Courses

    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.

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

    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.

    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.

    Explores the role of medicine and medical systems in society. How does society shape health, how does health shape social position, and how do societies make sense of health and illness? Topics may include epidemiology, social demography of health, social stress, health behavior, experiences of illness and recovery, health care provision, and health care delivery systems. Prereq., SOCY 1001.

    Studies present and future roles of the aged in the family, the community, and the larger society. Considers economic, political, and health consequences of various retirement systems. Prereqs., Socy 1001, and Socy 3001 or 3011. Restricted to junior/senior Socy majors.

    Defines relationship between economy and society; sociological approach to study of economic activity and organization; difference from the theoretical and methodological assumptions orienting the discipline of economics; tackles these questions in two ways: studies foundations as established in works of Smith, Marx, Weber, Polanyi, and Schumpeter, and considers current research in economic sociology, focusing on concepts of markets, networks, and embeddedness. Prereq., SOCY 1001. Restricted to sophomore, junior, senior SOCY majors.

    Focuses on social inequalities in health in both U.S.and international contexts. Reviews the link between health status and various types of social statuses, including but not limited to socioeconomic status, gender, race, and ethnicity. Explanations for the relationships between these factors and various health outcomes are discussed. The class focuses on multiple levels of analysis, from the physician-patient interactions to health care systems and social policies. Students have the opportunity to develop their own specific research interests in this field. Prereq., SOCY 1001. Prerequisites: Restricted to students with 57-180 credits (Junior or Senior) Sociology (SOCY) majors only.
    Examines how modern societies understand and respond to the reality of human suffering, how care systems are organized, and the experiences of professional caregivers. Prerequisites: Restricted to students with 57-180 credits (Juniors or Seniors).

    Presents contemporary perspectives on relations between population and society. Focuses on mortality, fertility, and migration, the major demographic areas, with reviews of specific demographic phenomena and controversies. Formerly SOCY 5012.

    Presents social disparities in health in their social context. Includes the sociology of health behavior; links between health status and social statuses including gender, race, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status; fundamental causes and other explanations for social disparities in health; environment and health; health insurance disparities; the physician-patient interaction and its consequences. Prerequisites: Restricted to graduate students only.

    Introduction to relevant, timely research within sociological and social demographic research on raceand ethnicity. Specific areas will include conceptual/measurement issues; population size, growth, and migration; health and mortality; marriage, family, and fertility; socioeconomic context; and policy considerations. Course content will be structured around current empirical pieces in sociology literature with emphasis on methodological approach in analyses.