| Sociology |
SOC 815 - Criminological Theory
Credits:
4.00
Introduces graduate students and advanced undergraduates
to the major theoretical literature in crime and
delinquency. Covers both classical and contemporary theory,
with empirical assessments of theories, including marco-
and micro-level control, strain, and learning theories as
well as recent developments in biosocial, deterrence,
labeling, and critical/feminist theories.
SOC 820 - Sociology of Drug Use
Credits:
4.00
Examines licit and illicit drug use from a sociological
perspective. Draws primarily from the sociology of mental
health and criminology to explore a variety of drug-related
topics including: historical and current U.S. drug trends,
dominant theoretical approaches about the initiation into,
and continued use of drugs, drug-related crime, therapeutic
use of drugs, prevention and treatment of drug problems,
and drug-related policies.
SOC 825 - Social Demography
Credits:
4.00
Social demography examines the linkages between changes in
the size, composition and distribution of the population
and changes in social, environmental, economic and
political factors. The course examines demographic methods
and the materials and the analytical techniques used by
demographers to analyze population redistribution,
fertility, work, marriage, migration and mortality. The
policy implications of demographic change will be examined
with attention to the United States as well as the
developed and developing world.
SOC 830 - Communities and the Environment
Credits:
4.00
People and the natural environments in which they live
fundamentally structure communities around the globe.
Economic change, expanding development , and human
migration are transforming social and environmental
conditions in both rural and urban settings, altering the
identities of many communities as well as their
relationships with the natural world. The importance of
these emerging social and environmental issues has made
them a focus for social science inquiry. This course
exposes students to a range of sociological concepts,
theories, and research approaches related to the study of
communities and environmental issues. Some of the
substaintive themses that are covered include: population
dynamnics and environmental change; social capital and
social networks; political economy and comunity
development; collective action and social movements;
science, technology, and environmental risks; and
environmental racism and justice. The principal assignment
for the course will be a research project where students
investigate a community or environmental issue of their own
interest.
SOC 835 - Sociology of Community
Credits:
4.00
This course analyzes "community" from a sociological
perspective. Community is one of the fundamental concepts
in the sociological literature; this course covers those
aspects of the concept that are concerned with geographic
communities: neighborhoods, communities, cities, etc. It
considers how American communities have changed over time
and what the current characteristics are, and how these
characteristics are related to the "quality of life" in the
communities. Students study theoretical and empirical
approaches to studying communities, particularly but not
exclusively American communities. Among specific areas of
community research covered are: spatial inequality and
concentrated poverty; what housing research shows about the
importance of community to outcomes for families and
children; the impact of community on health; and community
development as a strategy for community change.
SOC 840 - Sociology of Mental Health
Credits:
4.00
Introduces students to different sociological approaches
for studying and understanding mental health and illness.
Students examine the social distribution of mental illness
in the United State and the social-structural factors that
help to explain mental health variations. Also addresses
issues surrounding mental health treatment, systems, and
policies for the mentally ill.
SOC 842 - Sociology and Social Policy
Credits:
4.00
Social policy and public policy defined: description of
the policy making process. The political sociology of the
policy-making process; who makes policy and who influences
policy, under what conditions, and with what effect.
Definition of social policy research and the various roles
social scientist can adopt for policy-relevant work.
Students are responsible for critiquing the readings and
for preparing a substantial research paper.
SOC 845 - Race, Ethnicity, and Inequality
Credits:
4.00
Sociological perspectives on race and ethnic relations for
graduate and advanced undergraduate students. Topics
include the creation of racial and ethnic identities; the
nature and extent of segregation; education, employment,
and wealth inequalities; and the effects of state policy.
Course emphasizes both theoretical and empirical assessments
SOC 873 - Sociology of Childhood
Credits:
4.00
This course will expose students to a variety of
sociological perspectives on childhood in American
society. Focus will be on the analysis of how social
institutions, like the modern American family, school,
economic system, justice system and communications media
affect children. Assumes a prior understanding of important
sociological concepts, critical thinking skills and social
science writing ability.
SOC 876 - Family Violence Research Seminar
Credits:
4.00
Analysis of abusive relationships within the family,
especially physical and sexual abuse of children and
spouses. Each student designs and conducts and empirical
study to test a theory purporting to explain intra-family
violence, the consequences of violence for families and
society, or a study of what might prevent family violence.
Permission required.
SOC 880 - Social Conflict
Credits:
4.00
Analysis of the social conditions associated with the
major forms of conflict management in human societies:
discipline, rebellion, vengeance, negotiation, mediation,
law, therapy, supernaturalism, and avoidance.
SOC 894 - Evaluation of Social Programs
Credits:
4.00
Evaluation research defined: purposes of evaluation;
design of evaluation studies; setting of programs;
utilization of evaluation results. Examination of case
studies of evaluations of social programs. Students are
responsible for designing an evaluation study in their
chosen substantive area. Prereq: methods of social research.
SOC 897 - Special Topics
Credits:
4.00
Occasional or experimental offerings. May be repeated for
different topics.
SOC 899 - Master's Thesis
Credits:
1.00 to 10.00
Usually 6 credits but up to 10 credits when the problem
warrants. Cr/F.
SOC 900 - Pro-seminar
Credits:
2.00
An introduction to the discipline of sociology and to the
graduate program. Topics include writing for professional
audiences, publishing, applying for support, TA workshop,
writing a thesis or dissertation. Meetings with faculty
members throughout the semester. Cr/F.
SOC 901 - Sociological Methods I: Intermediate Social Statistics
Credits:
4.00
Application of statistical methods to the analysis of
social data, with particular emphasis on multiple
regression and related topics.
SOC 902 - Sociological Methods II: Research Design
Credits:
4.00
Systematic investigation of each step in the design and
implementation of sociological research. Selected
techniques of data collection and analyses are pursued.
Prereq: methods of social research; social statistics;/or
their equivalents or permission.
SOC 903 - Sociological Methods III: Advanced Social Statistics
Credits:
4.00
Multivariate statistical methods for the analysis of
social data. Topics include problem-solving with multiple
regression, categorical-variable models, dynamic models,
and others.
SOC 904 - Sociological Methods IV: Qualitative and Historical Research Methods
Credits:
4.00
An introduction to qualitative and historical methods of
data gathering and analysis in the social sciences. The
seminar is intended as an intensive workshop training in
such techniques as participant observation, in-depth
interviewing, content analysis, and archival exploration.
Students conduct qualitative and/or historical research and
are responsible for designing an individual project,
collecting and analyzing appropriate data, and writing a
research paper.
SOC 911 - Sociological Theory I
Credits:
4.00
The content, presuppositions, and implications of the body
of classical sociological theory, exemplifying the full
range of sociological inquiry.
SOC 912 - Sociological Theory II
Credits:
4.00
The content, presuppositions, and implications of
contemporary sociological theory. Students engage in
theory construction and analysis and in this endeavor are
encouraged to develop their particular interests in
substantive areas. Prereq: SOC 911.
SOC 921 - Crime and Conflict
Credits:
4.00
Serves as the core course for the Crime and Conflict
concentration. Theories and patterns of crime; the social
origins of violent and nonviolent conflict; the role of
social factors in the justice system; alternative forms of
crime control and conflict management.
SOC 975 - Sociology of the Family
Credits:
4.00
Major approaches in the sociological study of families.
Individuals in families, family relationships, and
families as groups and the interrelationships among these
levels. Interactional and systemic properties of marriage,
parent-child relations, and extended family relations.
SOC 980 - Social Stratification
Credits:
4.00
Introduces students to the core of theoretical,
methodological, and substantive issues in social
stratification. Readings include classical and contemporary
theories of stratification and work exploring the sources
and consequences of stratification. Inequalities based on
class, race, and gender examined.
SOC 988 - Medical Sociology: Health, Healing, and Society
Credits:
4.00
Social context of wellness, illness, and healing;
stratification and health; mortality and morbidity in
relation to class, race, ethnicity, religion, gender, and
age; social control functions of medicine: medicalization
and de-medicalization; interaction of physicians and
patients; medical occupations; mental health and mental
illness; stress and illness; medical care systems in
various countries.
SOC 990 - Teaching Sociology Seminar
Credits:
4.00
Helps graduate students explore teaching techniques and
improve their teaching skills. Topics include: setting
course goals, designing lectures, evaluating student course
work, leading discussion, and experimenting with innovative
teaching techniques. (Also offered as GRAD 974.)
SOC 995 - Reading and Research
Credits:
2.00 to 8.00
A student prepared by training and experience to do the
independent work under the guidance of an instructor may
register. Prereq: 16 graduate hours of sociology and
permission. Hours and credit to be arranged. May be
repeated for different topics.
SOC 996 - Reading and Research
Credits:
2.00 to 8.00
A student prepared by training and experience to do the
independent work under the guidance of an instructor may
register. Prereq: 16 graduate hours of sociology and
permission. Hours and credit to be arranged. May be
repeated for different topics.
SOC 997 - Advanced Special Topics
Credits:
2.00 or 4.00
Occasional or experimental offerings.
SOC 999 - Doctoral Research
Credits:
Cr/F.