Currently Offered Courses - Fall 2023
Sociology offers a unique lens through which we can examine the world around us. In this course you will develop a perspective that will allow you to analyze the social world in a way that reveals the hidden and/or overlooked social forces that shape our lives. This approach, the sociological imagination, will enable you to explore how social forces influence the ways we view and navigate our social world. We will discuss how sociologists use theory and research to better understand important social issues such as inequalities of race, class, gender, sexualities and how social order and social change are possible. We will discuss how society affects individuals and in turn how individuals can affect society.
An exploration of current questions of gender and their applications to students today. The course will focus primarily on the United States emphasizing individual, interactional, and institutional aspects of the social world. Topics for study include sociological research on femininities, masculinities, gendered bodies, socialization, work, family, politics, sport, and sexualities.
A study of social problems in the United States necessarily entails a discussion of global issues. To that end, this course will examine many contemporary social issues such as crime, war and terrorism, the environment, inequality, poverty, discrimination, the economic recession, and others, through a global framework. Many of the topics we will cover could motivate an entire semester's study in their own right; indeed, some scholars devote their entire careers to but one of these topics. However, this breadth allows us to think broadly about the issues that are identified as social problems and the ways in which individuals and groups attempt to resolve those problems; both processes are revealing about the time and society in which we live. One of the main objectives of this class is to learn about how sociologists examine social problems through analysis and research. Alongside that process, you will improve your critical thinking skills and become a better/more informed consumer of information.
Origin of problems; consequences of ameliorative strategies. Typical topics include crime, mental illness, drug use, suicide, sexual behavior, violence, and intergroup conflict. May be repeated as topics vary.
Approved for both letter and S/U grading. May be repeated.
This course is an introduction to the foundations of sociological theory. Topics may include the problem of social order and the nature of social conflict; capitalism and bureaucracy; the relationship between social structure and politics; and the evolution of modern societies. Prerequisite: Sophomore standing.
Sociological and social-psychological analysis of minority groups; illustrative material drawn from representative racial, ethnic, and status groups. Prerequisite: SOC 100, SOC 101, OR SOC 163.
This course provides an introduction to the study of political sociology, which, broadly conceived, is concerned with the social bases of power and the social consequences of the organization of power. If politics is, as famously suggested by Howard Lasswell, "who gets what, when, how," then our primary aim is to explain the emergence, reproduction, and transformation of different forms of political ordering.
Critically examines the meaning and measurement of demographic change across time, levels of socio-economic development, national boundaries, and socio-cultural groups. Discussions focus on theories, trends, and measurement of mortality, fertility, migration and the relationship of these core demographic issues to macro and micro level trends in stress, inequality, infrastructure, and global warming.
Nature and extent of crime; past and present theories of crime causation; criminal behavior in the United States and abroad, and its relation to personal, structural and cultural conditions; the nature of the criminal justice system and the influences of the exercise of discretion among actors in the criminal justice system. Prerequisite: One of the following: SOC 100, SOC 101, SOC 163 or equivalent.
An introduction to statistical methods. Statistical topics and techniques covered during this semester include: descriptive statistics, measures of central tendency and variability, probability, statistical inference, and hypothesis testing. Throughout this course, social statistics is treated as a tool for research – to investigate and explain the relationships between a set of variables. Conceptual and practical approaches to statistics will be emphasized. Same as GGIS 280. Credit is not given towards graduation for SOC 280 if credit for a college level introductory statistics course has been earned.
Study of traits, conditions, actions, and behaviors that violate social norms and elicit negative societal reactions. Explores social, cultural and individual factors in the etiology of deviance; the establishment and maintenance of deviant categories; the motivations behind deviant behavior; the identification as deviant of individuals and of particular segments of society, by formal and informal means; the effects of institutionalization and social control upon the deviant; and the efforts of deviants to eradicate the label society has placed upon them. Prerequisite: One of the following: SOC 100, SOC 101, or SOC 163.
Examines the social and cultural origins of modern technology and technological innovation; the effects of technology and its change on society. Topics include the impact of technology on beliefs and values, accommodation and resistance to change, and technology and the Third World.
Who gets what, and why? How are power, privilege, and prestige distributed across individuals and groups, and why is it that some enjoy more than others? We consider how different dimensions of inequality have evolved over time, with special focus on inequalities across race, class, and gender. We assess how inequality shapes the lives of individuals in society, how and why inequality persists, and how people have worked to both challenge and reproduce their places in society. We approach social inequality from a variety of angles, developing an understanding of how inequality works in and through schooling, labor markets, employment, identity and prejudice, social mobility, and the role of major social institutions such as work, family, education, politics and law. We examine core statements of social stratification from sociology and engage with contemporary theories from sociology, psychology, political science, and economics. By the end of this course, you will have a clearer understanding of the types of inequality that exist in society, how inequality operates through the broader social context, and the constraints and opportunities faced by individuals in different positions in society. Prerequisite: One of the following: SOC 100, SOC 101, or SOC 163.
Introduction to the foundations of social research and to the major types of research methods employed in sociology. Provides exposure to the major tools and terminology of social research, including the use of computers in sociology. Topics include: research design, finding and using sociology literature, measurement, sampling, survey research, field methods, use of available data, quantitative data analysis and presentation, and computer resources for research. Prerequisite: SOC 280 and one of the following: SOC 100, SOC 101, or SOC 163.
Individual study or research project. May be repeated. Prerequisite: Six hours of sociology; written consent of instructor on form available in the Sociology Department Office.
Selected internship opportunities in which student and faculty member develop a program of study and research related to internship. Consult departmental undergraduate advisor. 0 to 3 undergraduate hours. No graduate credit. Approved for Letter and S/U grading. May be repeated to a maximum of 6 hours. Prerequisite: Junior or senior standing; and SOC 100 or SOC 101 or SOC 163; and six additional hours in Sociology or acceptance of faculty member and Director of Undergraduate Studies.
Examination of the social and political organization of the legal system, including the development of disputes, the role of gatekeepers to the legal system, and the political significance of litigation. Examines the role of law in sustaining and dismantling structural forms of inequality, as well as the relationship between law and social change. 3 undergraduate hours. 4 graduate hours. Credit is not given for both SOC 477 and SOC 479. Prerequisite: One of the following: SOC 100, SOC 101, SOC 163, or six hours of anthropology, social geography, political science, or sociology.
3 undergraduate hours. No graduate credit. May be repeated. Prerequisite: Open only to seniors in the sociology major who have an overall GPA of 3.25 or higher and therefore may be eligible for departmental distinction; obtain written consent of instructor on form available in the Sociology Department Office.
Analysis of major classical sociological theorists of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, stressing the social, historical, and philosophic foundations of sociological theory; primary emphasis on Marx, Durkheim, and Weber. Prerequisite: SOC 200 or equivalent.
Introduction to the graduate program in Sociology and to graduate study in the discipline of Sociology. Approved for S/U grading only. May be repeated in separate terms to a maximum of 4 hours. Prerequisite: Graduate standing in Sociology and consent of the Director of Graduate Studies.
After a brief review of the linear regression model, the course examines social science applications of generalized linear models including binary logit/probit, ordinal logit/probit, multinomial logit, and Poisson/negative binomial regression models. It further examines panel data analysis applying many of these models. The statistical package Stata is the primary software used in lab sessions. 4 graduate hours. No professional credit. Credit is not given for both SOC 586 and PSYC 506. Prerequisite: SOC 485 or equivalent.
Supervised individual investigation or study of a topic not covered by regular courses; topic selected by the student and the proposed plan of study must be approved by the adviser and the staff member who supervises the work. Approved for letter and S/U grading. May be repeated.
Intensive study of selected topics based on contemporary works of major importance in the development of sociological theory. May be repeated if topics vary.
Individual guidance in intensive readings in the literature of one or more subdivisions of the field of sociology, selected in consultation with the student's advisor, in preparation for the specialization examination. Approved for S/U grading only. May be repeated in separate terms to a maximum of 12 hours. Prerequisite: Graduate standing in Sociology and consent of advisor.
Individual guidance in designing a doctoral research project and writing a thesis proposal. Focuses on developing a cogent theoretical framework, articulating significance of the project, identifying appropriate research methods, and considering ethical issues. Approved for S/U grading only. May be repeated in the same or separate terms to a maximum of 12 hours. Prerequisite: Graduate standing in Sociology and consent of advisor.
Approved for S/U grading only. May be repeated. Prerequisite: SOC 598.