Courses

Examines basic sociological ideas including social relations, social interaction, social structure, and social change. Examples are drawn from societies around the world. Meets MAPS requirement for social science: general. Approved for arts and sciences core curriculum: contemporary societies.

Examines the social construction of deviance in the U.S., the process of acquiring a deviant identity and managing deviant stigma, and the social organization of deviant act, lifestyles, relationships and careers. Approved for arts and sciences core curriculum: ideals and values.

Discusses the social determinants of sexuality. Analyzes the economic, psychological, and cultural influences on human sexuality. Interactional perspective of human sexuality is presented. Same as WMST 1006. Prerequisites: Restricted to students with 27-180 credits (Sophomore, Junior or Senior) only.

Examines status and power differences between the sexes at individual and societal levels. Emphasizes historical context of gender roles and status, reviews major theories of gender stratification. Same as WMST 1016. Approved for arts and sciences core curriculum: human diversity.

An examination of race and minority problems in U.S. society, including the psychological, social, and cultural sources of prejudice and discrimination. Approved for arts and sciences core curriculum: United States context.

Explores current ethical and policy issues in U.S. health and medical practices. Includes such issues as alcohol and drug abuse, organ transplants and substitutes, genetic engineering, contraception, abortion, occupational safety and health, and euthanasia. Approved for arts and sciences core curriculum: ideals and values.

May be repeated up to 7 total credit hours.

Explores contemporary societies on a global scale. Focuses on such issues as capitalism, socialism, race and ethnic problems, sex discrimination, poverty and the concentration of wealth, crime and deviance, human rights and human values, peace and war.

Examines nonviolence as a strategy of social action. Focuses on ethics and dynamics of nonviolent action; racial and economic justice movements; civil disobedience; and conscientious objection to war.

Examines U.S. society from a normative perspective emphasizing theories of social change. Considers such problems as distribution of power, unemployment, poverty, racism and sexism, the changing role of the family, and drugs. Approved for arts and sciences core curriculum: ideals and values.

Examines the relationship between drugs and social contexts. Lends insight into why people find consciousness alteration meaningful, what kinds of experiences and problems arise, and what types of social policies emerge to control drug use.

Explores issues related to crime, the criminal justice system, and crime-related public policy. It addresses what we know about crime and how we know it, how our society responds to crime, and how the institutions designed to address crime (police, courts, corrections) function.

Introduces students to quantitative analysis of social phenomena. Emphasizes understanding and proper interpretation of graphs; measures of central tendency, dispersion, and association; and the concept of statistical significance. Assumes students have only limited mathematical background.

Examines how both natural and built environments influence human behavior and social organization. Focuses on microenvironments and their influence on individuals; the impact of macroenvironments on societal organization; and environmental movements. Credit not granted for this course and SOCY 3091. Approved for arts and sciences core curriculum: ideals and values.

Variety of courses taught by visiting and regular faculty. See current departmental announcements for specific content. Students may receive credit for this course up to three times for different topics.

In-depth study of classical sociological theorists, particularly Marx, Durkheim, and Weber. Examines their roles in defining the discipline of sociology. Prereq., SOCY 1001. Prerequisites: Restricted to students with 27-180 credits (Sophomores, Juniors or Seniors) Sociology (SOCY) majors only.

Examines population, its structure and processes, andits relationships to selected areas of the social structure. Examines Malthusian, neo-Malthusian, and Marxist perspectives. Restricted to SOCY majors. Prerequisites: Restricted to Sociology majors only.

Builds on previous coursework in survey or field methods to result in an original, article-length research paper analyzing sociological data. Students will hone their writing skills through in- and -out-of-class writing exercises, and read and analyze models of quantitative and qualitative sociological articles to develop sociological writing skills. Prereq., SOCY 3301 or SOCY 3401. Approved for arts and sciences core curriculum: written communication.

Continuation of SOCY 3001. In-depth study of modern and post-modern theories of the 20th century, including structural-functionalist, conflict, symbolic interactionist, feminist, and world system theories. Prereq., SOCY 1001. Restricted to junior/senior SOCY majors.

Investigates the status of women in the context of globalization and social and economic development. Prereqs., SOCY 1001, and SOCY 3001 or 3011. Restricted to junior/senior SOCY majors. Same as WMST 3012. Approved for arts and sciences core curriculum: human diversity.

Comparative and historical examination of marriage and the family within the U.S. Emphasizes changing family roles and family structures. Also considers alternatives to the nuclear family and traditional marriage exploring new definitions of family. Prereqs., SOCY 1001, and SOCY 3001 or 3011. Restricted to junior/senior SOCY majors. Same as WMST 3016. Approved for arts and sciences core curriculum: United States context.

What counts as violence? Who decides what is violence and what is not? In what contexts does violence occur? This course critically examines different criminological and social science perspectives on violence. Prereq., SOCY 1001 or 1004. Prerequisites: Restricted to students with 57-180 credits (Junior or Senior) College of Arts and Sciences students only.

Explores human development from a psychosocial perspective, focusing on the interplay between psychological patterns and social forms. Issues such as self-image and social consciousness are studied within the larger context of individual and collective forces leading to transformation. Prereqs., SOCY 1001, and 3001 or 3011, or instructor consent. Same as INVS 3041. Prerequisites: Restricted to students with 57-180 credits (Junior or Senior) Sociology (SOCY) majors only.

A variety of courses in population and/or health will be taught, usually by visiting lecturers. See current departmental announcements for specific content. May be repeated up to 9 total credit hours for different topics. Prereq., SOCY 1001.

Overview of race, class, gender, and ethnicity issuesin offending, victimization, and processing by the justice system. Examines women and people of color employed in the justice system. Prereq., SOCY 1001or 1004. Same as WMST 3044. Prerequisites: Restricted to students with 57-180 credits (Junior or Senior).