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SOCI 101. Introductory Sociology.
3 credits. Offered once a year.
Provides students with an understanding of the structure and processes of modern societies and their historical antecedents. Explores the universality of the social experience by addressing such topics as culture, socialization, social interaction, bureaucracy, norms and diversity, social inequality, social institutions, modernization, technology and social change, world views, values and behavior.
SOCI 200. Development of Sociological Thought and Methods.
4 credits. Offered fall and spring.
This course is a foundation course for sociology majors. Topics will include the historical development of the discipline with an emphasis on the social and philosophical forces that influenced the development of sociology. Main sociological traditions will be introduced including the critical, naturalistic and interpretive paradigms, and sociological analysis from these perspectives. Prerequisites: SOCI 101, GSOCI 210, GSOCI 240 or permission of instructor.
GSOCI 210. Social Issues in a Global Context.
3 credits. Offered fall and spring.
An examination of current global social issues, such as industrialization, economy, work, inequality, social movements and socio-political change. Addresses questions of definition, nature, history, patterns and consequences of various issues, using sociological perspectives to examine and critique proposed social policies.
SOCI 214. Social Deviance.
3 credits. Offered once a year.
Course offers students a wide range of explanations of deviance. Topics considered are the functions, social definitions, societal reactions and political aspects of deviance as characteristic of all societies. Deviant attributes as well as acts are considered.
GSOCI 240. Individual in Society.
3 credits. Offered fall and spring.
This course explores the importance of social structure, agency and symbolic interaction in the social construction of realities. It will examine major contributors to the sociological social psychological tradition. The course will help students reflect on issues such as self, self-presentation and identity, relationships, body, inequality, citizenship, nonconformity, and resistance.
SOCI 260. Sociology of Culture.
3 credits. Offered fall and spring.
This course examines sociological perspectives about values, norms, symbols, rituals and expressions. Course content includes classic perspectives on the relation between culture and institutions as well as the work of contemporary analysts who have developed, revised and/or challenged these classic positions. Students will learn to apply these perspectives to their own analyses of culture.
SOCI 265. Sociology of the Community.
3 credits.
This course examines the community as a social form. Considered are its function, social definitions, formative processes, development and systems of change. This survey may include, but not be limited to, examination of community studies research and community advocacy for social justice.
SOCI 276. Sociology of Families.
3 credits. Offered fall.
Covers the basic concepts and theories in marriage and the family; looks at basic issues in modern family life; examines changes in family functions and in the various stages of the family life cycle; and discusses the future of the family in contemporary society.
SOCI/GERN 280. Social Gerontology.
3 credits. Offered fall and spring.
An interdisciplinary introduction to the study of aging. The course provides an overview of issues surrounding aging in contemporary society: personal, familial, communal and societal.
SOCI 303. Sociology of Death and Dying.
3 credits. Offered once a year.
Investigation of current American orientations toward death and dying with emphasis also given to the social organization of death and dying.
SOCI 311. Sociology of the Environment.
3 credits. Offered once a year.
This course will introduce students to the central debates that currently preoccupy environmental sociology and political ecology. Emphasis is placed on the importance of sociological, historical, and cultural modes of inquiry for understanding: socio-ecological change/crisis, environmental justice/injustice, eco-technological changes, and politics of “nature.”
SOCI/ANTH 313. Processes of Social and Cultural Change.
3 credits. Offered spring.
Investigates the procedures through which a society operates and the manner in which it introduces and incorporates changes. Issues considered include belief, innovation, directed change, coercive change, revitalization and revolution.
SOCI 315. Science, Technology and Society.
3 credits.
Through an analysis of various issues, problems and case studies, this course will explore the interactions between science, technology and society. The course will examine connections of specific technologies to science, cultural values, social and economic interests and questions regarding progress.
SOCI 316. Space, Time and the Human Social Environment.
3 credits. Offered once an academic year.
This course will examine the impact of the configuration of space, time and social policy on social realities. Sociological critical theory will be used to analyze relationships between the physical and social environments. Prerequisite: SOCI 200.
SOCI 321. Politics in Society.
3 credits.
The relationship between society and politics, the nature of distribution of social power, political participation, political thought, and politics as a vehicle for social change are explored.
SOCI/REL 322. Sociology of Religion.
3 credits.
This course is a sociological analysis of the nature, function and structure of religion. The course is a survey of the relationship between religion and society: the social nature of religious phenomena, the interaction between religious beliefs and practices and other arenas of secular societies, the social functions of religions, and the way religion changes and is changed by secular society.
SOCI/JUST 325. Criminology.
3 credits. Offered fall.
Study of the extent, causes and possible deterrents to crime including murder, assault, white-collar offenses and organized crime with attention to the role of the victim and policy implications.
SOCI 327. Juvenile Delinquency.
3 credits. Offered spring.
Study of youth gangs, deviation and youth culture standards as well as the treatment used. Recent research reports will be emphasized.
SOCI/PSYC/KIN 329. Psychological and Sociological Aspects of Sport.
3 credits. Offered spring.
Study of the psychological and sociological implications of sport and the effect of sport on the United States and other cultures.
SOCI/SOWK 330. Corrections.
3 credits. Offered spring.
The history, philosophy, policies and problems of the treatment of violators by the police, courts and correctional institutions.
SOCI 331. Social Statistics.
3 credits. Offered once a year.
Introduction to the techniques for collecting, describing, analyzing and presenting sociological data.
SOCI 334. Socialization and Society.
3 credits.
This course examines socialization in society. Biography, narratives and socialization are examined in relation to issues of personal power, justice, culture, politics, social relations and other social formations.
SOCI 336. Race and Ethnicity.
3 credits. Offered once a year.
This course examines the social construction of race and ethnicity around the world and how they influence social processes, institutions, change and ideology. The course will include discussions concerning the intersection of race and ethnicity with other aspects of social inequality such as class, gender, sexuality and nationality in contemporary society.
SOCI 337. Sociology of Gender.
3 credits. Offered spring.
Examination of theories of sex role development, the roles of men and women in society and gender as a social construction.
SOCI 339. Sociology of Women.
3 credits. Offered spring.
Analysis of the structural position of women in society with emphasis on institutional frameworks such as economy, family, health, religion, sexuality, crime, etc.
SOCI 341. Sociology of Education.
3 credits.
Examination of sociological theories and research on education, emphasizing stratification, socialization, organization and relationship between schooling, family, community and work. Focus on cross cultural approaches to education. Prerequisite: SOCI 101 or permission of instructor.
SOCI 344. Work and Society.
3 credits.
This course examines the nature and meaning of work under various social and historical conditions. This includes such things as the relationship of work organization to life chances and personal experience, the place of work in social theory, the organization of occupations, occupational socialization and commitment, and how the nature of work changes in relation to local and global contexts.
SOCI 345. Sociology of Occupations and Professions.
3 credits.
This course examines the nature and structure of work roles in historical and contemporary perspectives. It includes analysis of the organization of task structures, occupational and professional organizations, the processes of professionalization and deprofessionalization, and the ways in which work roles constitute and are constituted by society.
SOCI 346. Leisure in Contemporary Society.
3 credits.
Sociological analysis of leisure or non-work in contemporary society with particular emphasis upon conceptual and human problems and the potentials of leisure in a context of social change.
SOCI/SOWK 348. Introduction to Developing Societies.
3 credits. Offered once a year.
This course examines economic development and social and political changes in developing countries. The historical experiences of developing societies will be analyzed within the context of the global system and from the perspective of competing and complementary theoretical perspectives.
SOCI/ANTH 352. Birth, Death, Sex: Exploring Demography.
3 credits. Offered once a year.
Fertility (birth) and mortality (death) and their biological and social determinants in cross-cultural and evolutionary/ historical frameworks. Exploration of the dynamic between the material constraints on and symbolic significance of, reproduction, sexuality and death within a cultural context. Critical examination of population growth as a global “problem.” Basic demographic methods. Prerequisite: Any lower level course in anthropology or sociology or permission of the instructor.
SOCI 354. Social and Cultural Stratification.
3 credits. Offered fall.
Course covers the systems of stratification in the United States including race, class, gender, religion, sexuality, ethnicity and nationality. Discussion will center on their role in providing rationales for oppression and discrimination in society and their relationship to the distribution of power and ideological control.
SOCI 358. Sociology of Consumption.
3 credits. Offered fall or spring.
This course encompasses themes that range from identity construction to the macro processes of cultural globalization. As consumption becomes more integral to society, it is becoming more central to various disciplines. This course situates scholarly work from this nascent interdisciplinary field of consumption studies within the context of contemporary social, cultural and economic issues.
SOCI 360. Social Movements.
3 credits.
Introduction to the study and analysis of social movements in the United States as agents of social and ideological change. Emphasis is given to movements which have goals of extending and/or protecting rights of individuals and groups in the face of increasing industrialization, urbanization and centralization of power.
SOCI 361. Sociology and Organizations.
3 credits.
Study of organizations primarily in contemporary society such as corporations, prisons, hospitals, social and government agencies, trade unions, etc., their internal structures and processes, impact on individuals, and relation to other social units in society.
SOCI 362. Hip Hop Culture and Critical Social Analysis.
3 credits. Offered summer.
This course engages in a critical examination of modernity and other social issues of relevance to critical social theory through the prism of the hip-hop cultural system. The course examines the historical roots of this African-American/Puerto-Rican cultural matrix, distinguishing it from global corporate “rap” industry and discusses the sense in which the latter undermines the traditional narratives of the matrix.
SOCI 367. Sociology of Sexuality.
3 credits. Offered spring or summer.
This course examines sociological theory and research on sexual behaviors, identities, cultures and social movements, investigating how sexuality is shaped by society and its social institutions. In addition, the course examines how sociological research on sexuality is conducted, how society shapes the sociological study of sexuality, the unique ethical concerns and methodological challenges in researching sexuality, and the place of sociology in shaping public discourse and social policy on relevant social issues.
SOCI/ANTH 368. Contemporary American Culture.
3 credits.
This course analyzes contemporary American society in relation to popular cultural formations and representations. Cultural expressions found in music, literature, theatre, film, television, cyberspace and sports will be examined with respect to the values, sentiments, identity constructions and lived experiences of differentially situated social actors.
SOCI 369. Law and Society.
3 credits.
The history and functions of law as a form of social control; the social forces in the creation and practice of the law. The nature of law as a catalyst for and the product of social change.
SOCI 375. Medical Sociology.
3 credits. Offered fall and spring.
An introduction to the field of medical sociology that examines the salient issues in the field and related theoretical perspectives. These two focuses are important in understanding the ability of humans to live to capacity. Attention is given to health care programs in developing countries as well as modern industrial societies.
SOCI 378. Introduction to Africa-Centered Critical Theory and Cultural Studies.
3 credits. Offered fall.
This course introduces students to an alternative scientific world view based upon classical African philosophy and gives them the opportunity to discuss and consider the implications of this alternative vision of science on the conduct of research and on human affairs. Prerequisite:
Junior or senior standing required. Sophomores admitted with instructor’s permission.
SOCI 379. Africentric Social Thought.
3 credits. Offered spring.
This course is a survey of African social philosophy and thought from individuals throughout various historical periods and locations including the collective community of Diasporic Africans and those of African descent. Sociological data using traditional African philosophical perspectives on being, knowing, understanding and ethics will be examined. Prerequisite: Sophomore standing or higher.
SOCI 380. Critical Analysis.
3 credits. Offered fall and spring.
An examination of the historical context and current status of the critical paradigm within sociology, including issues involved in critical understanding of and participation in modern society. Prerequisites: SOCI 200 and SOCI 201.
SOCI 382. Interpretive Analysis.
3 credits. Offered fall and spring.
A systematic introduction to the interpretive paradigm in sociology, including symbolic interactionism, ethnomethodology, phenomenology, existentialism and action theory. Prerequisites: SOCI 200 and SOCI 201.
SOCI 384. Naturalistic Analysis.
3 credits. Offered fall and spring.
Study of social life through the traditional paradigm of naturalistic science, including exploration of the role of values in science, the logic of scientific procedure and ethical questions surrounding scientific inquiry. Prerequisites: SOCI 200, SOCI 201 and SOCI 331.
SOCI/ANTH 390. Topics in Cultural Studies.
3 credits.
This course explores contemporary culture through a “cultural studies” lens, an interdisciplinary perspective interested in using empirical knowledge to encourage more just human relations. Specific topics of investigation will vary by semester, but each course will cover cultural studies’ intellectual history and its application to cultural expressions found in everyday life, film, music and text.
SOCI 391. Study Abroad.
1-6 credits. Offered fall and spring.
Designed to encourage students to enhance their academic programs through studying abroad. Arrangements must be made with a faculty member who will direct the study with preparatory instructions and final requirements. Prerequisites: Permission of department head.
SOCI 395. Special Topics in Sociology.
3 credits. Offered fall and spring.
Examination of selected topics which are of current importance in sociology. May be repeated for credit when course content changes.
SOCI 480. Senior Seminar in Sociology.
3 credits. Offered fall and spring.
The integration of previous class experience the student has had during the undergraduate years. Fulfills the College of Arts and Letters writing-intensive requirement for the major. Prerequisites: SOCI 380, SOCI 382 and SOCI 384.
SOCI 485. Internship in Sociology.
1-6 credits.
Students participate in internships or as course assistants in anthropology and sociology. Prerequisite: Students seeking credit for internships must secure the approvals of their adviser and department head prior to registration. Students receiving credit as course assistants must have junior/senior standing and can register by faculty invitation only. While a maximum of six credits can be taken under this option, only three credits can be applied toward the major.
SOCI 490. Special Studies in Sociology.
1-3 credits. Offered fall and spring.
Designed to give capable students in sociology an opportunity to complete independent study under supervision. Prerequisites: Recommendation of the instructor and permission of the department head.
SOCI 492. Sociology Field Practicum.
1-3 credits. Offered fall and spring.
Provides the student with practical experience in employing and refining sociological skills in a public or private agency under faculty supervision.
SOCI 499. Honors.
6 credits. Offered fall and spring.
Year course.
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