Department: Sociology

Code Name Description
SOC 101 Foundations of Society: Introduction to Sociological Analysis Fundamental concepts and principles of sociology. Culture, socialization, social structure, stratification, social control, institutions, population, and social change.
SOC 207 Crime and Justice in a Post-Modern Society Prevalence and distribution of crime, theories of crime, forms of criminal behavior, overview of the criminal justice system.
SOC 209 Social Problems Sociological examination of major social problems. Emphasis is on the structural causes, manifestations, patterns, consequences, and policy dimensions of social problems.
SOC 211 Sociological Research Methods Introduction to the major methods of conducting sociological research with a primary emphasis on quantitative data collection and analysis.
SOC 216 Social Inequalities Examination of how class, race, and gender structure everyday life experiences and social institutions.
SOC 218 Sociology of the Black Experience Focuses primarily on understanding the social realities of people of African descent living in the United States. Examines historical, social, and cultural issues that connect them to their Diaspora counterparts from the Caribbean islands.
SOC 221 Sociological Theory History of sociological thought; major theoretical perspectives, both classical and contemporary.
SOC 231 Across the Pond: Europe vs. USA An examination of social structures, social identities, political cultures, and economies in contemporary Europe. Focuses on the interaction between variation among European countries and the creation and operation of the European Union. Compares str...
SOC 232 Postsocialism in Russian and Eastern Europe Examines issues in postsocialism in Russia and Eastern Europe, including historical context and legacies of Soviet socialism, collapse of the USSR and East Europe, logics and policies of economic reform, political and social change, and a brief compa...
SOC 250 Social Organizations and Institutions Examines the nature of organizations and institutions, how they emerge, and how they operate and change. Topics include organizations, institutions, and power; states and the organizational basis of social class; cross-national variation in corporate...
SOC 252 Race and Crime Focuses substantively on policing and prisons, while also covering related subjects: the war on drugs, the war on terror, educational institutions, and the production of knowledge through social structures. Reveals the deep impact of poverty, disposs...
SOC 255 Sport in Society Foundation for critical understanding and appreciation for centrality and importance of sport in contemporary society.
SOC 279 Selected Topics in Sociology Various topics in the field of sociology. Course may be repeated for credit if topics are different.
SOC 302 Social Movements Examination of various types of social movements and theoretical perspectives that explain them. Includes movement origins, structure and organization, goals and strategies, how movements change, and how they affect the larger society. Analysis of so...
SOC 304 Power, Control and Resistance Examines the many facets of the structure and operation of power, using case studies to illuminate such issues as the three dimensions of power, the construction of and challenge to authority, the relation between power and discourse, power and the b...
SOC 305 Conformity, Deviance and Institutions of Social Control Informal and formal pressures to conform to, as well as deviate from, societal norms; social control institutions.
SOC 306 Social Change in a Global Perspective Addresses the processes and forces underpinning the rise of modern nation-states and capitalist economies in the developed and developing worlds. Topics include: the coming of European modernity; dependency and development in Latin America and East A...
SOC 308 Sociology of War Examines the relationship between social structures and war, including democracy and civil rights (e.g. gender and ethnic rights), economic development, social reform, and political identity.
SOC 311 Juvenile Delinquency Meaning of juvenile delinquency; measurement, prevalence and distribution of juvenile delinquency; theories of delinquency; police actions; court actions; and juvenile institutions.
SOC 316 Race and Ethnicity in America Native peoples; immigration and settlement of U.S.; racial and ethnic groups; prejudice and discrimination; race relations in a racially and culturally diverse society.
SOC 319 Social Construction of Gender and Sexuality Advanced course serving as an introduction to the sociology of gender and sexuality. Draws from a social constructionist perspective to understand how gender and sexuality are shaped, influenced, and regulated by society in general, as well as partic...
SOC 320 Race, Class, and Schooling Deepens students' understanding of the various ways in which race and class inequality manifest in schools and shape the educational experiences of students.
SOC 321 Masculinities What does it mean to be a man or male-identified in the United States? This course will explore how literature and scholarly research address manhood and masculinity. Is there only one way to be a man socially or culturally? Does masculinity differ b...
SOC 326 Directed Independent Study Intensive study of a specific topic within sociology under the direction of a member of the faculty. Requires approval by the department chair.
SOC 327 Directed Independent Study Intensive study of a specific topic within sociology under the direction of a member of the faculty. Requires approval by the department chair.
SOC 330 Science, Technology and Society Sociologically investigates science as a social institution that intersects with other social institutions, with an emphasis on exploring how social inequalities affect the use of technology and the construction of scientific knowledge.
SOC 335 Feast or Famine: Inequalities in the Global Food System Analyzes the socio-economic, political, and cultural construction of food systems. Topics include global institutions that impact the flow of food around the world; regional relationships pertaining to food trade; and local relationships between prod...
SOC 340 Sociology of Health and Illness Advanced course serving as an introduction to the sociological study of health and illness. Draws upon a critical sociological perspective to understand how society shapes health and health disparities. Investigates social factors that harm our healt...
SOC 341 Malcolm X and Black Internationalism Approaches Malcolm X as a theoretician, a mobilizing force in his generation and after, and as a tour guide through the discourses and institutions of his time. Studies Black internationalism through Malcolm X as a window into understanding large-sca...
SOC 379 Selected Topics Various topics in the field of sociology. Course may be repeated for credit if topics are different.
SOC 388 Individual Internship Supervised independent field work. Requires permission of a supervising faculty member and approval by the department chair. No more than 1.5 units of internship in any one department and 3.5 units of internship overall may be counted toward required...
SOC 389 Research Practicum For junior- or senior-level majors. Work closely with professor on research project: design, data collection, data analysis. Requires permission of a supervising faculty member and approval by the department chair.
SOC 401 Senior Capstone Experience Senior capstone experience to complete sociology major. Builds upon what students have learned about sociology as a discipline: its central themes, theoretical perspectives, research methods, and substantive research findings. Examines various topics...
SOC 406 Summer Undergraduate Research Documentation of the work of students who receive summer fellowships to conduct research [or produce a creative arts project] in the summer. The work must take place over a minimum of 6 weeks, the student must engage in the project full-time (at leas...
SOC 490 Honors Independent Study Students work one-on-one with faculty advisor in constructing a research design and collecting data for a senior thesis for the Sociology Honors program.
SOC 491 Honors Thesis Student work individually with a faculty advisor in analyzing data and writing up results for a senior thesis for the Sociology Honors program.