Sociology Courses

The course introduces the basic concepts, principles, and major areas of sociology. Topics include the nature of society, social organizations, and major social institutions.

Contemporary social problems, including macro-problems (e.g., the economy, politics, inequality), micro-problems (e.g., crime, health care), and the relationship between the two are studied. Emphasis is on understanding both causes and symptoms of contemporary social problems.

An introductory level examination of changing conditions in the Third World, using sociological concepts. Focus will be on one or more of the following areas: Asia, Africa, the Middle East, Latin America, and the Caribbean. This course will emphasize social, economic and political changes that affect daily life and experiences of people in these societies.

Data presentation, descriptive statistical analysis, and basic inferential techniques. Theoretical and methodological issues, as well as statistical applications, are studied. Students are trained to develop quantitative analysis skills and an ability to use statistics in social science disciplines and day-to-day life. (Students may not receive credit for more than one 200-level statistics course, including credit for more than one of the following courses: ECON 205, GEOG 278, MATH 242, MATH 262, PLSC 251, PSYC 250, and SOCL 211.)

Presents social and cultural factors influencing health and illness. Looks at the roles of health care professionals, patients, and medical settings in our society. Discusses the relationships between the current health care system and the political and economic systems.

Social aspects of cities are studied, including the origins and development of cities, the emergence of suburbs, urban ways of life, characteristics of cities in the U.S., contemporary urban problems, and urban policy.

This course deals with the application of social science theory and methods to the study of the ever changing relationship between humans’ natural and social environments. Thematic emphasis on Environ mentalism as a socio-political, economic movement will inform the course. Topics include an analysis of the historical context of perceived tensions between these two environments and the changing social definitions of nature and environment. Particular attention is given to major environmental controversies and related political struggles of the past two centuries. Additionally, select environmental problems are used as a vehicle from which to explore the nature of sociology’s potential contributions to the resolution of environmental controversies.

This course introduces students to the sociological study of gender in contemporary U.S. society by examining the social structural bases of gendered behavior and gender inequality. Topics include gender socialization, differentiation, and stratification. The course examines gender in institutional structures including the economy, education, law, and the family. Historical and cross-cultural variations in gender are explored as well as variations by race, ethnicity, social class and sexual orientation

Given the projection of dramatic transformations in the racial and ethnic composition of the United States during the 21st century, it is important to have a historical and sociological grasp of how racial and ethnic relations have been shaped in the past and of what lessons we can learn and apply to the future of America. This course introduces sociological concepts and theories in the study of race and ethnicity, provides a broad historical understanding of how different groups were assimilated into or segregated from the American society, and examines contemporary issues on race and ethnicity, such as affirmative action and bilingual education, that define political and cultural discourse of our everyday lives. This course will also compare and contrast the race relations of the U.S. with those of other societies.

This course examines the relationship between religion and society and between religion and individual experiences. Topics include theoretical explorations into nature, origins, and functions of religion; interpretations of the place of religion and ritual in social life; analyses of interaction between religion and other institutions of society, like economics ,politics and family; and examination of religious change; and consideration of the interaction between religion and psyche, religion and socialization, and religion and inequality.

Major social psychological approaches to understanding the relationship between individuals and their social contexts are reviewed. Basic social psychological processes such as language, socialization, the self, and face-to-face interaction are discussed.

Sport is more than just fun and games; it is a powerful institution in our society, closely intertwined with family, community, education, media, politics, the economy, and other institutions. This course focuses on closely analyzing the sports landscape to understand why particular sports are and are not available and popular; how race, class, gender, and other factors shape access to sporting opportunities; how sports are shaped by commercial and political interests; and the cultural meanings attached to sports.

The course is an inquiry into the social construction of deviance. Emphasis is placed on how behavior comes to be defined as deviant and the interests advanced by these definitions, as well as on societal responses to deviance, causes of individual involvement in deviant behavior, and deviance designations as a form of social control.

This course examines the intricate connections between gender and health from a sociological lens; dealing with the medicalization of and subsequent loss of legitimacy of certain conditions. 

This course asks students to engage with the topic of sexual health from a pluralist angle; wrestling with the social development and maintenance of a taboo open discussion of sexual health, and the stigmatization of sexual health issues.

This course provides a foray into an excitingly developing field of Sociology which attempts to reconcile sociological theories of behavior with the our understanding of the brain. This course is recommended for those interested in both Sociology and Neuroscience.

This course closely examines the role that gender has played in the development of a variety of scientific disciplines, and exploring the ways in which a less misogynistic science could be applied to contemporary issues. 

This course explores the connection between the exploitation of women and the exploitation of the resources and people of peripheral nations by the economic core nations.

The design and implementation of empirical research in sociology. Examines the logic of social inquiry and the uses and problems of various research designs and methods of data collection Particular emphasis is on analysis of available data and survey research.

Students will become familiar with the basic theoretical position and concepts of Marx, Durkheim, and Weber. Students will develop critical reasoning skills so that they can distinguish between the conflict orientation, functionalist orientation, and the interpretive orientation to social reality.

This course is designed to further students’ understanding of the relationship between law and society, in particular the ways in which the legal system interacts with the social, economic, and political institutions of American society. Topics to be covered may include the legal profession, family law, minority rights and affirmative action, labor law, sexual harassment, abortion, euthanasia, criminal and civil commitment law, the death penalty, environmental law, or student rights.

Examines health and illness as social phenomena. Focuses on how individual experience with illness is influenced by social context. Topics include the social construction of health and illness, the experience of acute and chronic diseases, the nature and role of social support, and the self and illness.

The course explores the meaning and causes of social change and the mechanisms by which changes occur. Socio-cultural change in historical and contemporary societies, the strategies and tactics of planned social change, and the impact of change on the individual and society are discussed.

An examination and analysis of the relationship between the educational institutions of American society and other major institutional structures such as the economy, family, and the political system. Consideration of how American education affects and reflects race, class and gender divisions. May also consider cross-cultural differences in educational systems.

An intensive examination of theoretical perspectives on crime and juvenile delinquency. Emphasis is placed on the social sources of theories and on the power of theories to explain the high rates of interpersonal violence in the United States. Individual, group, organizational, societal, and cultural contributions to criminality are examined. The origins of the juvenile justice system and criminal law and patterns of criminal law enforcement are also considered. Finally, the relationship between crime and punishment is analyzed.

This course examines how emotions and emotional culture are an important influence on social behavior, how social institutions shape human emotions, how emotions vary historically and cross-culturally, and how particular emotional norms disadvantage particular categories of people.

Techniques of social research conducted in natural settings, including observation, interviewing, and unobtrusive methods, are examined and skills in using them are developed. Procedures for analyzing information obtained and for presenting findings are addressed.

The course introduces students to the main traditions in sociological theory that developed in the 20th century. Students will evaluate functionalist theory, conflict theories, and microsociological theories.

This course examines the strange and supernatural, how it is defined, how it impacts us, and to what extent these experiences can be linked to broader changes in social consciousness. 

The internship is designed to provide students with some practical experience working in one of a wide range of public sector organizations within the local community. Students will also need to meet academic requirements which may include readings, a written report, participation in a seminar, and/or oral presentation. (Note: Students may present no more than 15 credits of internship credit toward the baccalaureate degree.)

This course is designed to teach students the pedagogical and practical aspects of teaching sociology. This is accomplished through meetings with their supervising professors and experience in the classroom interacting with students, assisting in grading assignments, and managing the classroom setting.

Intensive reading and/or research on a sociological subject mutually agreed upon by the student and a faculty member.

This course, designed for Sociology major seniors, explores the social construction of sexuality, and its tangible impacts in society. (May be taken to satisfy the senior capstone credit in sociology)

This course, designed for Sociology major seniors, delves into what is defined as progress, how it comes to be that way, and less common definitions of progress. (May be taken to satisfy the senior capstone credit in sociology)

Students will introspectively explore their experience with the own non-ordinary and those of their peers, and seek to understand their impacts and commonalities. (May be taken to satisfy the senior capstone credit in sociology)

During this course, students will explore the power of love as a common social force; through introspection and documentary analysis, love energy will be subjectively defined and understood. (May be taken to satisfy the senior capstone credit in sociology)

Wonder is a driver of behavior that is sorely understudied by contemporary sociologists in a time of increasing impersonality from their subjects. Students will in this course, through introspection and documentary analysis, learn about this force. (May be taken to satisfy the senior capstone credit in sociology)

Our maltreatment of other humans has its roots in our treatment of animals; slaughter, habitat destruction, and countless other types of exploitation. In order to more fully grasp the social problems of today, we must first reckon with this fact. Students in this course will work to understand the historical and contemporary understandings of human-animal relations and the philosophical underpinnings which inform them. (May be taken to satisfy the senior capstone credit in sociology)

Students in this course will read a variety of science fiction texts and examine them through a sociological lens in order to effectively learn different sociological perspectives. (May be taken to satisfy the senior capstone credit in sociology)

 Internship arrangements should be made with the prior knowledge and consultation of a Sociology faculty supervisor. The internship will provide students practical experience working in a public-sector or not-for-profit organizations within the local community. Academic requirements associated with the internship will include readings, writing of a research paper and presentation of findings. (May be taken to satisfy the senior capstone credit in sociology)

This course is designed for upper level sociology majors and is conducted in an international setting. Location and topics will vary from year to year. Students are expected to produce a research paper and present findings. (May be taken to satisfy the senior capstone credit in sociology)

 Students are expected to prepare an original research paper on a specific sociological issue under the supervision of a faculty advisor. Students typically prepare for a senior thesis by arranging a directed study with the professor with whom they intend to complete a senior thesis in the semester prior to enrolling in SOCL 479. (May be taken to satisfy the senior capstone credit in sociology)

Intensive reading and/or research on a sociological subject mutually agreed upon by the student and a faculty member.