SOC 8031 – Sociology ProSeminar (3)

Olick, enrl 10 W 10am-12:30pm

The ProSeminar provides an introduction for first year graduate students to the discipline and profession of Sociology, as well as to the Sociology Department.

SOC 8054 – Political Sociology (3)

Wang, enrl 12 T 2-4:30pm

Explores the relationships between social structure and political institutions. Competing theories about such topics as power structures, political participation, ideology, party affiliation, voting behavior, and social movements are discussed in the context of recent research on national and local politics in the United States.

SOC 8998 – Non-Topical Research, Preparation for MA Research (1-12)

For Master’s research, taken before a thesis director has been selected.

SOC 8999 – Non-Topical Research (1-12)

For Master’s thesis, taken under the supervision of a thesis director.

SOC 9010 – Directed Readings (credit to be arranged)

SOC 9050 – Research Apprenticeship (3-12)

This course provides practical research experience through close collaboration with a faculty member. [Faculty members will propose projects and choose apprentices from the pool of applicants.] Student apprentices will be junior colleagues, involved in all phases of the project. This collaborative effort will lead to a distinct scholarly product, usually a co-authored paper suitable for publication.

SOC 9050/9060 is offered on a Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory basis, typically for 3 hours of credit. (Three hours may be counted as part of the 24 hours of graded courses for the M.A. degree, though students selecting this options may not apply credits for Directed Readings to the 24-hour requirement. Up to 6 hours of credits for SOC 905/906 may be applied to Ph.D. requirements; however, the number of allowable hours for Directed Readings is correspondingly reduced.)

SOC 9998 – Non-Topical Research, Preparation for Doctoral Research (1-12)

For Doctoral Research, taken before a dissertation director has been selected.

SOC 9999 – Non-Topical Research, After Ph.D. Proposal (1-12)

For Doctoral Research, taken after a dissertation director has been selected.

SOC 1010 – Introductory Sociology (3)

Mullins, enrl 240, MW 10:00am - 10:50am

The fundamental concepts and principles of sociology with special attention to sociological theory and research methods. Survey of the diverse substantive fields in the discipline with a primary emphasis on the institutions in contemporary American society.

Discussion Required.

SOC 2052 – Sociology of the Family (3)

Wilcox, enrl 180, MW 12:00pm - 12:50pm

Comparison of family organizations in relation to other social institutions in various societies; an introduction to the theory of kinship and marriage systems.

Discussion Required.

SOC 2052 – Sociology of the Family (3)

Zeno, enrl 35, TR 8:00am - 9:15am

Comparison of family organizations in relation to other social institutions in various societies; an introduction to the theory of kinship and marriage systems.

No Discussion Required.

SOC 2056 – The Sociology of Culture (3)

Mullins, enrl 35, TR 11:00am - 12:15pm

Examines the role of meaning in social life, with a focus on how different theories of culture allow analysis of the relationship of culture to exchange, authority, solidarity, and domination. Analysis of key cultural artefacts (movies, texts, monuments, etc.) is combined with the study of theories of social performance, fields of cultural production, and semiosis. The role of culture in social transformation is also considered.

SOC 2230 – Criminology (3)

Buckelew, enrl 180, MW 9:00pm - 9:50pm

Socio-cultural conditions affecting the definition, recording, and treatment of delinquency and crime. Examination of Theories of deviant behavior, the role of the police, judicial and corrective systems and the victim in criminal behavior.

Discussion Required.

SOC 2280 – Medical Sociology (3)

Aviles, enrl 60, MW 3:00pm - 3:50pm

This course examines how the medical system is shaped by cultural and societal forces, analyzing unique dimensions of medicine from varying perspectives prominent in the discipline of Sociology. Topics will focus upon the interaction of social categories (e.g., socioeconomic status, race/ethnicity, gender/sexuality) upon the distribution of diseases, experiences of illness, and relationships between patients and medical professionals

Discussion Required.

SOC 2320 – Gender & Society (3)

Bair, enrl 120, MW 2:00pm - 2:50pm

This course emphasizes gender in the United States in today’s world. We begin with how gender role socialization, education, language and the media teach us our places as female and male. Then we go on to examine how the genders fare in the major social institutions of our society: the family, the economic sector, the polity, the military, the criminal justice sector, the religious sphere and the health/sports sector. We examine how we got to where we are and how we compare with other women and men in other ages and other places. We conclude by assessing where the genders are heading in the 21st Century.

Discussion Required.

SOC 2442 – Systems of Inequality (3)

TBD, enrl 35, TR 12:30pm – 1:45pm

This course will examine various types of inequality (race, class, gender) in the US and abroad. We will discuss sociological theories covering various dimensions of inequality, considering key research findings and their implications. We will examine to what extent ascriptive characteristics impact a person's life chances, how social structures are produced and reproduced, and how individuals are able or unable to negotiate these structures.

SOC 2559 – New Course in Sociology – Topic: Introduction to Demography (3)

Sullivan, enrl 30, MWF 10:00am – 10:50am

Demography is the scientific study of human populations. We will emphasize fertility, mortality, and migration, and the social and economic factors that affect them.

SOC 2595 - Immigration and Society (3)

Vickerman, enrl 60, MW 11:00am – 11:50am

Immigration is a deceptively simple process, involving, at the simplest level, merely the movement of people across international borders. But why they move, how they move, and how the process is sustained over time are difficult questions to answer. This course examines these key questions and others from a global and historical perspective, with the goal of deepening our understanding of theoretical and policy issues related to immigration.

Discussion Required.

SOC 2900 – Economy and Society (3)

Wang, enrl 35, TR 2:00pm – 3:15pm

Markets, firms, and money are part of everyday experience. Economists insist that they should work similarly independently of their social context. The central idea of economic sociology is that economic institutions are 'embedded' in social relations. We will study what embeddeness means, and what it implies. We look at how institutions constitute markets; how rationality varies; and how money interacts with social relations in unexpected ways.

SOC 3020 – Introduction to Social Theory (3)

Polillo, enrl 60, MW 1:00pm - 1:50pm

An introduction to the major theoretical issues and traditions in sociology, especially as developed in the writings of Marx, Weber, and Durkheim, Sociology majors are expected to take this course in their third year.

Discussion Required Required core course for SOC major.

SOC 3120 – Sociology Research Workshop (4)

Gorman, enrl 72, MW 2:00pm - 2:50pm

An introduction to data analysis and data processing, as well as the conceptualization of sociological problems. Emphasis on individual student projects.

Discussion Required. Required core course for SOC major.

SOC 3180 – Sociology of Emotions (3)

Polillo, enrl 35, MW 2:00pm – 3:15pm

This course explores the role of emotions in social interaction as well as how societies and cultures shape emotional expression. The objective is to decode the subtle rules of emotional display implicit in many social interactions and excavate the cultural histories of particular emotions such as love, sympathy, shame, anxiety, and sadness. Readings include theoretical and empirical work from both sociologists and social psychologists.

SOC 3290 - Sociology of Childhood (3)

Skubby, enrl 35, TR 12:30pm - 1:45pm

The class introduces the “new social studies of childhood” and the idea that the experience of childhood is a social construction, not a string of biological facts.  Topics include: how caring for children varies across time & space, and considering childhood in the context of Western cultural trends - increasing inequality, unequal distribution of overwork, poverty, war, liberty, decreasing privacy, consumerism, sexualization, networked society.

SOC 3310 - Sociology of Self (3)

Skubby, enrl 35, MW 3:30pm - 4:45pm

What is the difference between individual and self? Do we carry a fixed, unchangeable self inside, or do we have as many selves as the situations in which we commonly find ourselves? Can we go as far as saying that the self comes from the outside, and if so, when do we internalize it? At birth, once and for all? Or repeatedly and in everyday life? We will explore these questions and more as we venture into an exciting field-sociology of the self.

SOC 3410 – Race & Ethnic Relations (3)

Buckelew, enrl 60, MW 1:00pm – 1:50pm

Introduces the study of race and ethnic relations, including the social and economic conditions promoting prejudice, racism, discrimination, and segregation. Examines contemporary American conditions, and historical and international materials.

Discussion Required.

SOC 3490 – Cities and Cultures (3)

Makarova, enrl 35, TR 11:00am – 12:15pm

Explores the ways in which physical environments shape and are shaped by social life. Examines the relationship between urban space and culture in different historical and social settings, though there is a particular focus on the rise and development of modernity as expressed through the experience of particular cities.

SOC 3559 – Environment, Globalization and Development (3)

Wilks, enrl 35, TR 9:30am – 10:45am

This course provides a sociological overview of Earth’s changing environment, starting with the impact of past disasters that affected climate and living beings. Then it considers growing evidence of accelerating climate change and its impact on environment, humans and other species, while also considering initiatives to combat it. It combines relevant sociological and other literature with student searches of major newspapers and periodicals.

SOC 3640 - Human Society in History (3)

Kumar, enrl 35, TR 2:00pm - 3:15pm

Human societies exist in time. This course will examine the historical development of a variety of societies from earliest times to the present. Its focus will be on the relation of the West to the rest of the world. The course is particularly intended for social scientists, to make them aware of the historical dimension to human society; but it is open to all. Meets Historical Studies requirement.

SOC 3700 – Health & Society (3)

Skubby, enrl 35, MWF 12:00pm - 12:50pm

This course explores the social dimensions of health and illness, focusing especially on the social experience of illness, the social determinants of disease, and the role and meaning of medicine and public health in modern U.S. society. The class examines how we define health problems and their solutions, and it considers the ways in which race, gender, class, age, and sexuality matter for understanding health- related experiences and discourses.

SOC 3820 – Social Movements (3)

Slez, enrl 35, MW 2:00pm – 3:15pm

Social movements are an historical and global phenomenon of great complexity and variety. Because the topic can be so broad, the course is organized around case studies of civil rights, the industrial workers’ movement, environmentalism, religious fundamentalism, and the counter movements to globalization. These cases will be used to illustrate variety of themes and principles, and you will learn about specific events, personalities, organizations, and dynamics that shaped these movements. By this method, you will gain specific knowledge about important social movements, as well as an overview and general orientation to the sociology of this dynamic area of social life.

SOC 4054 – Political Sociology (3)

Mullins, enrl 20, TR 9:30am – 10:45am

Prerequisites: Six credits of sociology or permission of instructor

This course studies the relationship between social structure and political institutions. Competing theories about such topics as power structures, political participation, ideology, party affiliation, voting behavior, and social movements are discussed in the context of recent research on national and local politics in the U.S.

SOC 4055 – Sociology of Law (3)

Gorman, enrl 20, MW 3:30pm – 4:45pm

Prerequisites: Six credits of sociology or permission of instructor

After a brief history of legal sociology during the past century, the course introduces and elaborates a sociological theory of legal behavior. The primary focus is the case, a specific legal conflict. The theory explains the handling of each case with its social structure, such as the social closeness and social elevation of the parties. Although the course is primarily scientific in emphasis, the practical relevance of the theory is addressed.

SOC 4140 – Sociology of Consumption (3)

Makarova, enrl 20, TR 2:00pm - 3:15

Prerequisites: Six credits of sociology or permission of instructor

This course considers the nature and effects of consumer society; it explores the theories, practices, and politics of modern consumption. Topics include the historical development of consumer society; the role of consumption in creating personal and political identities; the cultural and social meanings of seemingly impersonal objects like money; the commodification of social life; the effects of globalization on the practices of consumption.

SOC 4559-001 – New Course in Sociology – Hate Groups (3)

Vickerman, enrl 20, MW 2:00pm – 3:15pm

Prerequisites: Six credits of sociology or permission of instructor.

Hate groups are defined by their extreme antipathy towards minority groups of all types, especially racial groups. Typically, they are particularly active when dominant groups feel threatened because minority groups gain power. Hate groups exist to reassert this dominance through fear and terror. This course analyzes the origins, manifestations, and behavior of hate groups from a theoretical, historical, and sociological point of view, underlining the role of minority-led social movements and immigration in generating such groups.

SOC 4559-002 – New Course in Sociology – The 2020 Census (3)

Sullivan, enrl 20, MW 2:00pm – 3:15pm

Prerequisites: Six credits of sociology or permission of instructor.

This course examines the relationship of the census to democracy. We will examine data collection and uses, the impact of an undercount and other errors, and the issues of data privacy and security.

SOC 4750 – Racism (3)

Buckelew, enrl 20, TR 12:30pm – 1;45 pm

Prerequisites: Six credits of sociology or permission of instructor.

Racism, the disparagement and victimization of individuals and groups because of a belief that their ancestry renders them intrinsically different and inferior, is a problem in many societies. In this course we will examine the problem of racism by investigating the workings of these sociological processes theoretically, historically, and contemporaneously.

SOC 4980 – Distinguished Majors Thesis Research (3)

Guterbock, enrl 12

Prerequisites: Admission to the Distinguished Majors Program in Sociology.

Independent research, under the supervision of a DM faculty adviser, for the DMP thesis.

SOC 5020 – Introduction to Statistics (Grad) (3)

Slez, enrl 12, W 9:30am-12:00pm

Prerequisites: Six credits of sociology or permission of instructor; open to advanced undergraduates.  Lab required.

SOC 5020 will serve as an introduction to multivariate regression, with an emphasis on applications in the field of sociology. Along the way we will review basic concepts related to probability and inference. More specifically, this course will cover ANOVA, t tests, OLS regression, and logistic regression. In sum, the course is designed to teach graduate students in sociology how to use basic statistics to address concrete sociological problems.

SOC 5030 – Classical Sociological Theory (3) 

Kumar, enrl 12, R 9:30-12:00pm

Prerequisites: Six credits of sociology or permission of instructor; open to advanced undergraduates

Seminar focusing on the writing of Marx, Weber, Durkheim, and other social theories.  Open to students in related disciplines.

SOC 5320 – Sociology of Gender (3)

Pugh, enrl 12, M 3:00pm - 5:30pm

Prerequisites: Six credits of sociology or permission of instructor

This course will explore the social construction and consequences of gender, covering such topics as work, care, sexuality, identity, politics and inequality.  Readings will include the classics as well as newer works in the field. 

SOC 5140 – Qualitative Methods (3)

Greenland, enrl 12, R 12:30pm - 3:00pm

This course is designed as an introductory overview of qualitative research methods.  The course begins with a review of the logic of social enquiry and the basis for claiming sociological knowledge.  We then consider a variety of analytic and interpretive approaches to sociological research.  The methods covered include interviewing, grounded theory, content analysis, field methods/ethnography, and historical and comparative sociology using documentary/archival materials.  We will be reading theoretical, didactic and exemplary materials.

SOC 7980 – Graduate Research Workshop (3)

Greenland, enrl 12, T 1:00pm – 3:30pm

This class is designed to help graduate students write professional, sociological articles.  Students will come in with (at a minimum) a solid literature review plus data collected and analyzed, and leave with a submission-ready manuscript.  We will discuss each article section, present and critique work, consider audience, sharpen arguments and improve writing.  Required of 3rd year students; open to others later in the program.

SOC 8030 – Sociological Issues (1)

Bair, enrl. 25, R 3:30pm - 6:00pm

Contemporary issues affecting sociology as a science, as an academic discipline, and as a profession.  Frequent guest lectures.

SOC 8031 – Sociology ProSeminar (3)

Bair, enrl. 12, M 9:30am - 12:00pm

The ProSeminar provides an introduction for first year graduate students to the discipline and profession of Sociology, as well as to the Sociology Department.

SOC 8054 – Political Sociology (3)

Wang, enrl. 12, T 9:30am – 12:00pm

Explores the relationships between social structure and political institutions.  Competing theories about such topics as power structures, political participation, ideology, party affiliation, voting behavior, and social movements are discussed in the context of recent research on national and local politics in the United States.

SOC 8998 – Non-Topical Research, Preparation for MA Research (1-12)

For Master’s research, taken before a thesis director has been selected.

SOC 8999 – Non-Topical Research (1-12)

For Master’s thesis, taken under the supervision of a thesis director

SOC 9998 – Non-Topical Research, Preparation for Doctoral Research (1-12)

For Doctoral Research, taken before a dissertation director has been selected.

SOC 9999 – Non-Topical Research (After Ph.D. Proposal) (1-12)

For Doctoral Research, taken after a dissertation director has been selected.

SOC 1010 – Introductory Sociology (3)

Buckelew, enrl 240, TR 9:30am – 10:20am

The fundamental concepts and principles of sociology with special attention to sociological theory and research methods. Survey of the diverse substantive fields in the discipline with a primary emphasis on the institutions in contemporary American society.

Dependent section required.

SOC 2052 – Sociology of the Family (3)

Wilcox, enrl 180, MW 2:00pm – 2:50pm

Comparison of family organizations in relation to other social institutions in various societies; an introduction to the theory of kinship and marriage systems.

Dependent section required.

SOC 2056 – The Sociology of Culture (3)

Reed, enrl 60, MW 10:00am - 10:50pm

Examines the role of meaning in social life, with a focus on how different theories of culture allow analysis of the relationship of culture to exchange, authority, solidarity, and domination. Analysis of key cultural artefacts (movies, texts, monuments, etc.) is combined with the study of theories of social performance, fields of cultural production, and semiosis. The role of culture in social transformation is also considered.

Dependent section required.

SOC 2220 – Social Problems (3)

Sullivan, enrl 60, MW 12:00pm - 12:50pm

An analysis of the causes and consequences of current social problems in the United States: Race and Ethnic relations, poverty, crime and delinquency, the environment, drugs, and problems of educational institutions.

Dependent section required.

SOC 2280 – Medical Sociology (3)

Aviles, enrl 60, MW 1:00pm - 1:50pm

This course examines how the medical system is shaped by cultural and societal forces, analyzing unique dimensions of medicine from varying perspectives prominent in the discipline of Sociology.  Topics will focus upon the interaction of social categories (e.g., socioeconomic status, race/ethnicity, gender/sexuality) upon the distribution of diseases, experiences of illness, and relationships between patients and medical professionals.

Dependent section required.

SOC 2320 – Gender and Society (3)

Skubby, enrl 60, MW 9:00am - 9:50am

This course emphasizes gender in the United States in today’s world.  We begin with how gender role socialization, education, language and the media teach us our places as female and male.  Then we go on to examine how the genders fare in the major social institutions of our society: the family, the economic sector, the polity, the military, the criminal justice sector, the religious sphere and the health/sports sector.  We examine how we got to where we are and how we compare with other women and men in other ages and other places.  We conclude by assessing where the genders are heading in the 21st Century.

Dependent section required.

SOC 2442 – Systems of Inequality (3)

Hoosier, enrl 60, MW 4:00pm-4:50pm

This course will examine various types of inequality (race, class, gender) in the US and abroad. We will discuss sociological theories covering various dimensions of inequality, considering key research findings and their implications. We will examine to what extent ascriptive characteristics impact a person's life chances, how social structures are produced and reproduced, and how individuals are able or unable to negotiate these structures.

Dependent section required

SOC 2520 – Topics in Death and Dying – The Medicalization of Death (3)

Aviles, enrl 35, MW 3:30pm – 4:45pm

This course explores transformations in the social meanings surrounding death, with a focus on how death has increasingly become associated with medicine in the United States. We will explore ways the medicalization of death has changed how Americans think about and experience dying as a social event. Additionally, we will focus on how death has been integrated into the distinctive political and economic configurations of medicine in the US.

SOC 2680 – Introduction to Demography (3)

Sullivan, enrl 25, MW 2:00pm – 3:15pm

Demography is the scientific study of human populations. We will emphasize fertility, mortality, and migration, and the social and economic factors that affect them.

SOC 3020 – Introduction to Social Theory (3)

Kumar, enrl 60, TR 2:00pm - 2:50pm

An introduction to the major theoretical issues and traditions in sociology, especially as developed in the writings of Marx, Weber, and Durkheim, Sociology majors are expected to take this course in their third year.

Dependent section required.

SOC 3056 – Culture and Power (3)

Mullins, enrl 35, TR 2:00pm – 3:15pm

This course examines sociological theories of power and their intersections with culture. It focuses on oppression and social change in the 20th and 21st century U.S. through the lens of cultural expression, beliefs and meaning. It includes close reading of social theories of power and empirical studies of social institutions and social identities.

SOC 3110 – Introduction to Survey Research Methods (3)

Guterbock, enrl 20, TR 12:30pm – 1:45pm

Surveys are everywhere these days, but good surveys are not easy to do. Learn how to conduct a successful, high-quality sample survey.  Understand the main sources of survey error and learn about ways to achieve high quality measurement and representative results.  Learn best practices in designing samples, writing questions, constructing questionnaires, conducting interviews and implementing surveys via mail, telephone, or the Internet.

Combined section.

SOC 3130 – Introduction to Social Statistics (4)

Wilcox, enrl 72, MW 11:00am - 11:50am

Prerequisite: SOC 3120, required core course for SOC major.

Elementary statistical methods for social science applications. Topics include summarizing data with graphs and descriptive measures, generalizing from a sample to a population as in opinion polls, and determining the relationship between two variables. No special mathematical background is required, and students will be taught basic computer techniques. Three hours of lecture, two hours of laboratory work. Majors are expected to take this course in their third year.

Dependent section required.

SOC 3310 – Sociology of Self (3)

Skubby, enrl 35, TR 12:30pm – 1:45pm

What is the difference between individual and self? Do we carry a fixed, unchangeable self inside, or do we have as many selves as the situations in which we commonly find ourselves? Can we go as far as saying that the self comes from the outside, and if so, when do we internalize it? At birth, once and for all? Or repeatedly and in everyday life? We will explore these questions and more as we venture into an exciting field-sociology of the self.

SOC 3410 – Race & Ethnic Relations (3)

Vickerman, enrl 35, MW 4:00pm – 5:15pm

Introduces the study of race and ethnic relations, including the social and economic conditions promoting prejudice, racism, discrimination, and segregation. Examines contemporary American conditions, and historical and international materials.

SOC 3470 – Sociology of Development (3)

Blumberg, enrl 35, TR 9:30am – 10:45am

This study of the development of human societies explores the five major 'techo-economic bases' that have characterized our species' history (hunting-gathering, horticultural, agrarian, industrial and information/biotech) and examines how contemporary macro level trends affect our lives at the micro level.

SOC 3480 – Sociology of Globalization (3)

Wang, enrl 35, TR 9:30am – 10:45am

This course will explore the determinants, nature, and effects of the increase in cross-border flows of goods, services, capital and people that  we have come  to associate with the term “globalization.”   We will investigate how globalization affects domestic & world inequality, the role of institutions, and  world & local cultures. The course will include readings from economics, history, world-system theory, and cultural analysis.

SOC 3559 -001 – Future Cities (3)

Makarova, enrl 35, TR 11:00am - 12:15pm

This course conceives alternative possibilities for our cities. It will include such lines of inquiry as the challenges of equality and justice; sustainability and environmental change; the potential and limits of technology; and the impact of the changing global context. We will examine currently emerging urban forms as well as attempts to imagine new forms of urban life.

SOC 3559 -002 – Aging and Society (3)

O’Loughlin, enrl 35, TR 12:30pm – 1:45pm

The world population is growing older and this new paradigm offers exciting opportunities and challenges for society. How can we best prepare for, embrace, and harness the power of a changing demographic? This course draws from grand-unifying social gerontological perspectives, demography, health policy, and economics to enhance student’s understanding of the growing number of older adults in America and around the globe.

SOC 3559 -003 – Gender, Power, Film (3)

Press, enrl 35, MW 3:30pm – 4:45pm

Many argue that popular media have become central to the reproduction of the "sex-gender system" within which we all live, and under whose influence we form our gender identities in this culture.  We will examine the ways in which popular film helps to define our cultural ideas about gender identities and differences.  We will also look at the ways in which feminists and gender and sexuality activists have responded to these definitions.

SOC 3700 – Health & Society (3)

Skubby, enrl 60, TR 12:30pm – 1:45pm

This course explores the social dimensions of health and illness, focusing especially on the social experience of illness, the social determinants of disease, and the role and meaning of medicine and public health in modern U.S. society. The class examines how we define health problems and their solutions, and it considers the ways in which race, gender, class, age, and sexuality matter for understanding health- related experiences and discourses.

Dependent section required.

SOC 3710 – Organizations, Institutions, Markets (3)

Gorman, enrl 35, MW 2:00pm - 3:15pm

This course examines how large organizations-such as corporations, professional firms, and government agencies-interact with environments defined by social institutions and markets.  Topics studied include organizational structure, employment practices, deviance, conflict, networks, and survival or failure.

SOC 4054 – Political Sociology (3)

Wang, enrl 20, TR 12:30pm - 1:45pm

Prerequisites: Six credits of sociology or permission of instructor

This course studies the relationship between social structure and political institutions. Competing theories about such topics as power structures, political participation, ideology, party affiliation, voting behavior, and social movements are discussed in the context of recent research on national and local politics in the U.S.

SOC 4190 – Gender and Work (3)

Gorman, enrl 20, MW 4:00pm – 5:15pm

Prerequisites: Six credits of sociology or permission of instructor

Studies the relationship between gender and various work outcomes, including occupational choice, career patterns and mobility, reward and success, interpersonal relationships at work, and the balance between work and family.  The primary focus is on the United states, although some attention is paid to international comparisons.

SOC 4260 – Race, Crime and Punishment (3)

Buckelew, enrl 20, TR 11:00am - 12:15pm

Prerequisites: Six credits of sociology or permission of instructor

This course is an exercise in critical thinking and writing. We will investigate connections between race and crime in contemporary America.  To do so, we will explore constructions of crime and race and patterns of victimization, criminality and punishment.  We will uncover shifting definitions of crime and the ways that institutions, policies and practices shape patterns of punishment.

SOC 4350 – Comparative Gender Stratification (3)

Blumberg, enrl 20, TR 2:00pm – 3:15pm

Prerequisites: Six credits of sociology or permission of instructor

The course examines (1) theories of gender stratification, (2) the extent of, and changes in , gender stratification in the U.S. and (3) a cross-cultural look at the extent of gender stratification from our hunting-and-gathering ancestors to today’s information/biotech society.  The course will also (4) look at contemporary examples of both local level gender equality/near equality and extreme gender inequality (e.g., in Taliban Afghanistan).

SOC 4420 – Sociology of Inequality (3)

Vickerman, enrl 20, MW 2:00pm – 3:15pm

Prerequisites: Six credits of sociology or permission of instructor

A survey of basic theories and methods used to analyze structures of social inequality.  Includes comparative analysis of the inequalities of power and privilege, both their causes and their consequences for social conflict and social change.

SOC 4430 – Love, Sex and Sociology (3)

Zeno, enrl 20, TR 12:30pm – 1:45pm

Prerequisites: Six credits of sociology or permission of instructor

This course explores the social construction of love and sexualities. Beginning with historical perspectives, the class also compares the organization of intimate life in the United States and other countries. Students evaluate the impact of social inequalities in gender, class and race on the construction of choice and commitment. The class considers how consumer capitalism, the state, and culture interact to shape our intimate practices.

SOC 4550 – Topics in Ethics and Society - Topic: Money and Morality (3)

Polillo, enrl 20, TR 11:00am – 12:15pm

Prerequisites: Six credits of sociology or permission of instructor.

We have an uneasy relationship with money, markets and morality: while we are told that money can buy anything, we think differently about paying for a human organ vs. buying life insurance, or tipping at a restaurant as opposed to, say, at a hospital. In this class, we explore this uneasy relationship through the lens of the sociology of money.

SOC 4559 Sec 001 – New Course in Sociology - Topic:  Race, Medicine and Health (3)

Skubby, enrl 20, MW 3:30pm – 4:45pm

Prerequisites: Six credits of sociology or permission of instructor.

This course takes the perspective that American society is characterized in part by a racial caste system, and that this system has causes and consequences for African Americans in terms of their health, and for African Americans working within the health care system. In the beginning of the course, we will make the case that there is, in fact, a caste system in the U.S. based on racial categories. Then, the course will address a number of topics. First, we will explore how this racial caste system shaped American Medicine’s treatment of African Americans throughout history. Second, we look at the present-day inequalities in the treatment of African Americans within the health care system. Third, we will extend this analysis to the treatment of African American women, especially expectant mothers. The course will next explore how the racial caste system affects workers in the contemporary health care system in the U.S. Finally, we will discuss and analyze the consequences of this racial caste system on the health of African Americans, specifically taking an in-depth look at environmental racism.

SOC 4559 Sec 002 – New Course in Sociology – Topic: Religion in a Global Age (3)

Makarova, enrl 20, TR 2:00pm – 3:15pm

Prerequisites: Six credits of sociology or permission of instructor.

The course addresses the key debates on the fate of religion in the modern world. It explores new forms of interaction between the secular and the religious in a global context. It will do so through examining specific case studies in different parts of the world, including the reshaping of public culture, nationalism and religious tradition, the relation between gender and religion, and the nature of fundamentalisms. 

SOC 4559 Sec 003 – New Course in Sociology – Topic: Race, Racism and Democracy; Sociology of DuBois (3)

Mullins, enrl 20, TR 11:00am – 12:15pm

Prerequisites: Six credits of sociology or permission of instructor.

William Edward Burghardt Du Bois (February 23, 1868 – August 27, 1963) was a uniquely American scholar and activist whose work has renewed significance today. His analysis of the United States reveals both the social causes and consequences of racial stratification, while his political activism offers possible solutions. A controversial figure in his time, he helped to found the American sociological discipline and yet was marginalized within it; he was a founding member of the NAACP but eventually became one of its fiercest critics. He was deeply committed to both the scientific study of society and a form of democracy that others considered too radical. In this class, students will read Du Bois’s major works to better understand the framework through which he investigated inequality in the United States, the problems of racism that he attributes to the color-line, and whether we can look to his radical form of democracy in order to finally overcome what he referred to as “the problems of the color-line." 

SOC 4720 – Nations and Nationalism (3)

Kumar, enrl 20, TR 9:30am – 10:45am

Prerequisites: Six credits of sociology or permission of instructor.

Despite the frequent predictions of its demise, nationalism continues to thrive in the modern world. Why is that so? What is nationalism, and what are the sources of its appeal? This course will consider leading accounts of the origins, growth, and persistence of nationalism. Topics to be considered are: the nation and national identity; ethnicity and nationalism; empire and the nation-state; gender and nation; globalization and the nation-state.

SOC 4850 – Media, Culture and Society (3)

Mullins, enrl 20, TR 9:30am – 10:45am

Prerequisites: Six credits of sociology or permission of instructor.

This seminar aims to foster a critical media literacy, whereby students learn to read and criticize the texts of their cultural environment.  It will analyze some alternative approaches to the study of culture, and it will display the merits of a multi-perspective method.  Particular emphasis will be placed upon the issues of success, power, gender, class, race, and ethnicity.  The seminar will use both print and film texts.

SOC 4970 – Special Studies in Sociology (1-6)

Prerequisites: Fourth year students with a minimum GPA of 3.2 in sociology (or overall GPA of 3.2 for non- majors) and permission of instructor.

An independent study project conducted by the student under the supervision of an instructor of his or her choice. Students must complete independent study application form available on Sociology Department website.

SOC 4981 – Distinguished Majors Thesis Writing (3)

Guterbock, enrl 12

Prerequisites: Admission to the Distinguished Majors Program in Sociology & SOC 4980.

Writing of the DMP thesis under the supervision of a DM faculty adviser.

SOC 5056 – Sociology of Culture (3)

Reed, enrl 12, W 2:00pm – 4:30pm

Prerequisites: Graduate status; six credits in Sociology or instructor permission.  

This course is designed as a graduate level introduction to and overview of the field of cultural sociology.  The seminar format makes class preparation and attendance crucial.  Students are expected to have done the reading and be prepared for discussion every week.  Students will be graded on three short papers, preparing and leading class discussion one week, and a final research design or annotated bibliography, and class presentation.

SOC 5060 – Contemporary Sociological Theory (3)

Polillo, enrl 12, M 9:30am-12:00pm

Prerequisites: SOC 5030, six credits of sociology, or permission of instructor; open to advanced undergraduates

A consideration of the nature and purpose of sociological theory as well as a survey of the most important contemporary theories and theorists.

SOC 5100 – Research Design and Methods (3)

Slez, enrl 12, T 9:30am-12:00pm

Prerequisites: SOC 3120, or graduate standing, six credits of sociology or permission of instructor

Study of the steps necessary to design a research project including searching the literature, formulating a problem, deriving propositions, operationalizing concepts, constructing explanations, and testing hypothesis.

SOC 5110 – Survey Research Methods (3)

Guterbock, enrl 5, TR 12:30pm – 1:45pm

Prerequisites: SOC 3120, or graduate standing, six credits of sociology or permission of instructor.

The theory and practice of survey research.  Topics include the survey as a cultural form; sampling theory; the construction, testing, and improvement of survey instruments; interviewer training; the organization of fieldwork; coding and tabulation; and the preparation of survey reports.  Students collectively design and carry out one major survey.

Combined section.

SOC 5120 – Intermediate Statistics (3)

Slez, enrl 12, W 9:30am - 12:00pm

Prerequisites: SOC 3130, or graduate standing, six credits of sociology or permission of instructor.

Studies the social science applications of analysis of variance, correlation, and regression; and consideration of causal models.

Dependent section required.

SOC 7470 - Sociology of Development (3)

Bair, enrl 12, M 3:00pm – 5:30pm

Prerequisites: Graduate status; six credits in Sociology or instructor permission.  

This Graduate level course provides a survey to the subfield of the sociology of development.  We will focus on how sociologists seek to explain broad patterns of sociocultural change and economic growth, with particular attention to how the key explanator factors privileged in sociological explanations of development and underdevelopment have changed over time.  We will review a range of contending theoretical perspectives and approaches.

SOC 8040 - Sociological Issues (1)

Bair, enrl. 25, R 3:30pm - 5:00pm

Contemporary issues affecting sociology as a science, as an academic discipline, and as a profession.  Frequent guest lectures.

SOC 8998 – Non-Topical Research, Preparation for MA Research (1-12)

For Master’s research, taken before a thesis director has been selected.

SOC 8999 – Non-Topical Research (1-12)

For Master’s thesis, taken under the supervision of a thesis director

SOC 9998 – Non-Topical Research, Preparation for Doctoral Research (1-12)

For Doctoral Research, taken before a dissertation director has been selected.

SOC 9999 – Non-Topical Research (After Ph.D. Proposal) (1-12)

For Doctoral Research, taken after a dissertation director has been selected.

SOC 1010 – Introductory Sociology (3)

Mullins, enrl 240, MW 10:00am - 10:50am

The fundamental concepts and principles of sociology with special attention to sociological theory and research methods. Survey of the diverse substantive fields in the discipline with a primary emphasis on the institutions in contemporary American society.

Discussion Required.

SOC 2052 – Sociology of the Family (3)

Wilcox, enrl 180, MW 11:00am - 11:50am

Comparison of family organizations in relation to other social institutions in various societies; an introduction to the theory of kinship and marriage systems.

Discussion Required.

SOC 2056 – The Sociology of Culture (3)

Greenland, enrl 60, MW 3:00pm – 3:50pm

Examines the role of meaning in social life, with a focus on how different theories of culture allow analysis of the relationship of culture to exchange, authority, solidarity, and domination. Analysis of key cultural artefacts (movies, texts, monuments, etc.) is combined with the study of theories of social performance, fields of cultural production, and semiosis. The role of culture in social transformation is also considered.

Discussion Required.

SOC 2220 – Social Problems (3)

TBA, enrl 60, TR 9:30am – 10:20am

An analysis of the causes and consequences of current social problems in the United States: Race and Ethnic relations, poverty, crime and delinquency, the environment, drugs, and problems of educational institutions.

Discussion Required.

SOC 2280 – Medical Sociology (3)

Aviles, enrl 60, TR 12:30 - 1:20pm

This course examines how the medical system is shaped by cultural and societal forces, analyzing unique dimensions of medicine from varying perspectives prominent in the discipline of Sociology. Topics will focus upon the interaction of social categories (e.g., socioeconomic status, race/ethnicity, gender/sexuality) upon the distribution of diseases, experiences of illness, and relationships between patients and medical professionals

Discussion Required.

SOC 2320 – Gender & Society (3)

Skubby, enrl 60, MW 9:00am - 9:50am

This course emphasizes gender in the United States in today’s world. We begin with how gender role socialization, education, language and the media teach us our places as female and male. Then we go on to examine how the genders fare in the major social institutions of our society: the family, the economic sector, the polity, the military, the criminal justice sector, the religious sphere and the health/sports sector. We examine how we got to where we are and how we compare with other women and men in other ages and other places. We conclude by assessing where the genders are heading in the 21st Century.

Discussion Required.

SOC 2470 – American Society and Popular Culture (3)

Foster, enrl 60, MW 12:00pm – 12:50pm

This course is an early level course, which aims to introduce students to a sociological perspective on popular culture, and to examine the working of selected sociological concepts in several examples of popular culture.  A familiarity with introductory level sociology is suggested, but not required.  The course has two parts.  In the first we will become acquainted with sociological perspectives and theories on culture; in the second we will look at several popular novels and movies and discuss how they might be interpreted sociologically.

Discussion Required.

SOC 2559-001 – New Course in Sociology – Topic: Sociology of Ignorance (3)

Mullins, enrl 35, MW 2:00pm – 3:15pm

People often mistake ignorance as the mere lack of knowledge or that which we do not yet know.  They fail to consider that ignorance exists in a variety of different forms, or that ignorance is often produced and maintained through sets of practices—whether intentional or not.  This course investigates both ignorance and the consequences that particular forms of ignorance have upon our society.

SOC 2559-002 – New Course in Sociology – Topic: Sociology Through Science Fiction (3)

Reed, enrl 35, TR 12:30pm – 1:45pm

This class develops several sociological themes via engagement with the history and present dispersion of “science fiction” as genre. Students read science fiction novels and short stories, and watch science fiction movies, to develop a clearer grasp on key themes in the sociology—among them power and politics, race and gender, technology and society, cultural transformation, and transitions to modernity.

SOC 2595-100 - Immigration and Society (3)

Vickerman, enrl 60, MW 1:00pm – 1:50pm

Immigration is a deceptively simple process, involving, at the simplest level, merely the movement of people across international borders.  But why they move, how they move, and how the process is sustained over time are difficult questions to answer. This course examines these key questions and others from a global and historical perspective, with the goal of deepening our understanding of theoretical and policy issues related to immigration.

Discussion Required.

SOC 2680 – Introduction to Demography (3)

Sullivan, enrl 25, MWF 2:00pm – 2:50pm

Demography is the scientific study of human populations. We will emphasize fertility, mortality, and migration, and the social and economic factors that affect them.

SOC 3020 – Introduction to Social Theory (3)

Polillo, enrl 60, TR 2:00pm - 2:50pm

An introduction to the major theoretical issues and traditions in sociology, especially as developed in the writings of Marx, Weber, and Durkheim, Sociology majors are expected to take this course in their third year.

Discussion Required
Required core course for SOC major.

SOC 3120 – Sociology Research Workshop (4)

Skubby, enrl 72, MW 1:00pm - 1:50pm

An introduction to data analysis and data processing, as well as the conceptualization of sociological problems.  Emphasis on individual student projects.

Discussion Required.
Required core course for SOC major.

SOC 3290 – Sociology of Childhood (3)

Skubby, enrl 60, TR 11:00am – 11:50am

The class introduces the “new social studies of childhood” and the idea that the experience of childhood is a social construction, not a string of biological facts.  Topics include: how caring for children varies across time & space, and considering childhood in the context of Western cultural trends - increasing inequality, unequal distribution of overwork, poverty, war, liberty, decreasing privacy, consumerism, sexualization, networked society.

SOC 3400 – Gender and Sexuality (3)

TBA, enrl 35, TR 9:30am – 10:45am

Focuses on the construction of gender and of sexuality, and of the many ways human groups regulate and attach meanings to these categories.  Some general themes addressed will be: contemporary and historical definitions of gender, sex, and sexuality; gender socialization; the varieties of sexual identities and relationships; embodiment, childbearing, and families in the contemporary United States.

SOC 3410 – Race & Ethnic Relations (3)

Buckelew, enrl 60, TR 9:30AM – 10:20AM

Introduces the study of race and ethnic relations, including the social and economic conditions promoting prejudice, racism, discrimination, and segregation. Examines contemporary American conditions, and historical and international materials.

Discussion Required.

SOC 3700 - Health and Society (3)

Skubby, enrl 60 MW 2:00pm - 2:50 pm

This course explores the social dimensions of health and illness, focusing especially on the social experience of illness, the social determinants of disease, and the role and meaning of medicine and public health in modern U.S. society. The class examines how we define health problems and their solutions, and it considers the ways in which race, gender, class, age, and sexuality matter for understanding health- related experiences and discourses.

Discussion Required.

SOC 3730 – Creativity and Innovation: A Sociological Approach (3)

Polillo, enrl 35, TR 11:00am – 12:15pm

Innovation and creativity are universally celebrated aspects of modern life. We celebrate geniuses and innovators because they reject tradition and produce ideas that are intuitively innovative. In this course we challenge these myths and develop the tools to understand innovation and creativity sociologically, and to explain why creativity and innovation tend to be rare, celebrated, and valued.

SOC 3820 – Social Movements (3)

Slez, enrl 35, TR 9:30am - 10:45am

Social moments are an historical and global phenomenon of great complexity and variety.  Because the topic can be so broad, the course is organized around case studies of civil rights, the industrial workers’ movement, environmentalism, religious fundamentalism, and the counter movements to globalization.  These cases will be used to illustrate variety of themes and principles, and you will learn about specific events, personalities, organizations, and dynamics that shaped these movements.  By this method, you will gain specific knowledge about important social movements, as well as an overview and general orientation to the sociology of this dynamic area of social life.

SOC 4054 – Political Sociology (3)

Mullins, enrl 20, TR 9:30am – 10:45am

Prerequisites: Six credits of sociology or permission of instructor

This course studies the relationship between social structure and political institutions.  Competing theories about such topics as power structures, political participation, ideology, party affiliation, voting behavior, and social movements are discussed in the context of recent research on national and local politics in the U.S.

SOC 4058 – Unequal Families (3)

Wilcox, enrl 20, MW 2:00pm – 3:15pm

Prerequisites: Six credits of sociology or permission of instructor

Family inequality is an enduring feature of American family life--both within and between families in the US. This seminar will focus on the ways in which class, race, and gender structure inequality within and between families--and the effects of that inequality on the social, emotional and financial well-being of men, women and children. We will also explore the causes and consequences of growing class-based inequality in marriage.

SOC 4100 – Sociology of the African-American Community (3)

Foster, enrl 20, MW 3:30pm - 4:45pm

Prerequisites: Six credits of sociology or permission of instructor

Study of a comprehensive contemporary understanding of the history, struggle and diversity of the African-American community.   

SOC 4230 – Deviance and Social Control (3)

Buckelew, enrl 20, TR 12:30pm – 1:45pm

Prerequisites: Six credits of sociology or permission of instructor

An examination of a variety of deviant behaviors in American society and the sociological theories that explain societal reactions and attempts at social control.  Focus on enduring conditions such as drug addiction, alcoholism, and mental illness.

SOC 4280 – Sociology of Mental Health and Illness (3)

Skubby, enrl 20, TR 11:00am – 12:15pm

Prerequisites: Six credits of sociology or permission of instructor.

This course explores mental health and illness in social context, focusing especially on the history, definitions, social and cultural determinants, and consequences of conceptualization and treatment of mental illness.  It includes an examination of perceptions of mental illness in popular culture, and the spread of psychiatric ideas in more global context.

SOC 4559-001– New Course in Sociology – Topic: Politics of Data (3)

Sullivan, enrl 20, MW 4:00pm – 5:15pm

Prerequisites: Six credits of sociology or permission of instructor.

This course examines the many uses of data from the Federal Statistical System for governance, environmental and human health, and private sector uses. We will examine how the data are produced and disseminated and how assertions of data manipulation may be evaluated. We will examine how social scientists and data scientists identify and possibly correct data errors. Cases we will examine include census data, labor stats, immigration stats and health data.

SOC 4559-002– New Course in Sociology – Topic: American Dream and Its Limits (3)

Vickerman, enrl 20, MW 3:30pm – 4:45pm

Prerequisites: Six credits of sociology or permission of instructor.

In 1932, referring to the American dream, James Truslow Adams portrayed America as a nation in which life can be “better and richer and fuller for every man, with opportunity for each according to his ability or achievement.” To subsequent generations of Americans and immigrants this meant endless upward mobility and material prosperity but, also, the denial of persistent social inequality. This course examines both sides of the American Dream.

SOC 4559-003– New Course in Sociology – Topic: Race and Racism in Science (3)

Aviles, enrl 20, TR 2:00pm – 3:15pm

Prerequisites: Six credits of sociology or permission of instructor.

This course explores the place of race and racism in science from a sociological perspective, locating the origins of race science in political and social projects from the 18th century to the contemporary period. We will explore the continued relevance of race as a proxy for human differences and analyze why scientists in biology, medicine, public health, and behavioral science find racial categories to be useful constructs despite their flaws.

SOC 4980 – Distinguished Majors Thesis Research (3)

Gorman, enrl 12

Prerequisites: Admission to the Distinguished Majors Program in Sociology.

Independent research, under the supervision of a DM faculty adviser, for the DMP thesis.

SOC 5030 – Classical Sociological Theory (3)

Olick, enrl 12, R 9:30-12:00pm

Prerequisites: Six credits of sociology or permission of instructor; open to advanced undergraduates

Seminar focusing on the writing of Marx, Weber, Durkheim, and other social theories.  Open to students in related disciplines.

SOC 5100 – Research Design and Methods (3)

Greenland, enrl 12, W 9:30am - 12:00pm

Prerequisites: SOC 3120, or graduate standing, six credits of sociology or permission of instructor

Study of the steps necessary to design a research project including searching the literature, formulating a problem, deriving propositions, operationalizing concepts, constructing explanations, and testing hypothesis.

SOC 5140 – Qualitative Methods (3)

Pugh, enrl 12, R 12:30pm - 3:00pm

This course is designed as an introductory overview of qualitative research methods.  The course begins with a review of the logic of social enquiry and the basis for claiming sociological knowledge.  We then consider a variety of analytic and interpretive approaches to sociological research.  The methods covered include interviewing, grounded theory, content analysis, field methods/ethnography, and historical and comparative sociology using documentary/archival materials.  We will be reading theoretical, didactic and exemplary materials.

SOC 5420 – Social Stratification (3)

Slez, enrl 12, W 2:00pm - 4:30pm

Prerequisites: SOC 5030, 7130 or their equivalent, or instructor permission.

Studies the distribution of rewards and punishments and the resulting social inequalities in cross-cultural and historical perspective.  Analyzes negative liabilities such as arrest, imprisonment, unemployment, and stigmatization, and positive assets such as education, occupation, income, and honor.  Draws on the literature of both stratification and deviance/criminology.  Focuses on the distributive aspects of power and the resulting social formations such as classes, and status groups.

SOC 5610 – Memory Studies (3)

Olick, enrl 12, M 10:00am - 12:30pm

This seminar will provide a broad interdisciplinary overview of the field of memory studies. Participants will include graduate students from UVa along with “virtual” participants from around the world. Leading figures in the field will participate as guest instructors. Enrollment is by instructor permission.

SOC 7980 - Graduate Research Workshop (3)

Bair, enrl 12, T 9:30am - 12:00pm

This seminar will provide a broad interdisciplinary overview of the field of memory studies. Participants will include graduate students from UVa along with “virtual” participants from around the world. Leading figures in the field will participate as guest instructors. Enrollment is by instructor permission.

SOC 8030 – Sociological Issues (1)

Bair, enrl. 25, R 3:30pm - 6:00pm

Contemporary issues affecting sociology as a science, as an academic discipline, and as a profession.  Frequent guest lectures.

SOC 8051 – Sociology of Work (3)

Gorman, enrl. 12, M 3:30pm – 6:00pm

The division of labor, occupational classification, labor force trends, career patterns and mobility, occupational cultures and life-styles, and the sociology of the labor market.

SOC 8998 – Non-Topical Research, Preparation for MA Research (1-12)

For Master’s research, taken before a thesis director has been selected.

SOC 8999 – Non-Topical Research (1-12)

For Master’s thesis, taken under the supervision of a thesis director

SOC 9998 – Non-Topical Research, Preparation for Doctoral Research (1-12)

For Doctoral Research, taken before a dissertation director has been selected.

SOC 9999 – Non-Topical Research (After Ph.D. Proposal) (1-12)

For Doctoral Research, taken after a dissertation director has been selected

SOC 1010-100 – Introductory Sociology (3)

Foster, enrl 240, MW 1:00pm – 1:50pm

The fundamental concepts and principles of sociology with special attention to sociological theory and research methods. Survey of the diverse substantive fields in the discipline with a primary emphasis on the institutions in contemporary American society.

Discussion section required.

SOC 1010-002 – Introductory Sociology (3)

Olick, enrl 35, MW 3:30pm – 4:45pm

The fundamental concepts and principles of sociology with special attention to sociological theory and research methods. Survey of the diverse substantive fields in the discipline with a primary emphasis on the institutions in contemporary American society.

SOC 2052 – Sociology of the Family (3)

Wilcox, enrl 180, MW 9:00am – 9:50am

Comparison of family organizations in relation to other social institutions in various societies; an introduction to the theory of kinship and marriage systems.

Discussion section required.

SOC 2220 – Social Problems (3)

Zeno, enrl 60, MW 12:00pm - 12:50pm

An analysis of the causes and consequences of current social problems in the United States: Race and Ethnic relations, poverty, crime and delinquency, the environment, drugs, and problems of educational institutions.

Discussion section required.

SOC 2230 – Criminology (3)

Greenland, enrl 200, TR 2:00pm – 3:15pm

Socio-cultural conditions affecting the definition, recording, and treatment of delinquency and crime.  Examination of Theories of deviant behavior, the role of the police, judicial and corrective systems and the victim in criminal behavior.

SOC 2320 – Gender and Society (3)

Zeno, enrl 60, MW 10:00am - 10:50am

This course emphasizes gender in the United States in today’s world.  We begin with how gender role socialization, education, language and the media teach us our places as female and male.  Then we go on to examine how the genders fare in the major social institutions of our society: the family, the economic sector, the polity, the military, the criminal justice sector, the religious sphere and the health/sports sector.  We examine how we got to where we are and how we compare with other women and men in other ages and other places.  We conclude by assessing where the genders are heading in the 21st Century.

Discussion section required.

SOC 2442 – Systems of Inequality (3)

Hoosier, enrl 60, MW 4:00pm-4:50pm

This course will examine various types of inequality (race, class, gender) in the US and abroad. We will discuss sociological theories covering various dimensions of inequality, considering key research findings and their implications. We will examine to what extent ascriptive characteristics impact a person's life chances, how social structures are produced and reproduced, and how individuals are able or unable to negotiate these structures.

Discussion section required.

SOC 2520 – Topics in Death and Dying – The Medicalization of Death (3)

Aviles, enrl 35, MW 2:00pm – 3:15pm

This course explores transformations in the social meanings surrounding death, with a focus on how death has increasingly become associated with medicine in the United States. We will explore ways the medicalization of death has changed how Americans think about and experience dying as a social event. Additionally, we will focus on how death has been integrated into the distinctive political and economic configurations of medicine in the US.

SOC 2559 – Special Topics in Sociology – Topic: Democracy and Inequality (3)

Bair, enrl 180, TR 5:00pm – 6:15pm

How do democracies respond to economic inequality? This course combines insights from Business, Politics, Sociology, and Economics to examine pressing challenges to equality including global economic integration, technology, and financial markets.

Combined section class.

SOC 2595 – Special Topics in Sociology – Poverty: Politics and Policy (3)

Mound, enrl 35, MW 5:00pm – 6:15pm

This course explores the politics of poverty, primarily (though not exclusively) in the modern United States. It asks how poverty is measured, and how the incidence of poverty has changed over time. It explores political debates about the causes of poverty and what both quantitative and qualitative research can tell us about those debates. Finally, it provides and in-depth examination of the history and future anti-poverty policy.

SOC 2680 – Introduction to Demography (3)

Sullivan, enrl 25, TR 11:00am – 12:15pm

Demography is the scientific study of human populations. We will emphasize fertility, mortality, and migration, and the social and economic factors that affect them.

SOC 2900 – Economy and Society (3)

Sullivan, enrl 25, TR 11:00am – 12:15pm

Markets, firms, and money are part of everyday experience. Economists insist that they should work similarly independently of their social context. The central idea of economic sociology is that economic institutions are 'embedded' in social relations.  We will study what embeddeness means, and what it implies. We look at how institutions constitute markets; how rationality varies; and how money interacts with social relations in unexpected ways.

SOC 3020 – Introduction to Social Theory (3)

Olick, enrl 60, MW 11:00am – 11:50am

An introduction to the major theoretical issues and traditions in sociology, especially as developed in the writings of Marx, Weber, and Durkheim, Sociology majors are expected to take this course in their third year.

Discussion section required.

SOC 3130 – Introduction to Social Statistics (4)

Slez, enrl 72, MW 3:00pm – 3:50pm

Prerequisite: SOC 3120, required core course for SOC major.

Elementary statistical methods for social science applications. Topics include summarizing data with graphs and descriptive measures, generalizing from a sample to a population as in opinion polls, and determining the relationship between two variables. No special mathematical background is required, and students will be taught basic computer techniques. Three hours of lecture, two hours of laboratory work. Majors are expected to take this course in their third year.

Discussion section required.

SOC 3290 – Sociology of Childhood (3)

Pugh, enrl 60, TR 2:00pm – 2:50 pm

The class introduces the “new social studies of childhood” and the idea that the experience of childhood is a social construction, not a string of biological facts.  Topics include: how caring for children varies across time & space, and considering childhood in the context of Western cultural trends - increasing inequality, unequal distribution of overwork, poverty, war, liberty, decreasing privacy, consumerism, sexualization, networked society.

Discussion section required.

SOC 3310 – Sociology of Self (3)

Skubby, enrl 35, MW 4:00pm – 5:15pm

What is the difference between individual and self? Do we carry a fixed, unchangeable self inside, or do we have as many selves as the situations in which we commonly find ourselves? Can we go as far as saying that the self comes from the outside, and if so, when do we internalize it? At birth, once and for all? Or repeatedly and in everyday life? We will explore these questions and more as we venture into an exciting field-sociology of the self.

SOC 3410 – Race & Ethnic Relations (3)

Vickerman, enrl 35, MW 4:00pm – 5:15pm

Introduces the study of race and ethnic relations, including the social and economic conditions promoting prejudice, racism, discrimination, and segregation. Examines contemporary American conditions, and historical and international materials.

SOC 3460 – Future Cities (3)

Makarova, enrl 30, TR 2:00pm – 3:15pm

This course conceives alternative possibilities for our cities. It will include such lines of inquiry as the challenges of equality and justice; sustainability and environmental change; the potential and limits of technology; and the impact of the changing global context. We will examine currently emerging urban forms as well as attempts to imagine new forms of urban life.

SOC 3480 – Sociology of Globalization (3)

Parham, enrl 35, TR 11:00am – 12:15pm

This course will explore the determinants, nature, and effects of the increase in cross-border flows of goods, services, capital and people that  we have come  to associate with the term “globalization.”   We will investigate how globalization affects domestic & world inequality, the role of institutions, and  world & local cultures. The course will include readings from economics, history, world-system theory, and cultural analysis.

SOC 3559-001 – Ethnography (3)

Mullins, enrl 35, TR 12:30pm – 1:45pm

Ethnographic research is foundational to sociology. The term “ethnography” refers to methods through which scholars directly observe people as they engage in social action. Students in this course will both learn the principles of ethnography and conduct their own ethnographic research project.

SOC 3559-002 – Sociology of Latinos (3)

Buckelew, enrl 35, TR 9:30am – 10:45am

This course will explore the diversity of Latino experiences and identities in the US. Students will study topics related to Latino racial identity, class status, immigration, politics, and culture. The course will engage theories of race, racism, intersectionality, as well as postcolonial theories. 

SOC 3640 – Human Society in History (3)

Kumar, enrl 35, TR 9:30am – 10:45am

Human societies exist in time. This course will examine the historical development of a variety of societies from earliest times to the present. Its focus will be on the relation of the West to the rest of the world. The course is particularly intended for social scientists, to make them aware of the historical dimension to human society; but it is open to all.  Meets Historical Studies requirement.

SOC 3700 – Health & Society (3)

Skubby, enrl 60, TR 9:00am – 9:50am

This course explores the social dimensions of health and illness, focusing especially on the social experience of illness, the social determinants of disease, and the role and meaning of medicine and public health in modern U.S. society. The class examines how we define health problems and their solutions, and it considers the ways in which race, gender, class, age, and sexuality matter for understanding health- related experiences and discourses.

Discussion section required.

SOC 4055 – Sociology of Law (3)

Gorman, enrl 20, MW 2:00pm – 3:15pm

Prerequisites: Six credits of sociology or permission of instructor.

After introducing the social-science perspective on law and an overview of the American legal system, we will examine topics such as: defining the concept of “law”; consensus- and conflict-based theories of the social origin of laws and legal institutions; how people think about law and why they obey it; the use of law versus other options to resolve private disputes; and whether law is an effective tool for social change.

SOC 4057 – Family Policy (3)

Wang, enrl 20, TR 12:30pm - 1:45pm

Prerequisites: Six credits of sociology or permission of instructor.

The relationship between family and society as expressed in policy and law.  Focus on the effects of formal policy on the structure of families and the interactions within families.  The American family system will be examined as it has responded to laws and policies of government and private industry and to change in society.

SOC 4070 – Sociology of Art (3)

Greenland, enrl 20, TR 11:00am – 12:15pm

Prerequisites: Six credits of sociology or permission of instructor.

This class is designed as a seminar on the sociology of art. Students are expected to be familiar with general sociological concepts and theory. In this class we will cover material from a wide range of perspectives in an attempt to understand the social context of are. The course is structured as a seminar, which makes class attendance and preparation essential.

SOC 4260 – Race, Crime and Punishment (3)

Buckelew, enrl 20, TR 12:30pm – 1:45pm

Prerequisites: Six credits of sociology or permission of instructor.

This course is an exercise in critical thinking and writing. We will investigate connections between race and crime in contemporary America.  To do so, we will explore constructions of crime and race and patterns of victimization, criminality and punishment.  We will uncover shifting definitions of crime and the ways that institutions, policies and practices shape patterns of punishment.

SOC 4370 – Hate Groups (3)

Vickerman, enrl 20, MW 2:00pm – 3:15pm

Prerequisites: Six credits of sociology or permission of instructor.

Hate groups are defined by their extreme antipathy towards minority groups of all types, especially racial groups.  Typically, they are particularly active when dominant groups feel threatened because minority groups gain power.  Hate groups exist to reassert this dominance through fear and terror.  This course analyzes the origins, manifestations, and behavior of hate groups from a theoretical, historical, and sociological point of view.

SOC 4520 – Topics in Religion and Society – Religion in a Global Age (3)

Makarova, enrl 20, TR 11:00am – 12:15pm

Prerequisites: Six credits of sociology or permission of instructor.

The course addresses the key debates on the fate of religion in the modern world. It explores new forms of interaction between the secular and the religious in a global context. It will do so through examining specific case studies in different parts of the world, including the reshaping of public culture, nationalism and religious tradition, the relation between gender and religion, and the nature of fundamentalisms.

SOC 4530-001 – Topics in Sociology of Health: Universal Health Care (3)

Aviles, enrl 20, MW 3:30pm – 4:45pm

Prerequisites: Six credits of sociology or permission of instructor.

Why does the US lack a universal health care system? What would it take to implement universal health care in the US? What would an American system of universal health care look like? In this course, we analyze the historical evolution of the patchwork of institutions and organizations that make up US health care systems. We apply sociological research and theory to understand how national health care has been framed as a social problem.

SOC 4530-002 – Topics in Sociology of Health: Race, Medicine and Health (3)

Skubby, enrl 20, TR 12:30pm – 1:45pm

Prerequisites: Six credits of sociology or permission of instructor.

This course takes the perspective that American society is characterized in part by a racial caste system, and that this system has causes and consequences for African Americans in terms of their health, their health care, and for African Americans working within the health care system. We take an in-depth look at the racial disparities in health care and will also focus our attention on African American women and reproduction.

SOC 4540-001 – Topics in Politics and Society: Abolition Movements in the US (3)

Mullins, enrl 20, TR 11:00am – 12:15pm

Prerequisites: Six credits of sociology or permission of instructor.

Abolition movements have gained significant attention in the United States recently. Yet public discussions about movements to abolish the police or prisons often neglect to consider the significance abolition movements have had throughout US history. Student in this course will study abolition movements past and present to better understand the linkages between them and how abolition movements have contributed to democracy in the United States.

SOC 4550-001 – Topics in Ethics and Society - Money and Morality (3)

Polillo, enrl 20, TR 2:00pm – 3:15pm

Prerequisites: Six credits of sociology or permission of instructor.

We have an uneasy relationship with money, markets and morality: while we are told that money can buy anything, we think differently about paying for a human organ vs. buying life insurance, or tipping at a restaurant as opposed to, say, at a hospital. In this class, we explore this uneasy relationship through the lens of the sociology of money.

SOC 4550-002 – Topics in Ethics and Society – Sociology of Reproduction (3)

Zeno, enrl 20, TR 12:30pm – 1:45pm

Prerequisites: Six credits of sociology or permission of instructor.

This course explores contemporary reproductive issues through a sociological perspective. The class explores topics from birth control and the medicalization of childbearing to infertility and new reproductive and genetic technologies to shed light on the social, political, and constructed nature of human reproduction. Students evaluate how the state, medical institutions and practitioners, and culture interact to shape reproductive practices.

SOC 4559-001 – New Course in Sociology – Topic: Sociology of Empire (3)

Kumar, enrl 20, TR 12:30p – 1:45pm

Prerequisites: Six credits of sociology or permission of instructor.

Empires – large, multinational, territorially-dispersed political entities - have been pervasive in human history. This course will examine a number of them, ancient and modern, Eastern and Western, land and overseas empires. It will seek to find out what principles and practices might be common to all of them, and what, on the contrary, might distinguish them from each other.

SOC 4780 – The Politics of Data (3)

Sullivan, enrl 20, TR 12:30pm – 1:45pm

Prerequisites: Six credits of sociology or permission of instructor.

This course examines the many uses of data from the Federal Statistical System for governance, environmental and human health, and private sector uses.  We will examine how the data are produced and disseminated and how assertions of data manipulation may be evaluated.  We will examine characteristic data errors and how social scientists and data scientists identify and possibly correct data errors.

SOC 4850 – Media, Culture and Society (3)

Mullins, enrl 20, TR 9:30am – 10:45am

Prerequisites: Six credits of sociology or permission of instructor.

This seminar aims to foster a critical media literacy, whereby students learn to read and criticize the texts of their cultural environment.  It will analyze some alternative approaches to the study of culture, and it will display the merits of a multi-perspective method.  Particular emphasis will be placed upon the issues of success, power, gender, class, race, and ethnicity.  The seminar will use both print and film texts.

SOC 4970 – Special Studies in Sociology (1-3)

Prerequisites: Fourth year students with a minimum GPA of 3.2 in sociology (or overall GPA of 3.2 for non- majors) and permission of instructor.

An independent study project conducted by the student under the supervision of an instructor of his or her choice. Students must complete independent study application form available on Sociology Department website.

SOC 4981 – Distinguished Majors Thesis Writing (3)

Gorman, enrl 12

Prerequisites: Admission to the Distinguished Majors Program in Sociology & SOC 4980.

Writing of the DMP thesis under the supervision of a DM faculty adviser.

SOC 5020 – Introduction to Statistics (3)

Slez, enrl 12, W 9:30am-12:00pm

Prerequisites: Six credits of sociology or permission of instructor; open to advanced undergraduates.  Lab required.

SOC 5020 will serve as an introduction to multivariate regression, with an emphasis on applications in the field of sociology. Along the way we will review basic concepts related to probability and inference. More specifically, this course will cover ANOVA, t tests, OLS regression, and logistic regression. In sum, the course is designed to teach graduate students in sociology how to use basic statistics to address concrete sociological problems.

SOC 5080 – Comparative Historical Sociology (3)

Reed, enrl 12, M 3:30pm – 5:00 pm

This course will focus not so much on methodological as on substantive issues of macro sociological inquiry.  Although issues of method – or the relations between history and sociology, and of the uses of history in sociological analysis – will inevitably arise, they will be considered within the context of the discussion of particular topics where history and sociology most naturally meet.  The topics are selected for their intrinsic interest as much as for their usefulness in revealing the interplay of history and sociology.  Among the topics covered will be: the state, power, revolution, nationalism and class formation.

SOC 8031 – Sociology ProSeminar (3)

Bair, enrl. 12, T 9:30am – 12:00pm  

The ProSeminar provides an introduction for first year graduate students to the discipline and profession of Sociology, as well as to the Sociology Department.

SOC 8040 – Sociological Issues (1)

Bair, enrl. 25, R 3:30pm - 5:00pm

Contemporary issues affecting sociology as a science, as an academic discipline, and as a profession.  Frequent guest lectures.

SOC 8410 – Race and Ethnicity (3)

Parham, enrl. 12, T 2:00pm – 4:30pm

This course provides a graduate level introduction to the field of Race and Ethnicity.  As such, it attempts to cover a broad spectrum of topics, focusing on the theoretical and consequential aspects of conceptions of race and ethnicity.  Of necessity, the course also has a historical focus, since modern-day debates over race are strongly conditioned by the past.  Moreover, to really understand issues of race and ethnicity, we must take a cross-cultural perspective, since these debates have often been skewed by a focus on the wrenching problems produced by racial/ethnic conflict in the United States.  By adopting these perspectives, the course seeks to provide insight into the complexities that surround issues of race and ethnicity.

SOC 8998 – Non-Topical Research, Preparation for MA Research (1-12)

For Master’s research, taken before a thesis director has been selected.

SOC 8999 – Non-Topical Research (1-12)

For Master’s thesis, taken under the supervision of a thesis director

SOC 9998 – Non-Topical Research, Preparation for Doctoral Research (1-12)

For Doctoral Research, taken before a dissertation director has been selected.

SOC 9999 – Non-Topical Research (After Ph.D. Proposal) (1-12)

For Doctoral Research, taken after a dissertation director has been selected.

SOC 5030 – Classical Sociological Theory (3)

Parham, enrl 12, R 9:30-12:00pm

Prerequisites: Six credits of sociology or permission of instructor; open to advanced undergraduates

Seminar focusing on the writing of Marx, Weber, Durkheim, and other social theories.  Open to students in related disciplines.

SOC 5100 – Research Design and Methods (3)

Aviles, enrl 12, W 9:30am - 12:00pm

Prerequisites: SOC 3120, or graduate standing, six credits of sociology or permission of instructor

Study of the steps necessary to design a research project including searching the literature, formulating a problem, deriving propositions, operationalizing concepts, constructing explanations, and testing hypothesis.

SOC 5120 – Intermediate Statistics (3)

Slez, enrl 12, T 2:00pm - 4:30pm

Prerequisites: SOC 3130, or graduate standing; six credits of Sociology or permission of instructor.

Studies the social science applications of analysis of variance, correlation, and regression; and consideration of causal models.

SOC 5320 – Sociology of Gender (3)

Pugh, enrl 12, W 5:30pm – 8:00pm

Prerequisites: Graduate status; six credits in sociology or permission from the instructor.

This course will explore the social construction and consequences of gender, covering such topics as work, care, sexuality, identity, politics and inequality.  Readings will include the classics as well as newer works in the field. 

SOC 5900 – Economic Sociology (3)

Polillo, enrl 12, M 4:30pm – 7:00pm

Prerequisites: Graduate status; six credits in Sociology or instructor permission.  

This course surveys the classic and contemporary research literature in economic sociology.  The course explores this literature's central claims that economic action is embedded in social relationships and shaped by social institutions and considers the economy in comparative and historical perspective.

SOC 7980 – Graduate Research Workshop (3)

Bair, enrl 12, T 10:00am – 12:30pm

This class is designed to help graduate students write professional, sociological articles.  Students will come in with (at a minimum) a solid literature review plus data collected and analyzed, and leave with a submission-ready manuscript.  We will discuss each article section, present and critique work, consider audience, sharpen arguments and improve writing.  Required of 3rd year students; open to others later in the program.

SOC 8030 – Sociological Issues (1)

Bair, enrl. 30, R 3:30pm - 6:00pm

Contemporary issues affecting sociology as a science, as an academic discipline, and as a profession.  Frequent guest lectures.

SOC 8998 – Non-Topical Research, Preparation for MA Research (1-12)

For Master’s research, taken before a thesis director has been selected.

SOC 8999 – Non-Topical Research (1-12)

For Master’s thesis, taken under the supervision of a thesis director

SOC 9998 – Non-Topical Research, Preparation for Doctoral Research (1-12)

For Doctoral Research, taken before a dissertation director has been selected.

SOC 9999 – Non-Topical Research (After Ph.D. Proposal) (1-12)

For Doctoral Research, taken after a dissertation director has been selected.