Sociology
Faculty
Introduction
Majors
Minors
Departmental Honors Program
Course Descriptions
Faculty
Chairperson
Professor Robert Robinson
Distinguished Professor
Sheldon Stryker
Rudy Professors of Sociology
Thomas Gieryn, David Heise, Pamela Walters
Chancellors' Professors
J. Scott Long, Bernice Pescosolido, Robert Robinson
Robert H. Shaffer Professor
William Corsaro
Professors
Robert Althauser, York Bradshaw, Donna Eder, Maurice Garnier, Thomas Gieryn, David Heise, Douglas Maynard, Brian Powell, David Takeuchi, Michael Wallace, Pamela Walters, Martin Weinberg, David Zaret
Associate Professors
E. Clem Brooks, Laurel Cornell, David James, Jane McLeod, Eliza Pavalko
Assistant Professors
Arthur Alderson, Jason Jimerson, Patricia McManus, Kent Redding
Academic Advising
Ballantine Hall 749, (812) 855-4233
Return to Top
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.
Return to Top
Majors
Major in Sociology
Interdepartmental Major in Sociology and Afro-American Studies
Combined Programs
Return to Top
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, 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.
Return to Majors
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.
- 3 additional courses in sociology at the 300-400 level.
Afro-American Studies
At least 18 credit hours of which at least 12 credit hours must be at the 300 level or above, including:
- A150 Survey 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.
Return to Majors
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.
Return to Majors
Return to Top
Minors
Minor in Sociology
Minor in Work and Business
Minor in Social Science and Medicine
Return to Top
Minor in Sociology
Requirements
- One of the following: S100 or S110, S201, S210, S215, S217, S220, S230.
- Two courses at the 300-400 level.
- A total of 15 College of Arts and Sciences credit hours.
- At least 9 credit hours of the above courses must be taken in residence at the Bloomington campus.
Students whose major department requires a minor should consult with their advisor about additional or other requirements.
Note: Students may earn only one minor in sociology. The minor in Sociology of Work and Business may not be used as an A.A. concentration.
Return to Minors
Minor in 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 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 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.
Return to Minors
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 hours of College courses within the social science and health concentration, of which 3 hours must be at 300-400 level.
An additional 6 hours, 3 hours of which must be at the 300-400 level; this may include up to 6 hours in approved courses offered outside the College, including up to 3 hours in IUPUI Medical Sociology and up to 3 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
Social Changes in Treatment and Health Care Organization
Mental Illness and Society
Social Factors in Community Health
Decision Making in Seeking and Providing Care
Return to Minors
Health Care and Society
A social science-focused minor which examines social factors defining health status and approaches to care.
Requirements
9 hours of College of Arts and Sciences courses (3 of which must be at the 300-400 level), including:
- S101 Social Problems and Policies (SOC) (approved section: Medicine in America)
- One or more of:
- S324 Sociology of Mental Health (SOC)
- S410 Social Roots of Health and Disease (SOC)
- E445 Medical Anthropology (ANTH)
- H333 Epidemics in History (HIST)
- P493 Law and Psychiatry (CJUS)
- R373 Religion, Ethics and Medicine or R473 Problems in Social Ethics: Medical Ethics (RELS)
- B400 Topics in Bioanthropology (ANTH)
- One additional course from:
- B200 Bioanthropology (ANTH)
- H213 The Black Death (HIST)
- X205 History of Medicine (HPSC)
- E104 History of the World Population (COAS Topics)
- E105 Good Genes Bad Genes (COAS Topics)
- M131 Disease and the Human Body (Medical Sciences)
Six additional credits (3 of which must be at the 300-400 level); may include:
- One or more of the following:
- H366 Health Problems in the Community or H311 Human Diseases and Epidemiology (HPER)
- B233 Health and Wellness in Society (Nursing)
- One of the following IUPUI sociology courses:
- R381 Social Factors in Health
- R382 Social Organization of Health Care
- R321 Women and Health, or
- Up to 3 credits in experiential learning, with a health or mental health focus:
- S494 Field Experience in Sociology (SOC)
- R497 Field Experience in Medical Sociology (IUPUI)
- H466 Public Health Field Experience (SPEA)
- P497 Field Experience in Psychology (PSY)
- C444 Field Experience in Public Health Education (HPER)
- Y481 Field Experience in Political Science (POLS)
Return to Minor in Social Science and Medicine
Social Changes in Treatment and Health Care Organization
Social perspectives on the delivery and evaluation of care.
Requirements
9 hours of College of Arts and Sciences courses (3 of which must be at the 300-400 level), including:
- S101 Social Problems and Policies (SOC) (approved section: Medicine in America)
- One or more of:
- S324 Sociology of Mental Illness (SOC)
- S410 Health in an Aging Society (SOC)
- P493 Law and Psychiatry (instructor's approval) (CJUS)
- R373 Religion, Ethics, and Medicine or R473 Topics in Social Ethics (RELS) Medical Ethics
- One of:
- X205 History of Medicine (HPSC)
- E104 Mad and the Bad (COAS Topics)
Six additional credits (3 of which must be at the 300-400 level); may include (4-5):
- One or more of:
- B233 Health and Wellness in Society (Nursing)
- H320 Health Systems Administration (SPEA)
- H441 Legal Aspects of Health Care (SPEA)
- H455 Topics in Health Care Policy (SPEA) (approved sections: Health Care Policy and Reform; Managed Care)
- H502 Needs Assessment in Public Health (HPER)
- C403 Program Planning in Public Health (HPER)
- One of the following IUPUI sociology courses:
- R381 Social Factors in Health
- R327 Death and Dying
- R382 Social Organization of Health Care
- Up to 3 credit hours in experiential learning, with a health or mental health focus:
- R497 Field Experience in Medical Sociology (IUPUI)
- H466 Public Health Field Experience (SPEA)
- S494 Field Experience in Sociology (SOC)
- P497 Field Experience in Psychology (PSY)
- C444 Field Experience in Public Health Education (HPER)
- Y481 Field Experience in Political Science (POLS)
Return to Minor in Social Science and Medicine
Mental Illness and Society
Social and biological factors in mental health.
Requirements
9 hours of College of Arts and Sciences courses (3 of which must be at the 300-400 level), including:
- S101 Social Problems and Policies (SOC) (approved section: Medicine in America)
- One or more of:
- S324 Mental Illness (SOC)
- P324 Abnormal Psychology or P326 Behavioral Neuroscience (PSY)
- P425 Behavioral Disorders of Childhood and Adolescence (PSY)
- P407 Drugs and the Nervous System (PSY)
- P434 Community Psychology (PSY)
- P415 Crime and Madness (CJUS) or P493 Seminar: Law and Psychiatry (PSY) (with instructor's approval)
- And one additional course:
- E104 The Mad and the Bad (COAS Topics)
- P201 Biology of Human Behavior (PSY)
- E105 Neural Basis of Human Behavior (COAS Topics)
Six additional credits (3 of which must be at the 300-400 level); may include:
- One of:
- S300 Topics in Family Studies (Social Work) (approved sections: Family Violence/Child Abuse; Addictions)
- H318 Drug Use in American Society (HPER)
- H418 Nature of Addictive Disorders (HPER)
- One of the following IUPUI sociology courses:
- R495 Sociology of Mental Illness
- R410 Alcohol, Drugs, and Society
- Up to 3 hours of experiential learning, with a focus on health or mental health:
- R497 Field Experience in Medical Sociology (IUPUI)
- H466 Public Health Field Experience (SPEA)
- S494 Field Experience in Sociology (SOC)
- P497 Field Experience in Psychology (PSY)
- C444 Field Experience in Public Health Education (HPER)
- Y481 Field Experience in Political Science (POLS)
Return to Minor in Social Science and Medicine
Social Factors in Community Health
Epidemiologic approaches to the study of health status and health needs of populations, rather than that of individuals.
Requirements
9 hours of College of Arts and Sciences courses (3 of which must be at the 300-400 level), including:
- S101 Social Problems and Policies (SOC) (approved section: Medicine in America)
- One or more of:
- S410 Social Roots of Health and Disease (SOC)
- S410 Health in an Aging Society (SOC)
- H333 Epidemics in History (HIST)
- B480 Human Growth and Development (ANTH)
- B400 Topics in Bioanthropology (ANTH)
- L302 Topics in Human Biology (BIOL)
- L369 Heredity, Evolution, and Society (BIOL)
- M440 Medical Microbiology (Medical Sciences)
- An additional course from:
- B200 Bioanthropology (ANTH)
- E104 History of World Population (COAS Topics)
- E105 Good Genes Bad Genes (COAS Topics)
- H213 The Black Death (HIST)
- M131 Disease and the Human Body (Medical Science)
- X311 Emerging Infectious Diseases (COAS)
Six additional credits (3 of which must be at the 300-400 level); may include:
- One of:
- H311 Human Disease and Epidemiology (HPER)
- H494 Research and Evaluative Methods (HPER)
- H324 Gerontology (HPER)
- B233 Health and Wellness in Society (Nursing)
- H310 Health Care in Minority Communities (HPER)
- H502 Needs Assessment in Public Health (HPER)
- H494 Research and Evaluative Methods in Health (HPER)
- One of the following IUPUI sociology courses:
- R280 Topics in Sociology (approved section: AIDS and Society)
- R381 Social Factors in Health
- Up to 3 hours in experiential learning, with a health or mental health focus:
- H466 Public Health Field Experience (SPEA)
- S494 Field Experience in Sociology (SOC)
- P497 Field Experience in Psychology (PSY)
- C444 Field Experience in Public Health Education (HPER)
- Y481 Field Experience in Political Science (POLS)
- R497 Field Experience in Medical Sociology (IUPUI)
Return to Minor in Social Science and Medicine
Decision Making in Seeking and Providing Care
Preparing patients and providers as partners in clinical and ethical decisions.
Requirements
9 hours of College of Arts and Sciences courses (3 of which must be at the 300-400 level), including:
- S101 Social Problems and Policies (SOC) (approved section: Medicine in America
- One or more of:
- R373 Religion, Ethics, and Medicine (RELS)
- R473 Problems in Social Ethics: Medical Ethics (RELS)
- S410 Health Care in an Aging Society (SOC)
- L369 Heredity, Genetics and Society (BIOL)
- One of:
- E103 Playing God: Life and Death Issues in Medical Ethics (COAS Topics)
- E105 Good Genes Bad Genes (COAS Topics)
- X205 Introduction to the History of Medicine (COAS Topics)
- M131 Disease and the Human Body (Medical Sciences)
Six additional credits (3 of which must be at the 300-400 level) may include:
- One of:
- S300 Topics in Family Studies (Social Work) (approved sections: Family Violence/Child Abuse; Addictions)
- H318 Drug Use in American Society (HPER)
- H324 Gerontology (HPER)
- B233 Health and Wellness in Society (Nursing)
- H310 Health Care in Minority Communities (HPER)
- H220 Death and Dying (HPER)
- H366 Health Problems in the Community
- H441 Legal Aspects of Health Care (SPEA)
- H455 Topics in Health Care Policy (SPEA) (approved sections: Senior Seminar in Public Health Administration) (with instructor's permission)
- B233 Health and Wellness in Society (Nursing)
- One of the following IUPUI sociology courses:
- R327 Death and Dying
- R381 Social Factors in Health and Illness
- Up to 3 hours experiential learning in:
- S494 Field Experience in Sociology
- P497 Field Experience in Psychology
- C444 Field Experience in Public Health Education (HPER)
- Y481 Field Experience in Political Science
- R497 Field Experience in Medical Sociology (IUPUI)
- H466 Public Health Field Experience (SPEA)
Return to Minor in Social Science and Medicine
Return to Minors
Return to Top
Departmental Honors Program
The honors program in sociology permits outstanding students to pursue important issues and problems in depth. 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. The student must also achieve a minimum overall GPA of 3.3 at the time of graduation. Students may join the program no later than the first semester of their senior year.
Return to Top
Course Descriptions
H100 Introduction to SociologyHonors (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 the 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 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.
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 ThesisSenior 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 director of undergraduate studies. 3 credit hours to count in the major or minor. Limited to a total of 9 credit hours of Y398, S494, or S495 combined.
Return to Top
|