SOC 251. Principles of Sociology. 3 Credit Hours.

Students survey and appraise the basic concepts, including theory and method, social processes and structure, culture, groups, socialization, inequality and social institutions.
Session Cycle: Fall, Spring
Yearly Cycle: Annual.

SOC 253. Honors Sociology. 3 Credit Hours.

This course is a more advanced introduction to sociology, allowing students to explore social theory, research methods, social structure, culture, groups, socialization, social interaction, inequality, and social institutions more deeply than in the standard introductory course.
Prerequisites: Honors Program
Session Cycle: Spring
Yearly Cycle: Annual.

SOC 351. Social Problems Social Solutions. 3 Credit Hours.

An exploration of major contemporary social problems, examining the key explanations for them. These explanations are used to assess the likely success of current and proposed social solutions. Key problems studied include inequalities linked to race, ethnicity, gender, immigration status, education, age, and criminal justice—as well as overpopulation and environmental degradation. U.S. problems and their possible solutions are illuminated with cross national comparisons.
Prerequisites: SOC 251 or SOC 253
Session Cycle: Fall
Yearly Cycle: Alternate Years.

SOC 352. Sociology of Gender, Illness, and Health. 3 Credit Hours.

Focusing on the role that gender plays in the opportunity for health and the likelihood of illness, this course explores the causes and consequences of different health outcomes for women and men and the myths and stereotypes about each group. For example, many believe that women have higher rates of mental illness than men but what, if any, is the evidence for this view? The course is U.S. based but it will cover some cross-cultural comparisons of gender, health and illness.
Prerequisites: SOC 251 or SOC 253 or SOC 250SL
Session Cycle: Fall
Yearly Cycle: Varies.

SOC 354. Globalization and Childhood. 3 Credit Hours.

Globalization and Childhood examines the impacts of globalization on children and childhood across the globe. Issues include children as producers and consumers, as soldiers and victims of violence, and other topics.
Prerequisites: SOC 251 or SOC 253
Session Cycle: Spring
Yearly Cycle: Alternate Years.

SOC 355. Social Determinants of Health. 3 Credit Hours.

Social Determinants of Health (SDOH) are conditions, forces, and systems that influence health outcomes. Structural determinants include economic and social policies that impact food security and early childhood development; governing processes that influence the funding and support for equitable education and fair housing; legal policies that shape access to medical resources and safe working conditions; and forms of discrimination that unjustly favor some populations over others. In this course, we examine SDOH in different global contexts and draw on the field of medical anthropology to explore policies and approaches to solving public health issues. During the semester, we learn broadly about human behavior and health through drawing on an interdisciplinary source of readings, films, and ethnographies. Students work on both comprehending the sources of health problems and designing solutions that can foster more equitable health outcomes.
Session Cycle: Spring
Yearly Cycle: Annual.

SOC 356. Sociology of Family. 3 Credit Hours.

The central goal of this course is to lead students to a deeper understanding of the ways in which American families are changing. Through an examination of the family in sociological and historical perspectives, students gain insight into the mythology of the "traditional American family" and its formation. We discuss the diversity of current family forms and the ways in which the family is tied into the larger structure of society. The course also examines hooking up, partnering, parenting, the division of household labor, and divorce.
Prerequisites: SOC 251 or SOC 253
Session Cycle: Fall
Yearly Cycle: Annual.

SOC 359. The Sociological Imagination What We See When We Watch T.V.. 3 Credit Hours.

This course uses the Sociological Imagination as the lens through which to analyze of the content of television. We will apply "The sociological imagination" (C. Wright Mills famous concept) to episodes of "The Wire", an HBO series that ran for five years. We will examine the lives of the characters and "urban space" as chronicled in "The Wire" including the work, neighborhoods, the city, morality, sexuality, politics, "childhood," gender and gender expression, race and social justice. We will also consider the relationship between social structures, culture, structure and agency. This course is cross-listed with COM 359.
Session Cycle: Fall
Yearly Cycle: Annual.

SOC 360. Sociology of Sport. 3 Credit Hours.

This course provides an overview of the discipline of sociology of sport. The course focuses on the global aspects of sport, with an emphasis on the relationship between sport and race, class, gender, sexual orientation, and national identity. It provides students with the theories, concepts and perspectives that allow them to better understand the relationships between sport, society and culture.
Prerequisites: SOC 251 or SOC 253
Session Cycle: Spring
Yearly Cycle: Annual.

SOC 362. Sociology of Innovation and Creativity. 3 Credit Hours.

This course takes a sociological perspective on creativity and innovation exploring the sociological context of each. Combining readings and lectures, class activities and a community-based project, students will learn about the social context of creativity and innovation and also understand more deeply their own creative processes and strengthen these through projects and portfolio building.
Prerequisites: SOC 251 or SOC 253
Session Cycle: Fall
Yearly Cycle: Alternate Years.

SOC 370. Crime and Justice. 3 Credit Hours.

This course applies sociological theory and research to the study of crime and social control. Students engage in policy debates and research projects focused on the philosophy, design and operations of the criminal justice systems in education, immigration, drug control, and other areas.
Prerequisites: SOC 251 or SOC 253
Session Cycle: Spring
Yearly Cycle: Annual.

SOC 390. Research Methods in Sociology. 3 Credit Hours.

This course introduces students to systematic strategies to gather, analyze, and interpret sociological data via survey research. Students learn the basics of SPSS statistical analysis software to learn the art and science of data analysis and interpretation.
Prerequisites: SOC 251 or SOC 253
Session Cycle: Spring
Yearly Cycle: Annual.

SOC 391. Sociology Internship. 3 Credit Hours.

Students engage in individually supervised work-study arrangements and learn to apply social science theory and principles in their work environment. Students must work at least ten hours per week on the job, meet periodically with a supervising faculty member, research literature related to the field of the internship, and prepare a substantive report on their internship experience and the studies involved.
Prerequisites: SOC 251 or SOC 253,Junior/Senior standing; approval of a supervising faculty member and department chair.

SOC 451. Population and Society. 3 Credit Hours.

This course examines the determinants and consequences of population processes and structures. Students explore the relevance of population to several social policy issues, including economic development, gender equality, immigration, civil discord, poverty, social security, health care, and the environment. The course uses illustrations from the United States and a variety of developed and developing countries.
Prerequisites: SOC 251 or SOC 253
Session Cycle: Spring
Yearly Cycle: Alternate Years.

SOC 452. Sociology of Work. 3 Credit Hours.

The sociology of work is an exploration of the meaning of work in our lives and in our culture. The course is organized in a seminar format in which students read and discuss a series of important books in the field. In addition to guiding students toward developing their own sociological insight, the course will challenge some of their basic assumptions about the social organization of work and about the relationship between the economic and the non-economic spheres of our lives.
Prerequisites: SOC 251 or SOC 253
Session Cycle: Spring
Yearly Cycle: Varies.

SOC 453. Race and Ethnicity. 3 Credit Hours.

This course examines and uses theories to understand the treatment and life chances of racial and ethnic subpopulations, with an emphasis on U.S. society. Students explore the many ways stereotypes, prejudice, racism, and privilege become part of our everyday interaction and reinforce institutional discrimination.
Prerequisites: SOC 251 or SOC 253
Session Cycle: Spring
Yearly Cycle: Annual.

SOC 454. Social Theory: The Study of Isms and Phobias. 3 Credit Hours.

This seminar is first and foremost a study of classical and contemporary social theory. It also examines the ways in which a variety of these theories, both classical and contemporary, view and explain social inequalities. More specifically, we will use theories, theorists, and concepts from theories to help us better understand "isms and phobias" including racism, sexism, classism, heterosexism, homophobia, transphobia, ethnocentrism and xenophobia.
Prerequisites: SOC 251 or SOC 253, Junior standing or permission of the instructor
Session Cycle: Fall
Yearly Cycle: Annual.

SOC 455. Urban Sociology. 3 Credit Hours.

Because most of us have urban or suburban backgrounds, and because of the huge cities all over the globe, we assume that most of the world’s population have urban experiences. This has not the case- at least until now. The world of the future will be urban. It is important that we understand how and why cities come into being, and how urbanism affects people’s lives and behavior. Students will use urban theory to analyze the relationship between larger social forces and individual experiences in selected substantive areas of urban sociology.
Prerequisites: SOC 251 or SOC 253
Session Cycle: Winter
Yearly Cycle: Varies.

SOC 460SL. Applied Seminar in Social Entrepreneurship. 3 Credit Hours.

Social entrepreneurs create innovated solutions to the world's most vexing problems. This course provides students background knowledge in the emerging field and hands on experience in social entrepreneurship.
Prerequisites: SOC 251 or SOC 253 and Sophomore standing
Session Cycle: Spring
Yearly Cycle: Annual.

SOC 491. Sociology Capstone I. 3 Credit Hours.

Designed for student majoring in Sociology and Social Research, this senior-level capstone seminar asks students to explore, either as an individual directed-study or as part of a weekly seminar, some aspect of an important social issue as it relates to the operation of a social institution: marriage and family; religion; work; politics; urbanization; or sports.
Prerequisites: SOC 251 or SOC 253 and Junior standing
Session Cycle: Spring
Yearly Cycle: Annual.

SOC 492. Sociology Capstone II. 3 Credit Hours.

This course may follow SOC 491--offering the student a chance to tackle a large, in-depth study by providing a second semester to research their topic of interest.
Prerequisites: SOC 251 or SOC 253 and SOC 491 and Junior standing
Session Cycle: Varies
Yearly Cycle: Alternate Years.

SOC 497. Directed Study in Sociology. 3 Credit Hours.

This course is an opportunity for students to do independent, in-depth study or research for academic credit. The student works on an individual basis under the direction of a member of the sociology faculty. The main requirement of the course is the development of a substantial paper or project.
Prerequisites: SOC 251 or SOC 253.

SOC ST300. Special Topics in Sociology From Womb to Tomb A Sociological Perspective on Sexuality. 3 Credit Hours.

This course examines how sexuality is defined throughout the life cycle. This course will use a sociological perspective to examine the cultural, political and legal aspects of human sexuality. Recent studies on human sexuality have highlighted that sexual aspects are of major importance in building up personal identity, social interaction and the social evolution of individuals.
Prerequisites: SOC 251 or SOC 253.

SOC ST301. From Asylums to Zoloft: The Sociology of Mental Health. 3 Credit Hours.

We often think of mental health and illness as personal experiences that affect an individual and require individual resolution (e.g., therapy, medication, etc.). However, there are social dimensions to mental health that warrant exploration as well, such as: How have definitions and treatments of mental illness changed over time and across cultures? How do sociodemographic differences (e.g., gender, race, socioeconomic status) inform how people experience mental healthcare, both historically and in modern times? What effects do recent events and trends, like COVID-19 and social media use, have on people’s mental wellbeing? To begin addressing these and other sociological questions, students will review of-the-moment research, engage in critical discussions, and reflect on their own views regarding mental health; participation in this course will culminate with an experiential “deep dive” into a current mental health-related issue.
Prerequisites: SOC 251
Session Cycle: Varies.