SOCI - Sociology

SOCI 1000. Entrance Seminar in Sociology (4-0-0) Required of all sociology majors in their first semester after entering the sociology program. Issues to be presented include: benefits of a sociology degree (i.e., what you can do with a degree in sociology), tips on studying, referencing and writing styles (i.e., A.P.A. style), the utility of internships, student/faculty collaboration in research, the Sociology Club, the honors program, graduate school, community outreach, and general academic policies. S/U grading.

SOCI 1101. Introduction to Sociology (3-0-3) Fundamental ideas and concepts of contemporary sociology. Provides a firm background for those who plan to do advanced work in sociology, and for those who wish to have just a sampling, it is a corrective to common sense understanding of modern society. Topics include human cultures and groups, socialization, conformity and non-conformity, social stratification, structure, order, conflict and change, and the major institutions, including economy, education, family, polity, and religion.

SOCI 2293. Family and Society (3-0-3) Prerequisites: SOCI 1101. Analysis of family life and kinship structures in the U.S. and cross-culturally; marriage, husband/wife and parent/child relations; transformations of family and kinship in industrial societies. .

SOCI 3105. Society and the Individual (3-0-3)Prerequisite: SOCI 1101. Required for Sociology Majors. Emphasis on the interaction between the individual and the situation. Topics include conformity and non-conformity, cognitive and moral development, the role of language, and the development of the social self.

SOCI 3106. Sociology of Occupations and Professions (3-0-3)Prerequisite: SOCI 1101. The psychological and social implications to the individual of participation in a given occupation, the means by which occupations and professions affect societal stability and change, and the significance of professional versus nonprofessional status.

SOCI 3107. African Women and Development (3-0-3)Prerequisite: SOCI 1101. Explore theoretical questions and methodological concerns about modernization and the phenomena of industrial development, the social implications of development on the status of women in African societies, and the significance of women's grassroots organizations versus government organizations.

SOCI 3109. Sociology of Deviance (3-0-3)Prerequisite: SOCI 1101. Focuses on the individual who violates social and legal norms and the consequences for both the individual and the society.

SOCI 3116. Sociology of Domestic Abuse (3-0-3)Prerequisite: SOCI 1101 or CRJU 1105 with a grade of C or better. This course will examine the various types of domestic abuse within a sociological framework. Types of interpersonal abuse presented will include child abuse (e.g., physical abuse, verbal/psychological abuse, sexual abuse, etc.), spouse abuse (e.g., physical abuse, verbal/psychological abuse, and including spousal rape), elder abuse (e.g., physical abuse, verbal/psychological abuse, exploitation and financial abuse, etc.), and rape (including date rape). Students will explore interpersonal abuse while learning about the social and cultural forces that perpetuate the abuse (e.g., cultures of violence, gender roles, rape-prone cultures and climates, etc.). Finally, students will be exposed to social policy as it relates to interpersonal abuse and a topical view of various intervention techniques being employed to reduce incidents of interpersonal abuse.

SOCI 3117. Race and Ethnic Relations (3-0-3)Prerequisite: SOCI 1101. Ways in which race and ethnic factors such as religion and national origin relate to family, education, and power.

SOCI 3120. Educational Development in Africa (3-0-3)Prerequisite: SOCI 1101. A broad overview of the sociology of education in Africa, with a focus on the role of education in economic, political and cultural development in Sub-Saharan Africa since independence. Elements of the history, anthropology, politics and economics of education in Africa will be presented.

SOCI 3126. Introduction to Social Work and Welfare (3-0-3)Prerequisite: SOCI 1101. Scope, purposes, philosophy, and problems of social welfare services and the community.

SOCI 3127. Social Problems (3-0-3) Prerequisite: SOCI 1101. A study of modern U.S. social problems related to the benefits, transformations, environmental threats and uneven development deriving from late industrial capitalism in the 21st century. Special attention will be paid to the nature of industrial capitalism as a basis for contemporary social structure, social problems, the rise of an integrated global economy, poverty and uneven development in the U.S. Problems treated will include ethnic, gender and class conflict, as well as the conditions related to criminality, poor health came, drug abuse, environmental deterioration, and lack of educational opportunities.

SOCI 3128. Drugs and Society (3-0-3)Prerequisite: SOCI 1101. An examination of the social, psychological, and biological aspects of psychotropic drug use and abuse, with emphasis on the sociological aspects. Social aspects related to drug types and their addictive properties are also discussed. Addiction, addiction treatment, drug use prevention and various arguments related to legalization and criminal penalties are addressed.

SOCI 3129. Sociology of Gender (3-0-3)Prerequisite: SOCI 1101. This course will explore the core ideas and socially constructed concepts that create male and female gender-roles in our culture. Examines how behavior associated with gender-roles have come to be defined by the influence of social institutions. Examines the biological differences and similarities between the sexes that have helped perpetuate gender-roles.

SOCI 3135. Sociology of Development (3-0-3)Prerequisite: SOCI 1101. Overview of sociological principles, theories and practices of development and social changes in rural and urban contexts. Students examine problems associated with development programs and analyze existing human capital, social capital, and physical capital used by various population segments in the developed and developing countries.

SOCI 3225. Model African Union (3-0-3)Prerequisite: SOCI 1101. This course is designed to follow and to elaborate on topics studied in People and Cultures of Africa, particularly by preparing for and participating in the Southeast Model African Union, a simulation exercise that involves teams from universities throughout the Southeast (during a 3-day simulation). This will involve individual research into one or two African countries that the CSU teams will represent, the history of the African Union, and current political, economic, and social issues confronting Africa. Students will become familiar with parliamentary procedure and presentation of resolutions in committee debates. Offered only in fall semester, limited to a maximum of 20 students (10 students per team).

SOCI 3508. Selected Topics in Sociology (1-3 hours)Prerequisite: SOC 1101. Various topics. May be repeated for credit with consent of the instructor and if not the same topic.

SOCI 3698. Internship (1-3 hours)Prerequisite: Approval of department. Supervised experience in the field with an approved agency or company. Sociology majors may earn up to 3 credit hours. (S/U grading.)

SOCI 3899. Independent Reading in Sociology (3-0-3) Prerequisites: SOCI 1101, 12 additional credits in sociology, junior or senior class standing, and approval of the department. All students must have a contractual agreement with a specific departmental instructor to supervise project. Students will be expected to select a specific topic title that will be posted to their transcript. Extensive independent reading on a selected experimental, theoretical, or applied problem under the direction of a faculty member. Students will be expected to submit a formal proposal outlining (a) the general topic on which they wish to do extensive reading, (b) their reasons for selecting this topic as worthy of independent work, (c) either a list of readings already compiled or a detailed plan on how they intend to find scientific and scholarly reading material relevant to their topic, and (d) a statement clearly identifying expected learning outcomes. Once approved, students will be expected to meet weekly or biweekly with the supervising faculty member. Students will be expected to demonstrate their knowledge of the topic by means established by the supervising faculty member (e.g., the completion of a substantial paper, written exam, oral exam, or some combination of the aforementioned). Finally, students will be expected to share what they have learned with other students by means of either (a) delivering a guest lecture in an appropriate class taught by the supervising faculty member, or (b) presenting a paper at a regional student conference.

SOCI 4000. Exit Exam in Sociology (0-0-0)Prerequisite: Approval of Dept. Chair. Sociology majors in their senior year are expected to take the Educational Testing Service subject exam in sociology in their last semester prior to graduation. Students will be restricted from graduating until successful completion of the exam. The exam is a measure of program effectiveness and not of any individual student. (S/U grading).

SOCI 4101. Social Research 1 (3-0-3)Prerequisite: SOCI 1101. The scientific method and the role of theory as applicable to sociological research; quantitative methods; SPSS and data base construction; research design, measurement, sampling, and research ethics; research report writing.

SOCI 4102. Social Research 2 (3-0-3)Prerequisite: SOCI 1101 and SOCI 4101. Field research; data collection; SPSS; data analysis and interpretation; report writing.

SOCI 4105. Sociological Theory (3-0-3) Prerequisite: SOCI 1101. Introduces students to the founders of modern sociology in the 19th and early 20th centuries and to the theoretical problems with which they struggled. Describes some of the classic concepts and debates in the field including sociocultural system, social function, conflict, social stratification, and social interaction. Concludes with a brief look at the late 20th century in terms of the ideas of postmodernism and multiculturalism.

SOCI 4106. Modern Sociological Thought (3-0-3)Prerequisite: SOCI 1101 and SOCI 4105. Focuses on recent sociological theorists and theoretical issues. The major theorists discussed are Levi-Strauss, Bourdieu, Foucault, Habermas, and Baudrillard; these writers will be discussed in the context of theoretical problems such as structure vs agency, systems theory, theory of power, relativism and postmodernism.

SOCI 4108. Clinical Sociology (3-0-3)Prerequisite: SOCI 1101 and SOCI 3126. Application of sociological knowledge to human social problems. Students distinguish and interpret current social needs which impact the lives of entire communities on a macro level. Using the campus/local town as a community, students identify a need then plan, design, and implement a change mechanism to improve the community. Through explorations and experiences, students acquire knowledge of how to initiate and implement "grassroots" interventions through community organizing.

SOCI 4405. Sociology Practicum (3-1-4)Prerequisites: Senior standing, Sociology major, 3.0 GPA in SOCI courses, and approval of the department. Provides sociology majors who plan to attend graduate school an opportunity to lead discussion groups with Introductory Sociology students. In addition, attending the Introductory Sociology course again will serve as a capstone course, Experience with leading discussion groups will be beneficial to them in graduate school.

SOCI 4899. Independent Study (1-6 hours)Prerequisite: SOCI 4102 with a grade of B or better and approval of the department. Guidance of the student through the complete research process, from formulation of a topic to data collection and analysis, to completion of a final report.

SOCI 5106. Sociology of Aging (3-0-3)Prerequisite: SOCI 1101. The sociological analysis of aging in modern society. The examination of aging as a social construct and the attitudes and values surrounding the aging process primarily within an American context.