Sociology

Course Descriptions

 

SOC 1010 Introduction to Sociology (3)
An introduction to sociological approaches to human behavior, including types of social organizations, patterns of social interaction, and social influences on individual conduct.

SOC 1040 Social Problems (3)
Conditions defined by society as social problems, as well as potential solutions, are examined from various sociological perspectives. Emphasis is given to problem issues prevalent in metropolitan settings. Analyses focus on victims and beneficiaries of both problem conditions and alternative solutions.

SOC 1999 The City (3)
Same as POL SCI 1990, and INTDSC 1990. Consideration of economic factors, urban institutions, historical developments in urbanization, problems of the inner city, suburbia and the metropolitan area, ethnic groups, stratification, and psychological implications of urban living. This course is for freshmen and sophomores. It is open to juniors and seniors with the consent of instructor.

SOC 2100 Women in Contemporary Society (3) 
Same as GS 2100. Prerequisite: SOC 1010 or GS 2102 or consent of instructor. An introduction to the sociological analysis of the status of women in society, including their work, family, and political roles. Socialization, education, and the women's movement will also be considered, as these affect the position and participation of women in a variety of social arenas.

SOC 2102 Introduction to Women's, Studies: Gender, and Diversity (3) 
Same as GS 2102, SOC WK 2102, and HIST 2102. This core class is required for all Women’s and Gender Studies Certificate earners.  This class introduces students to cultural, political, and historical issues that shape gender. Through a variety of disciplinary perspectives in the humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences, the course familiarizes students with diverse female and male experiences and gendered power relationships.

SOC 2160 Social Psychology (3) 
Same as PSYCH 2160. Prerequisite: SOC 1010 or PSYCH 1003. This course examines the behavior, thoughts, and feelings of individuals in their social environments. The content focuses not only on how people relate to one another, but also on the processes affecting their interactions with others. Specific topics include the self, social judgments, attitudes and persuasion, helping behavior, prejudice, aggression, attraction, conformity and obedience, and group processes. All Psychology majors taking this course instead of PSYCH 2270 must complete it with a grade of C- or higher.

SOC 2170 Aging in America : Concepts and Controversies (3) 
Same as SOC WK 2670, INTDSC 2170, and GERON 2170. This course examines the major theoretical and service issues connected to the study of older adults and their families, using multidisciplinary perspectives.  Students are provided with an introduction to the field of aging through an examination of current social issues and controversies.  This course emphasizes student involvement through class discussion, and is appropriate for students in the arts and sciences, business, communication, education, and nursing.

SOC 2180 Alcohol, Drugs, and Society (3) 
Same as CRIMIN 2180 Prerequisite: SOC 1010 or PSYCH 1003. This course examines the medical, legal, and social aspects of alcohol and drug use. Medical aspects considered include treatment approaches and the role of physicians in controlling such behavior. In the legal realm, past and present alcohol and drug laws are explored. Cultural and social influences on alcohol and drug use are discussed.

SOC 3200 Sociology of Deviant Behavior (3) 
Prerequisite: SOC 1010 or consent of instructor. Theories of the nature, causes, and control of deviance as a social phenomenon. Application of theories to specific substantive areas, such as mental disorder, delinquency, drug abuse, suicide, unconventional sexuality, and physical disability.

SOC 3202 Urban Sociology (3) 
Prerequisite: SOC 1010 or consent of instructor. Urbanization as a world phenomenon; urban social and ecological structures and changing life styles; the decision-making processes in urban problem-solving.

SOC 3210 Sociological Theory (3) 
Prerequisite: SOC 1010 or consent of instructor. The nature of sociological theory. An investigation of theory from Comte through contemporary developments. Contributions made by theorists in related disciplines.

SOC 3220 Social Statistics (3) 
Same as ANTHRO 3220. Prerequisites: SOC 1010 or ANTHRO 1011 and MATH 1020 or 1030. Issues and techniques of statistical analyses relevant to quantitative social science research, e.g. elementary probability, measures of central tendency and dispersion, measures of relationships including linear regression and correlation, inferential and nonparametric statistics. The course includes an introduction to computer-based statistical analysis.    

SOC 3224 Marriage and the Family (3) 
Same as GS 3224. Prerequisite: SOC 1010 or consent of instructor. The study of patterns of close relationships, and how these relationships are influenced by larger social forces. Topics include: love, dating, mate selection, cohabitation, alternative lifestyles, working families, parenting, single mothers, families in crisis, domestic violence, and divorce. Universal and variable aspects of family organization, family role systems, and changes in family social structure.

SOC 3230 Research Methods (3) 
Prerequisites: SOC 1010 and SOC 3220 and satisfaction of mathematics proficiency requirement or consent of instructor. Research planning and interpretation, principles of research design, measurement, and sampling. Techniques for the collection, analysis, and presentation of data. The course also includes an introduction to the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) and lab exercises.

SOC 3241 Globalization and Its Impact on Society and Culture (3)
Prerequisite: SOC 1010 or consent of instructor. This course examines a variety of economic, cultural, and social changes that are transforming our world. It clarifies what globalization is and how it is affecting societies around the world. Topics include an overview of theories of globalism and global culture, and roles of technology and the media in shaping society and people’s everyday lives.

SOC 3250 Sociology of Victimization (3) 
Same as GS 3250. Prerequisite: SOC 1010. Examines the role of social factors in a wide range of kinds of victimization--crime, violence, natural disasters, accidents, disease, etc. The topic of social reactions to various kinds of victimization is also covered. Sociological theories of victimization are emphasized.

SOC 3268 Sociology of Conflict (3) 
Prerequisite: SOC 1010 or consent of instructor. The conditions under which social conflicts arise, develop, and are terminated (or in some cases resolved) are examined. The functions of different levels of conflict are studied to determine the potential effects and outcomes of planned intervention.

SOC 3280 Society and Technology (3) 
Prerequisite: SOC 1010 or consent of instructor. Technology in industrial and post-industrial societies. The social shaping of technological systems. The role of technology in social change.

SOC 3290A Undergraduate Seminar in Sociological Issues (3)
Prerequisite: SOC 1010 and consent of instructor. Consideration of an issue or area of the instructor’s choice not already covered by other undergraduate courses. May be taken up to three times for nine hours credit, provided the subject matter is different each time the seminar is taken.

SOC 3600 Management and Organizational Behavior (3)
Same as MGMT 3600. Prerequisites: Junior standing and a 2.0 campus GPA. This course involves the study of behavior of individuals and groups in an organizational setting. Specific topics examined include: motivation, leadership, organizational design and conflict resolution, as well as basic coverage of management principles. In covering these topics, both classic and current perspectives are provided.

Note: Any 4000 level course taken for major elective credit requires prior completion of two of the following: SOC 3210, SOC 3220, or SOC 3230.

SOC 4040 Survey Research Practicum (3) 
Same as POL SCI 4040. Prerequisites: Junior standing, SOC 3220, SOC 3230, and consent of instructor. The execution of a sample survey, including establishing study objectives, sampling, questionnaire construction, interviewing, coding, data analysis, and presentation of results. May be taken more than once for credit provided the course topic is different each time.

SOC 4150 Feminist Theory and Social Research (3)
Same as GS 4150. Prerequisites GS 2102 and Junior standing or consent of instructor. This course provides an in-depth examination of feminist theoretical contributions to social science research. We begin by examining the 20th century roots of contemporary feminist theories. With this foundation in place, we then shift to an investigation of how feminist theory has informed sociological research by examining current feminist understandings of gender, race, class and sexual inequalities across a range of contemporary social problems. Fulfills GS feminist theory requirement.

SOC 4300 Communities and Crime (3) 
Same as CRIMIN 4300. Prerequisites: CRIMIN 1110, CRIMIN 1120,CRIMIN 1130, CRIMIN 2210, CRIMIN 2220, and ENGL 3100 or consent of instructor. Analysis of the sources, consequences, and control of crime within communities. Emphasis on social and ecological theories of crime and on population instability, family structure, and the concentration of poverty as causes of crime. Community crime prevention efforts are also addressed.

SOC 4312 Sociology of Wealth and Poverty (3) 
Prerequisites: SOC 1010 and junior standing or consent of instructor. Theory and research on social stratification and inequality in contemporary societies.

SOC 4316 Power, Ideology, and Social Movements (3) 
Prerequisites: SOC 1010 and junior standing or consent of instructor. Effect of events and social processes on thought and action in the twentieth century. Social functions of ideologies as expressed in movements and formal and informal organizations seeking social change.

SOC 4320 Forms of Criminal Behavior (3) 
Same as CRIMIN 4320. Prerequisites: CRIMIN 1110, 1120, 1130, 2210, 2220, and ENGL 3100 or consent of instructor. Examination of major types of criminal behavior including violent, property, public order, and organizational offenses. Emphasis on theories of, and responses to, these crimes.

SOC 4325 Gender, Crime and Justice (3)
Same as CRIMIN 4325. Prerequisites: CRIMIN 1110, 1120, 1130, 2210, 2220, and ENGL 3100 or consent of instructor. Analysis of the role of gender in crime and in the justice system.  Emphasis on gender differences in crime commission, criminal processing, and the employment of women in criminal justice agencies.  Fulfills Criminology diversity requirement.

SOC 4331 Qualitative Methods in Social Research (3) 
Prerequisites: SOC 3220 and SOC 3230, or their equivalent, or consent of instructor. This course is devoted to such qualitative methods as participant observation, intensive interview, content analysis, and oral history, among others. The place of these kinds of techniques in social research, as well as the issues raised by them, will be considered. Students will participate in individual or group research projects using one or more of the methods discussed.

SOC 4336 Organizations and Environments (3) 
Prerequisites: SOC 1010 and junior standing or consent of instructor. Internal and external forces that influence the structures, adaptive flexibility, and actions of public and private organizations and agencies are examined. Specific foci include: organizational responses to environmental opportunities, constraints, and contingencies; sources of conflict and impediments to organizational goal attainment; and strategies for increasing organizational effectiveness, efficiency, and chances for survival.

SOC 4338 Sociology of Health (3) 
Prerequisites: SOC 1010 and junior standing. Exploration of social dimensions and issues related to health and illness, such as access to the health care delivery system; factors influencing prevention, utilization and compliance; changing relationships among health care providers and consumers; health care costs, trends, and cross-cultural variations.

SOC 4340 Race, Crime, and Justice (3) 
Same as CRIMIN 4340. Prerequisites: CRIMIN 1110, CRIMIN 1120, CRIMIN 1130, CRIMIN 2210, CRIMIN 2220, ENGL 3100 or consent of instructor. Analysis of the involvement of racial minorities in crime and the criminal justice system. Emphasis on group differences in offending, processing, victimization, and employment in criminal justice agencies.

SOC 4344 Problems of Urban Community (3) 
Prerequisites: SOC 1010 and junior standing, or consent of instructor. The urban community as an area of social action and problem solving with emphasis on the sociological aspects of urban problems.

SOC 4350 Special Study (1-10) 
Prerequisite: Consent of instructor. Independent study through readings, reports, and field work.

SOC 4354 Sociology of Business and Work Settings (3) 
Prerequisites: SOC 1010 and junior standing, or consent of instructor. The sociology of work and occupations in America, Europe, and Asia; organization structures and worker participation; worker attitude, behaviors, and commitment; the socialization of the worker; determinants of worker behavior; social problems of work and business; and the impact of community on work place and business behavior.

SOC 4356 Sociology of Education (3) 
Prerequisites: SOC 1010 and junior standing, or consent of instructor. Education as a social institution, its role as an agent of socialization, and its effect upon the processes of social change and social mobility. The relationship between the school and its community. 

SOC 4360 Sociology of Minority Groups (3) 
Same as GS 4360. Prerequisites: SOC 1010 and junior standing or consent of instructor. The study of dominant-subordinate group relations. Religion, ethnicity, race, and gender as factors in the unequal distribution of power.

SOC 4361 Social Gerontology (3) 
Same as GERON 4361. Prerequisites: SOC 1010 and junior standing, or consent of instructor. Topics include: sociological theories of aging, technological and social change and its effects on the environment of older people, and prejudice and discrimination against the elderly.

SOC 4365 Sociological Writing (3)
Prerequisites: SOC 1010, ENGL 3100 and junior standing, or consent of instructor. This course offers directed practice in the interpretation and reporting of sociological research in a wide range of styles, including those appropriate for research reports, journal articles, policy papers, non-technical magazines, books and monographs, as well as oral reports to diverse consumers.

SOC 4378 Selected Topics in Social Psychology (1-3) 
Prerequisite: PSYCH 2160 or SOC 2160, or consent of instructor. Focused examination of selected issues, concepts, and methods in the study of social interaction. May be taken twice for credit.

SOC 4380 Selected Topics in Social Policy (1-3) 
Prerequisites: SOC 1010, Junior standing or consent of instructor. Examination of a specific sociological topic of current relevance in the community. May be taken more than once for credit provided the course topic is different each time.

SOC 4385 Internship in Sociology (1-6) 
Prerequisites: Junior standing and consent of instructor. Students participate in supervised placements in a position related to the profession of sociology.

SOC 4414 Social Perspectives on Catastrophes and Homeland Security Policies (3)

Prerequisites: SOC 1010 and junior standing or consent of instructor. This course examines the way social and cultural processes shape our experience and understandings of catastrophe and disasters.  It provides an analysis of the ways technological, organizational, cultural, and political forces affect policies dealing with catastrophe preparation and prevention in the United States.

SOC 4450 Disaster and the Law (3)
Prerequisite: Junior standing or consent of instructor. This course examines the general legal framework in the United States into which the subject of disasters and the law fits. It provides an understanding of the coordination of resources required to respond to disastrous situations including laws, rules, and regulations at state, local, and federal levels. Students will also become familiar with legal context and constraints for disaster management, administrative law, administrative discretion, and liability issues.

SOC 4600 Masculinities (3)
Same as GS 4600. Prerequisite: SOC 2102 or consent of instructor. This course examines men and masculinities through a critical lens, looking carefully at an institutionalized system of gender relations and practices that is assumed to be a natural phenomenon that is culturally universal. The course explores various masculine behaviors, myths, ideologies, and experiences so that students can consider the relationship between masculine practice and social power and delineate choices for future directions. The course is necessarily interdisciplinary and may utilize tools and methods from the social sciences and the humanities. Satisfies GS gender theory requirement.

SOC 4940 Leadership and Management in Nonprofit Organizations (3) 
Same as SOC WK 4940, POL SCI 4940, and P P ADM 4940. Prerequisite: Junior standing. Addresses the role and scope of the independent sector in the United States, as well as the leadership and management of nonprofit organizations within that sector. Topics include the economic and political scope of the independent sector the role of volunteerism in a democratic society, and the role and scope of philanthropy. Topics in voluntary organization management and leadership include: the dynamics, functions and membership structure of NPOs, especially staff-board and other volunteer relations; governance and management of NPOs; resource mobilizations; and program development management and evaluation.

SOC 5361 Advanced Social Gerontology (3)
Same as GERON 5361. Prerequisite: Graduate standing. An examination of sociological theories of aging, technological and social change and its effects on the environment of older people, and prejudice and discrimination against the elderly.

SOC 5400 Proseminar in Sociology (3) 
Required of all entering graduate students in the fall semester of the first year of residency. An overview of the field of contemporary sociology, with emphasis on the major theories, issues, research approaches, and ethical problems in the field today, and an introduction to theory construction, measurement, and design strategies.

SOC 5402 Advanced Quantitative Techniques (3) 
Prerequisite: SOC 3220 or consent of instructor. A study of advanced quantitative analysis of sociological data, focusing on problems of multivariate analysis, sampling theory and techniques, and the use of electronic data processing in approaching these problems.

SOC 5404 Advanced Methodology (3) 
Prerequisite: SOC 3230 or consent of instructor. A study of methodological problems on an advanced level, focusing on contemporary issues in the processes of inquiry with particular emphasis on the applicability of different modes of research to various types of theoretical problems. Consideration of ethical problems in social research.

SOC 5415 Foundations of Criminological Theory (3)
Same as CRIMIN 5415. Prerequisites: Graduate standing and consent of instructor. Examination of the history of criminological thought incorporating the major works of such theorists as Bentham, Beccaria, Marx, Durkheim, Lombroso, Sutherland and Merton.

SOC 5449 Issues in Retirement (3) 
Same as GERON 6449. Prerequisite: Graduate standing. This course examines macro and micro issues of retirement in the United States--its processes, causes, and consequences--in relation to economic market conditions, demographic changes, and programs and policies that are targeted to support the elderly (e.g., Social Security). It also examines issues relating to older women and retirement.

SOC 5475 Introduction to Evaluation Research Methods (3) 
Same as P P ADM 6750. Prerequisite: At least one course in research design and statistics at the graduate level. A comparative study of research strategies with regard to data sources, data collection, and modes of analysis that are appropriate for program evaluation research. Attention is given to observational, survey, and quasi-experimental methodologies.

SOC 5480 Individual Study (3) 
Prerequisites: Consent of adviser and instructor. Designed to give the student the opportunity to pursue particular interests within the discipline and/or to study areas not  currently covered by formal courses. Guided by faculty with appropriate interests. May be taken only twice.

SOC 5490 Supervised Research (1-10) 
Prerequisites: Graduate standing and consent of instructor. Individual supervision of research leading to the preparation of a thesis, research paper, or publishable article, in which the student demonstrates skills in the discipline of sociology.

SOC 5495 Sociological Reporting (3) 
Prerequisites: SOC 5400, 5402, and 5404. As part of the M.A. degree exit requirement, the seminar offers directed practice in the interpretation and reporting of sociological data in a wide range of styles, including those appropriate for research reports, journal articles, policy papers, nontechnical magazines, books, and monographs, as well as oral reports to diverse consumers. Ethical dimensions of interpretation and dissemination are explored.

SOC 6443 Health Care Policy (3)  
Same as GERON 6443, P P ADM 6340, and POL SCI 6443. Prerequisite: Graduate standing or consent of instructor. Survey course examining current issues in health policy that face the nation. Policies are placed in a historical context to show how issues have been influenced by different political and economic conditions. Secondary consequences and limitations of current trends in health policy are explored.

SOC 6444 Seminar in Public Policy and Aging (3)
Same as GERON 6444, PP ADM 6440 and POL SCI 6444. Prerequisite: Consent of instructor. The study of specialized issues and methods related to federal, state, and local policies that affect the elderly. Potential policy areas to be covered include housing, taxation, mental health, transportation, etc. May be repeated for credit, provided the subject matter is different.

SOC 6446 Selected Topics in Health Care Policy (3) 
Same as P P ADM 6460 and POL SCI 6446. Prerequisite: Consent of instructor. The study of specialized issues and methods relating to health care policy. May be repeated for credit, provided the subject matter is different.

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