, health, legal, and other institutional contexts; local and global inequalities; intersecting inequalities of race, class, gender, sexuality, and other forms of social diversity. Prerequisites: SOC 101 or consent of the instructor. This course was previously listed as SOC 430.

SOC 343 — Minority Group Relations (3)

This course examines the significance of racial, ethnic and other minority group statuses in society. Topics include patterns of group relations such as assimilation and segregation; social sources of prejudice; sources and areas of discrimination, such as within education, employment, housing, and the criminal justice system; contemporary issues such as hate groups use of the Internet; and social responses to inequalities, such as the civil rights movement in the United States. This course was previously listed as SOC 253.

SOC 345 — Gender and Work (3)

This course examines the relationship between gender and work in the modern world. Topics include patterns of gender difference, patterns of gender inequality such as in pay and promotion, and the segregation of women and men into female-typed and male-typed occupations; causes of inequalities such as socialization and discrimination; and sources of change such as women’s movements, laws, and family strains. Students will critically analyze the relationship between gender and work under a variety of conditions, and may examine their own work experiences and plans in relation to topics covered in the course. Cross-listed as WMST 370. Prerequisites: SOC 101 or WMST 180, or consent of the instructor. This course was previously listed as SOC 370.

SOC 350 — Social Welfare Policy (3)

An examination of social welfare programs in various fields of practice, such as child welfare, mental health, juvenile corrections, income maintenance, and others. The politi­cal and economic factors that influence social policy and the provision of social services are studied, as are specific social problems and the services intended to address them. The course emphasizes the legitimate role and responsibility of government in providing efficient and humane ways of meeting human needs. An important part of this course involves service learning through volunteer work at a social work agency.

SOC 351 — Sociology of the Family (3)

This course examines families, marriages, and intimate relationships from a sociological point of view. It emphasizes how “family” has changed over time, how family forms vary across cultures, and ways in which families are affected by the inequalities of gender, race/ ethnicity, and class. Topics include dating and intimacy; parenting and child-care; divi­sions of power and labor in families; current issues such as sexual orientation, divorce, stepfamilies, teen childbirth, and family violence; and policies and programs that respond to these issues. Cross-listed as WMST 351.

SOC 354 — Urban Sociology (3)

An exploration of the modern city as an environment that both shapes and is shaped by human social behavior. More broadly, this course considers the role of space and place in all aspects of human interaction, from routine everyday behavior to larger arrangements of economic, political, and cultural power at the local, national, and global level. Prerequisites: SOC 101 or consent of the instructor.

SOC 355 — Sociology of Mental Health (3)

A survey of mental health issues, including the history of mental illness treatment (with special emphasis on precedents for today), its various diagnostic classifications, the types of interventions, and relevant agencies. There will be a special focus on government-supported agencies, including the role of community mental health centers. An important part of this course involves service learning through volunteer work at a social work agency.

SOC 360 — Child Welfare Services (3)

A survey of the child welfare system, including foster care, adoptions, child abuse and neglect, school social services, institutional care, and juvenile probation. To help focus the course on current issues, each student will investigate a child welfare agency and give an oral presentation. There will also be news analyses of current events related to child welfare. An important part of this course involves service learning through volunteer work at a social work agency.

SOC 367 — Sociology of Aging (3)

Exploration of aging as a biological, psychological, and sociological event. Emphasis on aging as a social problem and examination of problematic conditions such as health, finances, the transition into retirement, individual adaptation to aging, and the society’s current inconsistent responses to aging. Prerequisites: SOC 101 or consent of the instructor.

SOC 371 — Work and the Corporation (3)

The social history of labor, including the local unions and the Mollie Maguires. A history of labor theories from conservatism to liberalism and the development of collective bar­gaining. Questions of good management and bureaucracy will be investigated along with the quality of work, the improvement of work conditions, and questions of what is leisure.

SOC 372 — Religion and Society (3)

A study of religion from a sociological perspective into the meanings, sources, variations, and conflicts of religion; comparisons of sociological views of religion to theological, psychological, and anthropological perspectives; the role of religion in American social, political, and economic life. Prerequisites: SOC 101 or consent of the instructor.

SOC 373 — Juvenile Delinquency (3)

The sociological and social psychological factors involved in delinquent behavior. The material is considered within the framework of definition, extent, causation, and accountability, and the reaction to the problem of juvenile delinquency. Cross-listed as CJ 373. Prerequisites: SOC 101 or consent of the instructor.

SOC 380 — Current Social Movements (3)

Social movements are sources of tension which may signal unseen characteristics and possibilities within a social order. Crime prevention through neighborhood organizing and victims movements, the environmental movement, the civil rights movement, and the labor movement. Social movement theory, collective behavior (crowds, panics, mobs, contagion). The emergence, maintenance, and failure of social movements. Consideration of the skills needed for a successful movement.

SOC 403 — Urban and Community Studies (3)

A study of the content research, analysis, and implications in all stages of urban and community development. A historical survey will be presented as a means of examining the present sociological, political, and economic state of American communities. Special emphasis will be placed on the challenges confronting American cities, the growth and significance of the suburbs; and the role of small towns. Direct student participation in selected scholarly projects will be included. Cross-listed with HIST 403.

SOC 415 — Sociology of Media and Popular Culture (3)

This course examines various perspectives on the production and consumption of culture from a sociological perspective, with an emphasis on cultural objects and practices disseminated through the mass media. Topics considered include: structural features of media and culture industries; the impact of social structures and relations on media content; how culture is used to delineate boundaries between social groups, construct individual and group identities, perpetuate (or subvert) social inequalities, and shape social action; the social, political, and economic impacts of social media. Prerequisites: SOC 101 or consent of the instructor. 

SOC 425 — Sociological Theory (3)

An overview of the major sociological perspectives with an emphasis on the work of classical theorists such as Marx, Durkheim, Weber, and Simmel. This course is required for Sociology majors and is typically completed in the junior or senior year. Prerequisites: SOC 252 or consent of the instructor.

SOC 450 — Counseling Modalities in Justice Settings (3)

The course examines various counseling modalities and associated techniques in social justice settings. Topics include a description of practice environments in the fields of criminal justice, adult social services, child welfare, and juvenile justice, particularly with respect to the emergent community and restorative justice models.

SOC 470 — Deviant Behavior (3)

An analysis of the social creation of the deviant behavior as examined through the social processes of rule making, rule breaking, and social control. Particular emphasis is placed on the role of conventional values and the effects of societal labeling in the deviance process. Alternate lifestyles are objectively examined. Cross-listed as CJ 470.

SOC 489-492/494-496 — Special Topics in Sociology (3)

Offered on demand. An in-depth consideration of current topics in sociology not other­wise covered by other course offerings in the department.

SOC 497-498 — Supervised Individual Study (3)

The study of a contemporary topic or issue in the Sociology field under the direct super­vision of a faculty member. The student wishing to enroll in this course must submit a brief written proposal outlining the purpose of the study, endorsed by a faculty sponsor and by the Chairperson of the Department.

SOC 499 — Sociology Internship (3)

A full semester field experience designed to give the exceptional student the opportunity to acquire a knowledge of sociology in action. Placements can be in urban planning agencies, social service agencies, or research bureaus. Coupled with frequent field work, supervisory sessions and topical meetings will be arranged. Prerequisites: must have (1) completed 60 college credits, (1) have a minimum overall 2.25 G.P.A., (3) obtained the written approval of the academic advisor, (4) have incurred no serious student conduct violations, and (5) have successfully completed a pre-screening meeting with the Office of Career Planning.