Bachelor of Arts
in Sociology

Prerequisite: ENG 102

Critical introduction to basic sociology concepts. Examination of major theoretical perspectives and research methods. Topics include: economic stratification, race, gender, family, deviance, complex organizations.

Prerequisite: MTH 12A and MTH 12B, or Accuplacer test placement evaluation

An introduction to statistics and probability theory. Covers simple probability distributions, conditional probability (Bayes Rule), independence, expected value, binomial distributions, the Central Limit Theorem, hypothesis testing. Assignments may utilize the MiniTab software, or text-accompanying course-ware. Computers are available at the University’s computer lab. Calculator with statistical functions is required.

Prerequisite: ENG 102

Examines the institutions of marriage and family structures and their historical development. Topics include kinship, changing gender roles, changing family forms, divorce, domestic violence, and economic structure.

Prerequisite: ENG 102; SOC 100

Employs a critical sociological approach to deviance and social control in contemporary society. Topics to be considered include the origins and functions of deviance in society, the institutional production and categorization of deviance, the impact of deviance on personal and social identity, deviant careers, and deviance and social change. Considers major theoretical sociological perspectives on deviance; makes use of current data on crime and current research in sociological and criminological journals and websites; and examines portrayals of deviance and social control in literature, film, and popular culture.

Prerequisite: ENG 102; SOC 100

Research design and methods including survey, network, experiment, qualitative, quantitative, and collection, organization and interpretation of research data.

Prerequisite: ENG 102; SOC 100

The study of social structure is central to sociology, and the study of work, the workplace, and various forms of organizations is fundamental for understanding the contemporary social world and the individual and society. Students will study the major theoretical approaches to the sociology of work and organizations, the evolution of the modern workplace and organizations, contemporary debates about work and in organizational theory, careers in sociology, and preparation for the job market. While grounded in sociology, the course examines contributions from economics, management and leadership studies, and psychology.

Prerequisite: SOC 100 and ILR 260

This course examines the foundational theories that have engaged social theorists. It analyzes the historical, cultural, social, economic, political, intellectual, and biographical contexts within which they developed, and appraises the extent to which they continue to inform sociological research and thinking.

Prerequisite: ENG 102

Examines the origins of cultural pluralism in the USA and the valuing of diversity as a socio-cultural imperative. Explores the social history of race and ethnic relations in the USA from Colonial America to the present. Topics include voluntary and involuntary immigration, internal colonization, theoretical frameworks for understanding prejudice and discrimination, master narratives, the US Census, eugenics, immigration policy, and how gender and class complicate understandings of race and ethnicity in the USA.

Prerequisite: ENG 102; SOC 100

Examines the major social theories that have engaged social theorists from the mid-twentieth century onward. The course also investigates the historical, sociological, intellectual, and biographical contexts within which contemporary social theories have developed and the extent to which they inform current sociological research and thinking.

Prerequisite: ENG 102

A critical examination of theories of power, including the relationship of power to culture, social class, the economic order, government, ideology, poverty, race, sex and other topics. Studies community, national and international power structures and institutional leaderships.

Prerequisite: SOC 100 and ENG 240 or equivalent; SOC 385

The senior project is taken near the end of the student’s degree program after completion of the 40.5 units of core required courses for the major. Students will become familiar with the value of the BA Sociology degree and the diverse career pathways open to them. Students will conduct a senior capstone study and present that study in written and oral forms. The project is designed to deepen the sociological understanding of students as they develop a research problem, question, and hypothesis; write a literature review; choose an appropriate method for studying the problem; answer the research question by testing the hypothesis; report and discuss the findings; and adopt theoretical perspectives to analyze the problem and the findings. Grading is H, S, or U only.

An examination of the history of substance use and abuse in the United States. Examines individual and institutional values that underpin chemically dependent behavior as well as socio-cultural factors, including media images, consumer product advertising, myths and stereotypes and subculture/life-style issues. Provides an overview of the social services structure, including outreach, education, prevention and treatment models.

An exploration of methods, patterns and meanings of individual and collective violence. Focuses on gangs, terrorists and the assaultive individual. Students analyze the causes of violence, attitudes toward violence and methods of controlling violence as well as the impact of gun control.

Prerequisite: ENG 240

Examines how international cinema represents various aspects of societies and cultures outside the U.S. Representative films of Asia, Africa, Europe, Latin America, Australia and Oceania, and Canada may be studied.

Prerequisite: ENG 240

Examines the sociological and historical experiences of sex, sexuality, and gender in the USA, focusing on their intersectionality with race, class, and other social variables. Analyzes dominant representations of gender roles and stereotypes in public culture as well as LGBTQ and other representations that challenge prevailing power structures.

Prerequisite: ENG 240

Examines the relationships between humans and the natural environment over the last 500 years. Topics include conceptions of nature, the use of resources in different societies, the consequences of various forms of economic organization (particularly capitalism) on the environment, and the impact of technological change on the world’s ecology.

Prerequisite: ENG 240

Examines changes associated with globalization since World War II, including changes in technology, urbanization, finance, markets, lending, the internationalization of production, the organization of work, and power relations among nations and world cultures. Investigates both theories of and popular responses to the new global economy.

Prerequisite: MTH 215, or MTH 301, or MTH 216A and MTH 216B

Examines currents in the development of mathematics and throughout ancient Egypt, Babylon, China, and the Middle East. It studies math’s influence on society through the major events of Europe, contemporary developments, and some projections into the future, including the women and men who played key roles in evolution of mathematics.

Prerequisite: ENG 102

Major world religions, including Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism, Taoism, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, are surveyed in their historical, literary, and historical contexts. The sociology of religion is extensively addressed, and parallels in myths, rituals, conversion, and rites of passage are compared. Recent and contemporary religious trends are also addressed.

Prerequisite: ENG 102

An exploration of ethical theories as they inform and are applied to contemporary environmental issues such as animal rights, habitat loss, species extinction, pollution, industrialization, population control, ecofeminism and political ecology. Western cultural and ecological assumptions are examined through the lenses of humanitarian, eco-centric, utilitarian, deontological, and ethics-of-care perspectives.

Prerequisite: ENG 102

Introduction to social movements and collective action, covering several theoretical perspectives on how to understand and analyze social movements in recent global history, from their origins to their demise; a global survey of the processes of social and political awareness, mobilization, and development of such movements.

Examination of relationships between geographical features of the earth and human societies. Includes the study of map construction, mapping tools, geographical data, and the influence of geomorphological features on the development and spatial distribution of political systems, languages, and religions.

Prerequisite: ENG 102

Introduces students to the concept and origins of popular culture and to social theories used by academics to analyze its impact on self and culture in modern consumer societies. Topics include mass media, TV, the internet, video games, sports, leisure, fashion, celebrity, shopping, advertising, and youth culture.

Prerequisite: ENG 102

An expansive overview of world consciousness, drawing upon the significant, creative contributions of men and women from varied cultures and different fields of learning. Emphasizes the approach of comparative synthesis. Studies the world’s outstanding creative thinkers and the interconnectedness of their works.

Prerequisite: ENG 102; SOC 100

Employs “the sociological imagination” to explore issues of health, illness and medical practice. It examines the social contexts of physical and mental health, illness and medical care and gives prominence to the debates and contrasting perspectives which characterize the field of medical sociology. Exploring the social, environmental, and occupational factors in health and disease, the development of health professions and the health care workforce, doctor patient relationships, the structure and processes of health care organizations, health care and social change, it is designed for students interested in the organization and analysis of health care in the U.S.

Prerequisite: ENG 102

A critical examination of the complex relationship between film and society and the processes by which film both influences and is influenced by society. Emphasizes the importance of locating the meaning of film texts within social and historical perspective and identifies how the film industry influences the presentation of different groups of people and issues in society. Explores the interrelationship between film and technology, the impact of narrative and the institution of Hollywood on the sociological imagination and the nature of representation, particularly as it applies to race, class and gender.

Prerequisite: ENG 102

Examines race, gender, ethnicity and class in 20th century American society. Introduces students to methods for studying the changing nature of our society and explores ways in which our increasingly urbanized and technological culture affects all aspects of professional and unskilled work. May involve work in oral history.

Prerequisite: ENG 102

Uses the functionalist, conflict and interactionist perspectives, this course explains how human conditions come to be perceived as social problems, and how to evaluate their proposed solutions.

Individual study under direction of instructor. Requires prior approval of appropriate academic department.