COLLEGE OF LIBERAL ARTS

DEPARTMENT OF OF SOCIOLOGY

Chair and Coordinator: Dr. Joel H. Thayer
Faculty: Brunk, Eargle, Thayer, Ward

MISSION STATEMENT

SOCIOLOGY – The Department of Sociology offers a major, minor, and collateral in sociology. The program operates in accord with the general purpose of Francis Marion University by providing an educational program within the liberal arts tradition by presenting a balance of theoretical views and varied analytical orientations. The bachelor's degree in sociology provides students with an understanding of sociology as the scientific study of human social life. It focuses on applying objective and systematic methods of investigation to identify patterns of social life and to understand the processes by which these patterns are established and changed. The program enables students to learn to think critically, to communicate effectively, to appreciate individual and cultural diversity, and to develop their skills in computer applications and library research. The program also provides students with opportunities for internships in applied settings. A major in sociology will provide students with a broad-based education that will prepare them for entry-level positions in business, government, and a wide variety of human service organizations. The major also prepares students to pursue further education in areas such as law, medicine, business, religion, and social services, as well as sociology.

Back to Table of Contents

MAJOR

General Track: A major in sociology requires the following:

1. Six hours of introductory courses in sociology: Sociology 201, 202
2. Thirty semester hours of courses numbered 300 and above in sociology, including Sociology 303, 403, 425, and either 407 or 419 Other sociology courses must include: Two courses in Culture and Social Organization: 360, 361, 373, 375, 381, 382, 387, 389 Two courses in Inequality and Diversity: 306, 308, 310, 315, 327, 331 One course in Deviance: 341, 342, 343, 344 One additional course numbered 300 and above
3. Minor/collateral requirements (two options)
   1. two 12-hour collaterals approved by the faculty adviser
   2. an 18-hour minor approved by the faculty adviser The minimum number of semester hours required in major courses for a major in sociology is 36.

The minimum number of semester hours in all courses (major and nonmajor) required for the major in sociology is 120.

Back to Table of Contents

Optional Track: A major in sociology with a concentration in criminal justice requires the following:

1. Six hours of introductory courses in sociology: SOCI 201, 202
2. Twelve semester hours of courses in sociology numbered 300 and above, including SOCI 303, 403, 425, and either 407 or 419
3. Criminal Justice concentration courses must include six hours of core courses:
   SOCI 341 (Criminology)
   POL 230 (Introduction to Criminal Justice)
   Nine hours of sociology courses:
   SOCI 342 (Social Deviance)
   SOCI 343 (Juvenile Delinquency)
   SOCI 344 (Violent Behavior)
   Three hours of Political Science selected from:
   POL 323 (Rights of the Accused)
   POL 330 (Perspectives on Policing)
   POL 331 (Administration of Justice)
4. Minor/collateral requirements (two options)
   1. two 12-hour collaterals approved by the faculty adviser
   2. an 18-hour minor approved by the faculty adviser The minimum number of semester hours required in major courses for a major in sociology with a concentration in Criminal Justice is 36.

The minimum number of semester hours in all courses (major and nonmajor) required for the major in sociology is 120.

Back to Table of Contents

MINOR

The minor in sociology requires 18 hours, including Sociology 201 and 202.

COLLATERAL

A collateral in sociology requires 12 semester hours, including Sociology 201 and 202.

TEACHER CERTIFICATION OPTION IN SOCIOLOGY (FOR SOCIAL STUDIES CERTIFICATION)

The School of Education prepares caring and competent teachers for the 21st century.

As they grow as professional educators, students must: (1) acquire knowledge about learners, pedagogy, and content; (2) use reflection as they integrate theory, planning, and practice; and (3) engage in collaboration as they develop and hone communication and leadership skills necessary to work with diverse populations of students, parents, colleagues, and community members. Interwoven in these components are critical thinking, assessment, and the effective use of technology.

The Department of Sociology provides the knowledge base for students certifying to teach social studies in the state of South Carolina. The department supports and encourages the conceptual framework strands in the School of Education: critical thinking, collaboration, and reflection.

Back to Table of Contents

Back to Table of Contents

Supporting Teaching Field Courses (if not previously taken as part of the major, minor, general education, or collaterals)
ECON 250 taken as a General Education Social Science requirement
PSY 206/216L taken as a Natural Science

International Studies Collateral consisting of the following courses:
GEOG 101 (Cultural Geography)
SOCI 310 (Racial and Cultural Minorities)
HIST 205 (Modern World History)
POL 205 (Comparative Government)

History Collateral consisting of the following courses:
HIST 201 (U.S. to 1865)
HIST 202 (U.S. since 1865)
HIST 318 (Historical Focus: Ancient History)
HIST 300 or 400 level elective

Back to Table of Contents

SOCIOLOGY COURSES (SOCI)

201 Principles of Sociology (3) 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) 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) 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 PSY 302 or MATH 312 or equivalent) 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) 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) 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, gender relations, sexism, health care), violations of social norms (substance abuse, violence, property crime), and social change (population growth, food, urbanization, environment).

308 Social Stratification (3) (Prerequisite: 201 or permission of department) 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) 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) 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) 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.

Back to Table of Contents

331 Environment, Power, and Opportunity (3) (Prerequisite: SOCI 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. An emphasis is placed on how the allocation of environmental resources (kind, amount, and quality) varies by race/ethnicity, gender, class, and nationality, and the different responses that these groups have to environmental problems/issues.

341 Criminology (3) (Prerequisite: 201 or permission of department) 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) 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: 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: 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 PSY 206) (Same as Psychology 300) 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) 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.

Back to Table of Contents

373 Complex Organizations (3) (Prerequisite: 201 or permission of department) 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) 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) Scientific study of sports to better understand how they are practiced and what those practices mean. Using various theoretical approaches, the focus will be on topics as they relate to sports such as: identity, ideology, children, gender, race and ethnicity, the media, economics, politics, globalization, drugs and violence.

382 Families Public and Private (3) (Prerequisite: 201 or permission of department) 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: 201 or permission of department) 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) 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.

Back to Table of Contents

407 Urban Sociology (3) (Prerequisite: 202 or permission of department) 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. Examines how gender, racial/ethnic, class, and other group relations affect urban processes and life.

419 Population and Society (3) (Prerequisite: 202) Scientific study of population size, composition, and distribution; analysis of trends and differentials in birth rates, death rates, and migration by race/ethnicity, gender, class, age, and nationality; consideration of actual and potential pressures of population on natural resources; the interrelationship of population and the social structure as it varies by race/ethnicity, class, gender, age, and nationality.

425 Sociological Theory (3) (Prerequisite: 18 hours in sociology, including 303 or permission of department) 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: 18 hours in sociology, including 303 or permission of department) 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) 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. May be taken for credit (3 hours) towards the Honors degree by special arrangement.

498 Sociology Internship (3:1-6) (Prerequisite: 18 hours in sociology, including 201, 202, and 303, and permission of the department) 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.

Back to Table of Contents