This list is a sampling of the kinds of courses offered through the Sociology department curriculum. Not all courses shown here will be offered every semester. For a complete list of currently available courses, students may log into their account on Student Center.
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Study of basic structures and dynamics of human societies, focusing on the development of principles and concepts used in sociological analysis and research. Topics include culture, socialization, social institutions, stratification, and social change. No prerequisite. Meets four hours per week.
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Study of basic structures and dynamics of human societies, focusing on the development of principles and concepts used in sociological analysis and research. Topics include culture, socialization, social institutions, stratification, and social change. Emphasis on Sociology through film. No prerequisite.
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Study of basic structures and dynamics of human societies, focusing on the development of principles and concepts used in sociological analysis and research. Topics include culture, socialization, social institutions, stratification, and social change. No prerequisite. Meets three hours per week and has extra assignments.
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Examination of distribution of valued resources and associated social ranking and rating systems. Topics include social classes, social mobility, economic and political power, and informal prestige and fame. Prerequisite: Sociology 101, 102 or 103.
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Examination of the components of population composition (fertility, mortality, and migration) to understand how they interact to produce particular population structures and population growth rates. Course emphasizes the study of relationships between social and demographic variables, and the consequences of different population structures and population growth rates for societies as a whole and for various social groups. Special attention is given to the relationship between population dynamics and social change in the United States. Prerequisite: Sociology 101, 102 or 103.
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Analysis of broadcast and print media institutions and the internet. Perspectives include the 'production of culture,' cultural content analysis, socialization effects, and media coverage. Various popular culture genres, both mass and folk, are covered, with special emphasis on music and film. Prerequisite: Sociology 101, 102 or 103 or permission of instructor.
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Analysis of the family as a social institution. Course takes a comparative and sociohistorical approach to the study of families, with a particular focus on the interaction between family and economy. Topics include intrafamily relations, work-family links, and family policy. Prerequisite: Sociology 101, 102 or 103.
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Why do we see human difference through the color of another’s skin? Are we each both perpetrators and victims of racism, prejudice or discrimination? Why do some immigrant groups assimilate and others do not, and what kinds of hybrid identities are thereby created? What role have institutions played in the formation or perpetuation of racial identities or stereotypes? In what ways can we begin to see a deep relationship among race, opportunity, class and place? How important is the media in perpetuating stereotypes and norms of appearance? How, when and why might we see the boundaries of racial and ethnic identity shift, separate and overlap? The mission of this course is to provide students with the sociological tools to think critically about the social histories of race and ethnicity; to recognize the individual and communal impacts of racism, migration and assimilation; and to work towards a deep appreciation of human diversity. This course will focus on discussion and self-reflection. It will count as an elective in the Sociology and Africana Studies majors and minors and the Peace & Justice Studies minor. Prerequisite: Sociology 101, 102 or 103; or permission of the instructor.
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Examination of the concept of deviance and exploration of various sociological theories and perspectives for viewing deviant phenomena. Topics include extreme tattooing, alien kidnapping, obesity, white supremacy, and S&M practices. Prerequisite: Sociology 101, 102 or 103.
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Examination of patterns of gender stratification in American social structures. Course centers on how class, race, and gender influence the experiences of women and men in families and occupations. Topics include images of women in the media, construction of gender, and movements for change. Prerequisite: Sociology 101, 102, or 103. SOC 217 and WGS 217 are cross-listed.
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Examination of the experiences of children and adolescents from a sociological perspective. This course considers the influences of family and other social forces on the lives of young people. Topics include childhood socialization, stratification, peer status systems, cultural consumption, and sexuality. Prerequisite: SOC 101, SOC 102, or SOC 103
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Explores the structures, practices, content, and outcomes of schooling in relation to the broader society in which schools are situated using a sociological perspective. Uses this perspective to challenge common assumptions about schools and try to understand why they are organized the way they are, how they sort people into their adult roles, and how current reforms are changing the structure of education in our society. Prerequisites: SOC 101, SOC 102, or SOC 103.
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The course focuses on social theories developed to explain the recent social, economic, and political transformation of Latin America. It draws on theories of neoliberalism, development, hegemony, social transformation, and state theories to illuminate the place of Latin America in global context. It pays particular attention to the rise and rule of progressive governments in the 21st century and the resurgence of neoliberal right-wing governments in the region.
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What is health, and how have science and medicine, as social institutions, helped us to frame health in terms of places, people & politics? In what ways do our communities—from family to nation-state—help or hinder our life course and affect our access to medicine and medical technologies? How has science reproduced frameworks of discrimination via colonialism, racism, sexism, and ableism? Can we, as global citizens, cultivate a ‘One Health’ approach to these challenges? Taking a richly multi-disciplinary lens by drawing on the lessons of history, sociology, anthropology, and cultural studies, this class attempts to answer such questions through a biopolitical and necropolitical theoretical framework. Our readings and research will focus on the intertwined histories and contemporary realities of colonialism and medicine; pandemics and prophylaxis; politics and public health; gender, ableism and the body; medical technologies and artificial intelligence; and the medicalization of disease and death. This class will be largely discussion-based, with student presentations and an essay-based midterm and final. This course will count as an elective in the Sociology, Public Policy, and Public Health Policy majors and the Sociology and Peace & Justice Studies minors. Prerequisites: SOC 101, 102 or 103; or HS 120; or permission of the instructor. SOC 239 and PP 239 are cross-listed.
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Exploration of how sexualities are socially constructed and controlled. In this course we use a sociological lens to examine how sexualities directly and indirectly shape our daily lives. We adopt both a life-course perspective and a cross-cultural perspective to understand the fluidity of sexual identities (lesbian, straight, gay, and bisexual) throughout our lives and within different cultural contexts. Topics include categorization of sexualities, representation of sexualities, sexual identities, sex practices, sexual health and disease, commercial sex, and social control of sexualities. Prerequisite: Sociology 101, 102 or 103 or permission of instructor.
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Examination of the tourism industry through a sociological lens. The course educates students on the delicate balance between business profit-maximization and social responsibility. The course uses interdisciplinary theoretical frameworks but filter them through a sociological lens to understand the industry. The course takes current tourism marketing and market segmentation approaches and examines explicit and implicit biases in business models and strategies and how they reflect, maintain, or even promote systematic societal inequalities and stereotypes. Prerequisite: Soc 101, 102, 103 or permission from instructor. SOC 242 and MGT 242 are cross-listed.
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Examination of relationships between China’s political and socio-economic changes and the Chinese Diaspora over the past century. Course explores how the diaspora has been affected by China's changing global positions. North America and Singapore are used as case studies to examine the relationship of overseas Chinese people with China. Prerequisite: Sociology 101, 102 or 103 or permission of instructor.
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Comparative examination of inequalities within local sexual systems and situating them within a global context. Topics include social control and categorization of sexualities, and sexual identities and practices. The course investigates how religion and tradition shape these local systems. It also examines the hierarchies created by class and race within these systems. Last, the course discusses how these systems are being contested through activism. Throughout the course, discussions include how these systems simultaneously resist and accept the influences of globalization. Prerequisite: Sociology 101, 102 or 103 or permission of instructor.
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Examination of the use of visual dimensions and materials we produce as data for analysis through a sociological lens. The goal of the course is to allow students to understand how visual materials carry powerful messages that explicitly or implicitly reflect societal attitudes, norms and values. The course teaches students how to collect visual materials, thematically code them, quantify these codes, and conduct statistical analysis. The course discusses research ethics in Visual Studies. Prerequisite: SOC 101, SOC 102, or SOC 103.
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What are the major issues facing humanity today? What are the major issues facing the environment? Are these challenges the same? In this course, we will begin to think through the ways in which the problems of humanity—violence, precarity, discrimination, denial, to name just a few—are also at the root of major environmental concerns. Underlying much of our contemporary relationship to the ‘environment’ is a capitalist framework. Thus, we will look at the exploitative nature of colonial resource extraction; the structure of environmental racism and unequal resource access; the increasingly unnatural disasters we face; the emotional and political foundations of climate change denial; and the role of corporations and money in fueling environmental degradation and catastrophe. We will conclude the semester with a discussion of social movements, resiliency, and post-humanism. This course will be largely discussion-based and interactive, and will count as an elective in the Sociology and Environmental Studies majors and minors and the Peace & Justice Studies minor. Prerequisites: SOC 101, 102 or 103; or ES 196; or permission of the instructor. SOC 247 and PP 247 are cross-listed.
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Exploration of a topic in sociology not usually covered in the regular curriculum. Prerequisite: SOC 101, 102, or 103.
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A study of the development of Latin American states and societies. It first examines the various strategies employed by Latin American elites to develop capitalist societies that serve their interests. Mexico, Brazil, and Argentina are used to illustrate the implementation of these strategies. The second part of the course focuses on social movements to analyze the popular reaction to elites’ strategies of social development. It looks at social movements generally in the region, but it pays particular attention to Mexico, Brazil, and Argentina. SOC 262, LAS 262, and PP 262 are cross-listed.
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A study of historical, social and political development of the Dominican Republic. The course looks at the tensions between dictatorship, democracy, social development, and international migration to explain contemporary Dominican society. These factors are seen in the context of international capitalist development and the nation’s re-insertion into globalization. Soc 267 and LAS 267 are cross-listed.
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Study of the development of Mexico’s economic and social development in the Twentieth Century. The course focuses on two tasks: it provides an outline of economic and social development since independence and evaluates the process of industrialization in the twentieth century. The basic conceptual framework is that a socio-historical approach may help us understand the successive periods of growth and stagnation in Mexican society. What does the sociological analysis teach us about the current obstacles to social and economic development? SOC 276, LAS 276, and PP 276 are cross-listed.
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Exploration of the nature of sociological theory and major theoretical orientations (paradigms). Course examines the origins and creation of these paradigms in the nineteenth and early twentieth century - the period of 'classical sociology' and their development, elaboration, and application in contemporary sociology. Prerequisite: SOC 101, 102, or 103, with a grade of C or higher; and one 200-level SOC course.
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Seminar on conducting qualitative fieldwork. Topics include how theory informs research, ethical issues, and developing descriptive fieldnotes. Students carry out original research projects, using field methods such as participant observation and qualitative interviewing, and learn how to gather data, analyze results, and write research reports. Prerequisite: SOC 101, 102, or 103, with a grade of C or higher
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Study of elementary quantitative data analysis, including logic, application, and interpretation of statistical techniques. Students carry out and present original quantitative research projects. Includes laboratory. Prerequisite: SOC 101, 102, or 103, with a grade of C or higher.
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Exploration of the nature of the self and how it is shaped by social experiences. Students examine classical and contemporary explanations of the origins of self and consider how individuals come to perceive themselves as gendered and sexual beings. Course includes symbolic interaction, psychoanalytic, and post-modern theories. Emphasis is on the influence of the family, work, and relationships on emotions and cognitive structures. Prerequisite: SOC 296 with a grade of C or higher, or consent of the instructor.
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A survey of how various socio-theoretical perspectives conceive of, and evaluate the political, social, and economic aspects of capitalism. A variety of issues related to capitalism and capitalistic societies are explored, ranging from how capitalism emerged historically to more contemporary debates regarding the contemporary nature of capitalism. These issues are explored through the theoretical lens of Adam Smith, Karl Marx, Max Weber, Emile Durkheim, Joseph Schumpeter, Milton Friedman, Naomi Klein, Jean Baudrillard, and others. Prerequisite: SOC 296 with a grade of C or higher, or consent of the instructor. SOC 318 and PP 318 are cross-listed.
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The course focuses on social theories developed to explain the recent social, economic, and political transformation of Latin America. It draws on theories of neoliberalism, development, hegemony, social transformation, and state theories to illuminate the place of Latin America in global context. It pays particular attention to the rise and rule of progressive governments in the 21st century and the resurgence of neoliberal right-wing governments in the region. Soc 331 and LAS 331 are cross-listed.
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The capstone seminar is the culmination of the major degree program, seeking to help students become advocates for positive social change with knowledge and empathy. The capstone will help students integrate and synthesize the lessons learned in their many elective, methods, and theory courses. Students will review sociological research methods; ethical research design; and theoretical frameworks and paradigms in order to create a strong independent research project based on primary data collection and analysis. Each student's research will also be showcased via the interactive websites they design, which will in turn form the foundation for future employment and graduate program applications. Prerequisites: SOC 296 (with C or above), 298, 299; and senior status.
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Individualized tutorial counting toward the minimum requirements in a major or minor, graded A-F
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Individualized tutorial counting toward the minimum requirements in a major or minor, graded S/U
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Individualized tutorial not counting in the minimum requirements in a major or minor, graded A-F
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Individualized tutorial not counting in the minimum requirements in a major or minor, graded S/U
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Individual investigation of a research topic in sociology in the student's special area of interest under the guidance of a faculty member. Topic must be approved by department. Project culminates in written and oral presentations of a formal paper to the departmental faculty. One way of qualifying for departmental honors. Students must submit a proposal to the department a minimum of two weeks before the end of the semester preceding the proposed study. Prerequisite: Consent of department. Open to juniors and seniors only.
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Individualized research counting toward the minimum requirements in a major or minor, graded S/U
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Individualized research not counting in the minimum requirements in a major or minor, graded A-F
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Individualized research not counting in the minimum requirements in a major or minor graded S/U
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Internship not counting in the minimum requirements in a major or minor, graded S/U