SOCIOLOGY COURSES (SOC)

201 Principles of Sociology (3) F, S, SU. Introduction to the concepts and methods of sociology. Investigation of socialization, group processes, social institutions, and social change.

202 Methods of Sociology (3) (Prerequisite: 201) F, S, SU. Introduction to the principles and techniques of organizing, conducting, and interpreting sociological research; the appropriateness of particular methodologies for different kinds of research problems; emphasis on data collection.

205 Courtship and Marriage (3) F, SU. Mate selection; meaning of love, engagement; physical, psychological, and social adjustments in marriage; the development of research in marriage; legal aspects of marriage; the past, present, and future of marriage.

290 Computer Applications in the Social Sciences (3) (Prerequisite: 303 or Psychology 302 or Mathematics 312 or equivalent) F. Computer use for analyzing social science data; introduction to statistical packages, e.g., SPSS, BMD, and SAS, for both data management and analysis; survey of other computer applications in the social sciences such as simulating social systems; a technical, experiential course for the beginning social science computer user.

301 Sociological Focus (3) (Prerequisite: 201 or permission of department) F or S. In-depth study of one sociological subject emphasizing interpretations, methodologies, and relevant applications to contemporary society. May be taken twice for academic credit with departmental approval.

303 Quantitative Methods in Social Research (3) (Prerequisite: 202) F, S, SU. Introduction to probability and sampling; levels of measurement and choice of research method; known and unknown parameters in sociological research; relationship, association, and correlation in data analysis.

306 Modern Social Problems (3) (Prerequisite: 201 or permission of department) S,SU. Critical review of problems resulting from social inequality (distribution of wealth, racial and ethnic relations, sexism, health care), violations of social norms (substance abuse, violence, property crime), social change (population growth, food, urbanization, environment).

308 Social Stratification (3) (Prerequisite: 201 or permission of department) F, SU. Consideration of class analysis versus strata analysis; strata as policy decision versus natural order; indices of power versus criterion of prestige; community versus natural stratification; hierarchical bias versus egalitarian bias; definable classes versus merging continua.

310 Racial and Cultural Minorities (3) (Prerequisite: 201 or permission of department) F, S, SU. Survey of racial and cultural conflicts in contemporary civilization, theories of race and culture; the status of racial, religious, and ethnic minorities in the United States.

315 Sex and Gender in Social Contexts (3) (Prerequisite: 201 or permission of department) SU. Study of feminine and masculine roles and lifestyles, with emphasis upon socialization experiences in settings such as home and school; expression of gender roles in family, work, spiritual, artistic, and recreational activities; inequalities of opportunities and rewards, cultural influences upon preferred gender roles.

327 Social Gerontology (3) (Prerequisite: 201 or permission of department) F, SU. An introduction to the study of aging as a social phenomenon, with emphasis upon the composition of the elderly population, family relationships, social support systems, living arrangements, work and retirement, death and dying, aging and inequality.

331 Environment, Power, and Opportunity (3) S. (Prerequisite: Soc 201 or permission of department.) An introduction to the study of the relationship between human society and the physical environment, with an emphasis on the relationships among population growth, economic development, systems of inequality, and control and use of the natural environment. Local, regional, and global approaches will be used to understand environmental issues.

341 Criminology (3) (Prerequisite: 201 or permission of department) F, S. Factors in the genesis of crime and the organization of criminal behavior from the perspective of the individual and society; methods of dealing with criminals; police courts, prisons, probation, and parole.

342 Social Deviance (3) (Prerequisites: 201 or permission of department) S. Introduce several theoretical perspectives from which deviant behavior is analyzed, following a basic distinction between "kinds of people" theories versus explanations focused upon society and culture. Current research on several forms of deviance - violence against persons, sexuality, substance use, organizational crime, economic crime.

343 Juvenile Delinquency (3) (Prerequisite: Soc 201 or permission of department) F. Critical examination of alternative theoretical explanations of juvenile delinquency and the various programs developed to prevent and control, with consideration of their assumptions, arguments, and research support.

344 Violence in Society (3) (Prerequisite: Soc 201 or permission of department) S. Exploration of the various forms of violence, with attention given to how the reporting of and reactions to violence are shaped by the way it is defined and measured; causes of violence are framed in terms of culture and social structure

360 Leadership and Group Dynamics (3) (Prerequisite: 201 or Psychology 206) (Same as Psychology 300) F, S, SU. Designed to provide the student with the main theoretical constructs concerning leadership and to introduce him/her to the leadership process. Emphasis is placed on the dynamics of the interaction of the group.

361 Society and the Individual (3) (Prerequisite: 201) S. Survey of selected micro-sociological theoretical orientations and methodological procedures and illustrative substantive data examining the relationship between society and the individual. Emphasis on symbolic interaction and dramaturgy.

373 Complex Organizations (3) (Prerequisite: 201 or permission of department) F, S. Historical overview of development of complex organizations; how individual behavior is influenced by complex organizations; how subunits function to comprise the whole; the relationship between complex organizations and the larger society.

375 Sociology of Health and Illness (3) (Prerequisite: 201 or permission of department) F. Trends and group differences in health and illness; data sources and analysis techniques; rival theoretical perspectives on health; the sick role; seeking and using health services; patient-practitioner relationships; social characteristics of physicians, nurses, and alternative providers; social organization of hospitals; current issues and problems.

381 Sociology of Sport (3) (Prerequisite: 201 or permission of department) F. Uses various social theories to examine how sports are tied to the following major spheres of social life: family, economy, media, politics, education, and region.

382 Families Public and Private (3) (Prerequisite: 201 or permission of department) S. Consideration of the families in private settings and as a focus of public policy; impacts of social inequalities (class, race, and ethnicity) on family life; changing patterns of family relationships; work and family life; conflict and disruption in family relationships including divorce, remarriage, and step/blended families.

387 Death and Dying in Social Contexts (3) (Prerequisite: Soc 201 or permission of department) F, SU. An overview of the perspectives on death in different cultures, social influences on those perspectives, death in relation to modern health care systems and related ethical issues, models of grief and its expression, last rites, consequences for survivors, suicide, contemporary risks of death.

389 Sociology of Religion (3) (Prerequisite: 201 or permission of department) F. Scientific study of religion as a social phenomenon; the interplay between religion and other institutions; correlation between religious and social variables.

403 Research Design and Analysis (3) (Prerequisite: 18 hours of sociology including 303 or permission of department) F, S. Selection of a research problem and formation of testable hypotheses with support drawn from published studies, application of sampling and concept measurement, collection of data and file creation, data analysis using statistical software. Student research project is central focus. Survey research is emphasized.

407 Urban Sociology (3) (Prerequisite: 202 or permission of department) F. Historical and current urban growth patterns, theoretical perspectives regarding urban structure and change, distribution of power and other resources in urban settings, urban cultural and social forms, problems of urban areas, strategies of urban planning.

419 Population and Society (3) (Prerequisite: 202) S. Scientific study of population size, composition, and distribution; analysis of trends and differentials in birth rates, death rates, and migration; consideration of actual and potential pressures of population on natural resources; the interrelationship of population and the social structure.

425 Sociological Theory (3) (Prerequisite: 202, 303, and advanced standing in sociology) F, S. Designed to help acquaint the student with general theory in sociology. A consideration of classical to contemporary theories with emphasis on the influence that theory and research have on each other.

440 Social Change (3) (Prerequisite: Advanced standing in sociology) F, S. Examination of the phenomenon of change on social structures. Particular attention is given to surveying the research literature on social change. Functional and conflict models of change are studied in order to relate theoretical and research implications of social change.

497 Special Studies (3), (2), or (1) (Prerequisite: Permission of department) F or S. Open only to juniors or seniors with a GPA of 3.0 or higher in their major courses. A maximum of 3 semester hours may be earned. All individual research projects are reviewed by three faculty members from two different disciplines.

498 Sociology Internship (3:1-6) (Prerequisite: 18 hours in sociology, including 201, 202, and 303, and permission of the department) F, S. Providing a structured experience working in a community service agency. Students are expected to observe and participate in contacts with agency clients, agency planning and evaluation meetings, and contacts with other agencies. Each student is expected to work 6 to 10 hours each week on-site, as arranged with the cooperating agency. Participating students will meet weekly as a group. Readings and discussions will cover such topics as the organizational structures of service agencies, relationships with clients, relationships with other agencies.