Sociology (SOC)

1000 Level | 2000 Level | 3000 Level | 4000 Level

USP Codes are listed in brackets by the 1991 USP code followed by the 2003 USP code (i.e. [M2<>QB]).

1000. Sociological Principles. 3. [C2<>CS] Provides a survey of the discipline and foundation for other sociology courses. Explores major areas of interest — ranging from small groups and families to bureaucracies and social movements. Introduces significant concepts and theories, along with tools of social research. Gives attention to contemporary American society, as well as comparative and historical material.

1100. Social Problems and Issues. 3. [C2<>CS] Explores various approaches to defining and identifying social problems and applies basic sociological concepts and methods to analysis of selected social problems and issues.

1350. American Indians in Contemporary Society. 3. [(none)<>CS, D] Survey lecture course. Examines social and cultural issues and concerns of American Indians both on and off the reservations. Additionally, the status of American Indian people within the dominant society and culture are explored. Cross listed with AIST 1350.

2070 [2000]. Introductory Statistics for the Social Sciences. 4. [M2<>QB] Presents central ideas of descriptive statistics and statistical inference, as applied to questions in social sciences. Includes graphs, averages, sampling, estimation, hypothesis-testing and relationships between variables. Introduces associated computer skills. Credit cannot be earned in more than one of STAT 2010, 2050, 2070, 4220, 5520. Cross listed with STAT 2070. Prerequisites: MATH 1000, 1400 or equivalent.

2100. Social Change. 3. [C2, G1, W2<>WB, G] Studies causes, processes and consequences of structural transformations in historical and comparative perspective.  Reviews and assesses forces that account for sociological changes.  Explores social change globally as well as in the U.S.  Cross listed with  INST 2100. Prerequisite: SOC 1000.

2140. African Societies. 3. [C2, G1<>G] Surveys African societies in their traditional and modern settings. Explores structure, function, and process in African social institutions (family, kinship, gender, economy, politics, education, law, and religion). Analyzes impact of Western contact of these institutions and other internal and external processes that have culminated in the present African condition. Cross listed with AAST 2140.

2200. Sociology of Human Sexuality. 3. [C2<>(none)] Theoretically and empirically analyzes sexual attitudes and behaviors on the social level. Focuses on American society. Prerequisite: SOC 1000, PSYC 1000 or ANTH 1200.

2350. Race and Ethnic Relations. 3. [C2<>D] Examines social relations among majority and minority groups by devoting particular attention to race and ethnic relations in the U.S. Encompasses sociological approach to this topic, which emphasizes power structures, economic relationships and cultural traditions historically and today. Devotes attention to social psychological issues, such as prejudice, and social structural issues, such as class inequality. Prerequisite: SOC 1000 or ANTH 1200.

2400. [3300]. Criminology. 3. Generally introduces the nature of crime, statistics on crime, types of criminal behavior and explanations of crime. Cross listed with CRMJ 2400. Prerequisite: SOC 1000 or equivalent. (Normally offered once a year.)

3050. Japanese Society. 3. [C2, G1<>G] Studies cultural traditions of Japan from historical literature. Reviews and assesses influence of cultural values upon social, political and economic structures and behavioral patterns. Prerequisite: SOC 1000, ANTH 1100 or equivalent social science course. (Offered once a year)

3100. Chinese Society. 3. [C2, G1<>G] Reviews origins and consequences of Chinese revolution in comparative and cultural perspectives. Discusses influence of historical traditions and social structure on individual lives and behavioral patterns. Cross listed with INST 3100. Prerequisite: SOC 1000.

3110 [2110]. Self and Society. 3. Considers social behavior at the micro level, emphasizing the influence of society on the individual’s thoughts, emotions and behaviors. Topics such as the development of the self over the life course, the self in social interaction, and the role of attitudes and emotions in social interaction are discussed. Prerequisite: SOC/PSYC 1000. (Offered based on sufficient demand and resources)

3150. Collective Behavior and Social Movements. 3. Analyzes and explains fads, fashions, rumors, riots and mass behavior in light of theoretical frameworks. Studies social movements including blacks, women, labor, religions and students. Assesses meaning of contemporary revolutionary movements in Third World countries against sociological interpretations of historic French, Russian and Chinese Revolutions. Prerequisite: SOC 1000 or equivalent.

3200. Sociology of Religion. 3. Introduces various ways sociologists interpret religion. Explores the nature of relationships between religion and society. Prerequisite: SOC 1000 or equivalent.

3320 [2320]. Family Violence. 3. [C2<>(none)] Prevalence, types and causes of family violence are examined with an emphasis on a sociological understanding. Theories of violence are applied to the conflict that exists within the family institution such as woman battering, courtship conflict and child abuse. Cross listed with CRMJ 3320. Prerequisite: 6 hours of sociology or equivalent social science (including SOC 1000).

3400 [4200]. Deviant Behavior. 3. [C2<>(none)]. Examines theory and research relevant to understanding deviant behavior in general and specific types of individual and subculture deviancy. Cross listed with CRMJ 3400. Prerequisite: SOC 1000 or equivalent.

3500. Sociology of Gender. 3. [W2, C2<>WB] Investigates causes and consequences of gender construction within social institutions such as family, government, education, religion, and economy. Analyzes social structural factors affecting support for gender differentiation, e.g. social values, position in hierarchies of control, access to paid employment, and gendered life experiences. Examines differences by race, social class and sexuality. Prerequisite: SOC 1000 or junior/senior standing.

3550. Medical Sociology. 3. Considers sociological contributions to diagnosis and treatment of illness. Studies social organization of health professions and agencies. Prerequisite: SOC 1000 or equivalent.

3605. Sociology of Education. 3. An introductory overview of the principal areas of inquiry in the field. Students learn relevant theories and concepts, principal methodological approaches as well as important current issues in education. Comparative analysis may focus on historical comparisons, national/global comparisons, U.S. regional, and/or variant educational systems at the local level. Prerequisite: SOC 1000 or equivalent.

3650. The Community. 3. [C2<>(none)] Analyzes structure, functions and trends of the community. Prerequisite: SOC 1000 or equivalent. (Offered based on sufficient demand and resources)

3670. African Diaspora. 3. [C2, G1<>CS, G] Examines the process through which aspects of African culture have endured in Diaspora. Analyzes the social relations between Diaspora Africans and non-African populations in North and South America, the Caribbean, Britain, Asia and the Mediterranean. Discusses cultural hybridization (“creolization”) as a product of culture contact. Cross listed with AAST 3670. Prerequisites: AMST 2110, ANTH 1200, ENGL 2190, SOC 1000, SOC 2140, any AAST course, or junior/senior standing.

3800. Chicanas/os in Contemporary Schools. 3. [(none)<>CS, D] Focuses on three major movements within the Chicana/o community; labor, nationalism, and feminism. Students will assess these three movements to determine what role they have played in transforming the social conditions and political identity of the Chicana/o and Latina/o population in the US. Cross listed with CHST/WMST 3800. Prerequisites: CHST 1100 or SOC 1000 or WMST 1080 or instructor permission.

3880. Political Sociology. 3. Study of political theory, political organization, political mobilization, the state, nation-building, national identity, post-nationalism, the relationship between the state and markets, historic formation of the nation-state, and the changing role of the state in a global context. Prerequisites: SOC 1000, 3700 or junior/senior standing.

3900 [3700]. Sociological Theory. 3. [C2<>(none)] Examines the emergence and development of sociological theory in the writings of thinkers such as Marx, Durkheim, and Weber. Explores continuities and discontinuities between the classical period of sociological theory and contemporary schools such as functionalism, conflict theory, neo-Marxian theories, symbolic interactionism, phenomenonlogy, and rational choice/exchange theory. Prerequisite: SOC 1000.

4000. Social Inequality. 3. [C2<>(none)] Focuses on structure and consequences of unequal access to political, economic and prestige benefits in American society and the world. Critically examines institutional arrangements that perpetuate and are supported by inequality, as well as patterns of social mobility. Prerequisite: SOC 1000 or equivalent.

4020 [4560]. Sociology of Work. 3. [C2<>(none)] Examines social organization of work—especially in response to change in technology, demands for equal opportunity, size and goals of firms and desires for meaningful work. Historically and comparatively analyzes work-life experiences shaping of labor markets and role of collective action. Explores impact of the labor process on distribution of society’s material and symbolic rewards. Dual listed with SOC 5560. Prerequisite: SOC 1000, MGT 3210 or ECON 1010.

4070. Causal Models. 3. Applications of least-squares and iterative maximum-likelihood methods for drawing cause and effect conclusions from nonexperimental data. Topics include regression-based path analysis, reciprocal causation, confirmatory factor analysis, measurement error, and structural equation models with unmeasured (latent) variables. Prerequisites: one of STAT 3050, 4010, 5050, 5060, 5070, 5080 or equivalent (regression methods).

4090 [2090, 2050]. Sociological Research. 4. [M3<>none] Capstone course in Sociology. Considers the conduct and analysis of social research. Explains the relationship between theories, methods of research and results of research. Requires students to actively participate in analyzing and presenting group research projects. Integrates sociological concepts, theories and substantive areas into the research process. Prerequisites: SOC 1000, STAT 2070 or equivalent; junior or senior standing.

4110. Sociology of International Development. 3. [C2, G1, W3<>WC, G] Surveys development studies and rural change, including case studies of deliberate change efforts toward industrialization. Includes peasant modes of food production, daily life in subsistence, agriculture, shifts to commercial agriculture and global economy, ethical and critical issues of induced change and different approaches to development process and outcomes. Prerequisite: SOC 1000 or ANTH 1200; SOC 2100 recommended. (Offered once a year)

4140 [4100]. The Family. 3. [C2<>(none)] Two major themes of the course are change experienced by the family institution and the centrality of the family in America today. Subjects that are covered include: A brief history of the family in the U.S., kinship, family structure, mate-selection, marriage, divorce and socialization. Dual listed with SOC 5140. Prerequisites: 6 hours of sociology (including SOC 1000) and junior standing. (Offered spring semester of odd-numbered years)

4160 [4050]. Sociology of Aging. 3. [C2<>(none)] The process of aging from the individual to the societal level is the focus of the course. Consequences of this process such as the increase in the number of elderly, retirement and health are examined from the major social institutions, the relationships between these institutions and American society as a whole. Dual listed with SOC 5160. Prerequisite: 6 hours of sociology (including SOC 1000) and at least junior standing. (Offered based on sufficient demand and resources)

4250. Sociology of Law. 3. [C2, W3<>(none)] A consideration of sociological concepts such as inequality, stratification, social control and social change in an analysis of the law and legal institutions. Topics include: the role of the police, lawyers, judges, and juries; race, sex, age, and sexuality discrimination and civil rights; free speech, and toxic torts. Cross listed with CRMJ 4250. Prerequisites: SOC 1000 and upper division status.

4270. Discrimination and the Law. 3 (Max. 6). A sociological examination of specific examples of discrimination and justice within the law and the legal system. Topics will routinely vary and may include race, gender, religion, cultures or sexuality. Class may be repeated for credit when topics differ. Cross listed with CRMJ 4270. Prerequisites: SOC 1000 and junior status.

4300. The World System. 3. [G1<>(none)] Analyzes structure of political and economic interdependence among nation-states. Reviews and assesses theoretical approaches to explaining changing structure of inequality, power, war and peace. Dual listed with SOC 5300. Cross listed with POLS 4300 and INST 4300. Prerequisite: SOC 1000 or ANTH 1100 or equivalent political science, international studies, or social science course.


4370. Global Political Economy. 3. [(none)<>G] Examines the interaction of politics and the economy at the global level. Evaluates how political and economic decisions of one country or groups of countries affect institutions and life circumstances in others. Assesses the causes of consequences of globalization as rooted in political economy. Cross listed with INST 4370. Prerequisites: SOC 1000 and junior standing or SOC 2100.

4400. Women and Work. 3. [C2, W3<>(none)] Surveys general patterns of women's paid and unpaid work in the U.S. and abroad. Offers reconceptualizations of work’s meaning in women's lives, as well as debates surrounding comparable worth, pay equity, women's work experience and women in the world economy. Cross listed with WMST 4400, dual listed with SOC 5400. Prerequisite: 6 hours of women's studies or sociology.

4500. Sociology of Organizations. 3. Considers questions of organizational structure, decision-making, work situation and organizational environment across various types of industrial settings and cultures. Emphasizes transactions between organizations and their various environments and effects of these transactions for program implementation, as well as understanding of organizational effectiveness in terms of rational, institutional and societal perspectives. Prerequisite: SOC 1000, CMJR 1030 or 1040.

4540. Women, Crime and the Law. 3. [W3, C2<>(none)] Addresses status of women as offenders and as victims in society and in the criminal justice system. Considers special role of women as professionals in the criminal justice system. Cross listed with CRMJ/WMST 4540. Prerequisite: WMST/ SOC 1080, WMST/SOC 3500, or SOC 2400.

4600. Global Population Issues. 3. [G1, M3<>(none)] Analyzes U.S. and world populations, emphasizing implications of population trends. Dual listed with SOC 5600. Cross listed with INST 4600. Prerequisites: SOC 1000 or equivalent and SOC 2070 or STAT 2070 or equivalent.

4650. Urban Sociology. 3. [C2<>(none)] Considers growth of metropolis and its impact upon modern life. Dual listed with SOC 5650. Prerequisite: SOC 1000 or equivalent. (Offered based on sufficient demand and resources)

4680. Shanghai: Past & Present. 3. [(none)<>CS, G] Lectures, fieldtrips, and other cultural activities are all incorporated into the curriculum to help students learn about the political, economic and cultural development in 21st century China. Cross listed with INST 4680. Prerequisites: none.

4700. Science and Modern Society. 3. [W3, C2<>(none)] Leads students to consider how science is a social phenomenon in its practice and in its knowledge by examining the history, culture and methods in science. Prerequisite: 6 hours of social science.

4850. Conference. 1-6 (Max. 6). Considers topics of current sociological interest in consultation with a faculty member. Prerequisites: senior standing and 15 hours of sociology. (Normally offered every semester)

4890. Special Topics in____. 1-3 (Max. 6). Accommodates seminar series and/or course offering by visiting faculty whose subject matter is not included in other courses. Prerequisites: junior standing and consent of department. (Offered based on sufficient demand and resources)

4900. Seminar. 3-6 (Max. 6). Considers special topics of current sociological interest. May be repeated for maximum of 6 hours credit when topic of seminar is different. Prerequisite: consent of instructor. (Offered based on sufficient demand and resources)

4950. Seminar. 3-6 (Max. 6). Considers special topics of current sociological interest. May be repeated for maximum of 6 hours credit when topic of seminar is different. Prerequisite: consent of instructor. (Offered based on sufficient demand and resources)

4970 Sociology Internship. 3. Students gain practical experience in the application of principles learned in sociology courses. Students work with the internship coordinator to select a site and faculty supervisor; intern approximately six hours per week in the host organization; and complete readings and written assignments which reflect the student’s work. Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory Only. Prerequisites: sociology major or minor with a minimum of junior standing and the completion of SOC 1000, and two additional sociology courses.


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