Academic Catalog

Sociology (SOCY)

SOCY 101:  3 s.h.  
Introduction to Sociology  (G3)  

Introduction to the scientific study of human groups, organizations and societies. Examination of major sociological questions and approaches to studying them.

SOCY 101H:  3 s.h.  
Introduction to Sociology  (G3)  

Introduction to the scientific study of human groups, organizations and societies. Examination of major sociological questions and approaches to studying them.

SOCY 179:  1-3 s.h.  
Experimental  

Experimental

SOCY 210:  3 s.h.  
Sociology of the Family  (G3)  

The family as a social institution. Topics include the family in mass society, diverse family forms, human sexuality, typologies of love, mate selection, husband-wife interaction, parent-child interaction, family disorganization and American ethnic families. Specific topics may vary.

SOCY 211:  3 s.h.  
Social Problems  (G3, W)  

A sociological examination of problem areas or human concerns such as poverty, labor issues, substance abuse, domestic violence, crime and justice, health, the environment, discrimination and globalization. Topics may vary. Prereq: ENGL 110.

SOCY 211H:  3 s.h.  
H:Social Problems  (G3, W)  

H:Social Problems

SOCY 216:  3 s.h.  
Human Population  (G3)  

Analysis of population processes such as fertility, mortality, composition, distribution and migration patterns; relationship of population processes to social, economic and political development; effects of status differences; trends in population change. Offered periodically.

SOCY 230:  3 s.h.  
Criminology  (G3, W)  

The nature and causes of criminal behavior and the types of social response to law violation. Offered in fall, spring. Prereq: SOCY 101, ENGL 110.

SOCY 230H:  3 s.h.  
Hon: Criminology  (G3, W)  
SOCY 300:  3-12 s.h.  
Co-Op Ed Experience in Soc  

Co-Op Ed Experience in Soc

SOCY 302:  4 s.h.  
Social Statistics  

Emphasis on learning and presenting findings from applied statistical techniques, including frequency tables and graphs, contingency tables, measures of central tendency and dispersion, hypothesis testing, confidence intervals, analysis of variance, correlation, and linear regression (bivariate and multiple). SPSS software package used. Offered in fall, spring. Prereq: C- or higher in Math 130 and 9 s.h. in sociology/anthropology.

SOCY 303:  3 s.h.  
Sociological Theory  

Examination of classical and contemporary theoretical traditions; relevance of sociology to everyday life; works of selected theorists such as Durkheim, Marx, Weber, Merton. Offered fall, spring. Prereq: SOCY 101 and 9 s.h. of sociology at the 200 level or higher.

SOCY 305:  3 s.h.  
Social Research Methods  (W)  

Overview of major research methods: survey analysis, interviewing, participant observation, content analysis and experimental design. Each student designs and completes a research project. Offered fall, spring. Prereq: C- or higher in ENGL 110, SOCY 301, SOCY 303 and SOCY 302.

SOCY 307:  3 s.h.  
African-Americn Social Thought  (G3)  

Examination of the development of African-American social theory through the history of the American republic. Looks at the relationship between African-American social thought, civil rights movements and the larger Afro-Caribbean diaspora. Offered infrequently. Prereq: 9 s.h. in African- American Studies or SOCY 101 and 9 s.h. in sociology (SOCY 303 recommended) or permission of instructor.

SOCY 308:  3 s.h.  
Soc of Afr-Amer and Lat Educ  (D)  

Social and historical analysis of the secondary and postsecondary experiences of African-American and Latino/a youth in the U.S. informed by critical race, feminist and stratification theories. Offered periodically. Prereq: SOCY 101 or LATS 201.

SOCY 310:  3 s.h.  
Sociology of Religion  

Sociological understanding and interpreting religious phenomena including insight regarding the place of religion in society; the functional and conflict orientation to religion; religion and the individual; institutionalization of religion; religion and social change; and the secularization of religion. Offered periodically.

SOCY 313:  3 s.h.  
Sociology of Disaster  (G3)  

Behavioral and organizational response to environmental hazards and disasters. Case studies of major natural disasters and hazardous-materials incidents illustrate individual, group and societal challenges faced in such events. Issues include building a disaster-resistant community, the impact of the media, and governmental successes and failures. Offered annually. Prereq: SOCY 101 or SOCY 211. A required course for the EHEM minor.

SOCY 313H:  3 s.h.  
H: Sociology of Disaster  (G3)  
SOCY 315:  3 s.h.  
Race and Ethnic Relations  (G3)  

Study of racial and ethnic relations, modes of adaptation of minorities and cross-cultural examinations of dominant-minority relations. Offered annually. Prereq: 3 s.h. of sociology or junior/senior status.

SOCY 316:  3 s.h.  
Social Psychology  (G3, W)  

Introduction to sociological social psychology; how social interactions are created, become patterned and susceptible to change; how society is structured through social interaction; and how social identities are formed. Specific topics may vary. Offered periodically. Prereq: ENGL 110, 3 s.h. of sociology or junior/senior status.

SOCY 317:  3 s.h.  
Medical Sociology  (G3)  

Social and cultural factors in health and illness; social organization of the medical care system; structural and interactional aspects of healthcare. Prereq: 3 s.h. sociology or junior/senior status. Offered periodically.

SOCY 318:  3 s.h.  
Soc Of Complex Organizations  

Social-interaction processes in business and industry; nature and effects of complex industrial organization; interrelationships among industry and other social subsystems. Offered periodically. Prereq: 3 s.h. sociology or junior/senior status.

SOCY 319:  3 s.h.  
Social Stratification  (G3)  

The development of social inequality by race, ethnicity, class, gender and nationality. The social construction of race and gender; various theories of class distribution. Inequality in education, housing and the workplace are discussed. Global instances of inequalities are also discussed. Offered periodically. Prereq: 3 s.h. of sociology and junior/senior status.

SOCY 320:  3 s.h.  
Sociology of Education  (G3)  

Analysis of education as a social institution and its relationship to other institutions; the roles of educator, administrator, student and parent; implications of subcultures, social stratification and social change. Offered infrequently.

SOCY 329:  1-6 s.h.  
Topics in Sociology  

Offered periodically.

SOCY 329H:  1-6 s.h.  
Hnrs: Topics in Sociology  
SOCY 331:  3 s.h.  
Sociology of Policing & Courts  (G3)  

Overview of the American system for the administration of justice focused on the apprehension, prosecution and adjudication of criminal defendants. Offered in fall. Prereq: SOCY 101, 230.

SOCY 332:  3 s.h.  
Modern Corrections  (G3)  

Contemporary American responses to crime. Concentrates on the origins, nature, functions and limitations of American correctional modalities. Offered in spring. Prereq: SOCY 101, 230.

SOCY 332H:  3 s.h.  
H:Modern Corrections  (G3)  
SOCY 334:  3 s.h.  
Juvenile Delinquency  (G3)  

Nature and extent of juvenile crime; theories of causation; techniques of control and prevention. Offered annually. Prereq: SOCY 101, 230.

SOCY 335:  3 s.h.  
Ethics in Criminal Justice  

Examines numerous ethical theories and their application to policing, courts and corrections in the United States. A global analysis of current research, theories and case studies on human trafficking will also be a focus. Prerequisites: SOCY 101 and SOCY 230.

SOCY 335H:  3 s.h.  
Hon: Ethics in Crim Justice  
SOCY 337:  3 s.h.  
Gender and the Law  (G3)  

Analyze how the courts and the law construct gender and how these social constructions of gender in the law impact individuals, families, groups, and institutions. Examine the lives of women & girls as offenders, prisoners, victims/survivors and workers in the criminal justice system from a variety of perspectives and disciplines. Analyze how the intersections of sexism, racism, heterosexism, and classism impact the lives of individuals and communities in regard to criminality.

SOCY 337H:  3 s.h.  
Hon: Gender and the Law  (G3)  
SOCY 338:  3 s.h.  
Sociology of Deviance  

Deviance as a social phenomenon. Discusses how definitions of deviance have changed over time, how people become labeled “deviant” and the utility of various theories of deviance. Offered annually. Prereq: SOCY 101.

SOCY 338H:  3 s.h.  
H:Sociology of Deviance  
SOCY 339:  3 s.h.  
Topics In Criminology  

The nature, extent, origins and possible “solutions” to select problems in contemporary criminology. Offered periodically. Prereq: SOCY 101 and 230 or permission of instructor.

SOCY 339H:  3 s.h.  
Hon: Topics in Criminology  
SOCY 379:  1-3 s.h.  
Experimental  

Experimental

SOCY 400:  1-12 s.h.  
Co-Op Ed Experience in Soc  

Co-Op Ed Experience in Soc

SOCY 441:  3 s.h.  
Urban Society  

Historical and postmodern analysis of urban development, in particular the impact of demographic, political and socioeconomic structural changes on the social fabric of U.S. metropolitan cities. Topics include inner-city life and culture, race, gender, class relations and policy implications. Offered periodically. Prereq: SOCY 101.

SOCY 441H:  3 s.h.  
Hnrs: Urban Society  
SOCY 448:  3 s.h.  
Seminar In Sociology  

Research and group discussion for advanced students on various topics of interest. A total of 6 s.h. may be taken. Offered in fall, spring. Prereq: permission of instructor.

SOCY 479:  3 s.h.  
Experimental  

Experimental

SOCY 489:  1-4 s.h.  
Honors Course  

Two to four semesters of supervised research through independent projects. Prereq: 3.0 GPA and recommendation by a faculty mentor. For further information, see the Special Academic Opportunities section.

SOCY 498:  1-6 s.h.  
Independent Study in Sociology  

For further information, see the Special Academic Opportunities section. Prereq: 3.0 GPA and permission of faculty member.

SOCY 499:  1-4 s.h.  
Departmental Honors  

Two to four semesters of supervised research through independent projects. Prereq: 3.0 GPA and recommendation by a faculty mentor. For further information, see the Special Academic Opportunities section.

SOCY 500:  3-12 s.h.  
Co-Op Ed Experience in Soc  

Co-Op Ed Experience in Soc