SOCI100: The Sociological Perspective

An introduction to the study of human groups, from peer groups to families to societies. How and why culture, social structure, and group processes arise. Consequences of social forces for individuals. Meets the 1983 General Education Requirement (GER) - Social Science, Survey Course. 3 sh.

SOCI112: Sociology of Leisure

This course examines the sociology of sports and leisure from diverse theoretical perspectives. Activities explored include recreational and competitive sports (baseball, basketball, swimming, football, hockey, gymnastics) among children, high school, college, and adult age groups; youth and adult games (cops and robbers, power rangers, cards, etc.); sex; drinking; gambling; mushroom collecting; and T.V. (football games and soap operas). Topics discussed include the role of leisure and sport activities in character development, gender activity, and social relationships; the effect of leisure and sport activities on education and occupational mobility; risk and injury in leisure and sports; and the political, economic, and ideological role of leisure and sports activity in the reproduction of society. 3 sh.

SOCI113: Social Problems

How social structure and social institutions are related to problems such as discrimination, environmental pollution, violence, and poverty. Meets Gen Ed 2002 - Social Science, Social Science. Meets the 1983 General Education Requirement (GER) - Contemporary Issues. 3 sh.

SOCI201: Foundations of Sociological Inquiry

An introduction to the methods and theory of sociological inquiry. Topics include: comparisons of dominant paradigms of sociological thought, critical analysis of basic concepts in the field, logic and rhetoric of sociological analysis, and ethical and value issues in the practice of sociology. Emphasis will also be placed upon writing sociology: documentation, literature search, organization and style. Meets the University Writing Requirement for SOCI SOED and SOEL majors. 4 sh.

Prerequisites: ENWR 105 or ENWR 106 or SOCI 100 or SOCI 113 or departmental approval.

SOCI202: Racial and Ethnic Relations

The social meaning of race and ethnicity. The social, psychological and structural sources of racism; the consequences of this phenomenon to groups; situation and comparative data. Meets the 1983 General Education Requirement (GER) - Contemporary Issues. Meets the Human and Intercultural Relations Requirement (HIRR). Meets the World Languages and Cultures Requirement - World Cultures. 3 sh.

SOCI204: Sociology of the Family

Discussion of "official" and "unofficial" (single parent, gay/lesbian) family relationships; compare current U.S. family forms with those of other historical periods and societies; examine trends in contemporary societies affecting family forms, such as changing work role of women, changed sexual norms in courtship and recent changes in divorce rate; analyze issues in the "politics of the family." Meets the 1983 General Education Requirement (GER) - Social Science, Topic Course. Meets Gen Ed 2002 - Social Science. 3 sh.

Prerequisites: ENWR 105 or ENWR 106 or HONP 100 or HONP 101 or SOCI 100 or SOCI 113 or SOCI 201 or departmental approval.

SOCI205: Black Family

The black family in American society; historical perspectives and contemporary conflicts surrounding the black family. Meets the Human and Intercultural Relations Requirement (HIRR). Meets the World Languages and Cultures Requirement - World Cultures. 3 sh.

SOCI206: Individual and Society

The relationship between culture, social structure, various institutions and the individual's social perceptions, sense of self and self-presentation are explored in this course. The structure of small groups is also discussed. Meets Gen Ed 2002 - Social Science, Social Science. Meets the 1983 General Education Requirement (GER) - Electives, Personal/Professional Issues. 3 sh.

Prerequisites: ENWR 105 or ENWR 106 or HONP 100 or HONP 101 or SOCI 100 or SOCI 113 or SOCI 201 or departmental approval.

SOCI207: Social Structure of American Society

Empirical materials on social structure. Inter-institutional relations as the form of the broad, general structure of American society. Meets the 1983 General Education Requirement (GER) - Social Science, Topic Course. 3 sh.

SOCI209: Sociology of Poverty and Welfare

Poverty and welfare institutions as social phenomena. The meaning of poverty, absolute and relative deprivation, the functions of social welfare institutions. Meets the 1983 General Education Requirement (GER) - Contemporary Issues. 3 sh.

Prerequisites: SOCI 100 or SOCI 113 or SOCI 201 or departmental approval.

SOCI212: Sociology of Technology

Social processes affecting technological innovation and the forms in which an innovation is institutionalized or abandoned. The social consequences and assessment of technological innovations. Meets the 1983 General Education Requirement (GER) - Contemporary Issues. 3 sh.

SOCI215: Sociology of Sports

This course will examine the major theoretical and substantive writings on the sociology of amateur and professional sports. Topics to be explored from conflict, functionalist and symbolic interactionist perspectives include socialization and athletic identity, women in sports, race and class in sports, gender relations and sport participation, sport risk and injury, education and sports participation, sports in the media, sport and the reproduction of society, and fieldwork among college and professional athletes. 3 sh.

Prerequisites: SOCI 100 or SOCI 113 or SOCI 201 or departmental approval.

SOCI216: Sociology of Food and Population

This course will examine the ways in which people's food production and consumption patterns are affected by and related to other aspects of their social organization. The interrelationship between food production/consumption patterns, political life, stratification systems, and demography will be examined. The main focus will be a comparison between different forms of social organization with respect to the management of food and population issues. Meets the 1983 General Education Requirement (GER) - Contemporary Issues. 3 sh.

SOCI218: Sociology of Population

Problems of population and demographic change; social foundations and consequences of changes in fertility, mortality, and migration. Population and socio-economic development. The uses of demographic data in planning, policy making, and social research. Meets the 1983 General Education Requirement (GER) - Contemporary Issues. 3 sh.

Prerequisites: SOCI 100 or SOCI 113 or SOCI 201 or departmental approval.

SOCI219: Sociology of Aging

With a shift in America's population toward an older society, it becomes important to understand the aging process and its implications for various social institutions. This course examines demographic characteristics which influence the aging process; various theories to explain the process; and specific policies, nationally and locally, to address it. 3 sh.

Prerequisites: SOCI 100 or SOCI 113 or SOCI 201 or departmental approval.

SOCI220: Sociology of Rich and Poor Nations

This course deals with the disparity in standards of living among the nations of the world today as well as with the strategies social scientists and social planners have formulated to eradicate poverty where it occurs. This course focuses on the historical, political, economic, cultural, and sociological relationships that have contributed to the current division of labor in the world and world inequalities. Furthermore, it focuses on specific social problems faced by poor nations while comparing social institutions in Western societies with their counterpart in non-Western societies. Meets Gen Ed 2002 - Social Science, Non-Western Cultural Perspectives. Meets the 1983 General Education Requirement (GER) - Social Science, Non-Western Cultural Perspectives. 3 sh.

Prerequisites: ENWR 105 or ENWR 106 or HONP 100 or HONP 101 or SOCI 100 or SOCI 113 or SOCI 201 or departmental approval.

SOCI230: Sociology of Conflict and Violence

Types of conflict and violence including war, crime, family and sexual violence, class and ethnic violence, and genocide; biological determinist and cultural explanations of violence; theories of nonviolent social change. Meets Gen Ed 2002 - Social Science, Social Science. Meets the 1983 General Education Requirement (GER) - Contemporary Issues. 3 sh.

Prerequisites: ENWR 105 or ENWR 106 or SOCI 100 or SOCI 113 or SOCI 201 or HONP 100 or HONP 101 or departmental approval.

SOCI231: Social Bases of the Arts

The impact of social forces and institutions on the fine, performing and decorative arts; the social importance and functions of the several arts. 3 sh.

SOCI238: Research Methods in Criminal Justice

An introduction to methods of social research and their particular application to the study of criminal justice. Defining research questions and designing ways of getting systematic evidence relevant for those questions. Understanding the nature of aggregate data, probability, and social science generalization. Creating variables--conceptualization, definition, and measurement. Basic statistical measures, descriptive and inferential. Quantitative and qualitative data. A critical look at existing sources of criminal justice data. Problems of access, quality of data, and interpretation. Ethical issues. 3 sh.

SOCI240: Statistics for Social Research

The use of statistics to summarize data, to show relationships among variables. Evaluating research reports based on statistics. Use of the computer to analyze data. Cross-listed with Justice Studies, JUST 240. 4 sh.

Prerequisites: SOCI 100 or SOCI 113 or SOCI 201 or departmental approval.

SOCI301: Sociological Research Methods I

Introduction to primary methods of gathering sociological data: experimentation, survey research, participant observation, etc. Use of computers to analyze data. The formulation of hypotheses, survey design, participant observation and the use of elementary statistics. 4 sh.

Prerequisites: SOCI 201 and 240.

SOCI302: Sociological Research Methods II

The formulation of hypotheses, survey design, participant observation and the use of elementary statistics; certain broad problems in the philosophy of social science. 3 sh.

Prerequisites: SOCI 301.

SOCI303: Large Scale Organizations

The structure and functions of bureaucracy in modern society; the life cycle of large organizations and their methods of operation; selected contemporary problems. 3 sh.

Prerequisites: One course in sociology or departmental approval.

SOCI304: Sociology of Work and Professions

The development of modern forms of work; the shift from manufacturing to service occupations; and problems of work alienation; current models of labor management relations in the U.S. compared to Western Europe and Japan; the effects of new technology on skill, employment levels, and on labor management relations; conceptions of the professions and their role in society; the process of an occupation becoming a profession. 3 sh.

Prerequisites: SOCI 100 or 113 or 201 or 202 or 204 or departmental approval.

SOCI309: Sociology of Health and Illness

The focus of this course is on the relationship between society and health with a special emphasis on the role of culture and social structure. Health inequalities and the sociology of disability will be central concerns. Other topics will include social and cultural definitions of health and illness, the social role of the "sick", comparative medical beliefs and practices and medical institutions. 3 sh.

Prerequisites: SOCI 100 or 113 or 201 or 202 or 204 or departmental approval.

SOCI310: Directed Independent Research

Research and report under faculty direction. The student selects for investigation an area of sociological concern with the approval of a faculty supervisor. Multiple semester selection permitted with approval. May be repeated three times for a maximum of 12.0 credits. 3 - 9 sh.

Prerequisites: Departmental approval.

SOCI311: Urban Sociology

Processes of urbanization and suburbanization; nature of urban social relations, including racial and ethnic relations; urban ecological patterns and demographic conditions. Meets the Human and Intercultural Relations Requirement (HIRR). Meets the World Languages and Cultures Requirement - World Cultures. 3 sh.

Prerequisites: SOCI 100 or 113 or 201 or 202 or 204 or departmental approval.

SOCI312: Environmental Sociology

The role of sociology in understanding and analyzing the environment, environmental issues and problems, and the sociocultural sources and structure of environmentalism and environmental movements. Various perspectives and approaches to explaining the relationship between society and the environment are explored. 3 sh.

Prerequisites: SOCI 100 or 113 or 201 or 202 or 204 or departmental approval.

SOCI313: Sociological Theory: A Critical Analysis

A comparison of important theories on key themes in sociology; the nature of social interaction, the definition of power, stratification, social control and deviance, alienation and anomie, social structure and function, social bases of knowledge and belief, and social conflict and change. 3 sh.

Prerequisites: SOCI 201 or departmental approval.

SOCI314: Environmental Justice

The domain of this course is the role of social inequities, especially those of class and race, in the distribution of environmental risks in societies at the local, national, and global levels and includes study of legal remedies and public policy measures that address environmental injustices. Cross listed with Justice Studies, JUST 314. 3 sh.

Prerequisites: JUST 100 or 200 or 201 or 232;or SOCI 100 or 113 or 201 or 202 or 204;or departmental approval.

SOCI315: Social Inequality

The inequalities of social ranking systems in societies. Theoretical and empirical approaches to stratification delineating the variables of power, power elites, class consciousness, alienation and class mobility. Meets the World Languages and Cultures Requirement - World Cultures. 3 sh.

Prerequisites: One course in sociology or departmental approval.

SOCI316: Sociology of Education

The school as an institution of social control and social change. The social organization of schools: social roles of students, teachers and other school personnel. (Not to be used for teacher certification.) 3 sh.

Prerequisites: SOCI 100, SOCI 113, SOCI 201, SOCI 204 or departmental approval.

SOCI320: Sociology of Communes, Cooperatives and Collectives

The sociology and history of communitarian ventures, with emphasis on contemporary communes, cooperatives, and collectives. 3 sh.

Prerequisites: One course in sociology or departmental approval.

SOCI330: Political Sociology

This course will endeavor to give the student a relatively complete understanding of the social dynamics of political actions on various levels. 3 sh.

Prerequisites: One course in sociology or departmental approval.

SOCI331: Sociology of Power

The nature of power; power on the national level in the United States; alternative theoretical approaches; the historical origins of several of these theories. 3 sh.

Prerequisites: One course in sociology or departmental approval.

SOCI332: Sociology of Popular Arts

An examination of content and forms in the world of entertainment, including paperback and magazine fiction, films, theatre, and popular music. Also a study of artistic production and the relationship between producers (including owners and managers), audiences, and performers. This course incorporates various contemporary cultural studies perspectives. 3 sh.

Prerequisites: One course in sociology or departmental approval.

SOCI334: Comparative Social Analysis

Comparative sociological schemes; the analytical blocks of total society; kinship, family and marriage; policy and bureaucracy; social stratification and mobility; industrialization and urbanization; belief systems and value orientations. 3 sh.

Prerequisites: Departmental approval.

SOCI335: Workers and Their Organizations

The course aims to provide the student with a general overview of the nature of work in modern society and of the ways in which workers react to it. In particular, the ways in which workers' organizations develop, and are shaped by community and political forces, will be an important focus. 3 sh.

Prerequisites: One course in sociology or departmental approval.

SOCI336: The Sociology of Helping Professions and Institutions

This course focuses on the social functions, determinants, and consequences of helping professions such as social work,and helping institutions such as public welfare. Particular emphasis is placed on the relations of helping professions and institutions with their socio-political environment and with their clients. 3 sh.

Prerequisites: One course in sociology or departmental approval.

SOCI390: Cooperative Education in Sociology

The cooperative education option integrates academic study with a supervised employment experience outside the formal classroom environment. The co-op term is a semester off-campus, during which a student is supervised by a faculty coordinator and the office of Cooperative Education and is responsible for completing the terms of a learning contract. 3 - 4 sh.

Prerequisites: Departmental approval.

SOCI400: Senior Research Project

Each student will select one sociological research topic or setting to explore utilizing qualitative and/or quantitative methods. Students will conduct their own empirical research under faculty supervision. Since different faculty members emphasize different research methods, students are urged to review individual syllabi prior to registering for the course. 3 - 9 sh.

Prerequisites: SOCI 301, and senior standing. Prerequisite or Corequisite: SOCI 313 must be taken before or during the Senior Research Project.

SOCI401: Sociology of Emotions

Humans have a unique capacity to experience a large variety of emotions. This course examines how cultures label, shape, and guide their members' emotional experience. It also explores the interplay between social-structural arrangements (e.g., family and economic systems) and emotion, illustrating links between macro-social patterns. Students will conduct original research on social factors related to emotionality. 3 sh.

Prerequisites: SOCI 301 or SOCI 304 or SOCI 309 or SOCI 311 or SOCI 312 or departmental approval.

SOCI402: Social Contexts of Mental Illness and Treatment

Social conceptions of mental health and illness; social factors in the causes and treatment of mental illness. Mental institutions--their structures and ideologies. Comparative psychotherapies in social context; mental health personnel and professional ideologies; social movements and mental health and illness. 3 sh.

Prerequisites: One course in sociology or departmental approval.

SOCI403: Sociology of Knowledge

The interaction between the social structure, the ideas, beliefs, technology, and perceptions that prevail in society or in particular groups within society. 3 sh.

Prerequisites: One course in sociology or departmental approval.

SOCI404: Sociology of Religion

The social bases of religious belief and activity; religious movements, denominationalism, sectarianism, secularization, pluralism, the social bases of belief and unbelief, and cross-cultural and historical comparisons. 3 sh.

Prerequisites: SOCI 301 or SOCI 304 or SOCI 309 or SOCI 311 or SOCI 312 or departmental approval.

SOCI405: Deviance and Social Control

Theoretical perspectives on human deviance. The social organization of specific types of deviance and of formal and informal social control. 3 sh.

Prerequisites: SOCI 301 or SOCI 304 or SOCI 309 or SOCI 311 or SOCI 312 or departmental approval.

SOCI407: Sociology of the Mass Media

A sociological analysis and cultural critique of various mass media with an emphasis on radio, television, newspapers, and the internet. The course will examine their function and their relationship with constituent audiences. 3 sh.

Prerequisites: SOCI 301 or SOCI 304 or SOCI 309 or SOCI 311 or SOCI 312 or departmental approval.

SOCI408: Social Movements

This course focuses on the study of concerted collective behavior for social change, or social movements. Various approaches to the understanding of social movements, including the natural history, case study, and analytical models, will be examined. Emphasis will be placed on relating theoretical work to contemporary empirical examples of social movement activity. 3 sh.

Prerequisites: SOCI 301 or SOCI 304 or SOCI 309 or SOCI 311 or SOCI 312 or departmental approval.

SOCI411: Selected Topics in Sociology

The area to be covered is chosen by the instructor each semester. The course may be selected more than once with approval. Limited to only the general areas of sociological theory, research methodology, problems of institutional processes, and application of methodology and theory to social situations or community issues and problems. May be repeated twice for a maximum of 9.0 credits. 3 sh.

Prerequisites: SOCI 301 or SOCI 304 or SOCI 309 or SOCI 311 or SOCI 312 or departmental approval.

SOCI416: Qualitative Research in Sociology

The course will explore qualitative research from diverse theoretical perspectives. It will examine the personal, political, and scientific dilemmas that researchers typically face attempting to gather objective data about the "backstage regions" of the subjects' world. Topics may include the researcher's role in the field; developing rapport and trust; emotions and fieldwork; age, race, sex, and gender issues in research; politics and ethics in fieldwork; researching "high risk" settings; and techniques of data collecting in interviewing and fieldwork. 3 sh.

Prerequisites: SOCI 301 or SOCI 304 or SOCI 309 or SOCI 311 or SOCI 312 or departmental approval.

SOCI420: Sociology of Law

The impact of the social usages of law on all levels of operation as an instrument of social policy, social control and social regulation. 3 sh.

Prerequisites: SOCI 301 or SOCI 304 or SOCI 309 or SOCI 311 or SOCI 312 or departmental approval.

SOCI421: Social Uses of Language

The functions of language in everyday life. The sociology of language applied to other social phenomena such as social change, religion, stratification, gender roles, and power. 3 sh.

Prerequisites: One course in sociology or departmental approval.

SOCI425: Sociology of the Future

An examination of the study of probable effects of alternative futures to American society. This course will examine, also, the manner in which such alternatives are studied; the role of prediction by scientific means, and the use of probabilities in projecting the outline of our society in the near and great future. 3 sh.

Prerequisites: One course in sociology or departmental approval.

SOCI426: Sociology of Sexuality

The course examines theoretical and empirical work in the sociology of sexuality. It seeks to understand the social foundations of sexual behavior and sexual identity. It explores the relationship between sexuality and politics, focusing on current as well as historical conflicts over sexual behavior and ideologies. 3 sh.

Prerequisites: SOCI 301 or SOCI 304 or SOCI 309 or SOCI 311 or SOCI 312 or departmental approval.

SOCI430: Sociology of Gender

The social determinants of differences between women and men and the effect of sex role differentiation in the social institutions of marriage and family, the economy and work situation, formal education, health, mass media, and religion; special emphasis is placed on the impact of social change on sex roles in contemporary society. Meets the World Languages and Cultures Requirement - World Cultures. 3 sh.

Prerequisites: SOCI 301 or SOCI 304 or SOCI 309 or SOCI 311 or SOCI 312 or departmental approval.