SOC 101, Introduction to General Sociology

Schmutz, 11:30-12:50 daily, 1st session. Max: 40

Content: Sociology, the study of human behavior in social context, is an ever developing science, with contesting theories, multiple methodologies and many insightful observations on the human condition in various times and places. This introductory course will present to the students the basic assumptions of the discipline, and discuss some of the main topics that interest sociologists today, among them: groups, organizations, social change, stratification, class and mobility, deviance, development and under-development, ethnicity, gender and politics. Main theories shall be presented, with special focus on questions of the macro and micro-sociology, the self and the collective, and the role sociology can play in society. The course will conclude with a discussion on contemporary, late-modern and global society

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SOC 201, Organizations and Society

Archibald, 10-11:20 daily, 1st session. Max: 40

Content: Modern society is an organizational society. We are born in organizations, and we die in them. In between, our lives are shaped by organizational entities, such as schools, universities, business firms, the music and entertainment industry, government agencies, prisons, labor unions, voluntary associations, and political parties, that remain transparent to us. This course provides an introduction to the central authors and themes in the sociology of organizations. We will use a loose historical framework to examine various research paradigms detailing core topics associated with the study of organizations such as: bureaucracy, power and conflict, rationality, authority, work, technology, and organizational deviance. Students will be encouraged to develop a general understanding of this unique sociological perspective as it applies to organizations as diverse as the CDC, Enron, Tha Row Records, and Al-Qaeda.

Texts (tentative): Hall, Richard H. Organizations: Structures, Processes and Outcomes, New Jersey: Prentice Hall; Selection of readings

Particulars: Two exams; several short summary (1-2 page) papers

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SOC 213, Sociology of the Family

Waldron, 2:30-4:45 TuWTh, 2nd session. Max: 40

Content: This course is designed to highlight important contemporary changes in society & the family, and explore the choices that are available to family members as well as constraints that often limit our choices, including critical issues that confront individuals and the family of the twenty-first century. We will examine family roles, responsibilities and obligations over the life span. Specifically, we will look at (1) defining the family; (2) intimate relationships; (3) gender, marriage & work issues; (4) family diversity; (5) parenting and parenthood; (6) childhood and child rearing; (7) intimate violence; (8) divorce and remarriage; (9) family transitions in adulthood; (10) changing American families.

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SOC 221, Culture and Society

Dowd, 1-2:20, daily, 1st session. Max: 40

Content: This course surveys major themes and questions in the sociology of culture in three broad sections. (1) We begin by developing a "vocabulary" that is drawn from a variety of approaches. With this new vocabulary, we will begin to ask such questions as: What is culture and what does it do? (2) We then examine the classical treatments of culture by Marx, Weber, and Durkheim. This allows us to see how issues that they initially raised are treated today. Examples of current issues include: How do people in one group exclude people from another group? Can religion survive in modern times? (3) We will then focus on how culture undergirds the enactment of social activities and the existence of social groups. Thus we will deal with such issues as: How is artistic production shaped by social and cultural factors?

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SOC 225, Sociology of Sex and Gender (Same as WS 231)

Brody, 1-2:20 daily, 2nd session. Max: SOC=20; WS=20; TOTAL=40

Content: The following course will introduce students to the study of sex and gender from a sociological perspective, focusing on a variety of issues linked to gender relations, i.e., comparisons between women's and men's social experiences. The general focus of the course will be to understand how gender, power and inequality are connected through major areas of everyday life. This includes an examination of what processes and mechanisms maintain gender inequality. Emphasis will be placed on understanding how race, class, and sexuality all intersect with gender. Within each area, students will be asked to identify how gender inequality is reproduced, maintained, and manipulated, historically, and in our current lives. The course is broken into three major parts including how sociologist study gender, how we learn gender, and how gender effects our everyday lives.

Particulars: Two Exams (Midterm and Final), Class Debate, Regular attendance and participation, Gender in Film project.

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SOC 245, Individual and Society

Coward, 11:30-12:50 daily, 1st session. Max: 40

Content: This course focuses on how social factors influence individual's beliefs, perceptions, and behaviors. Some processes we will be examining are: identity negotiations, person perception, interpersonal attraction, conformity, and leadership. In addition, we will dissect group processes involving power, status, influence, and intergroup relations.

Particulars: Three exams, a short research project, and in-class learning exercises.

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SOC 266, Global Change

Sankaranarayanan, 8:30-9:50 daily, 1st session. Max: 40

Content: The effects of globalization are pervasive, ranging from Big Macs in China and Japanese companies cutting rain forests to Titanic becoming a worldwide blockbuster and contagious turmoil rocking financial markets. This course argues that globalization is real, significant, and contentious. It shows that local lives and global trends are increasingly intertwined. A major theme is that global change makes the world smaller and more similar, but also creates new conflicts and differences. Topics include global religion and popular culture, economic integration, international organizations, and new global problems.

Particulars: Two exams, assignments, paper

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SOC 307, Sociology of Education (Same as EDS 307)

Gordon, 2:30-4:45, TuWTh, 1st session. Max: SOC=20; EDS=20; TOTAL=40

Content: There are few institutions that shape the nature of social life as profoundly as systems of formal education. While education does not always take place within a formal setting, what occurs within, to, and as a result of the formal system of schooling plays a remarkable role in shaping social outcomes. This course will examine: 1) various theoretical approaches to education used by sociologists, 2) factors that affect educational achievement and attainment from within and outside of schools, 3) the structure of the formal system of schooling within the United States, 4) the influence of educational policy on the nature of American education. Since issues of gender, race/ethnicity, and social class are inseparable from the experience of education, special emphasis will be placed on these issues throughout the course. Historical and comparative perspectives will be included to highlight our understanding of the educational system in the United States.

Particulars: Two exams, short essay assignments, small group projects

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SOC 337, Social Movements

Faupel, 8:30-9:50 daily, 2nd session. Max: 40

Content: This course will introduce students to the theoretical and empirical literature on social movements. We will be particularly concerned with the social and political context of protest, focusing on basic questions, such as: under what circumstances do social movements emerge?; how do dissidents choose political tactics and strategies?; and, how do movements affect social and political change? We will seek to answer these questions using various theoretical traditions, including classical approaches, resource mobilization theory, new social movement theory, and political process theory. We then examine case studies of some of the more notable social movements in the United States in recent decades, including civil rights, student, anti-war, feminist, gay and lesbian, and environmental. Throughout the course, we will seek to combine these theoretical approaches and case studies to examine the central themes and issues confronting social movements.

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SOC 355WR, Social Research I

Mullis, 2:30-4:45 TuWTh, 2nd session. Max: 20

Content: This course is a practical introduction to research methods commonly used by social scientists, including experiments, surveys, focus groups, participant observation, content analysis, and analysis of comparative-historical data. The course has three main objectives. First, you will learn how to translate theoretical issues into researchable sociological questions. Second, you will learn how to choose an appropriate research design and recognize its strengths and limitations. Third, you will gain actual experience in the collection and analysis of data. The overall goal is to provide you with the critical skills necessary for being a savvy consumer and producer of social research data.

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SOC 390S, Health Care and Society Seminar Abroad

Scott and Houry, SAF, Max: 10

Additional information may be obtained from CIPA.

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SOC 495BWR, 497R, 498R, and 499R require written permission from Dr. Mullis before registering. Please contact Katie Wilson for additional information.