Links

Courses and Curriculum

Catalog Description

Course Descriptions

SOCI 100 Introduction to Sociology

This course will introduce you to the way that sociologists view society. You will explore such questions as: Why is society organized the way it is? How and why do societies other than the United States establish different patterns of organization? How do individuals become influenced by society? How does society change or remain the same over time? What are the factors in society that influence occurrences such as social conflict, violence, crime, sexual deviance, social inequity, gender relations, religious practices, etc. You will develop an understanding of these questions and learn about the way sociology studies society. Credits: 4

SOCI 201 Sociology of Family

This course will examine the family as a social group within the larger society. It is the objective of the course that you understand how sociological theory can be applied to the family. You will consider the many types of families that exist in society. Critical questions asked include: What are the constraints of society on the family? What purpose does the family serve in the larger society? What are the roles persons play in the family? Who and what determines the assignment of roles in the family? What part does intimacy and sexuality play in family life? How do persons become involved in conflict and violence in families? Credits: 4

SOCI 203 Contemporary Social Problems

Each of us experiences personal troubles and are aware of what are considered to be the social problems of our time. However, it is often the case that our information and understanding about those problems is clouded by a range of factors, including our own personal limitations and interpretations. You will study some of the most pressing problems of the day from the sociological perspective. Topics such as alcohol and drug abuse, access and availability to health care, homicide, poverty, racism, rape, sexism, and sexual deviance will be included. Credits: 4

SOCI 205 Sociology of Race and Ethnic Relations

In this course you will explore the historic social forces that have shaped the specific definitions, rivalries, prejudices and outcomes of race and ethnicity in North America. You will be provided some comparative examples from other cultures to assist you in thinking more critically about their systems of racial and ethnic stratification and ours as well. Special topics and problems of race and ethnicity and the outcomes for individuals and groups will also be explored. This course will attempt to assist you in thinking more clearly about the future of race and ethnicity by examining the socially constructed pathways that have brought us to where we are today. Credits: 4

SOCI 320W Social Research Methods

This course is designed to help you understand basic methodologies used by sociologists and to develop skills in the use of these methods. You will be introduced to the logic of scientific inquiry and its place in society, the relationship between development of a theoretically-based research question, and the process for seeking an answer to that question. The course focuses on two basic methodologies: one involves qualitative field investigation techniques such as participant observation, narrative or content analysis; the other involves quantitative techniques such as survey procedures. You will complete a project related to each method. A part of the quantitative method project involves developing an understanding and basic skills in the use of software for statistical analysis, Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS-PC). As a sociology major, you should take this course as early in your academic work as possible in order to help you with your 300 and 400 level substantive sociology course work. Credits: 4. Prerequisite SOCI 100 or permission of the department.

SOCI 331W Sociology of Aging

This course focuses on the social, psychological, and biological changes that occur with aging. You will develop an understanding of how these changes affect the interactions between older people and their family, friends, home, community, and society. This multidisciplinary approach, known as gerontology, addresses such issues as: demography of aging, social theories of aging, social consequences of biological and psychological changes, social supports, living arrangements, economic status, populations at risk, and social policies. You will have an opportunity to discuss these issues with professionals from the community who provide services for older people. Finally, you will have a better understanding of aging, how it affects your own behavior, the behavior of relatives, and perhaps the behavior of clients. Credits: 4. Prerequisite: SOCI 100 or permission of the department.

SOCI 333 Sociology of Religion

Exploring the social context of religion will be the framework for this course. You will be introduced to the principal theories and methods used in the sociological investigation of religion. Key questions you will be asked to examine include: How does religion impact our sense of meaning and belonging in society? What are the social processes related to the formation and evolution of churches, sects, and cults? In what way are religious institutions in American society undergoing change? Do gender, race and social class influence religious order and behavior? What is the relationship between state and church in American society? Credits: 4. Prerequisite: SOCI 100 or permission of the department

SOCI 335 Sociology of Work and Organizations

A range of perspectives on the ways work has been structured and managed in human history will be examined. You will learn more about work-place interactions, and how and why certain individuals acquire more power within the work place structure. You will learn how the structure of work in society is changing with a range of new management techniques, and the impact work has on the structure and process of life outside the work-place. Credits: 4. Prerequisite: SOCI 100 or permission of the department

SOCI 337W Sociology of Medicine

This course will explore the issue of how society and culture influence the ideas of what conditions and behaviors are considered the indications of health or illness. You will develop an understanding of how these ideas guide and regulate members of society in defining themselves and others as sick. You will examine the outcomes of that definition in regard to issues such as: Where do you seek help, and how is that help delivered or received? How widespread is illness and disease in society? Do factors such as gender, race, social class and education impact who gets sick and what happens to them as a consequence? What purpose does health care serve for the society at large? In what ways does the United States system of health care compare to that found in other societies? Credits: 4. Prerequisite: SOCI 100 or permission of the department.

SOCI 339 Sociology of Mental Disorder

The focus of this course is to guide you in understanding the relationship between mental disorder and society. Principle issues to be addressed include the impact of the socio-cultural context on the definition of mental disorder, the distribution of mental disorder among persons based on their gender, age, race, social class and rural or urban residence, the effects of different forms of social organization and policy on the experiences of those identified as mentally disordered, and the consequences of law and treatment services on social regulation for the mentally disordered. Credits: 4. Prerequisite: SOCI. 100 or permission of the department.

SOCI 343 Criminology

In this course you will be introduced to the assumptions of various theoretical approaches that guide the study of crime and its implications. Problems related to the definition of crime, the extent or distribution of crime in society as well as the impact of criminal activity on society will be examined. In addition, the criminal justice system, the social processes that occur within it and the outcomes of this system for individuals and the community will be included in your study. Credits: 4. Prerequisite: SOCI 100 or permission of the department.

SOCI 345 Juvenile Delinquency

The sociological perspective will guide your examination of juvenile delinquency. Critical questions to be addressed include: What is juvenile delinquency? What is the distribution of juvenile delinquency in society? In what groups are youth more likely to be delinquent? Are there particular characteristics of society which influence patterns of juvenile delinquency? What are the research methods used to study delinquency? In what ways is society responding with regard to prevention and treatment of delinquency among youth? Credits: 4. Prerequisite: SOCI 100 or permission of the department.

SOCI 347W Independent Study

This is an independent studies course and must comply with the following procedures: 1) You are responsible for identifying an appropriate topic for investigation. 2) You must determine if a faculty person can or will be able to undertake the project. This must be done at least one semester prior to the semester during which you complete the work. 3) The criteria for fulfilling the requirements for credit must be established between you and the directing faculty member. 4) This agreement must be on file with the faculty member and the department. Students taking this course must have junior standing and have completed at least 8 hours of sociology. Credits: 4. Prerequisite: SOCI 100 or permission of the department.

SOCI 401 Social Psychology

The goal of this course is to introduce you to social psychology from a sociological perspective. The ideas will center on explaining the relationship between the person and society. What impact does the society have on the formation of identity and the view we have of our self? How do we, as a society, create a perspective of the world around us and use this perspective to regulate each other? What are the processes that regulate the way we establish organizations such as family or work groups and interact within these social groups? Credits: 4. Prerequisite: SOCI 100 or permission of the department.

SOCI 403 Social Stratification

In this course you will discover the variety of ways societies have organized the production and distribution of resources and the results for social inequality. You will learn the different ways we currently structure, define and produce class in American society. You will acquire tools to use in critically assessing the importance of socio-economic class in our society and its consequences for social cohesion and optimal social functioning. Finally, you will be able to assess how class inequality interacts with other socially stratified systems such as race/ethnicity and sex/gender. Credits: 4. Prerequisite: SOCI 100 or permission of the department.

SOCI 405 Sociology of Deviance

Deviance is identified as the violation of what are considered the socially acceptable rules for behavior. You will examine deviance using the major sociological theories. Completion of the course will help you better understand the incidence and distribution of deviance in society and to explain it from a sociological point of view. Credits: 4. Prerequisites: SOCI 100 or permission of the department.

SOCI 407 Sociology Internship

This is a course in which you receive credit for community -based experience in agencies or organizations that deal with issues such as juvenile services, probation, literacy, the elderly, children’s health care etc. You will be expected to develop and utilize your sociologically based understanding of your experience. This will be done through your contact with the department faculty person and developing a written assessment of your experience. Credits: 4. Prerequisite Junior standing and 12 hours of sociology course work.

SOCI 409 Special Topics in Sociology

This is a classroom-based course which might take lecture and/or discussion format. The particular topic of the course will be determined for the semester in which it is offered. Credits: 4. Prerequisite: SOCI 100 or permission of the department.

SOCI 410 Sociological Theory

Sociological theory is a story about how and why humans organize, behave and interact in certain ways. You will be introduced to the stories or theories developed by those persons whom sociologists consider central to helping us to understand these "how and why" questions. You have been reading about some of the ideas from these "theorists" beginning with your first course in sociology. This course will help you to become familiar with a more complete perspective of each theorist studied. Credits: 4. Prerequisite: SOCI 100 or permission of the department.

SOCI 430 Senior Seminar

This course is considered a capstone experience. You will participate in reading and discussion of assignments of primary source materials in theory and/or research. Credits 4. Prerequisites: Senior standing and 20 hours of sociology course work.