COLLEGE OF LIBERAL ARTS
DEPARTMENT OF SOCIOLOGY
Chair and Coordinator: Dr. Joel H. Thayer
Faculty: Eargle, Earnest, Lillis, Thayer, Ward
MISSION STATEMENT
The Department of Sociology offers a major, minor, and collateral
in sociology. The program operates in accord with the general purpose
of FMU 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,
communicate effectively, appreciate individual and cultural diversity,
and 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, healthcare, business, religion,
and social services, as well as sociology.
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MAJOR
General Track: A major in sociology requires the following:
- Six hours of introductory courses in sociology: Sociology 201, 202
- 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: 361, 374,
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, 346, 347
One additional course numbered 300 and above
- Minor/collateral requirements (two options)
a) two 12-hour collaterals approved by the faculty adviser
b) 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 non-major) required for the major in sociology
is 120.
Optional Track: A major in sociology with a concentration in criminal justice requires the following:
- Six hours of introductory courses in sociology: SOCI 201, 202
- Twelve semester hours of courses in sociology numbered 300 and
above, including SOCI 303, 403, 425, and either 407 or 419
- 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 selected from:
SOCI 342 (Social Deviance)
SOCI 343 (Juvenile Delinquency)
SOCI 344 (Violence in Society)
SOCI 346 (Crime and Organizations)
SOCI 347 (Alcohol, Drugs, and Society)
Three hours of Political Science selected from:
POL 323 (Rights of the Accused)
POL 330 (Perspectives on Policing)
POL 331 (Administration of Justice)
- Minor/collateral requirements (two options)
a) two 12-hour collaterals approved by the faculty adviser
b) 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.
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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.
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SOCIOLOGY COURSES (SOCI)
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. 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) 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.
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 or permission of department) F, S.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) F, 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).
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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 criteria 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) S. 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) S. 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) (Prerequisite:
SOCI 201 or permission of department.) F. 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) F, SU. Examines how social structures and participation
in social networks influence the likelihood and nature of criminal
activities. Also examines how individuals and groups react to crime.
Includes a critical review and application of theoretical explanations
of crime and criminal behavior.
342 Social Deviance (3) (Prerequisites: 201 or permission
of department) S. Introduces 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) S. 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) 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
346 Crime and Organizations (3) (Prerequisite: 201 or permission
of department) S. Exploration of the types of crime committed within,
by, and against organizations, characteristics of crime perpetrators,
their activities, and impacts on society, as well as explanations
for why these crimes exist and approaches used to combat these crimes.
347 Alcohol, Drugs and Society(3) (Prerequisite: 201 or
permission of department) F. The focus of the course is drug use/abuse
as a social phenomenon, with attention given to illegal drugs, legal
drugs and alcohol. While there will be an emphasis on theoretical
application, patterns of drug use/abuse among various populations
(race, class, sex, education, etc.) will be examined, as well as
society's responses to drug use/abuse in the form of drug policies
and regulatory attempts.
361 Society and the Individual (3) (Prerequisite: 201 or
permission of department) 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.
374 Work in Society (3) (Prerequisite: 201 or
permission of department). S. SU. Patterns and organiztion of work;
the theories and methods associated with studying work; how work
varies across social and demographic groups; and impact of family
structure, technology, globalization and public policy on work.
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. 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) 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:
201 or permission of department) S. 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.
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.
Examines how gender, racial/ethnic, class, and other group relations
affect urban processes and life.
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419 Population and Society (3) (Prerequisite: 202 or permission
of department) S. 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) 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.
497 Special Studies (3), (2), or (1) (Prerequisite: Permission
of department) Open only to juniors or seniors with a grade point
average 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.
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ANTHROPOLOGY
Coordinator: Dr. Joel H. Thayer
MAJOR
No major in anthropology is offered.
MINOR
No minor in anthropology is offered.
COLLATERAL
No collateral in anthropology is offered.
ANTHROPOLOGY COURSE (ANTH)
200 Introduction to Anthropology (3) The science
of man; a general analysis of biological and cultural systems with
an emphasis on social organization and behavior. |
