Sociology (SOC) - Courses
Courses
SOC/RGS 105 Cr.3
Introduction to LGBT Studies
This course will examine the cultural, legal, and political dimensions of LGBT life in the U.S. It will begin by exploring the social invention of heterosexuality and how personal and institutional interpretations of sexuality have historically informed the lives of LGBT people. The course also addresses class, racial and gender biases that especially confront queer communities of color in the U.S. Finally, the course looks at continued instances of hate crimes and homophobia against the backdrop of rights-based activism and the role that art and politics play in this interplay. (Cross-listed with RGS/SOC; may only earn credit in one department.) Offered Annually.
+SOC 110 Cr.3
Introduction to Sociology
An analysis of the complex relationship between society, the individual and the physical environment. It examines such questions as: how social patterns develop and persist over time; how the individual is shaped by social, cultural and environmental factors; why societies are constantly changing; and how individuals, through social interaction, shape their social world. Cross-cultural comparisons will be emphasized, showing how society and the physical environment affect the life choices of individuals. Offered Annually.
+SOC 120 Cr.3
Social Problems
Social analysis, critical thinking, and problem solving are introduced as basic social science skills. These skills are applied to major contemporary social problems related to deviant behavior, social inequality, social change, and problems associated with major societal institutions. A variety of individual and collective responses and social policy strategies at local, national, and international levels are examined. Offered Fall, Spring.
+SOC/RGS 150 Cr.3
Introduction to Social Justice
Students in this course will examine the concept of social justice through an intersectional and multidisciplinary lens. Students will begin with a critical investigation of the connections between the individual, the local, and the structural as they relate to justice and inequality in society. Social justice strategies are then evaluated, in case study fashion, through the lenses of gender, race, and class structures. (Cross-listed with RGS/SOC; may only earn credit in one department.) Offered Annually.
SOC 200 Cr.3
Foundations of Sociological Analysis
Designed for sociology majors, this course focuses on: (1) learning to think sociologically, including deeper comprehension of core sociological perspectives and concepts; (2) understanding the scientific methods in sociology; (3) the formulation of sociological research questions; (4) the resources and skills needed to effectively write a critical literature review; and (5) professionalization including how to build a curriculum vitae/resume, careers in sociology, presenting at professional conferences, and applying to graduate school. Sociology majors should take this course as soon as possible after completing SOC 110, as the skills taught in this course will benefit students in their upper division sociology courses. Prerequisite: SOC 110; sociology major. Offered Annually.
SOC 201 Cr.1
Careers in Sociology
The types of jobs in which sociology majors can work and the marketable skills to get them will be explored. Students will be required to research careers of interest to them in terms of job descriptions, growth and income outlooks, and the skills required. Internships and current job opportunities will be investigated and resumes, cover letters and job applications will be developed. Prerequisite: SOC 110 or SOC 120 or SOC 202 or SOC 212 or SOC 225. Pass/Fail grading. Offered Annually.
+SOC 202 Cr.3
Contemporary Global Issues
This course will offer a contemporary multi-disciplinary perspective regarding the major issues and trends confronting the global society as it enters the 21st century. Emphasis will be given to a critical review and assessment of the origin and present condition of the plethora of situations and problems affecting modern global society. The student will also learn to critically evaluate current and future events. The course will incorporate the views and approaches of the following disciplines: anthropology, economics, geography, history, political science, and sociology. Students may only earn credit in one of the following: ANT 202, GEO 202, HIS 202, POL 202, SOC 202. Offered Annually.
SOC 212 Cr.3
Marriage and Family
The major focus of this course is on understanding the contemporary institutions of marriage and family, and the changes that these institutions have experienced. The influences that gender, race/ethnicity, sexuality, socioeconomic class and age have on marriage and family experiences will be included in the investigation. Offered Spring.
SOC 216 Cr.3
Society and Schools
A social analysis and review of research on the school as a learning environment, a social organization and a societal institution. Specific topics include classroom interaction, school social climate, social inequalities in the schools, and selected educational controversies. Offered Occasionally.
+SOC 225 Cr.3
Sociology of Race and Ethnicity
This course offers a critical examination of the social dynamics shaping race and ethnicity in the United States. Students will examine both historic and contemporary issues related to race and ethnicity including the social construction of race, sources of prejudice, institutional and individual-level discrimination, power relations and stratification, and strategies for addressing racial and ethnic inequality. Emphasis is placed on the use of empirical evidence to evaluate popular beliefs about race and ethnicity in the United States. Offered Annually.
SOC 240 Cr.3
The Sociology of Sport and Leisure
An investigation of the interrelationship between sports/leisure time activities and society's social structure; its institutions and culture. Special emphasis is on the role social structure plays in the formation of values and attitudes related to sports and leisure time activities. Offered Occasionally.
SOC 250 Cr.3
Methods of Social Research I
This course introduces students to principles and procedures for the quantitative measurement of social phenomena. It emphasizes interpretation and uses of quantitative techniques in sociological data analysis. The primary goal is to provide students with skills and practical application of techniques used to understand how sociologists measure, evaluate and use individual and social indicators such as socioeconomic status, residential segregation, and crime statistics. The department strongly encourages students to take SOC 200 and SOC 250 concurrently. Prerequisite: SOC 110; sociology major. Offered Annually.
SOC 303 Cr.3
Generations and Age in the Social World
This course focuses on the many ways that society and age interrelate, and emphasizes gerontology. It examines sociological perspectives on the life course, particularly how historical context, timing, linked lives, and agency shape socialization and life chances, from youth to old age, through birth cohorts (e.g., Millennials; Baby Boomers). Specific social factors we will examine include: the social meanings of age; socialization into an age group; age discrimination and stereotypes; media representations of age; macro-level demographic changes; and social issues, policies, and controversies relevant to age. Prerequisite: SOC 110 or SOC 120 or SOC 202 or PSY 100 or ANT 101. Offered Alternate Years.
SOC 308 Cr.3
Disability and Society
This course is intended to introduce students to the sociological study of disability. In this course, students will study sociological understandings of disability and explore the experiences of people with bodily and mental differences. The sociological study of disability examines the commonalities of social life that exist and persist, despite the presence of biological differences. Additionally, it encourages critical evaluation of the influence of social systems, institutions, professional understandings of disability, and our own assumptions about the disability experience on the well being of people with disabilities and members of their families. Students will examine disability through understandings of identity (personal and collective), inequalities, social movements, social experience, sexualities, gender, race, class, intersectionalities, and physical and mental variation. We will examine the ways in which people with bodily and mental differences construct personal and collective identities and develop, support, and maintain communities; the effects of stigma on experiences of disability; and how disability is constructed by the cultural and structural demands of global capitalist societies. We will also explore the ways in which the experience of disability and disability studies can be used to further sociological understandings and to reexamine and reconceptualize taken-for-granted ideas about social life and experience, the social structure, and sociological theories and methodology. Prerequisite: one of the following: SOC 110, SOC 120, SOC 202, SOC 212, SOC 225, RGS/SOC 150, ANT 101, ANT 102, PSY 100, or PSY 200. Offered Annually.
SOC 310 Cr.3
Social Stratification
The nature, study, theories and types of social stratification systems are examined along with the forces contributing to their maintenance and disruption. Prerequisite: SOC 110 or SOC 120 or SOC 202 or ANT 101. Offered Alternate Years.
SOC 311 Cr.3
Rural and Urban Communities
Basic sociological concepts and principles are applied to understand social life within rural and urban communities. Focus will be on the political economy, the culture, and social problems of people as they live in different types of communities. Prerequisite: SOC 110 or SOC 120 or SOC 202. Offered Every Third Semester.
SOC 313 Cr.3
Law and Society
This course examines the law as a social construction. This involves exploring the notion that the civil and criminal law, deviance and criminal behavior, and various actors in the legal and criminal justice arenas are not to be taken for granted as natural, inevitable, and objective but rather, as rooted in social and political forces. Thus, this course explores the historical development of the law, social change, inequalities in the application of the law, why we obey or fail to obey the law, and heavily debated contemporary US laws. Prerequisite: SOC 110 or SOC 120 or SOC 202 or ANT 101. Offered Annually.
SOC 315 Cr.3
Religion and Society
Explores the social and cultural context in which religion functions; the effects of religion upon behavior and attitudes; the social organization of denominations, sects, cults and movements; the relationships between religion and other social institutions; religion and social inequality; social change and the future of religion. Special attention is given to world religions and ethical and public policy issues concerning religion, society, and the individual. Prerequisite: SOC 110 or SOC 120 or SOC 202 or ANT 101. Offered Alternate Years.
SOC/RGS 316 Cr.3
Gender, Sexuality, and Social Change in Religion
This course examines the various gender roles, norms, mobility, restrictions and empowerment that people experience within religious traditions, for example: Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Hinduism and Buddhism. Global case studies and engaging narratives focused on the intersections of gender, sexuality, race, and religion will be considered. Special attention will be paid to feminist laypersons and religious leaders who are reformulating traditional understandings and practices, and in turn, negotiating their agency within secular and spiritual spaces. Prerequisite: one of the following: ERS 100, RGS 100, RGS 150, WGS 100, WGS 130, WGS 150, SOC 110, SOC 120, EDS 206. (Cross-listed with RGS/SOC; may only earn credit in one department.) Offered Occasionally.
SOC 317 Cr.3
Sociology of Media
This course will critically examine the relationship between media, culture and society. In this course, we examine the impact of media in society across multiple areas including the history and structure of media organizations, media economics, methods used in media research, the relationship between political power and the media, and the distinction between news and entertainment. We will give special attention to theoretical approaches used to examine media in each of these substantive areas. Multiple forms of media will be examined including printed presses, radio, television, electronic news, virtual and online communities, film and social networking platforms. Prerequisite: SOC 110 or SOC 120 or SOC 202 or ANT 101. Offered Occasionally.
SOC 318 Cr.3
Surveillance and Society
Surveillance is now a prominent feature in the contemporary, post-9/11 world. In this class we will explore the concept of surveillance, its development, and the various ways that surveillance exists within the social world. This will include an examination of how surveillance intersects with, and is used by, the government and law enforcement, corporations, institutions such as the economy and schools, and you. A major organizing question of the course is this: How is the practice of surveillance changing our social life and our notions of public and private spheres? Prerequisite: SOC 110 or SOC 120 or SOC 202. Offered Spring - Odd Numbered Years.
SOC 319 Cr.3
Sociology of City Life
This course explores the political, social, cultural, economic, and religious aspects of city life. The metropolis offers unique insight into highly fascinating and unusual social worlds where urban inhabitants explore their identities and push the boundaries of self exploration, transcendence, and identity formation. The city is the site of human creativity and struggle, lust and love, risk and adventure, fear and uncertainty, resistance and subversion, joy and triumph, and the endless possibility of self realization. Yet, the city has changed in crucial ways with an accelerated gentrification process, sharp increases in poverty and inequality, shocking violence, increased hyper segregation, rapid immigration, growing unemployment and heightened distrust in public officials. This class goes deep into the depths of city life to explore its many wonders. Prerequisite: SOC 110 or SOC 120 or SOC 202. Offered Every Third Semester.
SOC 320 Cr.3
Demography
This course is designed as a basic survey of the field of demography. Sources of population data will be explored along with causes and consequences of population growth, composition and distribution. This course will focus on the concepts, measurements, trends and theories of the major demographic processes of fertility, mortality and migration. Prerequisite: SOC 110 or SOC 120 or SOC 202 or ANT 101. Offered Alternate Years.
SOC 321 Cr.3
Delinquency
This course is an overview of the sociological study of delinquency, with special emphasis on competing theoretical perspectives. In the process of learning about theoretical perspectives aimed at explaining delinquency, this course will pay special attention to gender delinquency, gangs, current events regarding delinquency and the U.S. juvenile justice system. Prerequisite: SOC 110 or SOC 120 or SOC 202 or ANT 101. Offered Spring.
SOC 322 Cr.3
Criminology
This course provides an overview of the sociological study of crime in the United States, with a special emphasis on patterns of criminality, competing theoretical explanations of crime, and societal responses to crime. As part of the examination of crime in the U.S., the course explores the definitions, measurement, and patterns of various types of criminal behavior; theory and research on crime; the roles of the victim and offender and the implications of public policy. Specific crimes covered include homicide, hate/bias crime, assault, and white-collar crime. Prerequisite: SOC 110 or SOC 120 or SOC 202 or ANT 101. Offered Fall.
SOC 323 Cr.3
Corrections and Penology
This course provides an interdisciplinary review of criminal punishment and correctional systems in the U.S. This course examines dominant punishment philosophies such as deterrence, incapacitation, retribution and rehabilitation. Both institutional and community-based approaches to corrections are covered and particular attention is devoted to understanding the social context of current practices, the nature of correctional populations, and the management of correctional systems. Prerequisite: SOC 110 or SOC 120 or SOC 202 or ANT 101. Offered Spring.
SOC 324 Cr.3
Criminal Justice
This course provides an overview of the United States criminal justice system. Issues relating to various segments of the criminal justice system, such as the administration of justice, the police, courts, and correctional systems are explored. Prerequisite: SOC 110 or SOC 120 or SOC 202 or ANT 101. Offered Fall, Spring.
SOC 325 Cr.3
Sociology of Mental Illness
An examination of mental health and illness, and mental health care systems in the U.S. and other industrialized and non-industrialized societies, including: the processes involved in identifying and recruiting patients into the mental health care system; a social analysis of psychotherapy, including talk therapies, medications, electro-convulsive treatment and psychosurgery; and social organization of mental hospitals and of community mental health centers; socio-legal issues related to mental illness; and a review and synthesis of social psychological and sociological theories relevant to understanding mental health and illness. Prerequisite: SOC 110 or SOC 120 or SOC 202 or ANT 101 or PSY 100. Offered Fall.
SOC 326 Cr.3
Sociopharmacology
The study of the social structural factors related to drug use with emphasis on change at the societal level in dealing with the drug problem. This course examines the current and historical patterns of drug use in society. The emphasis will be on understanding the sequence of initiation, use, and misuse of psychoactive drugs. This course will focus on the social problems and social policy aspects of drugs. Question addressed include: How does society choose which drugs to treat as social problems? What are the potential versus real life effects of current laws and policies intended to curb drug use? What are the treatment and prevention strategies used today? What kinds of programs are successful and why? Prerequisite: SOC 110 or SOC 120 or SOC 202 or ANT 101. Offered Spring.
SOC 327 Cr.3
Victimology
This course provides an overview of the field of victimology. It covers the historical development of the study of crime victims, the causes and consequences of being victimized, as well as responses by the criminal justice system and social service agencies to crime victims. Specific types of victims and victimization are discussed within this context, including victims of sexual assault, domestic/intimate partner violence, child abuse, and property crime. Prerequisite: one of the following: SOC 110, SOC 120, RGS/SOC 150, SOC 225, PSY 100, or RGS 100. Offered Annually.
SOC 328 Cr.3
Environmental Sociology
This course provides a framework for understanding the relationship between human societies and their physical environment. This course will focus on how environmental sociologists explain the social origins of environmental degradation, how environmental harms are unequally distributed among different communities and nations, and the role of environmental movements in protecting the physical environment. Prerequisite: SOC 110 or SOC 120 or SOC 202 or ENV 201. Offered Spring.
SOC 330 Cr.3
Social Psychology
Social psychology from a sociological perspective. Primary attention is given to social behavior and communication patterns in terms of their genesis and change in the context of social groups and social relationships. Prerequisite: SOC 110 or SOC 120 or SOC 202 or ANT 101 or PSY 100. Students may only earn credit in SOC 330 or PSY 241. Offered Alternate Years.
SOC 331 Cr.3
Restorative Justice
This course explores the fundamental principles and practices of restorative justice along with its theoretical and historical underpinnings. This course explores the needs and roles of key stakeholders in the criminal justice system (victims, offenders, communities, and justice systems), along with the strengths and weaknesses of restorative justice techniques in addressing those needs. Centered on secular, western understandings of justice, crime, and harm, this course teaches a practical, applied approach to conflict resolution, emphasizing strategies such as collaborative resolutions, mediations, and arbitration. Prerequisite: one of the following: SOC 110, SOC 120, RGS/SOC 150, SOC 225, PSY 100, or RGS 100. Offered Annually.
SOC 332 Cr.3
Environmental Justice
Environmental Justice has two distinct meanings. The first refers to the study of how and why environmental problems are experienced differently according to race, gender, class, and nationality. The second describes a social movement that works to fight unequal access to clean, healthy environments and the services that they provide. This course will focus on both aspects of environmental justice, examining the social dynamics that lead to environmental harms being distributed unequally among different communities and nations as well as the role of the environmental justice movement in fighting environment inequalities and injustices. Prerequisite: SOC 110 or SOC 120 or SOC 202 or ENV 201. Offered Annually.
SOC 333 Cr.3
Human Rights Policing
This course focuses on how to apply human rights to the field of criminal justice, in particular, policing. The concept of human rights and its various meanings throughout time and place is analyzed. The course reviews the roles and functions of policing throughout human history, including its more sinister beginnings in the United States. This class challenges mainstream thought, orthodoxy, and voices of the powerful that dominate the fields of criminal justice. Students will move beyond the dominant discourse to better challenge structures of power, question the function of police in society, and scrutinize the age of mass incarceration. While the class offers a critical analysis of policing in society, it also explores alternative and creative solutions to the problems of policing in an increasingly precarious, but exciting, post-modern age. Students will have the opportunity to analyze and evaluate first-hand accounts of police officers applying human rights while in the line of duty. In the end, budding criminal justice professionals, including future police officers, will learn to apply human rights to their careers. Prerequisite: SOC 110 or SOC 120 or SOC 202 or ANT 101. Offered Spring - Even Numbered Years.
SOC 335 Cr.3
Collective Behavior
A systematic study of social processes which emerge in unstructured social situations; principles of behavior as expressed in crowds, mobs, panics, fads, fashions, social movements, personal organization and behavior in unstructured social situations. Prerequisite: SOC 110 or SOC 120 or SOC 202 or ANT 101. Offered Alternate Years.
SOC/RGS 337 Cr.3
Globalization, Women, and Work
This course examines the global and often exploitative experiences of women, migrating from one part of the world to another for work. As women leave their countries of origin, many find themselves working as nannies, sex workers, house cleaners and modern-day slaves in sweatshops. These work environments often create vulnerability, discrimination, and abuse of women within the private and public institutions of their host countries. The course will also use in-depth personal narratives and a focus on grassroots social movements to witness how women resist workplace policies and domestic laws to campaign for their rights, despite cultural and political constraints. Prerequisite: one of the following: ERS 100, RGS 100, RGS 150, WGS 100, WGS 130, WGS 150, EDS 206. (Cross-listed with RGS/SOC; may only earn credit in one department.) Offered Alternate Years.
SOC 338 Cr.3
Sociological Aspects of Work and Life
This course will explore the sociological impact of work and life demands in contemporary American society. Special emphasis will be given to how gender, sexual orientation, social class, race and ethnicity, and family structure affect individuals' ability to balance the demands of work and life. Prerequisite: SOC 110 or SOC 120 or SOC 202 or ANT 101. Offered Occasionally.
SOC 345 Cr.3
Race, Gender, and Crime
This course provides an examination of race and gender and the roles they play in victimization, offending, and the profession of criminal justice. This course will explore contemporary criminal justice issues, criminological theory, and criminal justice policy, particularly as they relate to racial and ethnic minorities, women, and LGBTQ+ people. Additionally, this course will explore the intersections of these social statuses as they relate to key issues in the criminal justice system. Prerequisite: one of the following: SOC 110, SOC 120, RGS/SOC 150, SOC 225, PSY 100, or RGS 100. Offered Fall.
SOC 350 Cr.3
Methods of Social Research II
An overview of the issues and methods involved in the process of scientific investigation of social phenomena. The limitations of, and ethical issues involved in, social research are examined. Data collection methods, both quantitative and qualitative, including surveys, observation, and secondary data analysis are investigated. Students propose and complete a research project, applying material learned in Sociological Research Methods I, including student application of various research techniques and computer-assisted data analysis. Prerequisite: SOC 200, SOC 250. Offered Fall, Spring.
SOC/RGS 363 Cr.3
Indigenous Peoples and the Environment
This course introduces students to Indigenous environmental issues. Topics include Western versus Indigenous perspectives on the environment, global distribution of environmental harms and hazards, Indigenous-led movements for environmental justice, toxic and nuclear waste disposal on Indigenous lands, mining and hydroelectric dams, public lands management systems, and sacred sites. Special attention is given to similarities and differences between Indigenous environmental issues globally versus in North America. (Cross-listed with RGS/SOC; may only earn credit in one department.) Offered Occasionally.
SOC 369 Cr.3
Sociology of Sexualities
This course uses a sociological perspective to examine human sexuality. Although biological explanations are often used to understand sexuality, this course will focus on how sexual attitudes and behaviors are shaped by society. We will focus on the methodological and theoretical approaches that are used in sociological studies of sexuality. This will include a brief overview of historical perspectives on sexuality; as well as contemporary debates about sexual identity; sexual practices and behavior; and how sexuality relates to issues of power and politics, of morality and social control. Prerequisite: SOC 110 or SOC 120 or SOC 202 or RGS 100 or ANT 101. Offered Alternate Years.
SOC 370 Cr.3
Sociology of Gender
This course explores the social construction, variation and consequences of gender categories across time and space. It also examines how gender identities are developed and how gender structures our experiences in education, work, families, the media and other institutions. Prerequisite: one of the following: SOC 110, SOC 120, SOC 202, SOC 212, SOC 225, RGS 100, RGS/SOC 105, or RGS/SOC 150. Offered Alternate Years.
SOC 380 Cr.3
Fat Studies and Body Politics
The purpose of this course is to explore the social construction, medicalization, and pathologization of fat in the United States. Fat will be examined as a social justice issue that intersects with race, class, gender, sexuality, and ability status. This course will explore the body politics behind attempts to redefine fat identity, including body positive and fat positive movements. This course will also examine fat activism as a means of addressing fatphobia and size discrimination. Emphasis will be placed on the use of historical and empirical evidence to evaluate common myths about fat bodies. Prerequisite: one of the following: RGS/SOC 105, SOC 110, SOC 120, RGS/SOC 150, SOC 202, ANT 195, ANT 202, ANT 212, ERS 100, PSY 100, or RGS 100. Offered Annually.
SOC 390 Cr.3
Sociological Theory
Sociological theory is a lens that is constructed based on detailed examinations of the world around us, and then used for viewing, studying, and understanding the social world in which we live. Beginning with early attempts to explain society, this course provides a critical survey of social theory and theorists over time, and traces the themes of sociological inquiry into the modern era. Theories covering society, groups, interactions and the human self will be summarized, explored, compared, contrasted, and, most important, applied to help better understand contemporary social conditions and life in modern societies. Prerequisite: SOC 200. Offered Fall, Spring.
SOC 399 Cr.3
Special Topics in Sociology
Investigation of areas and topics of current sociological interest not covered in the regular curriculum ranging from local to transnational issues. Repeatable for credit - maximum 12. Offered Occasionally.
SOC 404 Cr.3
Global Inequality
This course explores explanations for inequality between countries. Macro-sociological theories and comparative methods are used to analyze cross-cultural and cross-national differences and similarities in basic institutions, including family, education, and political economy. The main course objective is that students develop an understanding of the consequences of living in a world of global inequality. Prerequisite: SOC 110 or SOC 120 or SOC 202 or ANT 101 or ANT 202. Offered Every Third Semester.
SOC 405 Cr.3
Quantitative Social Research Seminar
This course guides students through the completion of an independent quantitative sociological research project. Students conduct research on a topic related to their own interest within the field of sociology using standard quantitative methods such as survey research, evaluation research, or secondary data analysis. Each student formulates a sociologically relevant research hypothesis, designs the appropriate research methodology, reviews relevant theoretical and empirical literature, and gathers and analyzes data in a step-by-step process. The results of the research process are presented in a formal research paper. Prerequisite: SOC 350; SOC 390. Offered Annually.
SOC 409 Cr.1-3
Readings and Research in Sociology
Directed readings or research under the supervision of an instructor. Repeatable for credit - maximum six. Prerequisite: junior standing. Consent of instructor. Offered Fall, Spring.
SOC 410 Cr.3
Sociology Honors Project
The development and completion of an honors research project under the supervision of a faculty member. Prerequisite: acceptance into the Sociology Honors Program. Consent of department. Offered Annually.
SOC 414 Cr.3
Policy and Society
This course offers a critical analysis of social policy development and impacts in the United States today. Students will apply sociological theories to explain how demographic changes, collective behavior and other social changes converged to allow specific social policies to be designed, proposed and implemented. Students will also examine the impacts of such policies on the various social groups directly and indirectly affected and compare policies in the U.S. to similar policies in other countries. Social policies such as welfare reform, Social Security and federal agricultural policies are among the topics prospectively covered in this course. Prerequisite: SOC 110 or SOC 120 or ANT 101 or ANT/SOC 202; junior standing recommended. Offered Every Third Semester.
SOC 416 Cr.3
Qualitative Explorations
This course is designed to familiarize students with the major techniques of qualitative data collection and analysis used by sociologists and other social scientists. These include feminist methods, participant observation, in-depth interviewing, biographical methods, content analysis, archival research, and a variety of nonreactive techniques. This course will also address the links among theory, data, and methods and provide an appreciation for the qualitative tradition in social sciences. Students will learn how to conduct field research. The course will follow a seminar format emphasizing reading, group discussion, in- and out- of class exercises, oral presentations, original research and writing. Prerequisite: SOC 350; SOC 390. Offered Annually.
SOC 420 Cr.3
Health Care and Illness
This course introduces students to the social, political, and economic context of health and illness in society. The course is divided into four parts. First, we focus on social factors of illness, with a particular focus on the role of inequality in shaping health risks. We will discuss how we measure and quantify mortality and morbidity and the effect of social context. In the second part of the semester we focus on the meaning and experience of illness, with a particular focus on how different kinds of social deviance become categorized as medical, criminal, or personal issues in different societies and at different times. Next the course will focus on health systems and technologies, especially the political and economic configurations of health care provision in different countries. Finally, the course will consider the role of health professionals and issues of bioethics. Prerequisite: SOC 110 or SOC 120 or SOC 202 or ANT 101. Offered Fall.
SOC 421 Cr.3
Sociology of Intersectionality and Queer Studies
The term "intersectionality" has become prominently used on social media, in activists spaces, in academic works, and recently as buzzword in corporate America. In this course we will investigate intersectionality as an analytic tool and theoretical framework to examine the complex manner in which privilege and oppressive forms are interconnected. This course explores the intersections of social and political identities related to gender, sexuality, race, class, ethnicity, indigeneity, age, ability, culture, nation, and other forms of difference. Furthermore, we will explore new considerations for sociology along side intersectionality, such as Queer Theory, Quare Studies, Trans Studies, and Crip Theory. This is an interdisciplinary sociology course in which we will contend with contemporary contributions made by scholars across the social sciences, humanities, and natural sciences. This course will explore the following questions: How are marginalized identities constructed in the social world and within the context of institutions such as schools, hospitals, and prisons? How are individual identities intersectionally informed, specifically as it pertains to the experiences of people of color, LGBTQ+ people, women, and disabled people? What does intersectionality mean in an increasingly globalized world? What does it mean in the context of one's career trajectory? How do social movements and activists take up intersectionality? And where and how do intersectionality, critical race, and queer theory converge and diverge? Prerequisite: one of the following: SOC 110, SOC 120, SOC 225, RGS 100, RGS/SOC 105, or RGS/SOC 150. Offered Alternate Years.
SOC/PSY 422 Cr.3
Death, Dying, and Bereavement
In this course, students explore the psychological and social dimensions of death, dying and bereavement, including the ways in which individual factors, intersectionality, family, community, society, culture and policies influence how we live, die and grieve. An emphasis is placed on identifying one's own values as they relate to topics within death and dying. Topics are explored throughout the life-course, from theoretical, research and practical perspectives. Prerequisite: PSY 100 or SOC 110 or SOC 120 or ANT 101 or gerontology certificate; junior standing. (Cross-listed with PSY/SOC; may only earn credit in one department.) Offered Annually.
SOC 429 Cr.3
Sociology of Deviance
This course provides an overview of the sociological study of deviance. Various definitions of deviance are examined within the context of individuals, behaviors, and groups who are considered deviants as well as those who apply the deviant labels. The course explores a variety of theoretical perspectives of deviance and social construction of deviance, the enforcement of social norms, and the social control systems that are established to respond to deviance. A variety of forms of deviance are covered, including: mental illness, drug and alcohol use, sexual deviance, and suicide. Prerequisite: SOC 110 or SOC 120 or SOC 202 or ANT 101. Offered Spring.
SOC 450 Cr.1-15
Internship in Sociology
An academically relevant field experience for majors and minors in sociology. The field experience will be supervised by the sociology staff. No more than six credits may be applied to a major in sociology and no more than three credits toward sociology minor. Repeatable for credit - maximum 15. Prerequisite: SOC 110; junior standing: cumulative GPA of at least 2.50. Consent of instructor. Pass/Fail grading. Offered Annually.
SOC 451 Cr.1-15
Internship in Criminal Justice
An academically relevant field experience for minors in criminal justice. Repeatable for credit - maximum 15. Prerequisite: SOC 324; junior standing; criminal justice minor. Pass/Fail grading. Offered Annually.
SOC 485 Cr.1-2
Research Apprenticeship in Sociology
The student will assist a faculty member in any phase of the research process including literature searches, research design, data gathering and data analysis. Repeatable for credit - maximum four. Prerequisite: SOC 200, SOC 250. Consent of instructor. Pass/Fail grading. Offered Fall, Spring.
SOC 486 Cr.1-2
Teaching Apprenticeship in Sociology
This course provides preparation and experience in a variety of instructional practices, strategies, and techniques. Students study theory and research on teaching and practice teaching skills under the guidance of faculty members. Repeatable for credit - maximum four. Prerequisite: SOC 200, SOC 250; junior standing; minimum 3.25 GPA. Consent of instructor. Pass/Fail grading. Offered Fall, Spring.