Please note that not all courses are offered every year, but required courses are
offered at least once a year.
Courses for Undergraduates
101 Introduction to Sociology (3:3)
GE Core: GSB
Scientific study of social behavior including factors involved
in functioning and development of human society such as culture, identity, social
organization, institutions, stratification, social process, and social change. (Fall & Spring)
201 Social Problems (3:3)
Analysis of contemporary social problems from a sociological perspective.
202 Social Problems in Global Context (3:3)
GE Core: GSB
GE Marker: GL
This course examines causes of and responses to critical social
problems in different world regions with a focus on the dimensions and impacts of
globalization. (Fall & Spring)
222 Sociology of Deviant Behavior (3:3)
GE Core: GSB
Sociological contributions to analysis and treatment of contemporary
forms of deviant behavior. Relationship of deviant behavior to social change. (Fall & Spring)
225 Race, Class, and Gender: Social Inequalities (3:3)
Study of social inequalities, with a particular focus on race,
class, and gender. (Fall & Spring)
230 Sociology of Friendship (3:3)
A sociological perspective on friendship. Topics include definition
of friendship, history of friendship, research, results of surveys and ethographies,
friendship processes and structure, and friendship in context.
240 An Introduction to Cultural Sociology (3:3)
An introduction to cultural sociology and exploration of cultural
products and practices, the relationship between culture and society, and issues
pertaining to meaning, interpretation, and representation.
261 Health and Society (3:3)
Analysis of socio-cultural aspects of health and illness. Consideration
given to definitions of health, social distribution of illness, formal and informal
organization of health professions and institutions, national health care systems.
290 Thinking Sociologically—Classical Theory (3:3)
Pr. SOC 101
A review of classical sociological theory, its foundations in
modernity, and its place in the development of sociology as a social science discipline.
First in the two-part sequence in theory. (Fall or Spring)
300 Post Soviet Societies (3:3)
GE Marker: GN
Examination of major social institutions and social problems.
Emphasis on assessing impact of ideology, modernization, and traditional cultural
values on the evolution of the societies which formerly comprised the USSR. Particular
emphasis on Russian society.
301 Introduction to Methods and Research (3:3)
Pr. one sociology course or permission of instructor
SOC majors only.
Topics include the function of theory in research, concept formation,
study design, data collection, and analysis strategies.
(Fall & Spring)
302 Introduction to Data Analysis (3:2:1)
Pr. SOC 101 and 301 and
one additional sociology course
SOC majors only, except by permission of instructor.
Application of statistical concepts and procedures to sociological
inquiry. Topics include elementary descriptive and inferential procedures and use
of computers in data analysis. (Fall & Spring)
311 Reading Culture and Society (3:3)
Examines key sociocultural issues through classic literary and
cinematic works, emphasizing notions of modernity, the contemporary world, and the
relationship they entertain; provides foundational reading and critical thinking
skills. (Fall) (Same as ATY 311)
312 Experimental Course: Minorities and Music: Race, Class, and
Gender in America (3:3)
Offers a critical perspective on representations of race, class,
and gender in American popular music and uses music to examine and understand the
impact of dominant ideologies. (Same as AFS 312) (Offered
spring '08)
314 Sociology of Popular Music (3:3)
An introduction to the sociology of popular music; focuses on
the roles music plays in society through an exploration of various popular music
styles in the United States and the world.
317 Criminal Justice (3:3)
Adjudication of criminal defendants from arrest through appellate
process. Special attention given to current issues in administration of justice,
e.g., the death penalty, plea bargaining, alternatives to incarceration.
323 Global Deviance (3:3)
GE Marker: GL
Explores and examines contemporary meaning and forms of deviant
behavior using cross cultural and international perspectives. (Formerly SOC 223)
324 Criminology (3:3)
Consideration of legal aspects of crime, its causation, patterns
of criminal behavior, and victimization. Attention given to selected current issues
in detection, apprehension, and adjudication of criminal offenders.
(Fall & Spring)
325 Sociology of Work Organizations (3:3)
Pr. 101 or 201 or 202,
or permission of instructor
Analysis of relationships of individuals to work organizations
and the relationships between individuals in organizations. Special attention to
breakdowns in organizational functioning, satisfactions and dissatisfactions of
individuals in work organizations, informal relationships and power within organizations,
unionization and organizational conflict, and implications of increasing bureaucratization
for citizens and society.
326 The Community (3:3)
Pr. 101 or 201 or 202,
or permission of instructor
Recent changes and current structure of communities, with special
attention to urbanization, bureaucratization, industrialization, social class systems,
land use, inter-organizational relationships, urban life styles, and community power.
327 Race and Ethnic Relations (3:3)
GE Core: GSB
Interaction between peoples of differing racial, ethnic, and cultural
backgrounds, with comparison of American relationships to those in other parts of
the world. (Formerly SOC 227)
328 Social Movements (3:3)
Pr. SOC 101 or 201 or 202
or permission of instructor
Systematic study of such forms of collective social behavior as
social movements and revolutions with a strong international and comparative focus.
329 Sociological Perspectives on Gender (3:3)
Inquiry into status of women in society with emphasis on socialization,
structural and institutional relationships, and continuities and discontinuities
in women’s roles across the life cycle. (Formerly SOC 229)
330 Urban Society (3:3)
Analysis of emergence of urban society including formation and
growth of urban centers and problems associated with ecological, social, and cultural
differentiation within urban settlements.
332 Law and Society (3:3)
Freshmen must have permission of instructor to register
for this course.
Examines law as a social process that differs from case to case
according to the social characteristics of the parties involved. Criminal and civil
law are discussed.
335 Marriage and the Family (3:3)
Analysis of marriage and family with particular attention to change
and interrelationships with other institutions.
341 Sociological Perspectives on Social Psychology (3:3)
Pr. 101 and one additional sociology course or permission of
instructor
May not be taken for credit if student has had SOC 571.
Conceptual frameworks of social psychology for selected topics:
theories of social psychology, socialization, social perception, acquisition of
self, gender, race and ethnicity, social interaction, and attitude and behavior
change.
342 Global Inequalities (3:3)
Pr. 101 and one additional sociology course or permission of
instructor
Examination of social stratification systems and theories, economic
prestige, power inequalities, social mobility, and class consciousness.
344 Global Society (3:3)
GE Marker: GL
Pr. 101 and one additional sociology course or permission of
instructor
Examines the interdependent development of formal organizations,
communities, and societies as large scale social systems. Special attention is given
to inter-societal relationships and the world system. Application to contemporary
social issues is stressed.
345 Social Change (3:3)
Pr. 101 and one additional sociology course or permission of
instructor
Examination of nature, process, and consequences of social change
with consideration of its control in all types of societies.
346 Population Problems (3:3)
Pr. 101 and one additional sociology course or permission of
instructor
Sociological study of basic population processes of fertility,
migration, and mortality, including examination of problems associated with changing
population size, composition, and distribution. (Formerly SOC 339)
350 Juvenile Delinquency (3:3)
Pr. 222
Course assesses the nature and extent of juvenile participation
in unconventional behavior and identification with norms and values promoting delinquency.
(Formerly SOC 250)
354 Work and Gender (3:3)
Pr. junior standing, SOC 101 or MGT 200 or permission of instructor
Examination of women’s participation in the U.S. labor force and work organizations with special
attention to issues for women in management.
362 Sociological Perspectives on Education (3:3)
Introduction to sociological theories and research about how social
forces influence schools, inequality and conflict in schools, how schools confer
status on people, and how schools are organized and changed.
364 African American Social Thought (3:3)
An introduction to perspectives advanced by black scholars concerning
black power and pride, stratification, social order, culture, intraracial socialization,
interaction, mate selection, and consequences of skin-tone variance.
365 Public Opinion and Mass Communication (3:3)
Pr. one course in sociology or permission of instructor
The structure and functioning of the mass media with special attention
to societal and individual effects. Examination of public opinion formation and
its consequences and also selected policy issues.
366 Sociology of Religion (3:3)
Sociological study in field of religion with emphasis on modern
society and relation of religion to other institutions and functions of religious
roles.
370 Environmental Sociology (3:3)
Pr. 101 or 201 or 202,
or permission of instructor
Introduction to major sociological theories, perspectives and
research useful for understanding environmental issues and environmentalism. Primary
focus on the U.S., with some attention
to Europe and developing countries.
371 Immigration, Ethnicity, and Race in a Global Context (3:3)
Pr. 101 or 201 or 202 or
permission of instructor
Examination of ethnic and racial relations and conflicts, especially
in societies outside of the U.S. Special
attention to the causes of international migration and its consequences for racial
and ethnic relations.
374 Experimental Course: Visualizing the Triad's Global Identity
(3:3)
Pr. SOC 101 or 201, or 202
Prepares students for the requirements of a global society by
illustrating the impact of globalization in the local community. The course teaches
visual literacy and basic methods of social research.
(Offered spring '09)
375 International Field Research (4:2:6)
GE Marker: GN
Pr. SOC 101 or 201 or 202;
or permission of instructor
Prepares students for the requirements of a global society by
developing an international perspective on important issues and using social science
field research techniques in an international setting.
377 Disaster, Self, and Society (3:3)
Pr. 3 semester hours in sociology
The anatomy of disasters examined from a sociological perspective.
Case studies are presented through several conceptual lenses for clarifying individual,
social, cultural, and political responses to catastrophic events.
380 Memory, Self, and Society (3:3)
Examines the importance of memory to personal, institutional,
and national identities. Particular emphasis is placed on memory as a cultural narrative
fashioned in historical, social, and political contexts.
390 African American Perspectives on Crime (3:3)
Pr. SOC 222 or 324
An introduction to perspectives in criminology that focus on African
American participation in crime and the significance of race for legal sanctioning.
419 Gender, Crime, and Deviance (3:3)
Examines key questions in scholarly literature on gender, crime,
and deviance: how gender socialization, gender roles, and institutions affect males'
and females' offending, deviant behavior, and victimization.
420 Family Violence (3:3)
Pr. junior standing or permission of instructor
Examines the forms, causes, incidence, and prevention of violence
within the family and other intimate relationships.
425 Contemporary Gangs in America (3:3)
Pr. SOC 350
Examines the nature and extent of gang membership in America:
activities of cliques, near groups, cultural gangs, and established gangs.
429 Collective Violence and Nonviolence in Global Perspective
(3:3)
Pr. junior standing or permission of instructor
Study of social dynamics underlying events of collective violence
and collective nonviolence globally and historically. Explores why contentious politics
take a violent turn sometimes and a nonviolent turn at other times.
(Spring)
430 Miscarriages of Justice (3:3)
Pr. or Coreq. SOC 317 or 324 or 332 or 420
Examines the causes and consequences of the wrongful conviction
of innocent individuals within the American criminal justice system.
490 Seeing Society—Contemporary Theory (3:3)
Pr. SOC 101, 290, and 301
Introduction to contemporary social and sociological theories
and their places in postindustrial/postmodern society. Second of a two-part sequence
in theory. (Fall or Spring)
493 Honors Work (3–6)
Pr. permission of instructor; 3.30 GPA in the major, 12 s.h.
in the major
May be repeated for credit if the topic of study changes.
495 Senior Seminar: Contemporary Works in Sociology (3:3)
Pr. senior major
Critical review of significant recent books representing various
fields in sociology.
497, 498 Special Problems in Sociology (2–3), (2–3)
Pr. permission of faculty member with whom student wishes to
work
Opportunity for students to have directed instruction on problems
of special interest.
499 Internship in Sociology (3–6:2:8–20)
Pr. junior or senior standing; Sociology as primary major; minimum
2.80 GPA; 2 letters of recommendation
(at least one must be from the Sociology faculty).
Must preregister for course during the November registration
period for spring semester.
Preference given to seniors.
Students will complete at least 120 internship hours with a local
public sector agency, and through the application of sociological concepts, will
examine interpersonal, organizational, and public policy issues.
(Spring)
