Sociology (SOC)
SOC 503 Minority Groups 3 Credit Hours
The status of racial and ethnic minorities in the United States with particular reference to the social dynamics involved with regard to majority-minority relations. Topics of study include inequality, segregation, pluralism, the nature and causes of prejudice and discrimination and the impact that such patterns have upon American life. Additional reading assignments or projects will distinguish this course from its undergraduate version SOC 403. Students cannot receive credit for both SOC 403 and SOC 503. (AY)
Prerequisite(s): SOC 200 or SOC 201
Restriction(s):
Can enroll if Class is Graduate
SOC 504 Dissed: Differ, Power, Discrim 3 Credit Hours
Have you ever been dissed? Why are some people targets of disrespect? This class examines the unequal distribution of power - social, economic, and political - in the United States and other countries that results in favor for privileged groups. We will examine a variety of institutional practices and individual beliefs that contribute to disrespect. We'll look at ways that beliefs and practices, like viewing inequality as consequence of a 'natural order', obscure the processes that create and sustain social discrimination. We will engage in the intellectual examination of systems, behaviors, and ideologies that maintain discrimination and the unequal distribution of power and resources. Students will not receive credit for both SOC 404 and SOC 504. This course is distinguished from its 400-level counterpart by the requirement of additional assignments, including a required additional paper.
Restriction(s):
Can enroll if Class is Graduate
SOC 509 Feminist Theories 3 Credit Hours
This course examines the different perspectives that feminist theorists have offered to analyze the unequal conditions of women's and men's lives. Students taking this course will develop an understanding of how theory functions as a way to know, understand and change the world. They will also be provided with a lens for comparing the assumptions and implications of alternative theoretical perspectives. A particular emphasis of this course is on theorizing the interrelationships among gender, race, class, sexuality and nationality. Course material includes applications of feminist theory to issues such as gender identity formation; sexuality; gender, law and citizenship; women and work; and the history and politics of social movements. Students will not receive credit for both WGST 409 and WGST 509. Additional reading assignments or projects will distinguish this course from its undergraduate version.
SOC 510 Quantitative Research & Stats 4 Credit Hours
An introduction to methods of data collection and analysis. Also a discussion of research design and the philosophy of social sciences. Additional reading assignments or projects will distinguish this course from its undergraduate version SOC 410. Students cannot receive credit for both SOC 410 and SOC 510. (F,W,S)
Prerequisite(s): SOC 200 or SOC 201
Restriction(s):
Can enroll if Class is Graduate
SOC 511 Program Evaluation 3 Credit Hours
The application of social research procedures in assessing whether a human service program is needed, likely to be used, conducted as planned and actually helps people in need. The course will cover research and measurement as well as issues of how to get research findings utilized. Additional reading assignments or projects will distinguish this course from its undergraduate version SOC 411. Students cannot receive credit for both SOC 411 and SOC 511. (YR)
Prerequisite(s): SOC 200 or SOC 201 or PSYC 170 or PSYC 171 or POL 101 or PSYC 101
Restriction(s):
Can enroll if Class is Graduate
SOC 523 American Social Classes 3 Credit Hours
Stratification of American communities and society; a review of the findings of major studies and an introduction to methodology. Additional reading assignments or projects will distinguish this course from its undergraduate version SOC 423. Students cannot receive credit for both SOC 423 and SOC 523. (YR)
Prerequisite(s): SOC 200 or SOC 201
Restriction(s):
Can enroll if Class is Graduate
SOC 526 Society and Aging 3 Credit Hours
Personal, interpersonal, and institutional significance of aging and age categories. Sociological dimension of aging based on social, psychological, and demographic factors. Attention to social networks and institutionalization. Additional assignments or projects will distinguish this course from its undergraduate version SOC 426. Students cannot receive credit for both SOC 426 and SOC 526. (YR)
Prerequisite(s): SOC 200 or SOC 201
Restriction(s):
Can enroll if Class is Graduate
SOC 533 Race/Ethnic Health 3 Credit Hours
Full Course Title: Race, Ethnicity and Community Health This course begins with a broad overview of health disparities in the United States, with a focus on the three types of social inequality- race/ethnicity (and nativity status), socioeconomic status (SES), and gender. Following this introduction epidemiological issues, health behaviors, health care services, and health and social issues specific to various minority populations in the U.S. are examined in greater depth. The underlying position of the course is that understanding why these groups are at a higher risk of developing poor health outcomes is crucial to developing better health care and health policy interventions and moving towards health equity. (OC).
SOC 535 Urban Sociology 4 Credit Hours
A descriptive study of the form and development of the urban community with respect to demographic structure, spatial and temporal patterns, and functional organization. The relationship of city and hinterland. Social planning and its problems in the urban community. Additional reading assignments or projects will distinguish this course from its undergraduate version SOC 435. Students cannot receive credit for both SOC 435 and SOC 535. (YR)
Prerequisite(s): SOC 200 or SOC 201
Restriction(s):
Can enroll if Class is Graduate
SOC 540 Medical Sociology 3 Credit Hours
An analysis of health and illness behaviors from the point of view of the consumer, as well as the medical professionals, the structure, strengths, and weaknesses of the medical care delivery system in the U.S.; the impact of culture and personality on illness behavior; and a study of the institution of medicine and activities of health care professionals. Additional reading assignments or projects will distinguish this course from its undergraduate version HPS 440. Students cannot receive credit for both HPS 440 and HPS 540. (F).
Prerequisite(s): SOC 200 or SOC 201
Restriction(s):
Can enroll if Class is Graduate
SOC 542 Sociology of Work 3 Credit Hours
The study of work roles in modern society. The impact of industrialization, professionalization, and unionization on the conditions of work, worker motivation and job satisfaction. Career choice processes and career patterns, occupational status and prestige, and occupational associations are among the topics to be considered. Additional reading assignments or projects will distinguish this course from its undergraduate version SOC 442. Students cannot receive credit for both SOC 442 and SOC 542. (YR)
Prerequisite(s): SOC 201 or SOC 200
Restriction(s):
Can enroll if Class is Graduate
SOC 543 Gender Roles 3 Credit Hours
This course will investigate the development of gender roles in childhood and adolescence due to either innate physiological differences or sociological patterning, the effect of gender roles upon male-female relationships within our society, and the possibility of transcending sociological gender roles in alternate modes of living. Additional reading assignments or projects will distinguish this course from its undergraduate version SOC 443. Students cannot receive credit for both SOC 443 and SOC 543. (YR)
Prerequisite(s): PSYC 170 or PSYC 171 or SOC 200 or SOC 201
Restriction(s):
Can enroll if Class is Graduate
SOC 545 The Family 3 Credit Hours
The family is an institution shaped by other aspects of society, as a social system with its own dynamics, and as a primary group affecting the lives of its members. Historical and contemporary materials from the United States and other cultures. Additional reading assignments or projects will distinguish this course from its undergraduate version SOC 445. Students cannot receive credit for both SOC 445 and SOC 545. (YR)
Prerequisite(s): SOC 200 or SOC 201
Restriction(s):
Can enroll if Class is Graduate
SOC 546 Marriage and Family Problems 3 Credit Hours
Sociological analysis of problems encountered within the institution of marriage with particular reference to such issues as choosing a marriage partner, sexual adjustment, occupational involvement, conflict resolution, child rearing, divorce and readjustment. This course is distinguished from its 400 level counterpart by the requirement of additional readings and research. (YR)
Prerequisite(s): SOC 200 or SOC 201
Restriction(s):
Can enroll if Class is Graduate
SOC 547 Family Violence 3 Credit Hours
Sociological analyses of various forms of family violence which occur disproportionately in the lives of girls and women. Topics such as incest, sexual abuse, date rape, wife battering, and elder abuse will be situated within the social and cultural context of contemporary gender relationships. Social and political responses to the phenomena will be examined. Additional reading assignments or projects will distinguish this course from its undergraduate version SOC 447. Students cannot receive credit for both SOC 447 and SOC 547. (F).
Prerequisite(s): SOC 200 or SOC 201 or SOC 301 or SOC 443 or PSYC 405 or WST 405 or PSYC 505 or WST 505 or SOC 543
Restriction(s):
Can enroll if Class is Graduate
SOC 548 Comparative Health Care System 3 Credit Hours
An introduction and overview of the English, Swedish, and People's Republic of China health care systems. Focus on cultural and other organizational characteristics, unique features, approaches and ability to solve problems. Emphasis on how the three systems help us understand the American health care system. Additional reading assignments or projects will distinguish this course from its undergraduate version HPS 448. Students cannot receive credit for both HPS 448 and HPS 548. (F, S, W).
Prerequisite(s): SOC 200 or SOC 201
Restriction(s):
Can enroll if Class is Graduate
SOC 550 Political Sociology 3 Credit Hours
Examines how society effects the distribution and exercise of power through analyzing linkages between power, participation, and perspectives. Studies of political participation and social organization, ideology, and social conflict, as well as political socialization, represent some of the major parameters. Additional reading assignments or projects will distinguish this course from its undergraduate version SOC 450. Students cannot receive credit for both SOC 450 and SOC 550. (YR)
Prerequisite(s): SOC 200 or SOC 201
Restriction(s):
Can enroll if Class is Graduate
SOC 553 Sociology of Law 4 Credit Hours
Various aspects of the relationship between law and society are explored. After a look at processes of law making, attention is turned to the administration of law. This involves a study of the activities of legislatures, courts, police, and correctional agents. This course is distinguished from its 400 level counterpart by the requirement of additional readings and research. Students cannot receive credit for both CRJ/SOC 453 and CRJ/SOC 553. (YR).
Restriction(s):
Can enroll if Class is Graduate
SOC 554 Mental Health and the Law 3 Credit Hours
Courts and legislatures now control much of the work of mental health professionals such as social workers, counselors, therapists, and psychologists. This course looks at problems encountered in putting laws and policies into effect. These implementation problems are much the same in other areas of government action, such as poverty programs and pollution control. Additional reading assignments or projects will distinguish this course from its undergraduate version SOC 454. Students cannot receive credit for both SOC 454 and SOC 554. (YR)
Prerequisite(s): SOC 200 or SOC 201
Restriction(s):
Can enroll if Class is Graduate
SOC 555 Sociology of Religion 3 Credit Hours
Religion as a social institution; its purposes, methods, structures, and beliefs, and its relation to other institutions. Additional reading assignments or projects will distinguish this course from its undergraduate version SOC 455. Students cannot receive credit for both SOC 455 and SOC 555. (YR)
Prerequisite(s): SOC 200 or SOC 201
Restriction(s):
Can enroll if Class is Graduate
SOC 5555 Immigrant Cultures and Gender 3 Credit Hours
The history and culture of immigration since 1850, including: (1) formation and perseverance of immigrant communities and inter-ethnic boundaries; (2) relations between the homeland and the immigrant; and (3) impact of migration on family life and gender roles. This course is distinguished from its 400 level counterpart by the requirement of additional readings and research. (AY).
Prerequisite(s): ANTH 101 or WST 275 or WGST 275 or PSYC 275 or SOC 275 or ANTH 275 or HUM 275 or WGST 303 or PSYC 303 or SOC 303 or ANTH 303 or HUM 303
Restriction(s):
Can enroll if Class is Graduate
SOC 556 Health Care and the Law 3 Credit Hours
A sociological study of legal issues in health care, including regulation of hospitals, consent for treatment, confidentiality, experimentation, family planning, children's rights, access to health care. The emphasis will be on the organizational and personal consequences of legal requirements. Junior/Senior standing is a requirement. Students cannot receive credit for both HPS 456 and HPS 556. (W)
Restriction(s):
Can enroll if Class is Graduate
SOC 558 Sociology of Education 3 Credit Hours
Education as a social institution; its purpose, methods, structure, and philosophy, and its relation to other institutions, particularly in the urban setting. Additional reading assignments or projects will distinguish this course from its undergraduate version SOC 458. Students cannot receive credit for both SOC 458 and SOC 558. (YR)
Prerequisite(s): SOC 200 or SOC 201
Restriction(s):
Can enroll if Class is Graduate
SOC 560 America in a Global Society 3 Credit Hours
Social studies in America are studied from an internal and an external perspective. The internal dynamics of social change emphasize the role of social movements, e.g. the impact of the civil rights movement on American culture and politics. The external perspective sees America as part of a changing global society. The development of the capitalist world system from its origins in Western Europe to its present global reach is examined. Contemporary American social problems are examined in relation to America's position in a rapidly changing world. Additional reading assignments or projects will distinguish this course from its undergraduate version SOC 460. Students cannot receive credit for both SOC 460 and SOC 560. (OC)
Prerequisite(s): SOC 200 or SOC 201
Restriction(s):
Can enroll if Class is Graduate
SOC 565 Deviant Behavior/Soc Disorganz 3 Credit Hours
A general analysis of the concept of social deviance and social disorganization: factors producing each condition, the effects of social control measures on the course of deviance and disorganization, consequences for the social system, and the relationship between the two. Additional reading assignments or projects will distinguish this course from its undergraduate version SOC 465. Students cannot receive credit for both SOC 465 and SOC 565. (YR)
Prerequisite(s): SOC 200 or SOC 201
Restriction(s):
Can enroll if Class is Graduate
SOC 566 Addiction, Crime, and Justice 4 Credit Hours
Analyses of the sociology of substance use and abuse. Provides a sociological framework for understanding issues and evaluating our nation's responses to the phenomenon of drug use. Drawing on sociocultural and social psychological perspectives, this course systematically examines the social structure, social problems, and social policy aspects of drugs in American society. Students cannot receive credit for both CRJ/SOC 466 and CRJ/SOC 566. (AY).
Restriction(s):
Can enroll if Class is Graduate
SOC 569 Youth, Crime, and Justice 4 Credit Hours
The analysis of juvenile delinquent behavior in relationship to the institutional framework of society. Emphasis on the extent, causes, and methods of treatment of juvenile delinquency in the United States. This course is distinguished from its 400 level counterpart by the requirement of additional readings and research. Students cannot receive credit for both CRJ/SOC 469 and CRJ/SOC 569. (AY).
Restriction(s):
Can enroll if Class is Graduate
SOC 579 Comparative Hlth Systems:Trip 3 Credit Hours
A unique combination of lectures, field trips, visits with general practitioners, specialists, hospital observations, talks with health policy planners, researchers, and many others. Personal experience in two health care systems. Additional reading assignments or projects will distinguish this course from its undergraduate version SOC 479. Students cannot receive credit for both SOC 479 and SOC 579. (AY)
Prerequisite(s): SOC 200 or SOC 201
Restriction(s):
Can enroll if Class is Graduate
SOC 581 Gender and Globalization 3 Credit Hours
Mass media, politics, and academia are full of references to globalization, and a future "world without borders." This interdisciplinary course considers the implication of globalization for women's lives, gender relations, and feminism. Topics covered include the global factory, cross-cultural consumption, human rights, global communications, economic restructuring, nationalism, and environmental challenges. Rather than survey international women's movements, this course explores how globalization reformulates identities and locations and the political possibilities they create. Students cannot receive credit for both SOC 481 and SOC 581. (AY).
Restriction(s):
Can enroll if Class is Graduate
Can enroll if College is Arts, Sciences, and Letters
SOC 583 Images of Organizations 3 Credit Hours
Formal bureaucratic organizations such as government agencies, hospitals, and colleges are distinctive features of modern industrialized societies. Analysis of types of formal organizations, their goals, structure, and consequences for intra- and inter-organizational behavior helps to understand how to deal with a complex world. Additional reading assignments or projects will distinguish this course from its undergraduate version SOC 483. Students cannot receive credit for both SOC 483 and SOC 583. (YR)
Prerequisite(s): SOC 200 or SOC 201
Restriction(s):
Can enroll if Class is Graduate
SOC 590 Advanced Topics in Sociology 3 Credit Hours
A seminar in which selected topics pertaining to sociology are studied in depth. (YR).
Restriction(s):
Can enroll if Class is Graduate
SOC 590A Advanced Topics in Sociology 3 Credit Hours
TOPIC: Diasporas and (Trans) Nationalism: Gender, Race, and Post/Coloniality. An interdisciplinary and comparative inquiry into historical & contemporary linkages between gender regimes, national formations, and legacies of colonialism as they interact at "home" and in "diasporas." Using multi-media and multi-genre pedagogical tools (conceptual and methodological writings; narratives and biographies; guest lectures; films), we study & critique different perspectives on how the dialectics of geography, positionality, and social structures shape the ways in which we imagine "home", "homeland", and "back home." We examine gendered politics of the colonial project 1) in early days of colonialization; 2) during struggles of decolonization; and 3) "post-colonial" geographies' While becoming familiar with "classics" in nationalism/transnationalism, gender, colonialism, and diaspora, we will explore their applicability to specific case studies in European and American contexts as well as in Africa, Asia, and the Middle East.
SOC 598 Independent Study 1 to 6 Credit Hours
Analytical assignments in sociology.
Restriction(s):
Can enroll if Class is Graduate
*An asterisk denotes that a course may be taken concurrently.
Frequency of Offering
The following abbreviations are used to denote the frequency of offering: (F) fall term; (W) winter term; (S) summer term; (F, W) fall and winter terms; (YR) once a year; (AY) alternating years; (OC) offered occasionally