SOC 101 | INTRODUCTION TO SOCIOLOGY | 4 quarter hours
(Undergraduate)
Introduction to the language, theories, methods, and research findings of the sociologist at work.
SOC 105 | SOCIAL PROBLEMS | 4 quarter hours
(Undergraduate)
Examination of important societal problems and issues with attention to their causes, their impact, and the possibility of resolution. The course considers the role of social movements, government and the private sector.
SOC 115 | ORIENTATION TO CAREERS IN SOCIOLOGY | 2 quarter hours
(Undergraduate)
This course explores an introduction to the field of sociology as both an academic discipline and a community of practice dedicated to the common good and larger goal of social inclusion. Students will explore career opportunities in various subfields of sociology with an emphasis on connections between individual achievement, personal meaning and social purpose. Starting the process of developing a vocation, students will reflect on how their personal interests, values, preferences and skills relate to specific careers in sociology.
SOC 200 | SOCIAL WORK AND SOCIAL WELFARE | 4 quarter hours
(Undergraduate)
The nature of social work with a focus on the delivery of a variety of human services like health care and welfare; emphasis on professional-client relationships; examination of government agencies and voluntary associations.
SOC 201 | INTRODUCTION TO SOCIAL WORK PRACTICE | 4 quarter hours
(Undergraduate)
Social work is a discipline that touches on virtually every dynamic worldwide that affects people and their surroundings." (Martin, 2016) This course will introduce you to the field of social work, through a lens of social work practice. The class will introduce you to the social work role and develop your understanding of some of the knowledge and theories associated with social work practice. We will discuss key ideas, values, the social work process, and skills needed for social work practice. Social work is deeply intertwined with sociological concepts. This class helps students to understand some of those concepts through a practice focus, for example, issues of power, privilege, and oppression. Social workers interact with individuals, families, and communities within a wide range of contexts. We wear many hats, must be aware of a vast amount of knowledge, and possess the skills to work in a multitude of settings.
SOC 202 | PHILOSOPHY AND SOCIAL THOUGHT | 4 quarter hours
(Undergraduate)
The course examines the philosophical roots of social thought and social theory; it compares and contrasts philosophy and social thought as ways of knowing and as ways of reflecting on culture and societies.
SOC 207 | YOUTH AND SOCIETY | 4 quarter hours
(Undergraduate)
Using an historical and cross-cultural perspective, this course examines the social position of youth in today's society; youth subcultures; key institutions within which youth are socialized and controlled.
SOC 209 | SOCIOLOGY OF GENDER | 4 quarter hours
(Undergraduate)
This course critically examines the socially constructed meanings of gender. Analysis of the interconnections between gender and social institutions/structures, including the family, education, work, media, religion, violence, the economy is examined. In addition, the role of feminism and the me-too movement is investigated as major influences in changing understandings and meanings of gender.
SOC 212 | COMMUNITY AND SOCIETY | 4 quarter hours
(Undergraduate)
An analysis of neighborhoods, cities, suburbs and utopian communities; the examination of major trends in urbanization and the evaluation of urban and community policies.
SOC 214 | POLICING THE MARGINS | 4 quarter hours
(Undergraduate)
This course explores the extent to which policing produces public safety, creates or magnifies harms, and/or functions to maintain a permanent underclass in the contemporary U.S. The course will pay particular attention to the ways that policing is raced, gendered, classed, and ability-based. Finally, the course examines community resistance and alternatives to policing throughout.
SOC 215 | WORKPLACE ENVIRONMENTS AND CAREER DEVELOPMENT IN SOCIOLOGY | 2 quarter hours
(Undergraduate)
This course concentrates on the knowledge and steps needed to create a career in a chosen area within sociology, combining sociological knowledge in areas of labor markets, networks and organizations with personal reflection on how we create careers that are both personally satisfying and can contribute to the social good. This course will include training in the following practical skills: industry and job/internship research, resume and cover letter writing and LinkedIn profile design, among others.
SOC 115 is a prerequisite for this class.
SOC 217 | WORK IN A GLOBALIZED WORLD | 4 quarter hours
(Undergraduate)
The purpose of this course is to make a direct connection between the needs and strategies of individuals, companies, industries, and nations regarding work, and how they interact to create specific work environments and work outcomes for individuals in a globalized world. The course emphasizes how globalization, by creating an international labor market and an environment of competition between nations to attract jobs, has deeply transformed the work experience of individuals and the quantity and quality of jobs available in the United States, Latin America, Asia, and the rest of the world.
SOC 219 | THE SCHOOL-TO-PRISON PIPELINE | 4 quarter hours
(Undergraduate)
This course examines the punitive approaches of the modern criminal justice system whose power has overwhelmingly shaped our institutions, policies, and practices, colloquially called the "School-to-Prison Pipeline." Using the city of Chicago as a touchstone for inquiry and analysis, this course analyzes how historical inequities such as, segregated cities, separated school districts, the intensification of poverty zones, and racial inequities of law enforcement, all converge into creating the conduit by which youth are directed from the institution of education to penalty. This course also investigates local, state, and federal student disciplinary programs, including juvenile courts and juvenile detention centers. Finally, a number of specific processes, such as the criminalization of normal adolescent behavior, the zero-tolerance school suspension disciplinary practice, and the ongoing dysfunctional social relations between students and School Resource Officers (SROs), will all be addressed in relation to the larger macro concerns of the American ethos of education and the primary institution of upward mobility in American society.
SOC 220 | THEORIES OF CRIME AND DELINQUENCY | 4 quarter hours
(Undergraduate)
Analysis of theories of causes of crime, including juvenile delinquency. Among the theories considered are theories based on social structure and strain, social process and learning, modern biosocial perspectives, the Chicago School and subcultural theories of crime, feminist theories of crime, rational choice, and social control. In addition, some of the topics included for analysis are police violence, sex work/prostitution, and pornography.
SOC 221 | INTRODUCTION TO THE U.S HEALTH CARE SYSTEM | 4 quarter hours
(Undergraduate)
Examination of occupations and organizations in the U.S. health care system. Topics include: quality, access, and cost of health services; occupations and organizations involved in delivering health care; financing of care through health insurance and government programs. Recommended gateway course for all students in Health and Health Services concentration.
SOC 231 | RACE AND ETHNICITY IN THE CITY | 4 quarter hours
(Undergraduate)
The social and cultural importance of urban ethnic communities and their interrelationships are investigated through a study of neighborhood development and change. Special emphasis on the major ethnic communities of Chicago.
SOC 232 | GLOBAL CITIES | 4 quarter hours
(Undergraduate)
An examination of the interaction between the process of globalization and urban areas throughout the world. Develops an understanding of the city as a critical location within a world that is growing ever more economically and politically interconnected. Focuses on the way cities function within the global context to better understand why local leaders make the policy decisions that they do.
SOC 233 | SOCIOLOGY OF SPORT | 4 quarter hours
(Undergraduate)
This course examines sports as a societal microcosm and as an idealized world for both individuals and institutions. Sport is also viewed as a major element in the making of American mythology.
SOC 243 | THE SUBURBS | 4 quarter hours
(Undergraduate)
Explores the suburb as a vitally important area of inquiry, rather than merely a place that is anti-city or sub-urban. Examines the diversity of U.S. suburbs and the many forms they have taken, such as streetcar, postwar, working class, edge city, sprawled, and retrofitted suburbs. Considers what just suburban development would look like.
SOC 245 | URBAN SOCIOLOGY | 4 quarter hours
(Undergraduate)
An exploration of the economic, political, social, and cultural workings of cities and their larger metropolitan regions. Analyzes issues that affect neighborhoods as social spaces, such as housing, real estate development, changes in jobs and employment, suburbanization, and gentrification. Emphasizes the comparison of various places, diverse policy decisions and-ultimately-differing outcomes for communities. (Formerly taught as SOC 345)
SOC 246 | HOMELESS IN THE CITY | 4 quarter hours
(Undergraduate)
This course explores homelessness on a global/urban scale in relation to poverty, discrimination, health and mental illness, war, refugee status, and natural and man-made disasters (e.g. earthquake, nuclear event, hurricane, etc.) and examines governmental and community/organizational solutions.
SOC 248 | RESISTING WHITE SUPREMACY | 4 quarter hours
(Undergraduate)
In this course, we will read, listen, and watch texts about both white supremacy and resistance to white supremacy. The course pays equal attention to how people's beliefs and actions produce and maintain racial stratification in the post-civil rights United States and the work Black and Brown people and their allies do to resist this violence. Each week focused on white supremacy and racism will include a reflective writing assignment while each week focused on resisting white supremacy and anti-racism will include a small action in which students engage. No matter what topic we are exploring, we will pay careful attention to how assemblages of race, gender, sexuality, nationality, citizenship status, and other markers of difference work together to create different embodied experiences of marginalization, vulnerability, and resistance.
SOC 251 | THE SOCIOLOGY OF CULTURE | 4 quarter hours
(Undergraduate)
This course introduces the sociology of culture. The course discusses the theoretical origins of the sociology of culture, how the sociology of culture contributes to an understanding of contemporary social life, as well as how culture is intertwined with other social forces that shape our world. The course places a certain emphasis on the cultural studies tradition and its key concepts and debates. Students develop analytical tools and conceptual frameworks to undertake cultural analysis, as well learn how to utilize those tools more broadly as tools of general sociological analysis.
SOC 254 | ANCIENT GREECE AND ROME | 4 quarter hours
(Undergraduate)
The course explores the society and culture of ancient Greece and Rome, including mythology, art, and social institutions. The impact of these cultures on contemporary popular culture and social thought is considered. Emphasis on primary materials.
SOC 256 | SOCIAL CHANGE | 4 quarter hours
(Undergraduate)
Examines changes in societies since 1800, including change in technology, culture, and social and political institutions. Topics include modernization, revolution and media. The course emphasizes comparative, global perspectives and use of primary sources.
SOC 275 | LIVED POLITICS: INDIVIDUALISM AND COMMUNITY | 4 quarter hours
(Undergraduate)
This class is an exploration of the conflicting forces of social order and emancipation in modern liberal democracies. Based on Rousseau's version of the social contract and using the extreme case of cults, the course will explore the balance between surrendering intellectual and physical freedoms and maintaining a capacity for political agency. The course will compare and contrast the lives of students to those experienced in other contemporary societies with less individualistic approaches to the social contract. Students will gain knowledge and skills to help them engage in thoughtful and informed dialogue around meaningful and often controversial topics and empower them to be more active members of their communities while also more open to reasonable compromise for the good of society.
SOC 279 | INTRO STATS FOR THE SOCIAL SCIENCES | 4 quarter hours
(Undergraduate)
Data description and interpretation; table construction; correlation, regression and ANOVA; introduction to multivariate analysis; statistical inference and hypothesis testing. Cross-listed with MAT 242. It is strongly advised that this course is taken Junior year.
(MAT 095 and MAT 100) or MAT 101 or MAT 120 or placement are prerequisites for this class.
SOC 280 | MASS MEDIA AND CULTURE | 4 quarter hours
(Undergraduate)
Analysis of the relations between modern society and the mass media such as TV, film, radio and the print media.
SOC 281 | SOCIOLOGY OF ROCK MUSIC | 4 quarter hours
(Undergraduate)
Rock music is studied as an object of culture, both as art and as mass culture. Attention is given to its creation, dissemination and appreciation.
SOC 282 | SOCIOLOGY OF HIP HOP | 4 quarter hours
(Undergraduate)
This course critically examines the history, role, players, and influence of Hip Hop on social reality through the application of sociological perspectives and theories such as critical race theory, social conflict theory, feminism, and Marxism. It evaluates both the reciprocal relationship of Hip Hop in American culture and broader society, as well as the manipulation of Hip Hop within social institutions. Finally, this course builds a framework of understanding for socio-political and cultural conditions in exploring Hip Hop as a vehicle of social change and justice. Topics include commodification, agency, and authenticity; the dynamics of race, class, gender, and sexuality in Hip Hop; the cultural appropriation of Hip Hop; and the intersection of Hip Hop culture and social movements such as Black Lives Matter.
SOC 283 | ART & SOCIETY | 4 quarter hours
(Undergraduate)
This course is based on the sociological proposition that art, no matter its form or era, is a product of extensive social networks. This course examines the dialectic between art and society, focusing on the social, political, and economic relationships among and between artists, critics, aestheticians, patrons, and institutions. By using sociological theory, concepts, and methods to analyze the social institutions and systems that comprise the "art world," combined with strategic field-based learning and art-making activities, students will develop a critical understanding of art as a socially constructed phenomenon.
SOC 290 | SPECIAL TOPICS IN SOCIOLOGY | 4 quarter hours
(Undergraduate)
In-depth examination of selected and timely social issues. Topics vary from quarter to quarter. Topics may be initiated by students.
SOC 291 | SPECIAL TOPICS IN SOCIOLOGY | 2 quarter hours
(Undergraduate)
Two-credit-hour courses on special topics in Sociology.
SOC 292 | COLLECTIVE ACTION | 4 quarter hours
(Undergraduate)
This course explores the origins, dynamics, and consequences of collective action from a sociological perspective. We will examine a wide range of topics including: the emergence of movements; recruitment and leadership; interactions between organizers and media outlets, political authorities, the police, and the broader public; strategies and tactics (e.g., nonviolent direct action, litigation, armed resistance); framing and collective identity; and the factors contributing to the success and failure of organizing efforts. Students will apply these concepts to case studies of collective action: historic and modern, conservative and progressive, in the United States and around the world. Our examination of collective action will speak to the big questions about society, including the nature of power, conflict, authority, and legitimacy, and the relation between human agency and historical changes.
SOC 305 | POWER, DEVIANCE AND SOCIAL CONTROL | 4 quarter hours
(Undergraduate)
This course employs a variety of theoretical paradigms to examine social constructions of deviance and conformity. It pays close attention to the relationship of such behaviors to conventional values, institutions, power, and mechanisms of social control.
SOC 306 | SOCIOLOGY OF FAMILIES | 4 quarter hours
(Undergraduate)
What's the meaning of family? How have families changed over time? How do families engage in care? What role do outside institutions have on family? This course addresses these questions by exploring historical and contemporary changes in family life; the relationship between family life and social arrangements outside of family in the work place, economy, and government; the division of labor related to gender, race, ethnic, and class inequality; and the role of economic, political, and social policies.
SOC 307 | SOCIOLOGY OF DRUGS | 4 quarter hours
(Undergraduate)
Sociological perspectives on substance use and abuse, related high-risk behavior, drug traffic, community impact, and prevention and public policy.
SOC 310 | CRIMINALIZATION, PUNISHMENT, & RESISTANCE | 4 quarter hours
(Undergraduate)
In this course, students will explore the history and social meaning of crime and punishment in the United States. Readings, reflections, and discussions will push students to examine criminalizing and punishing systems as a system of social control and will alert students to the raced and classed character of these systems.
SOC 312 | CRIMMIGRATION: IMMIGRATION AND CRIME, AN INTERNATIONAL PERSPECTIVE | 4 quarter hours
(Undergraduate)
Comprehensive theoretical and empirical analyses of documented and undocumented immigration to the U.S. and to other countries in Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America, and the Caribbean. The connection between immigration and crime is the central topic of this course, and will focus on ethnic and race relations, gender relations, discrimination and exclusion, and other political, social, and economic dimensions that arise from immigration policies and practices.
SOC 313 | SOCIOLOGY OF EDUCATION | 4 quarter hours
(Undergraduate)
Examines the structure of schooling in the United States and other societies. Topics include: Schools as organizations; teaching as a profession; peer cultures in schools; racial/ethnic, class, and gender inequalities in education.
SOC 315 | LAW, POWER AND RESISTANCE | 4 quarter hours
(Undergraduate)
In this course, students examine the law in its social context. Readings, reflections, and discussions will push students to explore the role of law both in the production and maintenance of inequality and in marginalized people's struggles for justice.
SOC 316 | STREET GANGS | 4 quarter hours
(Undergraduate)
Examines the problems associated with street gangs and "troublesome youth groups" in the United States and Europe. Classical and contemporary theories of gang formation and proliferation are reviewed. Both quantitative and qualitative gang research efforts are studied. Street gang reduction policies and programs (national and local) are scrutinized. Emphasis is placed on the street gang's relationship with other organizations and social actors in the same "habitat.
SOC 220 is a prerequisite for this class.
SOC 317 | GENDER, CRIME AND JUSTICE | 4 quarter hours
(Undergraduate)
This course explores the ways in which gender intersects with crime and justice in the U.S. and increasingly, globally. Using feminist and critical perspectives, this course interrogates the gendered and racial nature of the criminal justice system, examines the ways in which gender intersects with patterns of offending, victimization, survival, and resistance, and looks at the ways that criminal justice institutions and gender interact. It also asks students to think critically about alternatives to incarceration and other ways of establishing "justice.
SOC 321 | HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICE ORGANIZATIONS | 4 quarter hours
(Undergraduate)
The work of health and human service organizations is examined; the origins of these organizations, their goals and the problems inherent in attaining the goals, are considered.
SOC 322 | HOW SCHOOLS ARE FAILING AND CRIMINALIZING YOUTH | 4 quarter hours
(Undergraduate)
A review of the U.S. public school system structure and practices and how they fail and criminalize youth, as well as practices and programs designed to creatively disrupt the school-to-prison pipeline.
SOC 323 | THE SOCIAL WELFARE INSTITUTION | 4 quarter hours
(Undergraduate)
The evolution of social welfare as an urban institution and the creation of the welfare state are examined. An analysis of social welfare in the United States within the context of economic, political, social and philosophical developments.
SOC 331 | SOCIOLOGICAL THEORY | 4 quarter hours
(Undergraduate)
Exploration of the nature of theory and an analysis of selected social theorists. It is strongly advised that this course is taken Junior year.
SOC 340 | SOCIAL INEQUALITY | 4 quarter hours
(Undergraduate)
Examination of inequalities in wealth and power and their consequences for everyday life and institutions such as education, work, law, health care, housing, and politics. Intersections of class, race/ethnicity, and gender are considered. The course includes discussion of social movements and public policies that seek to address inequality.
SOC 344 | POLITICAL SOCIOLOGY | 4 quarter hours
(Undergraduate)
This course will explore how social relations shape political processes, institutions, organizations and events. For example, we will examine the ways class, gender, and race relations influence state-building or movement-building. In doing so, we will explore how cultural traditions, or collective definitions of identity, shape and are shaped by political mobilizations or everyday practices of citizenship. Theoretically and empirically informed discussions will highlight historical and contemporary examples that influence political systems.
SOC 345 | POWER, POLITICS, AND CLIMATE CHANGE | 4 quarter hours
(Undergraduate)
This course addresses the climate crisis as a relationship between biopower, infrastructure, and the environment. For Foucault, in the critical juncture of the 18th century, the rise of biopower was about political concerns for a new object of analysis: the optimization of the population through an emphasis on health, security, prosperity, and the protection of territory.
SOC 346 | URBAN ETHNOGRAPHY | 4 quarter hours
(Undergraduate)
This course will explore key issues in the method, practice, politics, and ethics of ethnography in relation to one's embeddedness and participation within the research setting under analysis. Various styles of ethnography, field techniques, strategies, and analytical frameworks will be examined. We will also explore the predicaments, virtues, and contributions of ethnographic works in contribution to the "craft of sociology." We will discuss the relation of theory to method and data and how ethnography connects to larger social forces of race, local knowledge's, power and poverty, practice and culture.
SOC 347 | CLASS, POWER AND DECISION MAKING IN THE CITY | 4 quarter hours
(Undergraduate)
Analysis of decision-making in urban settings. Considers the role of class disparities, power, citizen protest and community participation in urban outcomes.
SOC 348 | THE CITY IN THE FUTURE | 4 quarter hours
(Undergraduate)
Alternative views of urban structures and social life in the post-industrial age. Considerations of the implications of energy, different technologies, future shock and social trends.
SOC 349 | CULTURE AND POLITICS | 4 quarter hours
(Undergraduate)
Culture encompasses shared beliefs, values, practices, behaviors, symbols, and artifacts. Politics is the process through which groups or individuals make decisions that allocate resources and power. Culture and politics impact one another in ways that shape and define societies. Through a range of theoretical and empirical readings, this course aims to deepen students' understanding of the interplay between culture and politics and its impact on society.
SOC 351 | HEALTH DISPARITIES | 4 quarter hours
(Undergraduate)
Examination of persistent health disparities in the U.S. and the influence of social settings on morbidity and mortality, as well as the impact of social class, gender, and race/ethnicity on disease and illness patterns and access to health care.
SOC 352 | THE POLITICS OF POPULAR CULTURE | 4 quarter hours
(Undergraduate)
This class explores the making, the role, and the politics of popular culture in American society. Popular culture is the meanings and pleasures people produce as they live out their daily lives, that in turn produce the social identities for those involved. Culture making as a social process is inherently political, since it is always involved in the distribution of social power: it is always wrapped up in questions of whose culture in represented? Whose meanings get heard? What "culture" is legitimated and considered tasteful, worth, and sanctioned by society. Throughout this course we explore how culture is an object of social struggle and use culture as a window onto larger social debates about power, social struggles, and the politics of society. Students learn a set off analytical concepts by which to analyze culture and politics, as well as to apply those concepts to sociology more broadly to both broaden and sharpen their sociological imagination.
SOC 353 | SOCIOLOGY OF MENTAL ILLNESS | 4 quarter hours
(Undergraduate)
Examines the social history of, and societal reaction to, the mentally ill. Review of contemporary social perspectives on mental illness and social research on mental hospital institutionalization; the dynamics of the therapist-patient relationship.
SOC 358 | REVOLUTIONS AND PEASANT REBELLIONS | 4 quarter hours
(Undergraduate)
This course focuses on theories on the international, national, regional, and local factors contributing to the weakening of states that result in revolutions, civil wars, and peasant rebellions. Case studies include revolutions in France, Russia, China, Mexico, Cuba, Nicaragua, and Iran. Contemporary social movements and insurrections are analyzed based on the theories of the course. Cross-listed with LST 358 and INT 319.
SOC 360 | SOCIAL SERVICES IN CONTEMPORARY SOCIETY | 4 quarter hours
(Undergraduate)
Social services and welfare programs as developed in contemporary industrial societies. Comparison between European social services and the American social services provides a basis for considering the implications of social policy. Cross-listed with SOC 432.
SOC 366 | CAPITALISM AND GLOBALIZATION | 4 quarter hours
(Undergraduate)
This course covers the foundational concepts of capitalism, the function and consequences of markets, the social inequality associated with capitalism, and the relationship between capitalism and the state in the neoliberal and post-neoliberal eras. Special emphasis is paid to the internal and systemic contradictions inherent in the process of capital accumulation within market economies and the consequences of those contradictions for the stability of capitalism for the lives of people. The second part of the course covers recent transformations in the structure and function of capitalists. The effect of capitalism on social structures is examined. Course topics include exploration of global (neoliberal) capitalism, financial capitalism, informational capitalism, and "caring" capitalism. Special attention will be paid to caring capitalism, characterized by the use of capitalist tools and concepts to create social good.
SOC 370 | SOCIOLOGY OF FOOD | 4 quarter hours
(Undergraduate)
Food has more meaning than mere sustenance. The course is designed to explore how food can both nourish us culturally and socially, but also how it reflects the gendered, race, ethnic, class, and economic distinctions within society. In doing so, we will examine social structures that make up the beliefs and practices related to food with emphasis on inequalities in the food system, and the levers of social change, including social movements, public policy, and equitably organized food and nutrition economies.
SOC 373 | PUBLIC HEALTH AND HIGH RISK BEHAVIOR | 4 quarter hours
(Undergraduate)
This course involves the use of sociological theory, concepts, and methods to develop a critical understanding of high risk behavior, defined as any human activity that increases the risk of disease, injury, or death. The course content is international and historical and focuses mainly on drug use, sex, and violence. These behaviors are examined as interpersonal, organizational, contextual, and institutional phenomena.
SOC 380 | RESEARCH METHODS IN SOCIOLOGY I | 4 quarter hours
(Undergraduate)
The logic of social science research: Formulation of research questions; research designs; data collection and analysis; research report writing. Overview of methods for quantitative social research.
SOC 279 or PSY 240 or MAT 242 or MAT 137 is a prerequisite for this class.
SOC 381 | RESEARCH METHODS IN SOCIOLOGY II | 4 quarter hours
(Undergraduate)
Overview of qualitative designs and methods such as ethnography, focus groups, content analysis, and visual methods. Research ethics and human participant protection are covered.
SOC 380 is a prerequisite for this class.
SOC 383 | VISUAL SOCIOLOGY | 4 quarter hours
(Undergraduate)
This course contributes to developing a critical comprehension of the social world through the identification and analysis of visual stimuli, including photographs, films, videos, paintings, drawings, sculptures, artifacts, diagrams, signage, and other material and symbolic representations. The driving question is deceptively simple: What is the role of imagery in the construction, organization, and experience of social life?.
SOC 384 | ETHNOGRAPHIC DOCUMENTARY FILM PRODUCTION | 4 quarter hours
(Undergraduate)
This course imparts the art, craft, and discipline behind the making of sociological ethnographic documentary films. Throughout the course students learn ethnographic concepts and methods, develop film criticism faculties, and build a film production skill set.
SOC 386 | POPULAR CULTURE AND THE ARTS | 4 quarter hours
(Undergraduate)
Multiple perspectives, from modern to post modern, are applied to a range of forms of popular culture, both in historical context and in their current forms. Topics to be covered include examining the concept of popular culture, the analytic tools to understand it, and analyzing some of its manifestations (e.g. sports, mass media, gambling, holiday presentations, shopping, theme parks, theme restaurants, etc. Cross-listed with SOC 480.
SOC 387 | SOCIOLOGY OF CELEBRITY | 4 quarter hours
(Undergraduate)
Celebrities are known for being well-known." The course explores the role of media and fans in the making of celebrity and considers celebrity as a key feature of contemporary society.
SOC 388 | SOCIOLOGY OF CONSUMPTION | 4 quarter hours
(Undergraduate)
Sociological perspectives on shopping, consumer culture, and social-psychology of consumer behavior.
SOC 390 | SEMINAR IN SOCIOLOGY | 4 quarter hours
(Undergraduate)
Selected topics form the basis of an in-depth consideration. Topics vary and may be initiated by students.
SOC 101 (or SOC 102 or SOC 105) and Junior standing (or above) are prerequisites for this class.
SOC 391 | SEMINAR IN SOCIOLOGY | 2 quarter hours
(Undergraduate)
Two-credit-hour course on special topics in Sociology.
SOC 394 | COMMUNITY BASED SOCIOLOGY | 4 quarter hours
(Undergraduate)
Combines basic understanding of sociological principles with field experience.
SOC 395 | CAPSTONE IN SOCIOLOGY | 4 quarter hours
(Undergraduate)
A senior seminar course that enables students to conduct original research and integrate theory and methods.
SOC 381 is a prerequisite for this class.
SOC 397 | TRAVEL/STUDY | 1-8 quarter hours
(Undergraduate)
Foreign and domestic study tours with lectures and research by special arrangement with sponsoring programs.
SOC 398 | INTERNSHIP | 4 quarter hours
(Undergraduate)
Placement of students in work-study situations relevant to careers in health and human services, social work, juvenile justice, law and society, urban and community services. Clinical and Experiential (can fulfill jr. yr. requirement).
SOC 399 | INDEPENDENT STUDY | 1-6 quarter hours
(Undergraduate)
Independent Study.
Senior status and permission of the department chair are prerequisites for this course.
SOC 402 | STATISTICS FOR THE SOCIAL SCIENCES | 4 quarter hours
(Graduate)
Introduction to quantitative and statistical reasoning in the social sciences, quantitative data analysis, and computer software.
SOC 403 | SOCIAL POLICY AND SOCIAL CHANGE | 4 quarter hours
(Graduate)
Examines the process of policy-making and the effects of policies on individuals, organizations, and communities.
SOC 404 | CLASSICAL AND MODERN THEORY | 4 quarter hours
(Graduate)
Covers classical social theory (Marx, Durkheim, and Weber) and social theory through the 1960s.
SOC 405 | CONTEMPORARY THEORY | 4 quarter hours
(Graduate)
Examines sociological theories, methods and concepts through a study of the work of contemporary sociologists.
SOC 411 | SOCIAL RESEARCH | 4 quarter hours
(Graduate)
This course presents the logic of social science inquiry and familiarizes students with a wide range of quantitative and qualitative research designs and methods such as ethnography, survey research, case studies, analysis of existing data sets, focus groups, content and discourse analysis, interviews, social autopsies, and comparative-historical research. Policy research and program evaluation may also be included among the topics. Emphasis is placed on formulating research questions and linking designs and methods to the questions. Students read examples of research and develop their own proposals. Research ethics and human-participant protection are key concerns of the course.
Status as a SOC Graduate student is a prerequisite for this class.
SOC 412 | DATA ANALYSIS | 4 quarter hours
(Graduate)
The implementation of a research project. Analytic techniques, data processing and the preparation of a written research report.
SOC 411 is a prerequisite for this class.
SOC 413 | QUALITATIVE METHODS | 4 quarter hours
(Graduate)
An examination of qualitative methods in sociology: data collection and content analysis, field research, life histories, and unobtrusive measures.
Status as a SOC Graduate student is a prerequisite for this class.
SOC 414 | SOCIOLOGICAL WRITING | 4 quarter hours
(Graduate)
This course is designed to develop research and writing of sociological papers including both literature reviews and writing projects focused on original research. Students develop their final writing project requirement for the master's degree through engaging in facilitated discussion and a peer review process where students evaluate each other's work and give feedback. The successful completion of the final paper for the course is intended to help fulfill the final writing project leading to the master's degree.
SOC 417 | ETHNOGRAPHIC DOCUMENTARY FILM PRODUCTION | 4 quarter hours
(Graduate)
This course imparts the art, craft, and discipline behind the making of sociological ethnographic documentary films. Throughout the course students learn ethnographic concepts and methods, develop film criticism faculties, and build a film production skill set.
SOC 420 | URBAN SOCIOLOGY | 4 quarter hours
(Graduate)
Introduction to advanced level studies in applied urban sociology: contemporary urban theory, research, and policy issues.
SOC 423 | URBAN ETHNOGRAPHY | 4 quarter hours
(Graduate)
Ethnological approach to urban life stressing the qualitative analysis and evaluation of different types of urban communities, community organizations, and urban life styles.
SOC 426 | URBAN DEVELOPMENT POLICIES | 4 quarter hours
(Graduate)
Community agencies viewed as problem-solving organizations. Concentration on the impact of state and local government on community organizations and how community organizations influence social policy.
SOC 431 | SOCIOLOGY OF HEALTH, ILLNESS AND MEDICINE | 4 quarter hours
(Graduate)
Analysis of the social system of health care: practitioners, organizations, patients, and their multiple interrelationships. An evaluation of problems in health care delivery systems. Cross-listed with MPS 534.
SOC 432 | SOCIAL SERVICES IN CONTEMPORARY SOCIETIES | 4 quarter hours
(Graduate)
Analysis of the concept of welfare, evaluation of the social organization of welfare and the problems of welfare service systems. The interrelationships between welfare and the family, employment, health and crime are explored. Cross-listed with SOC 323.
SOC 433 | THE SOCIOLOGY OF EDUCATION | 4 quarter hours
(Graduate)
Analysis of educational organizations and their effects-including characteristics of institutional structures, teaching as an occupation, and the relationship between educational attainment and social mobility.
SOC 434 | YOUTH SERVICES: HEALTH AND WELFARE | 4 quarter hours
(Graduate)
Review of research on various youth problems (eg., substance abuse, pregnancy, runaways) and consideration of efforts at amelioration and control.
SOC 438 | SOCIOLOGY OF SUBSTANCE USE & ABUSE | 4 quarter hours
(Graduate)
Sociological perspectives on substance use and abuse, related high-risk behavior, drug traffic, community impact, and prevention and public policy.
SOC 440 | SOCIOLOGY OF LAW | 4 quarter hours
(Graduate)
Analysis of the American legal system as an instrument of social control, social change, and social reform. The impact of social science research on public policy decisions.
SOC 441 | PUBLIC HEALTH AND HIGH RISK BEHAVIOR | 4 quarter hours
(Graduate)
This course brings sociological theory, concepts, and methods to bear on HIV/AIDS, hepatitis B and C (HBV, HCV), and other adverse health outcomes prevalent among injection drug users (IDUs), men who have sex with men (MSM), and "high risk heterosexuals" (HRHs).
SOC 442 | CRIMINALIZATION AND PUNISHMENT | 4 quarter hours
(Graduate)
This course critically analyzes both practices of and discourses around criminalization, punishment, and banishment in the United States and social movements to resist these practices.
SOC 443 | ANTI-DISCRIMINATION LAW AND INEQUALITY | 4 quarter hours
(Graduate)
This seminar explores how civil law--and especially anti-discrimination law--works as an instrument of social control, social change, and social reform in the context of intersectional inequality. The course critically examines how key tenets of liberalism, for example individualism and meritocracy, limit anti-discrimination law's ability to produce meaningful change--at least as these laws are currently interpreted by the courts.
SOC 445 | POWER, POLITICS, AND CLIMATE CHANGE | 4 quarter hours
(Graduate)
This course addresses the climate crisis as a relationship between biopower, infrastructure, and the environment. For Foucault, in the critical juncture of the 18th century, the rise of biopower was about political concerns for a new object of analysis: the optimization of the population through an emphasis on health, security, prosperity, and the protection of territory.
SOC 447 | SOCIAL CONTROL AND SOCIAL DEVIANCE | 4 quarter hours
(Graduate)
Examines theories and research on the social organization of institutions that label and process deviants.
SOC 450 | ADVANCED STATISTICS I | 4 quarter hours
(Graduate)
Advanced Statistics I (cross-Listed as PSY 410)
SOC 455 | CHILDHOOD, FAMILY, PUBLIC POLICY | 4 quarter hours
(Graduate)
Examines contemporary public policy issues and relevant research concerning parenting, marriage, household structure, and family formation, with a focus on the U.S.
SOC 460 | SOCIOLOGY OF THE FAMILY | 4 quarter hours
(Graduate)
Examines demographic trends in this century, recent literature on women and men, wives and husbands, children and parents. Some comparative material is included.
SOC 461 | SOCIOLOGY OF YOUTH | 4 quarter hours
(Graduate)
Critical analysis of literature on nondelinquent youth; focus on the social contexts within which the transition to adulthood occurs.
SOC 463 | SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY | 4 quarter hours
(Graduate)
The influence of group life on personality development, social interaction, and social behavior.
SOC 464 | SOCIAL INEQUALITY AND STRATIFICATION | 4 quarter hours
(Graduate)
An analysis of inequalities in power, wealth and prestige with an emphasis on the concept of social class, trends in social mobility, and relationships to current social topics such as housing, welfare and political participation.
SOC 465 | RACE AND ETHNIC RELATIONS | 4 quarter hours
(Graduate)
Theoretical perspectives on racial, ethnic, gender, sexual orientation and differentially abled groups emphasizing processes of group formation, patterns of prejudice and discrimination, and an evaluation of methods to reduce prejudice and discrimination.
SOC 466 | SOCIAL MOVEMENTS | 4 quarter hours
(Graduate)
Study of social trends, social movements, communications, and crowd behavior. Emphasis on processes of social change, includes examination of historical and cross-cultural case material.
SOC 467 | ORGANIZATIONS | 4 quarter hours
(Graduate)
The functioning, premises, and consequences of formal organizations will be considered using a variety of perspectives.
SOC 468 | SOCIAL DEVIATION | 4 quarter hours
(Graduate)
Research and theory in the sociology of deviant behavior, emphasis upon such topics as the labeling of deviants, the analysis of deviant careers, patterns of deviant socialization, and the roles of agents or agencies of social control. Cross-listed with SOC 304.
SOC 470 | GENDER AND SOCIETY | 4 quarter hours
(Graduate)
Theory and research on roles of men and women, sexual behavior and patterns of gender inequality. Cross-listed with MLS 447 and WGS 460.
SOC 471 | SOCIOLOGY OF KNOWLEDGE | 4 quarter hours
(Graduate)
An analysis of the social forms of knowledge and the social processes by which individuals acquire this knowledge. The institutional organization and social distribution of knowledge.
SOC 475 | SOCIOLOGY OF WORK | 4 quarter hours
(Graduate)
Examination of the nature, meaning and history of work and leisure in Western culture; and the relationship of work and leisure to issues associated with the contemporary concept of "quality of life''. Cross-listed with MLS 443.
SOC 477 | SEX, SEXUALITY AND POLITICS | 4 quarter hours
(Graduate)
Focus on sexuality as one of the central organizing ideologies shaping the fabric of our social life. Topics covered include the medicalization of sex, sex and race, pornography, sex and globalization, and gay liberation movement, etc.
SOC 478 | CAPITALISM AND GLOBALIZATION | 4 quarter hours
(Graduate)
This course covers the foundational concepts of capitalism, the function and consequences of markets, the social inequality associated with capitalism, and the relationship between capitalism and the state in the neoliberal and post-neoliberal eras. Special emphasis is paid to the internal and systemic contradictions inherent in the process of capital accumulation within market economies and the consequences of those contradictions for the stability of capitalism for the lives of people. The second part of the course covers recent transformations in the structure and function of capitalists. The effect of capitalism on social structures is examined. Course topics include exploration of global (neoliberal) capitalism, financial capitalism, informational capitalism, and "caring" capitalism. Special attention will be paid to caring capitalism, characterized by the use of capitalist tools and concepts to create social good.
SOC 479 | MEN, MASCULINITY AND POWER | 4 quarter hours
(Graduate)
This course reviews the development of men's studies and its connection with the development of women's studies. It examines the construction of masculinity and the issue concerning gender inequality.
SOC 480 | POPULAR CULTURE AND THE ARTS | 4 quarter hours
(Graduate)
(Cross-listed as SOC 386) The course explores topics in popular culture and the arts from a sociological perspective. The focus includes specific arts (film, music, photography, etc), subcultures of artists and performers and the impact of the market on the arts and popular culture.
SOC 487 | SOCIOLOGY OF CELEBRITY | 4 quarter hours
(Graduate)
Celebrities are known for being well-known." The course explores the role of media and fans in the making of celebrity and considers celebrity as a key feature of contemporary society.
SOC 493 | VISUAL SOCIOLOGY | 4 quarter hours
(Graduate)
A sociological view of documents that record social reality. These documents primarily include photographs but can also include paintings and sculpture.
SOC 494 | RACISM AND RESISTANCE | 4 quarter hours
(Graduate)
In this course, although we will be particularly interested in the way White Supremacy is created and maintained in the post-civil rights era, we will ground our examination in the histories that created our present. We will end the course with a frank discussion of what can be done to resist racism and racial oppression in our own lives.
SOC 495 | SPECIAL TOPICS IN SOCIOLOGY | 4 quarter hours
(Graduate)
Special courses will be offered as students and faculty identify selected topics of common interest.
SOC 498 | INTERNSHIP | 8.00 quarter hours
(Graduate)
Students may be placed with agencies where they will have the opportunity to participate in activities such as research and counseling. Credit may vary but is subject to the limit of eight quarter hours.
SOC 499 | INDEPENDENT STUDY | 1-4 quarter hours
(Graduate)
Independent Study.
SOC 500 | THESIS RESEARCH | 4 quarter hours
(Graduate)
The thesis research should culminate in the acceptance of a thesis. Four quarter hours, one registration.
SOC 510 | CANDIDACY CONTINUATION | 0 quarter hours
(Graduate)
This 0-credit hour course is available to master's degree candidates who are actively working toward the completion of a thesis, project, or portfolio. Enrollment in this course is limited to three quarters and requires thesis/project advisor and graduate director approval and demonstration to them of work each quarter. Enrollment in this course allows access to the library and other campus facilities. This course carries and requires the equivalent of half-time enrollment status. The student may be eligible for loan deferment and student loans. This course is graded as pass/fail. (0 credit hours)
SOC 601 | CANDIDACY MAINTENANCE | 0 quarter hours
(Graduate)
This 0-credit hour course is available to graduate students who are not registered for a course in a given quarter but need to maintain active university status. Enrollment in this course is limited to three quarters and requires permission of the graduate director. Enrollment in this course allows access to the library and other campus facilities. This course does not carry an equivalent enrollment status and students in it are not eligible for loan deferment or student loans. This course is not graded. (0 credit hours)