Soc
201 The Sociological Imagination (3)
The social world is often taken for granted or reduced to explanations
that stem from conventional wisdom and personal experience.
This course is designed to encourage students to develop social
scientific frameworks for analyzing the social world in a context
that transcends conventional wisdom and personal experience.
The major question is "What are the social forces, operating
in society and often beyond the control of individuals, that
shape individual behaviors and societal changes?" Topics
include culture, socialization, social and economic inequalities,
social structure, organization behavior, social groups, deviance,
and social institutions (family, religion, education, and political
economy).
Psyc
211 Introduction to Statistics (4)
Prerequisite: Psyc 101 and satisfactory
completion of Math 099 or 100-level math class.
This course will provide an understanding of descriptive statistics
and their interpretation and an introduction to inferential
statistics and their use in research. This course includes a
laboratory component where students learn to use a statistical
computer package and interpret the results.
Soc 220 Marriages and Families
(3)
Prerequisite: Soc 201
This course analyzes the changing patterns of family life and
gender roles in contemporary society, the social sources of
these changes, and their societal and individual consequences.
The implications of these events on each student's family are
examined
Soc 240 Aging in Society
(3)
The increase in life expectancy affects persons of all ages.
This course focuses on how old age in the United States is affected
by social class, gender, ethnic group, family, retirement, and
services for the elderly. It briefly considers physical and
psychological aspects of old age, as well as how increasing
numbers of older persons will impact the world.
Soc 245 Crime and Delinquency
(3)
Prerequisite: Soc 201
This course is an introduction to the field of criminology
with special emphasis on theories of crime and delinquency causation,
kinds of criminals, victimology, and social control agents (i.e.,
the police, courts, and 'corrections'). Special topics examined
include gangs, capital punishment, drunk driving, decriminalization,
victimless crime, and gun control. The influences of ìrace,î
class, and gender will be considered.
Soc 251 Social Problems and
Social Welfare Strategies (3)
Prerequisite: Soc 201
This course surveys contemporary social problems, including
poverty, family violence, mental illness, alienation, alcohol
and substance abuse, and juvenile delinquency. Emphasis is placed
on the causes, severity, consequences, and strategies for alleviating
social problems.
Soc 315 Sociology of Education
(3)
Prerequisite: Soc 201
This course explores the relationship between education and
society with special emphasis on the effects of this relationship
on the lives of students in the American education system.
Soc 318 'Race', Class, and Gender
(3)
Prerequisite: Soc 201
The focus of this course is on the interrelated, ascribed statuses
of "'race,"' social class, gender, and sexual orientation
in American society, how they are perceived and reinforced,
the social tensions that result, and the dynamics of change..
Soc 346 Criminal Justice (3)
Prerequisite: Soc 245
The focus of this course is on the organizational structures
and social processes of the American criminal justice system.
It will examine, in particular, law enforcement and the judicial
system. The influences of 'race', class, and gender will be
considered.
Soc 352 Human Behavior
and the Social Environment (3)
Prerequisite: Soc 251
This course explores the human services needs of selected special
populations in the community. At risk populations under investigation
include the unemployed, frail elderly, homeless, mentally ill,
single parent and multi-problem families, and ethnic minorities.
Emphasis is placed upon specific social work techniques and
practice skills such as the ecological approach, case management,
interviewing and assessment, and community organizing.
Soc 395 Pre-Professional
Seminar in Sociology (2)
Prerequisite: Soc 201
This course provides an introduction to the profession of sociology
and the various career options available to graduates. Occupational
and graduate school options are explored in detail through library
research, presentations, observational and volunteer experiences,
and informational interviews. Skills for job interviewing, resume
development, and professional correspondence are explored.
Soc 401 Social Psychology (3)
Prerequisite: Soc 201
This course will look at Social Psychology from a sociological
perspective. It will consider (1) social experience gained from
the individuals' participation in social groups; (2) interactions
with others; (3) the effects of the cultural environment on
both social experience and interactions with others; and (4)
the emergence of social structure from these interactions.
Soc 407 Demography (3)
This course examines the size, distribution, and composition
of populations. It focuses on causes and implication of shifts
in age, fertility, morality, and migration patterns within the
United States and other countries.
Soc 419 Gender and Society (3)
Prerequisite: Soc 201
This course will focus on how male and female biology (i.e.,
sex) is transformed through the process of socialization into
cultural expectations (i.e., gender roles). It will consider
how 'femininity' and 'masculinity' are defined cross-culturally
and historically. There will be an examination of how gender
roles are constructed and challenged in the popular culture
(e.g., the mass media) and through institutions such as the
family, religion, education, and the political economy.
Soc 444 Deviance and Control
(3)
Prerequisite: Soc 201
The sociology of deviance and control examines the nature of
rule-making and rule-breaking in modern societies. This course
includes theoretical considerations of the causes and consequences
of deviance. The effects of "race," class, and gender
will be considered.
Soc 445 Sociological Theory
(3)
Prequisite: Soc 201
The major theories of society are covered in their classical
and contemporary forms.
Soc 447 Correctional Systems
(3)
Prerequisite: Soc 346
This course will focus on the mechanisms of social control
employed by society, ranging from informal sanctions to capital
punishment. The philosophical underpinnings of formal social
control agencies will be analyzed and compared (e.g., the medical
model vs. the justice model). The influences of 'race', class,
and gender will be considered.
Soc 455 Sociological Research
Methods (4)
Prerequisites: Soc 201 and Psyc 211
This course is designed to teach students a variety of research
methods. Students will be instructed in the fundamentals of
research design and implementation, including ethical considerations.
Students will read and study the research projects of selected
sociologists. Then students will engage in hands-on mini-projects
to practice qualitative and quantitative research methods. Finally,
students will design and write a research proposal.
Soc 470 Social Welfare Policy
(3)
Prerequisite: Soc 352
This course analyzes the historical development, current content,
and adequacy of social welfare policies in the United States.
Special emphasis is placed on policy areas such as antipoverty,
income security and redistribution, mental health, and aging.
Soc 490 Internship in Sociology
(3)
Prerequisite: Approval of the instructor
Students who are in the general sociology emphasis are placed
in a field experience best fitting their career goals.
Soc 493 Internship in Social
Welfare (3)
Prerequisite: Approval of the instructor
The student is placed with a human service agency in the community.
The student must be supervised by a departmental faculty member
and supervisor in the field studies agency.
Soc 494 Internship in Criminology
(3)
Prerequisite: Approval of the instructor
The student is placed in a supervised supervised internship
with a criminal justice-related agency in the community. The
student will contribute time and effort in return for practical
experience. Agencies available for placements include adult
or juvenile probation and diversion, domestic violence, law
enforcement, juvenile and adult corrections, district attorney,
and public defender.
Soc 505 Rural Sociology (3)
This course is a survey course considering the culture, social
class system, poverty, crime, environment, and land use of rural
areas. A worldview is promoted.
Soc 518 'Race', Class, and
Gender (3)
The focus of this course is on the interrelated, ascribed statuses
of 'race', social class, gender, and sexual orientation in American
society, how they are perceived and reinforced, the social tensions
that result, and the dynamics of change..
