Sociology

Faculty
Introduction
Major in Sociology
Interdepartmental Major in Sociology and Afro-American Studies
Minor
Minor in Sociology of Work and Business
Minor in Social Science and Medicine
Combined Programs
Departmental Honors Program
Overseas Study
Course Descriptions

Faculty

Chairperson

Professor Thomas Gieryn

Rudy Professors of Sociology

E. Clem Brooks, Thomas Gieryn, Pamela Walters, Stanley Wasserman

Chancellor's Professors

J. Scott Long, Bernice Pescosolido, Robert Robinson

Robert H. Shaffer Professor

William Corsaro

Allen D. and Polly S. Grimshaw Professor

Brian Powell

Professors

Donna Eder, Pamela Jackson, Jane McLeod, Eliza Pavalko, Martin Weinberg, David Zaret

Associate Professors

Arthur Alderson, Laurel Cornell, Patricia McManus

Assistant Professors

Elizabeth Armstrong, Timothy Bartley, Timothy Hallett, Hofung Hung, Paulette Lloyd, Ethan Michelson, Fabio Rojas, Quincy Stewart, Brian Steensland, Leah VanWey

Academic Advising

Ballantine Hall 749, (812) 855-4233

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Introduction

Sociology is the scientific study of social behavior as organized in systems of social relationships, institutions, and societies. It seeks to explain the manifestations of order, disorder, and change that characterize social life. Major subfields offered by the Department of Sociology (SOC) include social psychology, deviance and criminology, medical sociology, and the study of the family, schools, gender roles, ethnic and racial groups, and social classes.

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Major in Sociology

Purpose

The major is designed to acquaint students with basic principles, methods, and findings in sociology and to provide students with an opportunity to discover and to understand the social nature of their world. Provision is made for students who wish to acquire a general background as well as for those who wish to develop particular interests in a subfield of sociology. The major provides a foundation for careers in many professional fields, such as law, social service administration, and business, as well as for graduate training as professional sociologists in government, business, community agencies, research organizations, or universities.

Requirements

Students must complete 27 credit hours of course work as follows:

S100 or S110.
One additional course from S101, S105, S201, S210, S215, S217, S220, S230.
S370, S371, and S340.
Nine credit hours at the 300 or 400 level (excluding S340, S370, and S371).
Three additional credit hours at the 400 level (excluding S491, S492, S493, S494, S495, S498, and S499).

Students must complete the degree requirements of the College of Arts and Sciences.

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Interdepartmental Major in Sociology and Afro-American Studies

Requirements

Students must meet the following course requirements for a minimum total of 40 hours.

Sociology

At least 21 credit hours of which at least 12 credit hours must be at the 300 level or above, including:

One course from the following:
S100 Introduction to Sociology
S210 The Economy, Organizations, and Work
S215 Social Change
S230 Society and the Individual
S110 Charts, Graphs, and Tables.
S217 Social Inequality.
S335 Race and Ethnic Relations.
Three additional courses in sociology at the 300-400 level.

African American and African Diaspora Studies

At least 18 credit hours of which at least 12 credit hours must be at the 300 level or above, including:

A150 Survey of the Culture of Black Americans.
A355 Afro-American History I or A356 Afro-American History II.
A379 Early Black American Writing or A380 Contemporary Black American Writing.
9 additional credit hours from History, Culture and Social Issues Concentration. These 9 credit hours must include the Senior Seminar. (Majors are strongly encouraged to take A363 Research on Contemporary Afro-American Problems I when it is taught.)

Students must complete the degree requirements of the College of Arts and Sciences.

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Combined Programs

Degree programs combining sociology with journalism, business, urban studies, or other fields are available. Consult the academic advisor in sociology, Ballantine Hall 749. Double majors should also consult the College of Arts and Sciences requirements.

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Minor in Sociology

Requirements

Students must complete 15 credit hours of sociology; at least 9 credit hours must be taken on the Bloomington campus.

Included in the 15 credit hours of sociology are

One of the following: S100, S105, S110, S201, S210, S215, S217, S220, S230.
Two sociology courses at the 300-400 level.
Two sociology courses at any level.

Students whose major department requires a minor should consult with their advisor about additional or other requirements. Students who have questions about an appropriate statistics course should consult the advisor.

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Minor in Sociology of Work and Business

Purpose

This minor offers students the opportunity to certify an area of concentration that examines the social context within which business activities take place and the social processes that shape economic organizations. The minor encourages students to explore implications of trends in families, gender roles, race and ethnic relations, and other noneconomic areas of social life for understanding the organization and future prospects of business in America. For students in the Kelley School of Business, the minor documents completion of an integrated course of study on the impact of social trends on work and occupations. For students in the College of Arts and Sciences and other schools of the university, the minor certifies that they have combined the study of work and occupations with their major field of concentration. Students may not earn both a minor in sociology and a minor in sociology of work and business.

Requirements

The minor requires completion of 15 credit hours, including:

Either S100, S110, or S101 (see advisor for approved sections of S101).
Four courses, including at least 6 hours at the 300-400 level, from S210*, S215, S217, S302*, S305, S315*, S335, S338, S410, S450* (see advisor for approved sections of S410 and S450).
At least 9 credit hours of the above courses must be taken in residence at the Bloomington campus.

*The department recommends that students who select the minor in sociology of work and business take these courses because of their immediate relevance to work and occupation. Students can substitute a 400-level seminar, with an appropriate topic, for one of the four courses, with the approval of the director of undergraduate studies.

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Minor in Social Science and Medicine

Purpose

Allows students to study divergent aspects of the delivery and consumption of medical services, paying special attention to relevant social, historical, behavioral, and ethical contexts. The minor, which is organized in five concentrations, will facilitate and certify a greater understanding of the social context of health in our society than could be achieved in a less integrated course of study. This is achieved through a multidisciplinary approach to health issues that establishes a bridge between the social sciences and health professionals.

Requirements

The minor requires completion of 15 credit hours consisting of a minimum of 9 credits from approved College of Arts and Sciences courses, including:

S101 Topics in Social Programs and Policies (SOC). Approved section: Medicine in America
At least 6 additional credit hours of College courses within the social science and health concentration, of which 3 credit hours must be at 300-400 level.

An additional 6 credit hours, 3 credit hours of which must be at the 300-400 level; this may include up to 6 credit hours in approved courses offered outside the College, including up to 3 credit hours in IUPUI Medical Sociology and up to 3 credit hours in an IUB/IUPUI health-focused internship or field experience.

The five concentrations in the Social Science and Medicine minor include:

Health Care and Society

A social sciencefocused minor that examines social factors defining health status and approaches to care.

Social Changes in Treatment and Health Care Organization

Social perspectives on the delivery and evaluation of care.

Mental Illness and Society

Social and biological factors in mental health.

Social Factors in Community Health

Epidemiologic approaches to the study of health status and health needs of populations, rather than that of individuals.

Decision Making in Seeking and Providing Care

Preparing patients and providers as partners in clinical and ethical decisions.

See sociology advisor or the Web at www.indiana.edu/~soc/index.shtml/ for a list of requirements and approved courses.

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Departmental Honors Program

The honors program in sociology permits outstanding students to pursue important issues and problems in depth. Eligible students must have 3.300 GPA or higher to begin the sociology honors program. To graduate with honors in sociology, a sociology major must complete 9 credit hours of honors work in one of the following ways: enroll in the exploratory readings course (S495), complete a thesis in S498, and enroll in S499 Honors Thesis Seminar; or take a relevant upper-level or graduate course, enroll in either S495 or S498, and enroll in S499 Honors Thesis Seminar. Graduation with honors can be accomplished by completing the requirements in one of the ways listed above during the student's junior and senior years. A total of 30 credit hours in sociology is required for graduation with honors. Students may join the program no later than the first semester of their senior year.

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Overseas Study

Students are encouraged to study abroad, particularly in Indiana University overseas study programs, where they can continue to make progress toward their degrees and apply financial aid to program fees. For information about study abroad, contact the Office of Overseas Study, Franklin Hall 303, (812) 855-9304 (www.indiana.edu/~overseas).

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Course Descriptions

H100 Introduction to Sociology-Honors (3 cr.) S & H Introduction to the central concepts, methods, and theoretical orientations of sociology. Develops a critical/analytical attitude toward societal institutions.

S100 Introduction to Sociology (3 cr.) S & H Introduction to the concepts and methods of sociology with an emphasis on understanding of contemporary American society.

S101 Social Problems and Policies (3 cr.) S & H Introduces sociology through in-depth study of a major social problem; examines research on the problem; and explores alternative policies. Problems treated vary by section. Examples include the environment; women, men, and work; medicine in America; the sociology of sport; alcohol and drug use. May be repeated with different topics for a maximum of 15 credit hours. May be counted only once in the major toward departmental requirements.

S105 Current Social Controversies (3 cr.) S & H Selected controversies, their history, sociological evidence, solutions being debated in the United States and abroad, and the likely outcome of policies. Controversies such as population and the environment, war, childhood, poverty, and education will be examined.

S110 Charts, Graphs, and Tables (3 cr.) N & M Introduces sociology by developing students' skills as consumers and producers of charts, graphs, and tables. Data displays are used to illustrate social trends in crime, divorce, and the economy; to assess political programs; and to test social science theories. Students will learn how to find information on the World Wide Web and in government documents; how to read, interpret, and evaluate the accuracy of graphical information, and how to present social trends and comparisons in interesting visual formats.

S201 Social Problems (3 cr.) S & H Provides an in-depth examination of a range of social problems. Specific topics announced each semester. Examples include social aspects of disability, and violence in society. May be repeated with different topics for a maximum of 6 credit hours, but counted only once in the major toward departmental requirements.

S210 The Economy, Organizations, and Work (3 cr.) S & H Explores the transformation of capitalism and industrialized societies, the evolution of organizations such as corporations, government agencies, educational systems, and others, and the changing world of work.

S215 Social Change (3 cr.) S & H Introduction to theoretical and empirical studies of social change. Explores issues such as modernization; rationalization; demographic, economic, and religious causes of change; and reform and revolution.

S217 Social Inequality (3 cr.) S & H P: 3 credit hours of sociology or consent of instructor. Why are income, wealth, and status distributed unequally? Is social inequality good for society? Explores the economic basis of social class, education, and culture; social mobility; social inequality in comparative and historical perspective.

S220 Culture and Society (3 cr.) S & H Explores changing beliefs about the role of ideas, values, and symbols in society. Considers recent public debates over the content and practices of science, morality, art, and popular culture.

S230 Society and the Individual (3 cr.) S & H Introduction to the concepts, perspectives, and theories of social psychology from the level of the individual to collective behavior. Credit not given for both S230 and H230.

S302 Organizations in Society (3 cr.) S & H Analysis of the internal structure of firms and other complex organizations, and their power in society. Considers how organizations are shaped by the state, suppliers, competitors, and clients; investigates how organizational structure shapes attitudes of managers and workers. Other topics include technology and organizational culture, organizational birth, death, and adaptation processes.

S305 Population (3 cr.) S & H P: 3 credit hours of sociology or consent of instructor. Population composition, fertility, mortality, natural increase, migration; historical growth and change of populations; population theories and policies; techniques in manipulation and use of population data; and the spatial organization of populations.

S308 Global Society (3 cr.) S & H P: 3 credit hours of sociology or consent of instructor. Multinational corporations, new information technologies, and international trade have made the world increasingly interdependent. This course considers how business, technology, disease, war, and other phenomena must be seen in a global context as affecting national sovereignty, economic development, and inequality in resources and power between countries.

S309 The Community (3 cr.) S & H P: 3 credit hours of sociology or consent of instructor. Introduction to the sociology of community life, stressing the processes of order and change in community organization. Major topics include the community and society, the nonterritorial community, analysis of major community institutions, racial-ethnic differences in community behavior, community conflict and community problems.

S311 Politics and Society (3 cr.) S & H P: 3 credit hours of sociology or consent of instructor. Interrelations of politics and society, with emphasis on formation of political power, its structure, and its change in different types of social systems and cultural-historical settings.

S312 Education and Society (3 cr.) S & H P: 3 credit hours of sociology or consent of instructor. The role of educational institutions in modern industrialized societies, with emphasis on the functions of such institutions for the selection, socialization, and certification of individuals for adult social roles. Also covers recent educational reform movements and the implications of current social policies on education.

S313 Religion and Society (3 cr.) S & H P: 3 credit hours of sociology or consent of instructor. The nature, consequences, and theoretical origins of religion, as evident in social construction and functional perspectives; the social origins and problems of religious organizations; and the relationships between religion and morality, science, magic, social class, minority status, economic development, and politics.

S315 Work and Occupations (3 cr.) S & H P: 3 credit hours of sociology or consent of instructor. Treats work roles within such organizations as factory, office, school, government, and welfare agencies; career and occupational mobility in work life; formal and informal organizations within work organizations; labor and management conflict and cooperation; and problems of modern industrial workers.

S316 The Family (3 cr.) S & H Explores the role of the family as a social institution. Topics include variations in courtship behavior, family formation, and kinship patterns; the care of children and other dependents; changes in work patterns, marriage, divorce, and cohabitation over time; the linkages between the family, the workplace, and the state.

S317 Inequality (3 cr.) S & H P: 3 credit hours of sociology or consent of instructor. Nature, functioning, and maintenance of systems of social stratification in local communities and societies. Correlates and consequences of social class position and vertical mobility.

S319 Science, Technology and Society (3 cr.) S & H P: 3 credit hours of sociology or consent of instructor. Issues such as development and structure of the scientific community; normative structure of science; cooperation, competition, and communication among scientists; scientists' productivity, careers, and rewards; development of scientific specialties; and relationship between science and society.

S320 Deviant Behavior and Social Control (3 cr.) S & H P: 3 credit hours of sociology or consent of instructor. Analysis of deviance in relation to formal and informal social processes. Emphasis on deviance and respectability as functions of social reactions, characteristics of rules, and power and conflict.

S321 Sexual Diversity (3 cr.) S & H Sociological examination of diversity in several dimensions of human sexuality: sexual definitions, incidence of various behaviors, intensity of sexual response, sexual object choice, and other modes of sexual expression.

S324 Mental Illness (3 cr.) S & H P: S230 or consent of instructor. Social factors in mental illness: incidence and prevalence by social and cultural categories; variations in societal reaction; social organization of treatment institutions.

S325 Criminology (3 cr.) S & H P: 3 credit hours of sociology or consent of instructor. Factors in genesis of crime and organization of criminal behavior from points of view of the person and the group.

S326 Law and Society (3 cr.) S & H P: 3 credit hours of sociology or consent of instructor. Social origins of civil and criminal law, social bases of legal decision making, and social consequences of the application of law.

S327 Language, Action, and Social Interaction (3 cr.) S & H P: Consent of instructor. R: LING L205. Participants in social interaction use language to perform such activities as describing, telling stories, requesting, criticizing, apologizing, insulting, objecting, joking, greeting, and teasing. This course concerns how participants accomplish these actions in talk and face-to-face interaction. Instruction may include use of video/audio recordings or computer analysis of interaction. Credit given for only one of S327 and LING L327.

S329 Women and Deviance (3 cr.) S & H Using theoretical models of women and deviance, this course examines gender norms and roles in crime, detective fiction, mental illness, alcoholism, drug addiction, lesbianism, rape, and abortion.

S335 Race and Ethnic Relations (3 cr.) S & H, CSA P: 3 credit hours of sociology or consent of instructor. Relations between racial and ethnic minority and majority groups; psychological, cultural, and structural theories of prejudice and discrimination; comparative analysis of diverse systems of intergroup relations.

S338 Gender Roles (3 cr.) S & H P: 3 credit hours of sociology or consent of instructor. Exploration of the properties, correlates, and consequences of gender roles in contemporary societies. Emphasis on defining gender roles, tracing their historical development, and considering their implications for work, marriage, and fertility with cross-cultural comparisons.

S339 Media and Society (3 cr.) S & H P: 3 credit hours of sociology or consent of instructor. The mass media (print, radio, and television) have come to play an increasingly important role in society. This course explores the effects of the mass media on public opinion, crime and violence, social integration, and values. Mass media messages and audiences will also be considered.

S340 Social Theory (3 cr.) S & H P: 3 credit hours of sociology or consent of instructor. Sociological theory, with focus on content, form, and historical development. Relationships between theories, data, and sociological explanation.

S344 Sociology of Childhood (3 cr.) S & H P: 3 credit hours of sociology or consent of instructor. Analysis of childhood as a structural form and children as social agents who contribute to societal reproduction and change. Considers the relation of childhood to other social institutions and children's contributions to society historically and cross-culturally. Examines how social policies in education, family, and work affect children's lives.

S346 Topics in Cross-Cultural Sociology (3 cr.) S & H, CSA P: three credit hours of sociology or consent of instructor. Study of selected sociological issues with an emphasis on cross-cultural analysis. Specific topics announced each semester; examples include work, family, childhood, religion, and education. May be repeated with different topics for a maximum of 9 credit hours.

S359 Community-Based Research (3 cr.) S & H P: three credit hours of sociology or consent of instructor. Introduces students to a topic of sociology and to applied sociology through a community-based research project that addresses some community need. Hands-on experience in all stages of the project, including conceptualization, sampling, questionnaire construction, data collection, and analysis.

S360 Topics in Social Policy (3 cr.) S & H P: 3 credit hours of sociology or consent of instructor. Specific topics announced each semester; examples include environmental affairs, urban problems, poverty, and population problems. May be repeated three times for credit with a different topic.

S361 Cities and Suburbs (3 cr.) S & H P: 3 credit hours of sociology or consent of instructor. Introduction to theory and research on the changing scale and complexity of social organization (urbanization), the quality of life in urban areas, demographic and ecological city growth patterns, and public policy concerns in contemporary urban society.

S370 Research Methods in Sociology (3 cr.) S & H P: 3 credit hours of sociology or consent of instructor. The logic of scientific work in sociology; theory construction; major research designs, including experiments, sample surveys, and ethnographic field studies. Methods of sampling; measurement of variables; and descriptive statistics. Commonly used rates and indices in social research; using software to produce graphical displays and descriptive statistics.

S371 Statistics for Sociology (3 cr.) N & M P: MATH M014 or equivalent. R: 3 credit hour mathematics course approved for College of Arts and Sciences mathematics requirement. Introduces the logic of statistical inference. Students will learn how to use sample data to reach conclusions about a population of interest by calculating confidence intervals and significance tests. Estimating the effects of multiple independent variables using cross-tabulations and/or regression. Credit given for only one of the following: S351; K300; CJUS K300; ECON E370, S370; MATH K305, MATH/PSY K300, K310, or SPEA K300.

S409 Social Context of Schooling (3 cr.) S & H P: S210, S230, S312, or consent of department. Interactional processes within schools and classrooms, focusing on ability grouping and curriculum tracking, educational decision making, peer group culture and interaction, and gender and ethnic differences in socialization.

S410 Topics in Social Organization (3 cr.) S & H P: S210 or S340 or consent of department. Specific topics announced each semester, e.g., social stratification, formal organizations, urban social organization, education, religion, politics, demography, social power, social conflict, social change, comparative social systems. May be repeated three times for credit with a different topic.

S412 American Political Behavior (3 cr.) S & H P: S100, S210, S215, S340, or consent of department. Sociological and social-psychological antecedents, correlates, and consequences of political behavior, with emphasis on the American scene and politics of nongovernmental organizations.

S413 Gender and Society (3 cr.) S & H P: S210, S230, S338, or consent of department. Explores several theories of sex inequality in order to understand the bases of female-male inequality in American society; examines the extent of sex inequality in several institutional sectors; and considers personal and institutional barriers women face, including those resulting from socialization, discrimination, and other structural arrangements.

S417 Conversation Analysis (3 cr.) S & H Sociological investigation of conversational interaction in ordinary life and institutional domains such as education, law, business, and medicine. Topics may include how participants open and close conversations, talk topically, deliver news, tell stories, accomplish goals and agendas, and communicate delicate matters. Students work with audio and video recordings of conversations.

S419 Social Movements and Collective Action (3 cr.) S & H P: S215 or consent of department. Change-oriented social and political collective action and consequences for groups and societies. Resource mobilization, historical and comparative analysis of contemporary movements and collective action.

S420 Topics in Deviance (3 cr.) S & H P: S320 or consent of department; may vary with topic. Specific topics announced each semester; e.g., crime, juvenile delinquency, law enforcement, corrections, mental illness, sexual deviance, drug use, violence, and physical disability. May be repeated three times for credit with a different topic.

S422 Constructing Sexuality (3 cr.) S & H A sociological examination of a variety of forms of human sexuality from the perspectives of social constructionism and politics of sexuality.

S427 Social Conflict (3 cr.) S & H P: S210, S230, S340, or consent of department. Origin, development, and termination of social conflict; its organizing and disorganizing effects; its control.

S431 Topics in Social Psychology (3 cr.) S & H P: S230 or consent of department; may vary with topic. Specific topics announced each semester; e.g., socialization, personality development, small-group structures and processes, interpersonal relations, language and human behavior, attitude formation and change, collective behavior, public opinion. May be repeated three times for credit with a different topic.

S433 Adult Socialization (3 cr.) S & H P: S230 or consent of instructor. Socialization into adult roles, including marriage and family, occupation, sex, age, and ethnicity. Focuses on the nature of these roles, the organizational constraints involved, the agents of socialization, the organizational and individual consequences of outcomes, and the relationship between self structure and social structure in the process.

S435 Social Psychology of the Self (3 cr.) S & H P: S230 or consent of department. The nature of the self and its development and consequences from various perspectives. Topics include identity dissolution, shame, guilt, anxiety, and alienation. Techniques of measurement and analysis of self-concept.

S438 Childhood Socialization (3 cr.) S & H P: S230 or consent of department. Human learning and social development in childhood. Topics include review of theoretical approaches and research methods of childhood socialization, language acquisition and thought, interactive competence and self-development, culture/class variation in socialization, sex role development, and classroom socialization. Emphasis on transmission of cultural communication and acquisition of basic social skills by children.

S439 Social Interaction (3 cr.) S & H Explores how social interaction modifies status and power structures, produces and reduces stress and affective fulfillment, and enables the accomplishment of work and organizational tasks. Topics covered may include nonverbal communication, cognitive structuring of interaction, the functioning of attitudes and emotions, presentations of self, and negotiation activities.

S441 Topics in Social Theory (3 cr.) S & H P: S340 or consent of department. Topics may include structuralism, evolutionary theory, symbolic interaction theory, functionalism, social action theory, exchange theory, history and development of social theory, sociology of knowledge.

S450 Topics in Methods and Measurement (3 cr.) S & H P: S371 or consent of department. Topics may include logic of inquiry, model construction and formalization, research design, data collection, sampling, measurement, statistical analysis.

S491 Sociological Research Practicum I (3 cr.) P: both S370 and S371, or consent of instructor. Participation in all aspects of a sociological research project, including conceptualization and design, data collection, analysis, and report writing.

S492 Sociological Research Practicum II (3 cr.) P: S491 or consent of instructor. Continuation of S491 with emphasis on analysis and report writing.

S493 Professional Strategies for Sociology Majors (1 cr.) Documenting what has been learned, assembling a portfolio, writing a resume and letters of application; getting ready for graduate school or the labor market, using the World Wide Web.

S494 Field Experience in Sociology (1-6 cr.) P: Consent of instructor and prior arrangement. Faculty-directed study of aspects of sociology based on field experience, in conjunction with directed readings and writing. Specifically, each intern is required to: (1) keep a daily or weekly journal, which is given at regular intervals to the faculty sponsor; (2) give an oral report once the fieldwork is completed; and (3) depending on academic credit, write a journal or an analytic paper or both. Limited to a total of 9 credit hours of both S494 and S495.

S495 Individual Readings in Sociology (1-6 cr.) P: Consent of instructor and prior arrangement, usually in conjunction with honors work. Limited to a total of 9 credit hours of both S494 and S495.

S498 Honors Thesis-Senior Independent Study for Honors Students (3 cr.) P: Consent of honors advisor and senior standing. Research and preparation of senior honors thesis. I Sem., II Sem.

S499 Honors Seminar (3 cr.) P: Consent of honors advisor.

Y398 Internship in Professional Practice (1-3 cr.) P: Two Sociology courses, (including one beyond the 100-level) and approval of the director of Undergraduate Studies (DUS) in Sociology. Provides opportunities for students to receive credit for selected, career-related work in a cooperating institution, agency, or business. Research paper that relates work experience to materials learned in sociology courses is required. Evaluation by employer and DUS in Sociology. Three credit hours to count in the major or minor. Limited to a total of 9 credit hours of Y398, S494, or S495 combined.

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