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Sociology | SOC

students at IU South BendSociology | SOC

P Prerequisite | C Co-requisite | R Recommended
I Fall Semester | II Spring Semester | S Summer Session/s

  • SOC-B 190 Human Behavior and Social Organizations (3 cr.) Develops insights into human nature, the nature of social institutions, the social processes that have shaped the world of the 21st century. In an interdisciplinary way, introduces the distinctive perspectives of the social sciences, emphasizing frameworks and techniques used in explaining causes and patterns of individual and institutional behavior. I, II, S
  • SOC-B 399 Human Behavior and Social Institutions (3 cr.) Develops insights into human nature, the nature of social institutions, the social processes that have shaped the world of the twenty-first century. In an interdisciplinary way, introduces the distinctive perspectives of the social sciences, emphasizing frameworks and techniques used in explaining causes and patterns of individual and institutional behavior.
  • SOC-H 161 Honors: Principles of Sociology (3 cr.) A general introduction to sociology for honors students. The course will cover key concepts, theories, and findings. Credit not given for both SOC-S 161 and SOC-H 161. II
  • SOC-R 498 Sociology Capstone Seminar (3 cr.) P: SOC-S 161, SOC-S 204, SOC-S 340, SOC-S 370, and junior or senior standing. Designed to help graduating senior sociology majors to synthesize and demonstrate what they have learned in their major while readying themselves for a career and/or graduate study.
  • SOC-S 101 Social Problems and Policies (3 cr.) Introduces sociology through in-depth study of a major social 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.
  • SOC-S 161 Principles of Sociology (3 cr.) Credit not given for more than one of the following courses: HON-H 100, SOC-H 100, SOC-R 100, SOC-S 100, SOC-S 161. Nature of interpersonal relationships, societies, groups, communities, and institutional areas such as the family, politics, education, the economy, and religion. Includes social process operating within these areas; significance for problems of social organization, social change, and social stratification. I, II, S
  • SOC-S 164 Marital Relations and Sexuality (3 cr.) A functional analysis of courtship; alternative lifestyles; mate selection; engagement; marital adjustment; sexual dysfunctions; and the basic issues of human sexuality. II, S
  • SOC-S 204 The Sociological Imagination (3 cr.) P: SOC-S 161 or equivalent. This course develops students' knowledge about and understanding of the sociological perspective. The course focuses on the relationship between theory and research methods. Students who complete the course will be able to identify and apply a sociological perspective, know how to read and work with sociological analysis, be able to explain the relationship between theory and methods, apply theories to develop explanations for social phenomena and explain which research methods are appropriate for studying particular social issues.  The goal of this course is to teach students to think like sociologists.
  • SOC-S 230 Society and the Individual (3 cr.) P: ANTH-E 105, SOC-S 161, or SOC-S 163. An introduction to the concepts, perspectives, and theories of social psychology from the level of the individual to collective behavior.
  • SOC-S 240 Social Informatics (3 cr.) Introduction to key social research perspectives and literatures on the use of information and communication technologies.  Discusses current topics such as information ethics, relevant legal frameworks, popular and controversial uses of technology (for example, peer-to-peer file sharing), digitial divides, etc.  Outlines research methodologies for social informatics.
  • SOC-S 268 Seminar in Applied Social Research (3 cr.) P: ANTH-E 105, SOC-S 161, or SOC-S 163. Required for sociology majors. Directed projects in community organizations; the use of social research techniques to gather information desired by the organization and apply it toward some problem or need of the organization. I, II
  • SOC-S 306 Urban Society (3 cr.) P: ANTH-E 105, SOC-S 161, or SOC-S 163. A study of cities and urbanization in the modern world; special consideration of ecological patterning, urban lifestyles, and urban problems. S
  • SOC-S 310 The Sociology of Women in America (3 cr.) P: ANTH-E 105, SOC-S 161, or SOC-S 163. The study of the situation of women in America today—its definition, changes, and consequences. Specific issues may include spousal abuse, rape, the role of homemaker, being different, feminism.
  • SOC-S 313 Religion and Society (3 cr.) P: ANTH-E 105, SOC-S 161, or SOC-S 163. Considers the functions and dysfunctions of religion generally, its economic and cultural patterns, religious group evolutions (cults, churches, sects, denominations), leadership deviance, and conversion/faith maintenance.
  • SOC-S 314 Social Aspects of Health and Medicine (3 cr.) P: ANTH-E 105, SOC-S 161, or SOC-S 163. Group characteristics in the causation, amelioration, and prevention of mental and physical illness, and the social influences in medical education, medical practice, and hospital administration.
  • SOC-S 315 Work and Occupations (3 cr.) P: ANTH-E 105, SOC-S 161, or SOC-S 163. 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; problems of modern industrial workers.
  • SOC-S 316 The Family (3 cr.) P: ANTH-E 105, SOC-S 161, or SOC-S 163. Cross-cultural perspectives on family systems; structure and process of the conjugal family in modern and emerging societies. Focus on relationships of the family to other subsystems of the larger society and on interaction within the family in connection with these interrelationships. Emphasis on development of systematic theory.
  • SOC-S 317 Social Stratification (3 cr.) P: ANTH-E 105, SOC-S 161, or SOC-S 163. Nature, functioning, and maintenance of systems of social stratification in local communities and societies. Correlates and consequences of social class position and vertical mobility.
  • SOC-S 319 Science, Technology, and Society (3 cr.) P: ANTH-E 105, SOC-S 161, or SOC-S 163. Examines issues such as the 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.
  • SOC-S 324 Mental Illness (3 cr.) P: ANTH-E 105, SOC-S 161, or SOC-S 163. Social factors in mental illnesses; incidence and prevalence by social and cultural categories; variations in societal reaction; social organization of treatment organizations.
  • SOC-S 328 Juvenile Delinquency (3 cr.) P: ANTH-E 105, SOC-S 161, or SOC-S 163. A study of the patterns of juvenile delinquency, strategies for control, and theories of juvenile delinquency causation.
  • SOC-S 331 Sociology of Aging (3 cr.) P: ANTH-E 105, SOC-S 161, or SOC-S 163. Social aspects of aging and older adulthood. Topics include myths about aging, the process of aging; sexual behavior, social behavior, social relationships, family relationships, religious activities, and leisure of the elderly. II
  • SOC-S 335 Race and Ethnic Relations (3 cr.) P: ANTH-E 105, SOC-S 161, or SOC-S 163. 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.
  • SOC-S 338 Gender Roles (3 cr.) P: ANTH-E 105, SOC-S 161, or SOC-S 163. Exploration of the properties, correlates, and consequences of gender roles in contemporary societies. Emphasis on defining gender roles, tracing their historical development, considering their implications for work, marriage and fertility, with crosscultural comparisons.
  • SOC-S 340 Social Theory (3 cr.) Pending Final Approval. P: SOC-S 161 and SOC-S 204; or consent of instructor. Sociological theory, with focus on content, form, and historical development. Relationships between theories, data, and sociological explanation.
  • SOC-S 341 Sociology of Men/Masculinities (3 cr.) P: ANTH-E 105, SOC-S 161, or SOC-S 163. Study of what it means to "be a man" in modern society. Focus on historical contexts, differences among men, social institutions (e.g. families, religion, economy, politics, sports) and social construction of masculinities.
  • SOC-S 348 Introduction to Sociological Theory (3 cr.) P: ANTH-E 105, SOC-S 161, or SOC-S 163. An intensive examination of the classic tradition in sociological theory, i.e., Durkheim, Marx, Mead, Summel, Weber, etc. Attention is paid to basic concepts, substantive themes, and methods of social analysis. I, II
  • SOC-S 349 Topics in Contemporary Social Theory (3 cr.) P: ANTH-E 105, SOC-S 161, or SOC-S 163, or an approved theory course. An in-depth analysis of one or two key areas or trends in contemporary sociology. Examples include American theory, deconstruction, critical theory, feminist theory, hermeneutics, neo-Marxism, post modernism. I, II
  • SOC-S 351 Social Statistics (3 cr.) P: C or higher in MATH-A 100 or equivalent; or an ALEKS Assessment score greater than 31. Introduction to statistics, including measures of central tendency and dispersion, probability, statistical inference, hypothesis testing, regression, correlation, analysis of variance, and cross-tabulation.
  • SOC-S 353 Qualitative Research Methods (3 cr.) This course guides students through major stops of qualitative research.  These steps include choosing a topic, developing research questions, and collecting data.  Students will be introduced to participant observation, interviewing, archival research, and artifact analysis.  They will learn how to analyze and interpret qualitative data and how to write ethnography.
  • SOC-S 354 Quantitative Research Methods (3 cr.) This course will guide students through the major steps of quantitative research.  These steps include choosing a topic; developing propositions, operationalizing concepts, proposing hypotheses, and collecting data.  Students will be introduced to quantitative data analysis and will learn how to interpret the results from such analyses.
  • SOC-S 360 Topics in Social Policy (3 cr.) P: SOC-S 161 or ANTH-E 105 or SOC-S 163. Specific topics to be announced, e.g. environmental affairs, urban problems, poverty, population problems.
  • SOC-S 362 World Societies and Cultures (3-6 cr.) P: ANTH-E 105, SOC-S 161, or SOC-S 163. Topics announced in the Schedule of Classes. An analysis of the social, cultural, political, and historical foundations of societies and cultures from around the world. Can be conducted in the field or on campus. S.
  • SOC-S 370 Research Methods in Sociology (3 cr.) P: SOC-S 161 and SOC-S 204; 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.
  • SOC-S 395 Selected Topics in Sociology (3 cr.) P: ANTH-E 105, SOC-S 161, or SOC-S 163. Specific topics announced in the Schedule of Classes, e.g., "Conflict resolution and mediation," and "Sociological practice in the community."
  • SOC-S 405 Selected Social Institutions (3 cr.) P: ANTH-E 105, SOC-S 161, or SOC-S 163. Specific topics announced each semester, e.g., religion, education, the military, marriage and family. May be repeated three times for credit.
  • SOC-S 410 Advanced Topics in Social Organization (3 cr.) P: ANTH-E 105, SOC-S 161, or SOC-S 163. 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, race and ethnic relations, rural sociology, urban sociology, and reorganization. May be repeated for credit with a different topic.
  • SOC-S 422 Constructing Sexuality (3 cr.) P: ANTH-E 105, SOC-S 161, or SOC-S 163. A sociological examination of a variety of forms of human sexuality from a social constructionist and politics of sexuality perspective.
  • SOC-S 431 Topics in Social Psychology (3 cr.) P: ANTH-E 105, SOC-S 161, or SOC-S 163. Specific topics to be announced, e.g., socialization, self-concept development, small-group structures and processes, interpersonal relations, language and human behavior, attitude formation and change, collective behavior, public opinion, intergroup relations. Course may be repeated once for credit with a different topic.
  • SOC-S 441 Topics in Social Theory (3 cr.) P: ANTH-E 105, SOC-S 161, or SOC-S 163. Specific topics to be announced, e.g. structuralism, evolutionary theory, symbolic interaction theory, functionalism, social action theory, exchange theory, history and development of social theory, sociology of knowledge. Course may be repeated once for credit with a different topic.
  • SOC-S 444 Research Conference Practicum (1 cr.) P: ANTH-E 105, SOC-S 161, or SOC-S 163 and prior consent of the instructor. This course cannot substitute for the 400-level seminars required of majors and minors. The purpose of this course is to guide students through the process of preparing for and presenting a paper at a scholarly conference. Students need to have a paper that is complete or nearly complete, which they will then revise for a conference presentation during the Spring semester. II
  • SOC-S 457 Writing for Social Scientists (3 cr.) P: ANTH-E 105, SOC-S 161, or SOC-S 163. This course will expose students to different types of writing, help students understand the relationship between research and writing, and increase students' confidence in their writing.  Students will learn strategies for writing an effective research paper, grant application, conference presentation, and personal essay.
  • SOC-S 460 Topics in Non-Western Cultures (3 cr.) This variable topics course will analyze different aspects of non-western cultures. It will be organized as a seminar and require significant writing and research.  The readings will expose students to different theoretical perspectives and empirical approaches. Topics will be announced in the Schedule of Classes.
  • SOC-S 468 Research Problems in Sociology (1-3 cr.) P: ANTH-E 105, SOC-S 161, or SOC-S 163; SOC-S 258 or SOC-S 268; and prior consent of instructor. This course cannot substitute for the 400-level seminars required of majors and minors. Individual readings in sociology. May be repeated for credit, up to a maximum of 9 credit hours, although only 3 credit hours may be applied to a major or a minor in sociology. I, II, S
  • SOC-S 494 Field Experience in Sociology (1-6 cr.) P: ANTH-E 105, SOC-S 161, or SOC-S 163, and two other courses at the 200-level or above, and prior consent of instructor. This course can substitute for one of the 400-level seminars required of majors and minors. Faculty-directed study of aspects of sociology based on field experience in conjunction with directed readings and writings. 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; 3) depending on academic credit, write a journal or analytic paper or both. I, II
  • SOC-S 495 Individual Readings/Research in Sociology (1-6 cr.) P: Prior consent of instructor. This course cannot substitute for the 400-level seminars required of majors and minors. Individualized approach to selected topics through the use of guided readings, research and critical evaluation. Prior arrangement required; conducted under the supervision of a member of the sociology faculty. I, II, S May be repeated for credit, up to a maximum of 9 credit hours, although only 3 credit hours may be applied to a major or a minor in sociology.

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