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Undergraduate Course Descriptions Go to Graduate Course Descriptions Unless otherwise noted, all courses are 3 credits. SOC 101 is a prerequisite to all other sociology courses unless waived by the instructor and chairperson. SOC 101 Principles of Sociology Examines the structure and dynamics of human society and interprets social behavior within the context of modern society and culture. A prerequisite to all other sociology courses unless waived by the instructor. SOC 102 Social Problems An examination of various social problems from a sociological perspective. The interrelatedness of social problems and the role of value-beliefs are stressed. SOC 211 Elementary Sociological Statistics A basic course introducing the use of quantitative methods to describe social life. No special mathematics background or aptitude required. Emphasis on learning to measure and make decisions about problems that sociologists currently face in government, business, evaluative and theoretical research. SOC 214 Quantitative Methods (Prerequisites: SOC 211 or MATH 130 and theory) Students learn to evaluate research reports so that their future decisions and work are based on social facts. Class discussions explore reasons why valid research is the basis of effective social action. Students also gain practice in basic data gathering techniques such as observation, interviewing and questionnaire construction. SOC 215 Qualitative Methods (Prerequisite: SOC 211 or MATH 130 and theory) The scientific method is introduced through study of the relationships between everyday definitions of social life, sociological concepts and theories, and the gathering and analysis of social facts. Students also conduct thorough searches of the literature and cyber-literature, and write their own organized research designs. Students' methodological decisions and skills are refined by the introduction of alternative data-gathering and analysis methods. SOC 218 History of Social Theory Focuses on the works of the great classical sociologists. The theories of Comte, Spencer, Durkeim, Marx, Weber, Simmel, Pareto, George Herbert Mead and others are analyzed in light of contemporary social conditions and in terms of the development of sociological theory. SOC 219 Modern Sociological Theory An analysis of contemporary social thought expressed by Parsons, Merton, Mills, Coser, Dahrendorf, Marcuse, G. H. Mead, Goffman, Blumer, Blau, Homans, Garfinkel and others. SOC 220 Social Organization of Work An analysis of the nature of work, the individual's relation to work, the organizations workers form to protect their interests and the interactions among workers, their organizations and other institutions. SOC 223 Introduction to Human Services An introduction to social welfare and the social work profession. Attention is given to current issues, programs, policies and the various settings for social work practice. SOC 224 Social Work Practice Designed for both cognitive and experiential learning, this course conceptualizes a generic practice model for the helping process and demonstrates techniques through role-playing. SOC 231 Sociology of the Family A sociological approach to the study of the family in the U.S. and other societies. Issues of singleness, dating, cohabiting, marriage, parenthood, work and careers, health, sexuality, divorce and death are explored in the context of social class, race and gender. SOC 233 Sociology of Religion (nonwestern course) Examines the social dimensions of religion and the relationship between religion and society. SOC 234 Political Sociology Examines major works of political sociology with special emphasis on the conflicting concepts between the "liberal" ideas of such writers as Bell, Parsons and Dahl and the "new left" approach of Goodman, Mills and Marcuse. Soc 235 Sport in the Modern World This course focuses on various aspects of sport in modern society: economic, political and social aspects; issues of gender and race; media and mass communications and the roles of scholar-athlete. SOC 236 Sociology of the Arts Designed to show the reciprocal relationship between the arts and society. Examines how various attitudes, values, norms and institutions of society are revealed in mass culture forms (e.g., television, rock music, painting, literature, theatre, dance, photography and film), in an effort to help the student understand the vital place of the arts in society, as well as the impact of culture on the arts. SOC 241 Minority Groups in America Examines the experiences of all racial and ethnic groups from colonial beginnings to the present day from a sociological perspective. Particular emphasis on the recurring patterns in dominant-minority relations; differential powers; the ethnic diversity in American society; and projections for America's multicultural future. SOC 242 Muslims and Islamic U.S. Institutions (nonwestern course) Explores the bonds of the Muslim community, the meaning of Muslim- American identity, and how immigrant groups are struggling with the sometimes conflicting demands of assimilation. SOC 255 Qualitative Sociological Methods Provides understanding and practice in gaining and analyzing useful information in social settings by using methods such as typologies, content analysis, participant observation and interviewing. SOC 261 Essentials of Criminal Justice Systems Philosophical and historical background of agencies and processes, law enforcement administration and technical problems, crime and the criminal as social and public safety problems. SOC 262 Violence in the Community The causes, patterns, and functions of violence are studied in a sociocultural context. SOC 271 Sexuality in Modern Life From a macrosocial perspective, examines how gender statuses and roles impact the formation of our sexuality and our ongoing sexual lives. From a microsocial perspective, examines how the sociali zation process bonds us to our gender roles and gender identities. Discussion includes how within these complex structures our sexual scripts emerge. SOC 272 Urban Sociology Examines the growth and development of cities, but with primary focus on the modern American metropolis: ecological patterns; urban institutions, with a particular emphasis on the problems of the inner city; the rise of suburbia and future prospects. SOC 315 Computer Applications & Sociological Analysis The course introduces the nature and structure of the Internet and develops the utilization of its resources as tools for inquiry into, and explanation of, issues of relevance for sociology and other social sciences. SOC 316 Forecasting Future Societies Students are introduced to current and classical models of social change, visionary forecasts found in utopian and dystopian fiction, the field of futuristics and the art of social forecasting. SOC 320 Contemporary Issues in the Workplace Examines the separate rights and responsibilities of the employer and employee, and the inherent conflict between management prerogatives and employee protections. SOC 323 Labor Relations and Law Examines the structural problems facing labor administrative apparatus at the state and local levels. Regional problems related to organizing tasks are discussed within the framework of current labor law and collective bargaining techniques. SOC 335 Sociology of Law An analysis of the social basis, functions and effects of law, both as a profession and as a system of social control. SOC 336 Comparative Criminal Justice Systems A comparative analysis of criminal justice systems in the United States and selected foreign countries. Emphasis on the administration and organizational aspects, functions and processes at work in selected foreign criminal justice systems. The relationships of the police to the government and the people they serve are analyzed. SOC 337 Sociology of Education This course examines the institution of education through the lens of sociological theory. Areas to be analyzed include the growth of the educational system, the institution's role in creating equality of opportunity, measurement of school outcomes, cultural transmission through curriculum design, schools as organizations, and current reform movements. SOC 343 Ethnic and Racial Conflict Resolution Beginning with a general introduction to conflict resolution, this course proceeds to a study of strategies used by hate groups, and then to various international conflicts. The essence of the course is extensive use of the Internet to gain information and to communicate with students simultaneously taking the course throughout the world. Role playing, analytic reports, and a cooperative final project are required. SOC 344 Sociology of Italian Art and Culture This course involves a seminar and field trip to Italy. Focusing on a sociological perspective of the culture and art of Italy, the course addresses patronage, art markets, social change, the social content of art, cultural identity, artists' social roles and subcultures. On site visits to museums and public monuments are made to Rome, Florence, Venice, Siena and Pompeii. SOC 347 Sociology of Women This course examines women in U.S. society from a sociological perspective. Following the ideas of C. Wright Mills, this class connects the "personal troubles" of individual women with the social issues: pertaining to women as a minority group in the United States. In doing so, it provides a sociological analysis of women in the major institutions in U.S. society. The course will continually highlight the intersection of race, class, and gender and the unique manner in which sociologist research these interconnections and women n general. SOC 349 Sociology of Adulthood This course focuses on the major issues faced by women and men during the early and middle years of adulthood n North American society and in the global context. Using a life course perspective, the course examines the interplay between the social structures and human lives shaped by the effects of social class, race, ethnicity, gender, family, and parental status. SOC 351 Sociology of Socialization An in-depth analysis of personality development and behavior modification from infancy to adulthood through various agents of socialization. The work of Aries, Freud, Mead, Erikson, Bettelheim, Goodman and Sheehy are included. SOC 352 Self and Society A study of the impact of society on the formation of each individual's personality through analysis of language, definitions and values. SOC 353 Sociology of Adulthood Focuses on the major issues for women and men during the early and middle years of adulthood. Included are an examination of personality development; singlehood, marriage, family and parenting roles; work, career and avocational experiences. SOC 354 Social Stratification Treats both theory and realities with an emphasis on American society. Course concludes with an examination of power in the United States. SOC 355 Sociology of Aging The demography of aging, age and its social structure, and age as a social problem. Population trends are examined as they relate to health problems of the elderly. Focus on the changing role of the elderly in the kinship network. SOC 357 Sociology of Health and Illness Analyzes social factors in relation to health and disease. Considers definitions of health, illness behavior, the formal and informal organization of health professions and institutions and the expanding role of government in the health field. SOC 358 Sociology of Death and Grief Death as an institution is studied by focusing on death and social values, cultural, components of grief and social functions of bereavement. Particular attention is paid to the social organization of death and dying in bureaucratic settings. SOC 364 Criminal Investigation Employing sociological theory and concepts, this course examines the role of behavior patterns in both the investigative process as well as in the sociocultural actions of perpetrators. SOC 365 Social Deviance Examines the concept of deviance in society through a study of the issues of value judgments, abnormality and eccentricity. Implications are found for the causes of the behavior of groups socially labeled as deviant. SOC 366 Sociology of Corrections An in-depth analysis of penal institutions from a sociohistorical perspective. Included are how prisons emerged, the prisonization process, women's prisons and the rehabilitation re-entry process. SOC 367 Juvenile Delinquency A comprehensive study of the problems of delinquency. Blends all theoretical approaches with pertinent data in its analysis of causes, treatment and control. SOC 368 Criminology An examination of the various components of the criminal justice system and how they reflect societal values and attitudes. SOC 369 Sociology of Democracy This course will apply modern sociological paradigms and analytic frameworks to the study of democracy as both a theory and a set of practices. The course will address five principle topics: the ideal type of democracy as a system of government; the variety of democratic practices throughout different times and places; the U.s. as a democratic republic; democracy as a mechanism for social order; how the sociological imagination can enable us to understand the relationship between individuals and a democratic society. SOC 370 Social Demography Addresses four problems: (1) dangers of world population growth for individual survival; (2) the interaction between change, social structure and population; (3) social psychological attitudes in fertility decisions; (4) the uses of the census to describe social problems. SOC 372 Sociology of Organizations A theoretical course tracing development of organizational theory to the present; a practical course, considering the increasing impact of bureaucratic organizations on our lives. SOC 373 Sociology of Social Movements Course is divided into two parts: the first deals with social movements emerging from class conflicts (unions, unemployment unions, etc.); the second deals with cultural and national conflicts (black struggles, women's liberation, the youth movement, etc.). SOC 374 Sociology of War Examines the theories surrounding the causes, nature and effects of modern warfare and its influence on shaping social structure and personality. SOC 375 Social and Environmental Change Problems of environmental social change are critically examined and evaluated. Emphasis on exploring small and large scale modes of change. Develops skills in the analysis of social change. Students learn to design micro changes on the institutional level and to recognize what connections do and do not exist between micro and macro level changes. SOC 376 Global Sociology (nonwestern course) The course examines different perspectives and issues in contemporary global sociology. Particular attention will be given to non-Western sociological views and perspectives. A number of social inequality issues will be analyzed within a global context to examine the international dimension of issues in contemporary society. In addition k students will gain an understanding of conducting and implementing research on international development issues. SOC 391 Population and Development in Asia This course intorduces students to an overview of (1) the population problems in major Asian countires, such as China and India; (2) the relationship between population and economic development; (3) the relationship between population and social development; and (4) the relationshiop between Asian development and the world. SOC 399 Selected Topics Special course(s) offered either on an experimental basis or to draw upon the strengths of a visiting scholar or to examine issues of contemporary significance. SOC 403 Community Supervision and Treatment of the Offender Focuses on an analysis of theories and practices of parole and probation. Is also concerned with the current trend toward diversion of offenders from the criminal justice system and special community programs. SOC 482 Seminar in Criminal Justice (Prerequisite: SOC 215) An in-depth, critical analysis of the major problems in criminal justice and the relation of the criminal justice department to other law enforcement and civic agencies. This capstone course has a required research paper. SOC 485 Seminar in Sociology (Prerequisite: SOC 215) An in-depth, critical analysis of the literature and major concerns on a particular topic designated by the instructor. In this capstone course each student will investigate an area of particular concern and present one's findings in a required research paper. SOC 491 Internship in Sociology (Prerequisite: Permission of the Instructor) This course provides qualified students practical work experience in an applied sociology or anthropology setting. Periodic conferences and a monthly seminar are an integral part of this program. (1-6 credits) Application form; permission form. SOC 492 Internship in Criminal Justice (Prerequisite: Permission of the Instructor)
This course provides qualified students with practical work experience
within the criminal justice system. Periodic conferences and a monthly
seminar are an integral part of this program. SOC 493 Field Work in Social Services This course provides qualified students with practical work experience in a social service setting. Periodic conferences and a monthly seminar are an integral part of this program. (1-6 credits) SOC 499 Independent Study As approved and to be arranged. 1-6 credits Soc 510 Cities and Urban Policies This course explores the evolution of an urban society and the changing spatial distribution of people and social institutions within the urban setting. Consider-ation is given to the nature and importance of urbanism as a world phenomenon, the complex structure of the modern metropolis, the interdependence of city and suburb, and the effects of urban life in modern U.S. society. SOC 514 Applied Quantitative Methods This course will introduce to the students an overview of (1) different perspectives of social inquiry; (2) commonly utilized quantitative research methods and techniques; and (3) strategies and skills to design, execute, and report empirical social research. SOC 515 Applied Social Statistics This course will introduce to the students (1) the basic statistical concepts; (2) skills in questionnaire coding, computer data creation, and data management; (3) commonly utilized methods and computer data analysis techniques; and (4) the interpretation and reporting of output files of computer data analysis in empirical social research. SOC 516 Evaluation of Social Action The course examines different evaluation techniques and applications widely employed to appraise the effectiveness of social intervention programs. Through the application of research design and methodology, students will be introduced to the benefits of scope assessment, impact analysis cost-effectiveness, and performance measurements among other evaluation techniques. Students will gain an understanding of the social environment while conducting and executing an evaluation research. SOC 517 Applied Qualitative Methods This course is a survey of qualitative research methods that focuses on how qualitative methodologies can be used by professionals in the workplace. Students will learn how researchers formulate research questions and determine the methodology appropriate to answer them. They will also learn about the ethics involved in conducting research and become certified by IRB at William Paterson University to conduct qualitative research projects they will carry out as part of the requirements of this course. SOC 518 Sociological Theories The central theme of this course is to introduce the students to various classical and modern theorists. It concentrates on the relationship of these "classical" theories and empirical works to contemporary efforts and programs of research. Students read original sources by Ibn Khaldun, Comte, Spencer, Sumner, Tocqueville, Marx, Durkeim, Weber, Tonnies, Simmel, Pareto, Mead, C.W. Mills, Goffman, Merton, Coser, Dahrendorf, Habermas, and Foucault. SOC 519 GIS I: Basic Mapping: Applications and Analysis This course serves as an introduction to the world of maps - how to use, interpret, and analyze maps to obtain information about a wide variety of topics. Discussions include mental maps, aerial photos, computer-assisted cartography, and Geographical Information Systems (GIS). Laboratory work includes digital map applications and GIS exercises. SOC 520 GIS II: Principles of Geographic Information Science (GISc) This course builds on GIS I: Basic Mapping by providing students with practical knowledge of map usage and GIS software. This course covers basic concepts and theories of Geographic Information Science (GISc), as well as provides actual hands-on experience with a Geographic Information Systems (GIS) software package for computer mapping and data analysis. Through a series of lectures, GIS laboratory exercises, and the design of a GIS project, students are taught the variety of ways GIS can be used in the natural and social sciences, as well as many other fields. GIS is beneficial to any field using information which is linked to geography, such as environmental management, economic development, real estate, urban planning, public health administration, epidemiology, archaeology, marketing, political science, navigation, and tourism, as well as cartography, demography, climatology, and natural resources. SOC 521 Contemporary Issues in the Workplace This course examines the structure and functioning of work in the United States including the separate rights and responsibilities of employers and employees, tensions between management prerogatives and employee protections, the changing composition of the labor force especially workforce diversity, and tensions in human resource policies in both the public and private sectors. Included will be such topics as affirmative action, hiring, retention, and promotion policies, sexual harassment, two income and two career couples, downsizing, and the speed up of work. SOC 531 Program and Policy Evaluation The course examines different evaluation techniques and applications widely employed to appraise the effectiveness of social intervention programs. Through the application of research design and methodology, students will be introduced to the benefits of scope assessment, impact analysis, cost-effectiveness, and performance measurements among other evaluation techniques. Students will gain an understanding of the social environment while conducting and executing an evaluation research. SOC 540 Diversity in America This course introduces students to basic concepts, perspectives and theories about multiculturalism. Included are the areas of age, ethnicity, gender, race, and sexual orientation. Emphasis is placed on the long-term existence of multiculturalism in U.S. society, how the social structure often perpetuates inequalities, and the agendas of various multicultural advocates. SOC 541 Sociology of Genocide and the Holocaust This course will approach the events of the Holocaust not by giving answers but by posing questions, the foremost one being: How could such a thing have happened? Through an examination of a variety of sources—sociological, psychological, historical, economic, and political—students will develop their abilities to ask difficult questions and evaluate approaches as we confront a most complex subject. The broader issues of genocide, such as those in Armenia, Bosnia, Serbia, and Kosovo, Rwanda and the Congo provide a comparative framework for the examination of the destruction of European Jews. SOC 542 Sociology of Intercultural Communication This course explores how differences in cultural and social class backgrounds affect perception and communication through class exercises, discussion, readings, and case studies. Students will learn to enhance their interpersonal skills in interacting with work colleagues and clients/customers/students from diverse backgrounds. They will also gain insights into the complexities and contradictions of nonverbal and verbal communication. SOC 544 Contemporary Immigration to the United States This course examines the social and demographic characteristics of the post-1965 immigrants to the United States and various policy issues and social problems affecting these “New Immigrants.” The course reviews basic theories on migration, demographic patterns of contemporary immigration and policy changes. The main emphasis of the course will be various contemporary debates on immigration, including jobs, national security, bilingualism, citizenship and human rights issues. In addition, the course emphasizes global and comparative perspectives, and focuses on understanding U.S. immigration in relation to immigrants’ experiences in other countries. SOC 550 Age and Aging This course considers issues of the life course in U.S. society and in a global perspective. We analyze how and why systems of age stratification are created and the extent to which structured inequality is created on the basis of age. Using the life course perspective, aging is viewed as a life-long process shaped by the particular history and culture in which individuals are embedded. SOC 551 Racial Identity Formation This course examines racial identity formation in the United States. In doing so, it looks at the social construction of race throughout U.S. history. In particular, it focuses on 1) how racial definitions have changed since the first US Census racial definitions in 1790, 2) the establishment of whiteness as a norm, 3) how race, as a concept, is becoming more problematized as the multiracial population increases, and 4) the politics of racial identity. SOC 553 Health and Social Justice This course examines the role of social and economic injustices as root causes of the uneven distribution of disease across population groups according to class, race and gender. Students will be exposed to the research documenting the strong relation between social and economic disparities and health disparities. Students will learn the crucial importance of civic engagement in determining policy directions, and therefore determining the health of the society they inhabit. By the end of the course, students will be familiar with sociological theories of health and illness; sociological theories on class, race, and gender; inequality in health status and health outcomes; current public health issues; the process for influencing policy; and the skills to effectively advocate for health and social justice. SOC 560 Sociology of Corrections This course provides a sociological analysis of corrections along a number of dimensions: historical, philosophical, political, ideological, and cross-cultural. Students gain a better understanding of the location of corrections within the criminal justice system and the larger society by analyzing the role that race, gender, class, and age play in the correctional process. SOC 561 Sociology of Police Work This course critiques the "myth" of policing as primarily a heroic crime-fighting endeavor, and then examines why such myths are necessary and what function they serve in view of the kind of work police do. Students gain a better understanding of how and why police interact with the public, each other, and the law, by addressing issues of race, gender, and social class. SOC 562 Sociology of Law This course examines the role of government in the definition and control of deviant behavior. After establishing the distinctive characteristics of law as a form of social control, it surveys the major kinds of variation found in legal systems and examines how social factors predict and explain this variation, including differences in the day-to-day operation of legal agencies and the outcomes of individual legal cases. The course concludes with a discussion of what law may be like in the future, with special emphasis on changes made possible by advances in legal sociology Throughout, the course draws on informa-tion from a wide variety of societies and historical periods although it concentrates on the contemporary American experience. SOC 563 Juvenile Delinquency This course is a comprehensive up-to-date coverage of the problems of delinquency. It focuses on the status of adolescents within contemporary society, definitions of delinquency, the extent and nature of delinquency, explanations of why young people become delinquent, their relationships with each other and with adults, and the experiences of juveniles with institutions designed to control and nurture them. The course provides an orientation toward both sociological and criminal justice perspectives on delinquency. SOC 564 Justice in a Global Context This course considers issues of law and justice in global perspective. It explores the role of law in maintaining order and managing conflict in a broad range of societies, both historical and contemporary, with an emphasis on how law affects the affairs of ordinary citizens in their everyday lives. It examines cross-cultural variation in legal complaints, police conduct, courts, and sanctions, and seeks to explain similarities and differences across legal systems with the social characteristics of societies and cases. The course concludes with a look at the prospects tor a truly international legal system, and considers what such a system might be like. SOC 565 Sociology of Deviance This course is concerned with the circumstances under which people define, commit, and respond to socially unacceptable behavior. It addresses how conduct comes to be considered deviant in the first place, surveys the major varieties of deviance found in the contemporary United States and other societies, reviews the principal theories used to explain why people commit deviance, and examines the tech-niques of social control. SOC 566 Conflict and Conflict Management This course examines conflict between individuals and groups in a wide variety of contexts in the contemporary United States and in other societies. It explores the factors that cause conflict and considers how an understanding of these factors can make it possible to prevent conflict from arising. It serves the various techniques through which people pursue, manage, abandon, and resolve their conflicts, and considers how to predict and explain which of these techniques is used. The course concludes with an examination and assessment of contemporary efforts to foster the peaceful and informal resolution of conflicts through such means as mediation and arbitration programs, neighborhood justice centers, peer intervention programs, the use of ombudsmen, and conflict management training. SOC 567 Community Supervision of Offenders A majority of people under correctional supervision are being managed without incarceration. This course examines a wide range of intermediate punishments and supervision alternatives carried out in a commu-nity setting. It focuses on an analysis of the theories and practices of parole and probation. It is also concerned with the current trend toward diversion of offenders from the criminal justice system and special community groups. SOC 568 Drugs and Social Policy
This course uses the topic of drug control policies to examine such sociological
themes as race and law in the U.S., marginalization of "the other"
in American society, control of disenfranchised populations, the role
of accountability in the policy formation process and social construction. SOC 570 Gender in a Globalizing Society This course explores issues of gender and gender inequality in the contexts of globalization and global economy. It ex amines the ways in which systems of social stratification are gendered as power, prestige, and property are unequally distributed on the basis of sex. Students explore ways in which people become gendered, live in gendered worlds, and do gendered work, and how boundaries are redefined and renegotiated. Students also learn about the social construction of sex and gender from cross-cultural perspectives. In addition, the course explores the impact of global economy on gender relations and women’s work. SOC 599 Selected Topics
Topics not covered by an existing course are offered as recommended by
the department and approved by the dean. SOC 604 Social Problems This course provides an overview of contemporary U.S. social problems from a sociological perspective. In doing so, it utilizes Functionalist, Conflict and Interactionist sociological theories. Students will use these three main sociological approaches to comprehend and analyze social problems in American society from the individual to the structural level. The class functions as a seminar. Students make at least two presentations, analyzing selected social problems from the theoretical perspective of their choice. SOC 612 Urban Ecology Discuss extensively the development of urban society from village and city to modern metropolis, and the changing spatial distribution of people and institu-tions within the urban setting. Consideration, with an emphasis on the effects of urban life in American society, is given to the nature and importance of urbanism as a world phenomenon, the unprec-edented growth of urbanism during the past 100 years, and the complex structure of the modern metropolis. SOC 613 Population Studies This course provides students with an understanding of how rates of births, deaths, and migration interrelate with institutions in society, such as the family and the economy. In doing so, it examines the causes and consequences of population change and how social scientists can use census data and other social indicators to forecast population trends and their possible repercussions. SOC 614 Modern Industrial Societies Analyzes the impact of industrialization and urbanization on the contemporary world, and the elements of social relations that combine experience in human relations, including forms, organizations, personality types, political pressures, cultural values, and specific problems such as fatigue, automation, monotony, worker alienation, and use of leisure time. These elements comprise a three-part organization: the human factor, the limits of the human factor, and the impact of urban systems with society SOC 621 Social Theory: Education The course examines social theory as it applies to education. Sociological concepts including, stratification, race, class, status, roles, and socialization are analyzed from a variety of perspectives. The role of economics, politics, law, and religion in the development of educational policy and practice, are also explored. The raising of academic standards, teacher competence, home schooling, charter schools and other alternatives are topics of contemporary issues that would change to reflect changing educational reform movements. SOC 630 Ethnic and Racial Experiences This course explores the experiences of all racial and ethnic groups, from colonial beginnings to the present day. Particular emphasis is placed on the recurring patterns in dominant-minority relations, differential power, and ethnic/racial diversity in U.S. society. The relationship of intercultural relations in U.S. schools is also discussed. SOC 631 Diversity in American Family Patterns This course examines the increasingly diverse patterns of family life in the United States. Both continuity and change of family forms are studied, with special focus on how social class, race, ethnicity, and definitions of gender shape family experiences and how cultural values, the economy, the political system, education, belief systems, and the level of industrialization shape family structures and functions and how families, in turn, influence social structures. The major forms of contemporary families such as cohabitation, marriage, separation, divorce, and remarriage will be explored, as will single parent families, two-income and two-career families, and single person households. SOC 661 Organizations and Social Action This course is a survey of organization theory, focusing on the variety of tools with which sociologists and others have approached the difficult task of characterizing and understanding large, complex organizations. It considers different theoretical perspectives, ranging from images of organizations as decision-making systems, to organizations as arenas for conflict over power and status, to organizations as elements in broader social and cultural milieus. This course focuses upon organizations as complex systems embedded within larger social and institutional environments, as well as organizations' abilities to promote and constrain social action. SOC 691 Professional Internship I Students will carry out a service learning placement in an agency/organization relevant to their area of study. Under the supervision of a faculty mentor and the on-site supervisor, students will engage in applying conceptual training to a practical problem while volunteering in the field. They will be required to submit a proposal for an applied project/deliverable while completing at least 128 contact hours at the placement. Students will be graded on a pass/fail basis. SOC 692 Professional Internship II Students will complete the applied project/deliverable for which they developed a proposal in Professional Internship I while carrying out at least 128 contact hours at their placement. They will be supervised by a professional within said agency and will submit the applied project/deliverable to the professional supervisor at the site and to the professor coordinating the internship program. both the faculty member supervising the internship program and a second reader will evaluate the project/deliverable and determine a grade for it. SOC 698 Research Thesis With the advice and supervision of a graduate faculty member, students are expected to conduct an in-depth analysis of a researchable sociological topic. Students will base their work on the proposal they developed in SOC 691. SOC 700 Independent Study in Sociology
With the advice and supervision
of a graduate faculty member, students can either pursue an area of sociological
interest not covered in one of the courses or pursue in greater depth
an area initially covered in another sociology course.
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