Spring 2022 Undergraduate Courses
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.
Spring 2022 Graduate Courses
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.
Fall 2022 Graduate Courses
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.
Fall 2022 Undergraduate Courses
SOC 1010 – Introductory Sociology (3)
Foster, enrl 300, MW 12:00pm - 12:50am
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 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 Required.
SOC 2220 – Social Problems (3)
TBA, enrl 35, MW 3:30pm – 4:45pm
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.
SOC 2230 - Criminology (3)
Buckelew, enrl 240, TR 11:00am – 11:50am
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 1:00pm - 1:50pm
This course examines how the medical system is shaped by cultural and societal forces, analyzing unique dimensons 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)
TBA, enrl 35, TR 5:00pm – 6:15pm
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.
SOC 2442 – Systems of Inequality (3)
TBA, enrl 35, MW 4:00pm – 5:15pm
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: Sociology of Ignorance (3)
Mullins, enrl 35, TR 11:00am – 12:15pm
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 2595 - Immigration and Society (3)
Vickerman, enrl 60, MW 3:00pm – 3:50pm
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 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 3:00pm – 3:50pm
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 10:00am - 10:50am
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 3410 – Race & Ethnic Relations (3)
Buckelew, enrl 60, TR 2:00pm – 2:50pm
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 3440 – Chinese Society (3)
Wang, enrl 35, TR 9:30am – 10:4am
This seminar provides a survey of Chinese society and social changes in the reform-era (1979 to the present). It uses sociological analysis to comprehensively examine various aspects of contemporary Chinese society including: economic development, social inequality, governance, political reform, nationalism, religion, ethnicity, and popular culture. Meets Non-Western Studies Requirement.
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 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 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 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 3820 – Social Movements (3)
Slez, enrl 35, TR 11:00am – 12:15pm
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 12:30pm – 1:45pm
Prerequisites: Six credits of sociology or permission of instructor
Political sociology focuses on the social foundations and patterns of political behavior and the socio-historical mechanisms for political stability and political change. Its focus is not restricted to the formal rules that characterize a given political system, such as laws, regulations, or electoral systems: political sociology rather emphasizes how power, in its multifaceted and complex nature, is socially configured and reproduce global power.
SOC 4057 – Family Policy (3)
Wilcox, enrl 20, MW 2:00pm – 3:15pm
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 4140 - Sociology of Consumption (3)
Makarova, enrl 20, TR 2:00pm – 3:15pm
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 4280 - Sociology of Mental Health and Illness
Skubby, enrl 20, TR 12:30pm – 1:45pm
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: Race, Racism and Democracy
Mullins, enrl 20, TR 9:30am – 10:45am
Prerequisites: Six credits of sociology or permission of instructor.
William Edward Burghardt Du Bois (Feb 23, 1868–Aug 27, 1963) was a uniquely American scholar and activist whose work has renewed significance today. His analysis of the US 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.
SOC 4559-002 - New Course in Sociology - Topic: American Dream and Its Limits (3)
Vickerman, enrl 20, MW 4:00pm – 5:15pm
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: Culture Wars In America (3)
Hunter, enrl 20, MW 4:00pm – 5:15pm
This class proposes to examine the theoretical, historical, and present-day relationship between culture and politics. This relationship is deeply fraught, in part because it touches on the more fundamental relationship between culture and both power and authority. Though we will touch on this relationship historically and cross-nationally, our particular focus will be on cultural and political conflict in the America.
Prerequisites: Six credits of sociology or permission of instructor.
SOC 4720 – Nations and Nationalism (3)
Kumar, enrl 20, TR 9:30am – 10:45pm
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 4780 – The Politics of Data (3)
Sullivan, enrl 20, MW 3:30pm – 4:45pm
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 4980 – Distinguished Majors Thesis Research (3)
Gorman, enrl 12, T 5:00pm – 7:30pm
Prerequisites: Admission to the Distinguished Majors Program in Sociology.
Independent research, under the supervision of a DM faculty adviser, for the DMP thesis.
Spring 2023 Undergraduate Courses
SOC 1010 – Introductory Sociology (3)
Mullins, enrl 240, TR 8:30am – 9:20am
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.
Discussion section required.
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 2055 – Law and Society (3)
Gorman, enrl 30, MW 2:00pm – 3:15pm
Introduces the sociology of law and covers major topic areas within it. Examines what we mean by "law," how aspects of society influence law, and how aspects of law in turn influence society. Emphasis is placed on law in the United States, but some comparisons will be made to other societies.
SOC 2220 – Social Problems (3)
Zeno, enrl 60, TR 2:00pm – 2:50pm
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 2320 – Gender and Society (3)
Zeno, enrl 35, TR 12:30pm – 1:45pm
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.
SOC 2470 – American Society and Popular Culture (3)
Platts, enrl 60, MW 3:00pm - 3:50pm
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 section required
SOC 2680 – Introduction to Demography (3)
Sullivan, enrl 25, MW 2:00pm – 2:50pm; F Web-Based
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 2820 – Sociology of Ignorance (3)
Mullins, enrl 25, TR 12:30pm - 1:45pm
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 3020 – Introduction to Social Theory (3)
Parham, 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)
Wilcox, enrl 72, MW 12:00pm – 12:50pm
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 3320 – Sociology of the Body (3)
Skubby, enrl 35, MW 3:30pm – 4:45pm
This course will provide an understanding of how sociologists interpret the body in modernity. Topics will include the body in consumer culture, the gendered body, body modification, identity and the body, technology and the body, the regulation of bodies, and vulnerable bodies. Students will be able to understand the central issues and concepts used by sociologists who study embodiment and the relationship between the body and society.
SOC 3390 – Sex, Power, Film (3)
Press, enrl 35, TR 2:00pm – 3:15pm
In this class we will examine the ways in which popular film in the U.S. has historically helped to define dominant cultural ideas about gender identities and differences. We will also look at the ways in which feminists and gender and sexuality activists have criticized popular film and created new media products in response to these definitions.
SOC 3410 – Race & Ethnic Relations (3)
Vickerman, enrl 35, MW 2:00pm – 3:15pm
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 3440 – Chinese Society (3)
Wang, enrl 35, TR 9:30am – 10:45am
This seminar provides a survey of Chinese society and social changes in the reform-era (1979 to the present). It uses sociological analysis to comprehensively examine various aspects of contemporary Chinese society including: economic development, social inequality, governance, political reform, nationalism, religion, ethnicity, and popular culture. Meets Non-Western Studies Requirement.
SOC 3460 – Future Cities (3)
Makarova, enrl 35, TR 12:30pm – 1:45pm
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 3470 – Sociology of Development (3)
Jeon, enrl 35, TR 2:00pm – 3:15pm
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 macrolevel trends affect our lives at the microlevel.
SOC 3480 – Sociology of Globalization (3)
Parham, enrl 35, TR 2:00pm – 3:15pm
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 3640 – Human Society in History (3)
Kumar, enrl 35, TR 11:00am – 12:15 pm
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 3650 - Latinxs in US Society (3)
Buckelew, enrl 35, TR 9:30am – 10:45am
This course introduces the Soc of Latinxs in the US. Topics explore how Latinxs experience systems & institutions in the US, like education, immigration, work, & the criminal punishment system. Theories of structural racism, racialization, racial formation, as well as histories of colonization & intersectional frameworks ground course learning. Attention is paid to the histories & experiences of Afro-Latinx and Indigenous communities.
SOC 3700 – Health & Society (3)
Skubby, enrl 60, MW 1:00pm – 1:50pm
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.
Discussion section required.
SOC 4260 - Race, Crime and Punishment (3)
Buckelew, enrl 20, TR 11:00am – 12:15pm
SOC 4260 does not meet the second writing requirement.
Prerequisites for SOC 4260: Student must have already taken SOC 3410 - Race and Ethnic Relations AND SOC 2230 - Criminology.
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 4400 - Sociology of Empires (3)
Kumar, enrl 20, TR 2:00pm – 3:15pm
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. Six credits of Sociology or instructor permission.
SOC 4530 - Topics in Sociology of Health: Social Determinants of Health (3)
Skubby, enrl 20, TR 12:30pm – 1:45pm
Students will study and discuss the social & environmental factors that are strongly correlated with the physical and mental health of populations & groups within populations. The social factors under study will include the effects of neighborhood, education, occupation, access to health care, social support, social capital, & levels of social cohesion. Students will explore health disparities by social class, race, ethnicity, gender, sexual identity
SOC 4540 – Topics in Politics and Society: Banned Books and Controversial Knowledge (3)
Mullins, enrl 20, TR 11:00am – 12:15pm
Books are being banned at an alarming rate. In this course, we will investigate the controversies surrounding contemporary book bans with an emphasis on the people and organizations involved. In so doing, we will learn more about the process through which issues or knowledge is politicized and how social movements operate. We will engage in deep discussion of what it means for some knowledge to be seen as too controversial or “divisive” to know.
SOC 4550 – Topics in Ethics and Society – Sociology of Reproduction (3)
Zeno, enrl 20, TR 9:30am – 10:45am
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 4560 – Topics in Sociology of Science and Knowledge: Race and Racism in Science (3)
Aviles, enrl 20, MW 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 4780 – The 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 characteristic data errors and how social scientists and data scientists identify and possibly correct data errors.
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)
Prerequisites: Admission to the Distinguished Majors Program in Sociology & SOC 4980.
Writing of the DMP thesis under the supervision of a DM faculty adviser.
Spring 2023 Graduate Courses
SOC 5020 - Introduction to Statistics (3)
Slez, enrl 12, T 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 5060 - Contemporary Sociological Theory (3)
Aviles, enrl 12, W 3:30pm – 6:00pm
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 5140 – Qualitative Methods (3)
Pugh, enrl. 12, R 10:00am – 12:30pm
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 8031 – Sociology ProSeminar (3)
Polillo, enrl. 12, W 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)
Polillo, enrl. 35 R 3:30pm - 5:00pm
Contemporary issues affecting sociology as a science, as an academic discipline, and as a profession. Frequent guest lectures.
SOC 8054 – Political Sociology (3)
Wang, enrl. 12, T 1:00pm – 3:30pm
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 8870 – Immigration (3)
Vickerman, enrl. 12, M 3:30pm – 6:00pm
This course examines migration from global and historical perspective, with a special focus on American immigration policy from 1900 to the present.
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.
Fall 2024 Graduate Courses
SOC 5030 – Classical Sociological Theory (3)
Hunter, enrl 12, M 10:00-12:30pm
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 5059 - Sociology of Science (3)
Aviles, enrl 12, T 1:00pm – 3:30pm
This course offers an introduction to the Sociology of Science through a survey of significant works that touch
on major theoretical schools and subjects central to sociological studies of science and technology. The purpose
of the course is to enable students to become conversant in the literature central to the disciplinary subfield of
Sociology of Science and interdisciplinary Science and Technology Studies. Those interested in petitioning for
Sociology of Science as an area for comprehensive exams should also read the listed recommended text and
are encouraged to consult me for an extended bibliography of works in addition to those provided. Evaluation
of course performance is based on one final paper, due at the end of the term, and participation in seminar
discussions.
SOC 5100 – Research Design and Methods (3)
Slez, 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 (4)
Gorman, enrl 12, W 4:00pm - 6:30pm
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.
Lab required.
SOC 8051– Sociology of Work (3)
Wang, enrl 12, T 11:30am – 2:00pm
Prerequisites: Graduate status; six credits in sociology or permission from the instructor.
This course spans a diversity of themes, questions, concepts, and approaches that are rooted in and centered around work and labor in the context of global capitalism. The main purpose of the course is to provide you with a nuanced understanding of social inequalities and operations of power by examining work and labor from a global vantage point. We will be examining the tourism industry in South Africa, the fortune-telling industry in Türkiye, sex work industry in Japan, and the work of care in orangutan rehabilitation in Malaysia among others. Additionally, we will explore studies of work and labor that incorporate novel theoretical approaches such as new materialism, affect theory, postcolonialism, and queer of color theory. More precisely, we will focus on concepts like affect, entanglements, and disidentification in understanding the interlocking dynamics of political economy, work, power, and hierarchy across race, gender, and class, as well as between humans and non-humans.
SOC 8030 – Sociological Issues (1)
Polillo, enrl. 30, R 12:30pm - 1:45pm
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.
Spring 2024 Undergraduate Courses
SOC 1010-100 – Introductory Sociology (3)
Required core course for SOC major/minor.
Mullins, enrl 180, 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.
SOC 1010-002 – Introductory Sociology (3)
Required core course for SOC major/minor.
Unlu, enrl 35, TR 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 2230 - Criminology (3)
Buckelew, enrl 120, TR 2:00pm - 2:50pm
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.
SOC 2320 – Gender & Society (3)
Zeno, enrl 60, TR 4:00pm - 4:50pm
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.
SOC 2442 – Systems of Inequality (3)
Siliunas, enrl 60, MW 12:00pm - 12:50pm
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.
SOC 2470 – American Society & Popular Culture (3)
Platts, enrl 60, MW 5:00pm - 5:50pm
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.
2680 – Introduction to Demography
Sullivan, enrl 35, MW 2:00pm - 2:50pm
2820 – Sociology of Ignorance
Mullins, enrl 35, TR 11:00am - 12:15pm
SOC 2870 – Immigration and Society
Vickerman, enrl 60, MW 6:00pm - 7:15pm
SOC 3020 – Introduction to Social Theory (3)
Kumar, enrl 60, TR 5:00pm - 5:50pm
Required core course for SOC major.
An introduction to the major theoretical issues and traditions in sociology, especially as developed in the writings of Marx, and Durkheim. Sociology majors generally take this course in their third year.
SOC 3100 – Feminist Theory (3)
Zeno, enrl 35, TR 12:30m - 1:45pm
Feminist Theory offers a focused exploration of ways that late 20th Century and early 21st Century feminist theorists challenge, alter and deploy central concerns and paradigms of Western cultural assumption. Although Feminist Theory as a category incorporates interdisciplinary and global perspectives, the slant of this course is a focus on Western culture and Feminist Social Theory.
SOC 3130 - Introduction to Social Statistics (4)
Wilcox, enrl 72, MW 9:00am - 9:50am
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.
SOC 3310 – Sociology of Self (3)
Skubby, enrl 35, TR 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 35, TR 9:30am - 10:45am
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 3490 – Cities & Cultures (3)
Makarova, enrl 35, TR11:00am - 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 3700 – Health & Society (3)
Skubby, enrl 35, MW 2:00pm - 3:15pm
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 4054 – Political Sociology (3)
Wang, enrl 20, TR 2:00pm - 3:15pm
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 23 behavior, and social movements are discussed in the context of recent research on national and local
politics in the U.S.
SOC 4055 – Law, Inequality and Social Change (3)
Gorman, enrl 20, MW 2:00pm - 3:15pm
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 4100 – Black Community Life (3)
Foster, enrl 20, MW 2:00pm - 3:15pm
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 4140 – Sociology of Consumption (3)
Makarova, enrl 20, TR 3:30pm - 4:45pm
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.
4510 – Topics in Sociology of Work
Sarioglu, enrl 25, TR 2:00pm - 3:15pm
4530 – Topics in Sociology of Health
Skubby, enrl 20, TR 11:00am - 12:15pm
SOC 4550 – Topics in Ethics & Society (3)
Zeno, enrl 20, TR 9:30am - 10:45am
SOC 4559 – New Course in Sociology – Topic: Memory and Justice (3)
Olick, enrl 20, MW 3:30pm - 4:45pm
Study historical, legal, political, and ethical consequences of difficult and traumatic pasts and responses to them in case studies of transitional justice, truth and reconciliation, memory wars, commemoration/decommemoration and museum controversies, from Ancient Athens, to Reconstruction, the aftermath of WWII and the Vietnam war, focusing on debates about monuments and decommemoration in the U.S. and elsewhere as to the legacies of colonialism
SOC 4780 – The Politics of Data
Sullivan, enrl 20, MW 4:00pm - 5:15pm
SOC 4850 – Media Culture & Society (3)
Mullins, enrl 20, TR 8:00am - 9:15am
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.
Summer 2024 Undergraduate Courses
SOC 1010 – Introductory Sociology
Required core course for SOC major/minor.
Platt, enrl 25, June 17 – July 12, MTWRF 10:30am - 12:45pm
SOC 2559 – Drugs and Society
Buckelew, July 15 – August 8, MTWRF 10:30am – 12:45am
SOC 3020 – Introduction to Social Theory
Thomson, enrl 30, May 20 – June 14, MTWRF1:00pm – 3:15pm
SOC 3120 – Sociology Research Workshop
Skubby, enrl 25, May 20 – June 14, MTWRF 10:30am - 12:45pm
An introduction to data analysis and data processing, as well as the conceptualization of
sociological problems. Emphasis on individual student projects
SOC 3130 - Introduction to Social Statistics (3) Session III
Newitt, enrl 25, July 15 – August 8, MTWRF 10:30 am – 12:45 pm
Through his collaboration with photographer Rich Frishman, Brain Foster presents seven essays of stirring prose and intimate storytelling about economic development, Black community life, and the blues in his home state of Mississippi.
Natalie Aviles discusses the potential harms of eliminating scientist-bureaucrats at the National Cancer Institute.
