Sociology

Major Requirements | Minor Requirements | Courses | Worksheet

Courses

101. Introduction to Sociology
What is sociology? How do sociologists go about their work? How is society structured? Is inequality an inherent part of human life? How and why do societies change? This course introduces the central concepts and principles of major sociological perspectives. It provides an overview of the study of social institutions, social stratification, and social change.
Meets general academic requirement B.

105. The Family
A study of the family as a social institution, including its development in the United States and other urban industrial societies, and the changes it is currently experiencing.
Meets general academic requirement B.

 205. Sociological Theory
An investigation of the classical foundations of social thought in sociology. The course will concentrate on the original works of authors such as Marx, Weber, Durkheim and other important authors from the nineteenth and early twentieth century as well as contemporary theorists. Analyses of central theoretical paradigms and questions are explored. Taught every spring semester.
Prerequisite: SOC 101 Introduction to Sociology
Meets general academic requirement W.

224. American Ethnic Diversity
A sociological study of the diverse native and immigrant peoples who comprise the United States. The course will emphasize the social life, experience and impact of American Indians, Asian Americans, Latin Americans, African Americans and other peoples who have contributed to the diversity of American society. The course will also examine the role that ethnicity and ethnic relations have played in the history and development of American society.
Meets general academic requirement D.

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243. Sexuality & Gender
In this class we will use sociological perspectives to explore sex, sexuality, and gender. We will examine the mechanisms of power that construct and regulate our identities, behaviors, and very bodies. In particular we will look at how sex, sexuality, and gender are shaped by law, research, medicine, "sexperts", the media, and our family and friends. We will also look at how sex, sexuality, and gender permeate our daily lives; often in ways we do not even see.
Prerequisite: SOC 101 Introduction to Sociology

260. Human Population Growth
This course explores the interaction between population growth, economic development and environmental resources from anthropological, sociological and demographic perspectives. The course examines different theories of population growth; the ecological and social factors which influence population growth; the relation between population growth and economic development; the environmental implications of population growth; and the impact that colonialism, industrialization and globalization have had on contemporary local, national and international populations. Taught every other year.
Prerequisite: ATH 112 Cultural Anthropology or SOC 101 Introduction to Sociology
Meets general academic requirement B.

270-279. Topics in Sociology
Selected courses with a specialized focus that are not contained within the regular sociology curriculum. Such topics might include Ethnic Relations, The Ecology of the City or Religion in American Society.
Prerequisite: SOC 101 Introduction to Sociology

311. Research Methodology I (Cross-listed as ATH 311)
This course provides experience in the design and implementation of sociological research. It covers qualitative techniques for collecting, analyzing, and reporting data. We examine the epistemological issues that underlie social research, the ethical questions involved in research, and the assumptions on which various research strategies are based. We evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of the most commonly used methods. Students will design an original research project. Taught every fall semester.
Prerequisite: SOC 205 Sociological Theory or ATH 205 Anthropological Theory
Meets general academic requirement W.

 312. Research Methodology II (Cross-listed as ATH 312)
A continuation of Research Methodology I. This course focuses on quantitative methods. Students will learn how to use statistics to address research questions in sociology and anthropology. Students will use popular statistical packages such as SPSS to analyze data. Taught every spring semester.
Prerequisite: SOC 310 Research Methodology I and MTH 104 Statistical Methods
Meets general academic requirement W.

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 317. Sociology of Medicine, Health, and Illness
In this course we will explore the social aspects of health, illness, and the health care system in the contemporary United States. This will include an introduction to the theoretical underpinnings of medical sociology and health disparities, as well as examinations of the social and historical construction of medical problems and disease, the relationship between health care providers and providers and patients, the health care system and pressures that are trasnforming the medical sciences. This seminar provides a survey of a number of topics related to health, illness and the health care system - each could easily be a topic for an entire course. You will have the opportunity during the term to delve more deeply into an issue of special interest or importance to you.
Prerequisite: SOC 101 or permission of instructor.

 320. Environmental Sociology
This course analyzes the social causes and consequences of environmental change. We explore the relationships among production, consumption, population, technology, and environment. The major theoretical paradigms in environmental sociology are used to analyze environmental issues. Some of the questions we address include: Is “green” capitalism possible? Does population growth lead to environmental degradation? Can technical fixes solve environmental problems? Has the environmental movement been successful? Taught every year.
Prerequisite: SOC 101 Introduction to Sociology
Meets general academic requirement B.

 325. Imagined Communities: The Sociology of Nations & States
A sociological study of nationalism and state formation in post-colonial societies. Readings will be drawn from classic works in political sociology focusing on theories of power and theories of the state. Using selected case studies from “non-Western” parts of the world with an emphasis on Asia, the course examines the emergence and persistence of nationalisms, and studies the implications of globalization upon the processes of politicizing identities—ethnicity, nation, class, and gender—as they react to new forms and arrangements of power. Possible topics may include: interrelationships between identity construction and politics; causes and consequences of ethnic conflict and accommodation; political economic development in post-colonial contexts, and questions of citizenship and nationality amidst global migrations and socio-cultural changes. Offered every other year.
Prerequisite: SOC 101 Introduction to Sociology
Meets general academic requirement D.

335. Inequality & Power
A sociological examination of the various factors underlying differences in wealth, power, and prestige in contemporary urban industrial societies, with emphasis on the dynamics of class, ethnic, racial and gender stratification. Taught every other year.
Prerequisite: SOC 101 Introduction to Sociology

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340. Sociology of Development
This course analyzes development from a sociological perspective. It examines different theoretical models for understanding macro-level social change. Possible topics for exploration include the environment, economic development, revolution, urbanization, population, and poverty. Taught every other year.
Prerequisite: SOC 101 Introduction to Sociology
Meets general academic requirement B.

342. Boundaries and Belonging: Sociology of Diasporas
This course will investigate the impact of historical and contemporary movements of peoples across international borders on definitions of citizenship and identities by raising questions about the permeability of national borders and the fluidity of cultural boundaries. A close examination of how globally dispersed peoples maintain and cultivate real and imagined ties to the ideals of a "homeland" and/or "place" reveals the cultural and institutional productions of trasnational migrant communities that challenge the binary boundaries of "home" and "abroad". Relying on a sociological perspective, we will consider the negotiations of belonging within and between these peoples and their host societies, and study the different forms of transnational, diasporic, and cosmopolitan identities that result from such negotiations. In particular, case studies will include but are not limited to that of the Chinese and African Diasporas
Prerequisite: SOC 101 Introduction to Sociology
Meets general academic requirement D.

 350. Social Movements
A sociological investigation of the causes and consequences of social movements. The course will examine both historical and contemporary social movements in the United States and elsewhere to understand the underlying social, economic, political and demographic factors that cause their emergence and that influence their evolution. Movements as diverse as the Civil Rights movement and the White Supremacy movement will be examined. Taught every other year.
Prerequisite: SOC 101 Introduction to Sociology
Meets general academic requirement B.

 382. Gender & Health Sciences
This class is a sociological examination of the role of the health sciences in the social construct and control of gender. We will explore a wide range of health disciplines (e.g., genetics, public health) and health issues, including those that are traditionally seen as "gendered" (e.g., birth and erectile dysfunction) and seemingly "non-gendered" illness such as heart disease and mental illness. Contemporary notions of health will be contextualized through historical and international comparisons. Special attention will be given to how health-related gender constructs are complicated by race, class, sexuality, age, and ability and to social change efforts aimed at challenging gendered representations of gender health inequality.
Prerequisite: SOC 101 Introduction to Sociology

 450. Senior Seminar in Sociology and Anthropology (Cross-listed as ATH 450)
A research practicum in which students develop and carry out independent research projects. Open only to sociology and anthropology majors and minors. Taught every year.
Prerequisite: SOC 310 Research Methodology I and either SOC 205 Sociological Theory or ATH 205 Anthropological Theory
Meets general academic requirement W.

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