Sociology Courses
Courses with an asterisk (*) are not offered every year.
Soc 199 Special Studies (Credit to be arranged.) Recommended prerequisite: consent of instructor. Maximum: 8 credits.
Soc 200 Introduction to Sociology (4) Sociological concepts and perspectives concerning human groups; includes attention to socialization, culture, institutions, stratification, and societies. Consideration of fundamental concepts and research methodology.
Soc 299 Special Studies (Credit to be arranged.)
Soc 301 Foundations of Sociology I (4) Examination and comparison of modes of sociological thinking, from the emergence of a distinctive sociological perspective through sociological theory of the mid-twentieth century. Recommended: Soc 200.
Soc 302 Foundations of Sociology II (4) Developments in American sociological theory from twentieth century to today. Considers impact of social change and social movements on theory, including neo-Marxism, feminist, post-modernism and current new directions. Prerequisite: Soc 301.
Soc 310 U.S. Society (4) Examination of the social structure, culture, and demography of the United States. Sociological approaches to such institutions as the economy, religion, education, and the family are explored. Attention given to comparison with other industrialized countries as well as to selected social issues and controversies. Recommended prerequisite: Soc 200, 301, 302.
Soc 320 Globalization (4) Exploration of issues and approaches in sociological thinking relative to world systems. World systems are treated not only as world orders made up of political and economic exchanges, but also as cultural orders and institutionalized structures transcending national geographic boundaries. Attention given to the international, national, regional, and local ways that people attempt to deal with the instabilities accompanying globalization. Recommended prerequisite: Soc 200, 301, 302.
Soc 337 Minorities (4) Description and analysis of problems involving specific minorities, with major emphasis on American society. Although racial and ethnic groups are usually emphasized, the term “minorities” is broadly defined to include such subordinate-status groups as women, the aged, and religious and cultural minorities.
Soc 339 Marriage and Intimacy (4) The sociological and social psychological dimensions of courtship, marriage, and the family. Perspectives on the effects of social environment and transitions in the structure and functions of intimacy, courtship, marriage, and the family. The influence of society and community upon intimate relationships.
Soc 341 Population Trends and Policy (4) Introduction to the general field of population analysis; a review of the development of population theories, techniques of measurement and analysis of the basic demographic variables, their interrelationships, and population changes. Recommended prerequisites: Soc 200.
Soc 342, 343 Social Psychology (4, 4) Analysis of the psychological and sociological processes in personality formation and in various forms of group behavior. Particular attention to social cognition, roles, and to group origins, functions, ideology, membership, and leadership. Recommended prerequisites: Soc 200 or Psy 200, 204. Soc 342 is prerequisite for Soc
343. Credit will not be given for both Soc 342 and Psy 342, or for both Soc 343 and Psy 343.
Soc 344 Gender and Sexualities (4) Examines the ways in which social constructions of gender both influence and are influenced by the cultural organization of and individual expressions of sexuality. The course explores the intersections among sexuality, culture, gender, and the body and examines a variety of sexualities and emphasizes the multifaceted nature of power, privilege, and oppression.
Soc 350 The United States in Comparative Perspective (4) Comparative analysis of how institutions such as schools, families, and firms shape the choices and life chances of individuals in the United States, Japan, and Europe with emphasis on the ways that these structures facilitate equality and democracy. Prerequisite: Soc 200.
Soc 370 Sociology of Deviancy (4) Introduction and analysis of deviant behavior. Delineation of the sociological and social psychological factors which give rise to deviant roles. Recommended prerequisites: Soc 200.
Soc 376 Social Change (4) Deals with the technological and ideological factors which govern the evolution and transformation of society, with special emphasis on the operation of such factors since 1800. Recommended prerequisites: Soc 200.
Soc 397 Social Research Methods (5) Study of the structuring of sociological inquiry, conceptualization and measurement, operationalization, computers in social research, analysis of bivariate and multivariate relations, the logic of sampling and inference. Course includes lecture (4 hours per week) and an introductory research laboratory (2 hours per week). Recommended prerequisites: Stat 243, Soc 200, 301, 302.
Soc 398 Sociology Research Project (4) Development and execution of a research project integrating some aspect of sociological theory with social science research methodology. Students work in teams to identify a research problem, design and conduct research bearing on this problem, and write a research report. Soc 397 and 398 are to be taken as a two-term sequence.
Soc 399 Special Studies (Credit to be arranged.)
400/500/600 Level Courses; Senior/Masters/Doctoral
Soc 401/501 Research (Credit to be arranged.) Consent of instructor.
Soc 404/504 Cooperative Education/Internship (Credit to be arranged.)
Soc 405/505 Reading and Conference (Credit to be arranged.) Consent of instructor.
Soc 407/507 Seminar (Credit to be arranged.) Consent of instructor.
Soc 410/510 Selected Topics (Credit to be arranged.) Maximum: 12 credits. Consent of instructor.
Soc 410/510 International Health Inequalities (4) This course examines international health in social, political and economic perspective. How is the distribution of health and disease shaped by such forces as globalization, transnationalism and migration. We will consider inequalities within and between countries and regions. Infectious pandemics and chronic diseases (the so-called 'diseases of development'), as well as global public health responses will be addressed.
Soc 414/514 Alcohol and Other Drugs (4) Sociological analysis of the behavior and belief patterns relative to alcohol and other drugs in American society, with lesser attention to other societies. Prevention and intervention strategies are briefly reviewed. Recommended prerequisites: Soc 200.
Soc 418/518 Criminology and Delinquency (4) Social and legal meaning of crime and delinquency explored. Historical and contemporary theories of causes of law breaking reviewed. Social and cultural factors promoting and inhibiting law breaking by juveniles and adults are
examined. Attention given to strategies of prevention and control. Recommended prerequisites: Soc 200.
Soc 419/519 Sociology of Mental Illness (4) An overview of sociological perspectives on mental health and illness. Informs understanding of mental health and illness by challenging dominant views of mental illness, examining how social relationships play a role in mental illness, questioning the goals and implications of mental health policy and presenting research on how mental health services are organized and provided. Prerequisite: Soc 200.
Soc 420/520 Urbanization and Community (4) Analytical approach to the meaning of community in the modern world. The determinants, social consequences of, and responses to the processes of urbanization are considered. Theories of the city emphasizing ecological, sociocultural, and critical explanations for growth and change in urban regions are examined. Patterns of social and structural organization of the metropolis and the cognitive and behavioral aspects of urban life are explored. Recommended prerequisite: Soc 200.
Soc 423/523 Stratification (4) Survey and analysis of stratification theories and empirical research. Analysis of class, race, ethnicity, gender, and sexual orientation, considering economic, social, political, and cultural dimensions of power. Recommended prerequisite: Soc 200.
Soc 424/524 Groups, Interaction and Identity (4) Analysis of the formation and functioning of intergroup and intragroup relations. Attention to group organization and interaction, performance, cooperation, conflict, and group membership and individual identity. Recommended prerequisites: Soc 200, Soc or Psy 342.
Soc 425/525 Sociology of Women (4) Analysis of the social position of women in the U.S. in institutional areas such as family, reproduction, politics, work, and education. Consideration and evaluation of feminist theories concerning social condition, behaviors, and characteristics of women. Recommended prerequisite: Soc 200.
Soc 426/526 Women and Mental Illness (4) Social and historical evolution of images and explanations of madness in women. Contemporary distributions, diagnoses, and treatments of mental illness in diverse groups of women are examined. Focus on psychiatric disorder and gender-based discourse. Recommended prerequisite: Soc 200. Also listed as WS 426; course may be taken only once for credit.
Soc 430/530 Hate Crimes (4) Hate crimes as a social issue. Central themes: the role that gender plays in the commission and awareness of hate crimes and the mainstreaming of bias crimes and the ideology behind them. Includes analysis of propaganda and coded language in the popular media and the Internet, analysis of the grass-roots response in the popular media, and evaluation of their effectiveness. Prerequisite: Soc 200.
Soc 436/536 Social Movements (4) Formation, dynamics, and outcomes of social movements. Examination of the effects of circumstances, strategies, and alliances on the outcomes of social movements, including their impact on politics and society. Recommended prerequisite: Soc 200.
Soc 441/541 Population and Society (4) Survey and analysis of population dynamics (births, deaths, migration) and society. Examination of demographic concepts, theories, data and measurements, and research. Role of population processes on social life and public policies are highlighted, including population aging, economic development and the environment, urbanization, health and health care, race and ethnicity, and government/social/business planning. Prerequisite: Soc 200. This course is the same as USP 419/519; course may be taken only once for credit.
Soc 444/544 Race, Ethnicity, and Nationality (4) Analysis of the emergence, persistence and meaning of definitions of racial, ethnic and national statuses in selected areas of the modern world. Consideration of the consequences of changing definitions for intergroup and global relations. Recommended prerequisite: Soc 200.
*Soc 457/557 Complex Organizations (4) Examination of complex organizations both as formal structures and as cultural systems. Analysis of the relations between organizations and individuals of inter-organizational dynamics and of the rationalization of modern societies. Recommended prerequisite: Soc 200.
Soc 459/559 Sociology of Health and Medicine (4) The application of sociology to the field of health and medicine. Attention given to a consideration of the broader questions of health in modern society, including the role of the medical practitioner in modern society, social factors and disease and responses to illness. The social organization of medicine is examined within the context of the larger medical care system. Recommended prerequisite: Soc 200.
Soc 460/560 Youth Subcultures (4) Youth as crisis and in crisis. Focus on methodology, ethnomethodology, and field experience; students will create ethnographs. Examination of the science of semiotics to understand subcultural style as language. Prerequisite: Soc 200.
Soc 461/561 Sociology of the Family (4) Sociological analysis of the structure and functions of the family institution and its relationship to external systems such as the economy and polity. Changing and diverse forms of family organization in urban society. Analysis of role relations in the family. Recommended prerequisite: Soc 200.
Soc 462/562 Sociology of Integrative Medicine (4) An examination of common systems and practices understood as complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) including prevalence, patterns of use, trends, consumer health beliefs and motivations, and integration with mainstream allopathic medicine; philosophical, historical and political dimensions; theories of health and illness; evidence-based research vs. traditional and folk beliefs; and a consideration of benefits and limitations considering the growing popularity. Not a course about how to practice any form of alternative medicine. Recommended: Soc 200.
Soc 465/565 Environmental Sociology (4) Survey and analysis of the types of social forces which frame the nature of environmental problems concerning natural resource use and distribution as they emerge in public consciousness within the United States and globally. Examination of the social forces which lead to the consideration and implementation of mechanisms to solve these issues once they have emerged.
*Soc 468 Political Sociology (4) Analysis of consensus and dissensus in community and society. Examination of public opinion, authority, influence, and the processes by which elites are formed and acquire legitimacy and popular support. Social bases of democracy and totalitarianism. Recommended prerequisite: Soc 200.
Soc 469/569 Sociology of Aging (4) A study of social determinants of the human life course, including biological and demographic conditions, age status patterns, age grading, rites of passage, socialization, generational phenomena, and youth and old age movements. Recommended prerequisite: Soc 200.
*Soc 472/572 Contemporary Sociological Theory (4) Study of various frames of reference in contemporary sociological theory. Specific topics vary with instructor. Recommended prerequisites: Soc 200, 301, 302; senior standing.
*Soc 480/580 Sociology of Religion (4) Analysis of the nature of the sacred; attitudes toward the sacred in contrast to the secular. Comparison of the social organization of sect and church in their relation to the larger society. Survey of recent empirical studies of religiosity and religious practices in America. New trends in American religion. Recommended prerequisite: Soc 200.
* Soc 483/583 Sociology of the Middle East (4) This course will examine the sociological development of the modern Middle East. It will especially focus on causes and consequences of rapid social change, including revolutions, coups, and insurgent movements. It will examine the role of Islam and tribalism in these movements. Recommended prerequisite: Soc 200.
*Soc 497/597 Applied Survey Research (4) Provides theoretical framework for and experience in design, execution, and interpretation of social surveys including sampling procedures, questionnaire design, interviewing techniques, coding and computer analysis, and report writing. Recommended prerequisites: Stat 243 and Soc 397 or equivalent.
Soc 498/598
Globalization Seminar (4) Analysis of the ways in which economic pat-
terns that reach across national boundaries
affect the security of communities and their
standards of living. Topics include how different
economic classes fare in the rapid reshuffling of national economies that globalization entails;
the role of international institutions in shaping
economic globalization; the experience and
responses of workers as a group; and the role of
states in facilitating or resisting the adverse
impacts of globalization. Prerequisite: Soc 320.
Soc 503
Thesis (Credit to be arranged.)
Pass/no pass option.
Soc 513
Thesis Workshop (1) Workshop for all sociology graduate students
who are currently enrolled in Soc 503 for four
credits or more. Discussion and review of students’ progress and problems. Recommended
prerequisite: graduate status in sociology.
Corequisite: Soc 503. Pass/no pass only.
*Soc 576
Theories of Social Change (4) A critical examination of the major theories of
social change. Analysis of the components of
change; cause, agents, targets, channels, and
strategies. Consideration of the relationship
between change and power, influence, planning
and control, modernization, development, and
world systems approaches. Recommended prerequisite: graduate status.
*Soc 577
Topics in Contemporary Theory (4) Exploration of theoretical approaches and issues
of emerging interest in sociology, such as conceptualization of social systems, conflict, the
problems of relativity, and ideology. Specific
topics vary with instructor. Recommended prerequisite: Soc 301, 302 and graduate status.
Soc 585/685
Medical Sociology (4)
Seminar in medical sociology. Topics include
how social stratification affects health outcomes,
environmental hazards, social construction of
medical knowledge, health care occupations, U.S. health policy, privatization of medical
industries, and comparative health care systems.
Recommended prerequisite: Soc 459/559 or
consent of instructor.
Soc 586/686
Topics in Health and Inequality (4) Seminar focusing on the impact of race, class,
and/or gender on health and health care. Topics
may include medicalization of women’s bodies,
the social consequences of disparities, and current
public policy debates about reducing disparities.
Recommended prerequisite: Soc 459/559.
Soc 587/687
Comparative Health and Welfare Systems (4) Explores the sociology of health and inequality
by comparing domestic and international social
institutions and health care systems.
Prerequisite: Soc 586/686.
Soc 590
Social Research Strategies (4) Consideration of the nature of sociological
knowledge; elements of social research design;
methods of observation and data collection;
reliability and validity of information; techniques
of data analysis. Recommended prerequisite:
graduate status.
Soc 591
Theoretical Perspectives in Sociology (4) Analysis of the major contemporary theories in
sociology. Attention to the problems of order
and change, and power and inequality, as well
as to the micro/macro problem in sociological
theory. Recommended prerequisite: Soc 470
and graduate status.
Soc 592
Qualitative Methods (4) Strategies for acquisition and analysis of data
using such approaches as participant observation,
content analysis, field and case studies.
Attention to the special problems of validity and
reliability in such research. Consideration of ethical issues and researcher responsibility in
qualitative research. Recommended prerequisite:
graduate status.
Soc 593
Quantitative Methods (4)
The application of quantitative methodology to
sociological problems. Topics include: science
and logical empiricism; measurement of association; procedures of statistical inference; multivariate and log linear analysis; computer applica
tion for social research. Recommended prerequisites: Stat 243, Soc 397, 398, graduate status.
Soc 594
Theory Construction and Research (4)
Examination of the craft of sociological research
in conjunction with thesis work. The role of
theory in research, evaluating published work,
biases in data sources and the process of thesis
writing. Recommended prerequisites: Soc 590,
591; graduate status.
Soc 595
Research Practicum (4) Overview of the process of linking sociological
data and ideas to broader communities of interest. Exercises in preparation of research grants
and experience in working in a team research
environment. Recommended prerequisites:
Soc 590, 591; graduate status.
Soc 695
Advanced Methods in Sociology (4) Introduces a range of advanced quantitative
methods commonly found in published
research in sociology. Particular attention will be
paid to the techniques commonly used to
address the most common shortcomings of
sociological data, including estimation of multivariate models with categorical dependent variables (i.e. logistic regression) and to nonparametric methods for analyzing data.
Prerequisites: Soc 585/685, Soc 593 and
Stat 543 or equivalent.
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