Sociology (SOCI)
SOCI 101. Introduction to Sociology. 3 Units.
This course examines the basic principles that underlie how sociologists look at the world: "The Sociological Imagination". It addresses the basic questions: How is social order possible and how does change occur? The course is designed as a foundation for further study in field of sociology and related disciplines. It introduces the student to the role that culture and social institutions play in modern society and examines important concepts such as socialization, deviance, social control, patterned inequalities and social change. These concepts are discussed in the context of both contemporary and historical social theories. Additionally, the student will be introduced to the methods of inquiry used by practicing sociologists.
SOCI 201. Introduction to Gender Studies. 3 Units.
This course introduces women and men students to the methods and concepts of gender studies and feminist theory. An interdisciplinary course, it covers approaches used in literary criticism, history, philosophy, political science, sociology, anthropology, psychology, film studies, cultural studies, art history, and religion. It is the required introductory course for students taking the women's and gender studies major. Offered as ENGL 270, HSTY 270, PHIL 270, RLGN 270, SOCI 201, and WGST 201. Counts as a CAS Global & Cultural Diversity course. Counts as a Human Diversity & Commonality course.
SOCI 202. Race and Ethnic Minorities in The United States. 3 Units.
This course explores interactions between racial and ethnic majority and minority groups in the United States. We examine the historical origins and formation of racial/ethnic hierarchies, the institutional and normative processes for reproducing these hierarchies, and the social and economic significance of stratified racial and ethnic group identities. The course is taught from a macro perspective that examines larger structural forces (e.g., colonization, slavery, and immigration) to explain inter-group relations, and a constructionist perspective to understand the way that power fashions the social meaning of identities (e.g., symbolic violence and hegemonic discourse), social categories (e.g., panethnic Asian and Hispanic groups), and everyday interactions (e.g., stereotypes and white racial frame). Specific topics include the formation and significance of white and black identities, reactive ethnicity, the racial privilege of whiteness, the politics of immigration, and the intersectionality of class, race and gender. Offered as AFST 202 and SOCI 202. Counts as a CAS Global & Cultural Diversity course. Counts as a Human Diversity & Commonality course. Counts as a Moral & Ethical Reasoning course.
SOCI 203. Human Development: Medical and Social. 3 Units.
This course will provide students with an introduction to key concepts, principles, and debates in the field of human development. We will examine how biological and psychological development interact with -- and are shaped by -- social environments and forces. These can include families, schools, neighborhoods, peer groups, and workplaces, as well as broader forces such as ideology, policy, and culture. We will explore how patterns of human development that have been taken as "normal" in the modern era can differ greatly across societies and through social change.
SOCI 204. Criminology. 3 Units.
What is crime and to what extent does crime affect you? This course will investigate the nature and extent of crime, theories on the causes of crime, types of crime and criminals, and the efforts society makes to cope with and prevent criminal behavior.
SOCI 208. Family in the 21st Century. 3 Units.
Family is one of the most influential social institutions in our everyday lives. This course is designed to explore the fundamental sociological concepts, theoretical approaches, and issues in the study of the family. Who is considered family? Who decides who is family? We will explore how family is shaped by social, cultural, political, and economic structures. This course will focus on the developments in family sociology as it has adapted to the rapid changes in families since the mid-20th century as well as increasing understanding of diversity in family. We will cover classic topics of marriage, partnering, parenting, grandparenting, and divorce. We will further examine emergent concepts of family: delayed marriage, gray divorce, queer families, and voluntary childlessness. Finally, we will cover exclusion and marginalization among those who are not considered family by the state and other social institutions, particularly related to perceived deviance from the European-White-Christianity model of family. Counts as a Human Diversity & Commonality course.
SOCI 213. Critical Problems in Modern Society. 3 Units.
Social inequality is deep-rooted in our culture and society, but often unacknowledged because the mechanisms of that inequality serve dominant groups and those in power. In this course, we will study specific social problems in modern society as a way to understand how and why we allow inequality and problems to exist, for whose interests, and the consequences for individuals and society. Topics can rotate, but will address issues related to wealth and capitalism; technology; structural racism and sexism; health disparities; and political disenfranchisement. We will discuss how all of these intersect with gender/sexualities, race/ethnicity, and social class. After taking this course, students will be able to: 1. Evaluate social conditions that harm some individuals or all people in society. 2. Translate "private troubles" into "public issues." 3. Articulate the purpose and contributions of public sociology. 4. Recognize dimensions of social inequality that cause or perpetuate disadvantage. Counts as a CAS Global & Cultural Diversity course. Counts as a Communication Intensive course. Counts as a Moral & Ethical Reasoning course.
SOCI 228. Sociology of Sexuality. 3 Units.
This course analyzes the issues of sex and sexuality from a sociological point of view. It is centered on the notion that what we consider to be 'normal' or 'natural' about sex and sexuality is, in reality, socially constructed. One's viewpoint on the issues surrounding sexuality are influenced by the social context in which they live, as opposed to the purely biological viewpoint that presupposes some sense of normalcy or naturalness regarding sexual relations. A range of topics will be covered, including readings that discuss the variations of sexuality and the notions of sexual ''deviance" in order to explore the cultural and societal variation that exists along the lines of gender, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, age and disability. Offered as SOCI 228 and WGST 228. Counts as a Human Diversity & Commonality course.
SOCI 232. Social Policy and Global Issues. 3 Units.
This seminar will nurture students' academic ability to participate in ethical conversations and to critically reflect on the 21st century's most pressing global social problems, including the environment, migration and refugees, drug abuse and trafficking, poverty and global inequality, terrorism, human trafficking, and child labor and abuse. Students will explore the global dimensions of social policy, elaborating on how global realities impact the policy-making process within a specific country in the era of globalization. Scholarly arguments will be framed around the role of multinational and intergovernmental organizations (e.g. World Bank and IMF) in the policy-making process of the global south. Counts as a Understanding Global Perspectives course.
SOCI 239. International Comparative Family Policy. 3 Units.
This course focuses on the connections between public policies and families and the values that enter into policy debates and family choices. It provides conceptual frameworks that can be used to identify and understand some of the influences underlying policy choices affecting families and also frameworks for evaluating the consequences of these choices for families of diverse structures, socio-economic statuses, and racial and ethnic backgrounds. We will apply this framework to topics such as maternity leave, child care, income assistance, and marriage promotion. We will compare U.S. policies to those of other industrialized countries, especially those in Italy. You will end the semester by conducting research on a social policy topic that we have not covered during the semester from understanding the initial social problem all the way through to making a policy recommendation to help you learn to explore a new topic independently. Central to the course are the intersections between families and governments via policy outputs, and the roles that citizens and family professionals can play in improving them. Using UNICEF resources, located in Florence, Italy, we will delve into evidence-based approaches for ameliorating suffering in young families across the globe. Using Florence as a classroom, we will explore differences in family life between the U.S. and Italy as a means to understand the ways in which the state must respond to differing cultures and needs. At the Innocenti Museum, in the same building as UNICEF's research offices, we will see an orphanage that began operations in 1445 and functioned as an orphanage and hospital until 1875, making it the oldest public institution in Italy. The building has been dedicated to the protection of children's rights and education since that time, and provides a backdrop for an early understanding of ways to think about family policy. Offered as SOCI 239 and WGST 239. Counts as a CAS Global & Cultural Diversity course. Counts as a Understanding Global Perspectives course.
SOCI 250. Law & Society: Law, Rights and Policy. 3 Units.
How do rights, including human rights, fit in the legal system and society? We will ask how legal actors, like judges and lawyers, think about rights compared to non-lawyers. We will (try to!) observe court hearings in an Ohio Appellate Court and a local small claims court. We will closely examine legal institutions, such as correctional facilities. We will benefit from hearing experts, local, national, and international, discuss how "law" works and whether rights are useful to making change. We will hear from a law school professor on how law school works and what the practice of law is like. Counts as a Moral & Ethical Reasoning course.
SOCI 255. Special Topics. 3 Units.
Courses taught as special topics are innovative or cutting-edge topics not offered regularly in the Sociology curriculum. These are taught by faculty in their areas of expertise and offer the opportunity to explore a particular topic in-depth or survey an emerging area of Sociology. Some courses may be interdisciplinary in their approach.
SOCI 264. Body, Culture and Disability. 3 Units.
This course examines the ways that the body is constructed through culture, media, and policy and how that, in turn, defines disability. Students will explore the socio-historical shifts in views and treatment of the body and the role of powerful others/institutions in defining "normal" and "abnormal" bodies. We examine how labels are used to classify, marginalize, and contain social difference. We explore the intersections of the body, disability, and other social identities such as gender expression. Finally, we consider the moral and ethical issues in professional paradigms designed to contain or terminate flawed bodies, such as addiction treatment, assisted suicide, and prenatal testing. Counts as a Communication Intensive course. Counts as a Human Diversity & Commonality course.
SOCI 275. Lives in Medicine: Becoming and Being a Physician. 3 Units.
This course applies a sociological approach to medical profession. Medical sociology emerged as a distinct field of study in the 1950s in part due to prominent studies of medical education such as The Student Physician by Robert K. Merton and Howard Becker's Boys in White. Since then, sociologists and other social scientists have written extensively about how issues of race, gender, aging and ethnicity are tied to issues of medical education, medical training, medical socialization and physician decision-making. Using a life course perspective, this course will examine how lives in medicine change over time; in particular, we'll study changing workforce patterns, physician satisfaction, and burnout. Other topics to be covered include contemporary ethical issues and alternative professional health careers. The course provides an overview of how medicine and medical practice have a profound influence on--and are influenced by--social, cultural, political and economic forces. In short, you'll become familiar with how scholars outside of medicine cast a sociological gaze on the profession. Counts as a Human Diversity & Commonality course.
SOCI 300. Modern Sociological Thought. 3 Units.
The most profound commentary of industrial society began in the middle of the nineteenth century with thinkers such as Durkheim, Marx, and Max Weber. Students will read the work of these scholars as it appeared in the original sources. They thoughtfully address concepts such as social integration and alienation, crime and punishment, and the social impact of modernization. The course is of special relevance to students in the social sciences, but is also recommended for students in other fields who wish to understand the social context in which professional lives will be conducted. Prereq: SOCI 101 and Sophomore standing.
SOCI 306. Logic of Social Inquiry. 3 Units.
This course provides an introduction to the epistemologies and research methodologies used in sociological inquiry. We concentrate on the fundamental principles of research design and on developing a basic understanding of the research process. Topics include formulating a question, alternative modes of research design and principles of measurement, sampling and analysis. We draw examples from published work, ongoing studies, and publicly available data. Offered as SOCI 306 and SOCI 406. Prereq: SOCI 101 and sophomore standing.
SOCI 307. Social Statistics. 3 Units.
This course provides an introduction to social statistics, including univariate statistics and bivariate tests of association (chi-square, ttest, ANOVA, correlation, regression). Topics include: levels of measurement, probability theory and inference; hypothesis testing; and statistical power. Students receive hands-on instruction using statistical software for data analysis. A student may receive credit for only one of the following: ANTH 319, PSCL 282, SOCI 307, or STAT 201. Offered as SOCI 307 and SOCI 407. Counts as a CAS Quantitative Reasoning course. Counts as a Quantitative Reasoning course. Prereq: SOCI 101 and Sophomore Standing.
SOCI 310. The Individual in Society. 3 Units.
This course focuses on the relationship between individuals and the societies in which they live. Influences of values and culture on individuals' selves and identities are discussed as well as how individuals attach meaning to personal life experiences and histories in the context of society at large. Offered as SOCI 310 and SOCI 410. Prereq: SOCI 101.
SOCI 311. Health, Illness, and Social Behavior. 3 Units.
This course considers the role of social factors (e.g., poverty, occupational and family structure) on health and illness. Discussion will concentrate on the role of health promotion (e.g., anti-smoking campaigns), social behavior and lifestyle in health and health care use. Considerable attention is given to understanding health careers and professions and their role in the health of societies and individuals. Offered as SOCI 311 and SOCI 411. Prereq: SOCI 101 and Sophomore standing.
SOCI 313. Sociology of Stress and Coping. 3 Units.
This course will focus attention on human stress throughout the lifespan and its role in personal health and well-being. There have been exciting advances in recent years in understanding the nature of stress in everyday life as well as elements of extreme stress. Trauma is experienced by many people due to normative events such as illness and bereavement or natural and man-made disasters such as crime or war. Coping strategies and social supports which ameliorate negative impact of stress will be considered. Offered as SOCI 313 and SOCI 413. Counts as a Human Diversity & Commonality course. Prereq: SOCI 101 and Sophomore standing.
SOCI 315. Comparative-Historical Sociology. 3 Units.
This seminar offers participants an introduction to comparative methodological approaches to social science research. Participants will employ hands-on approaches to learning about and using innovative methods to apply their knowledge to social science questions. Our starting point will be key questions social scientists must contend with in pursuing answers to questions about social phenomena. After turning to "classic" texts in comparative research, we will study various components of comparative research. We will then focus on configurational comparative methods. Offered as SOCI 315 and SOCI 415. Prereq: SOCI 101 and Sophomore standing.
SOCI 320. Delinquency and Juvenile Justice. 3 Units.
The primary focus of this course is on acquainting the student with the nature and the extent of juvenile delinquency. Accordingly, theoretical approaches to delinquency causation and the prevention, control, and treatment of delinquent behavior in society are addressed. Important aspects of juvenile justice procedures, policy, and practice are examined, and the early history of the juvenile justice system and the many changes occurring over the years are discussed. Prereq: SOCI 101.
SOCI 325. Great Books in Sociology. 3 Units.
This course focuses on close readings of contemporary classics in sociology, analytical writing and intensive seminar-type discussion. The course examines theoretical perspectives and methodological issues in sociology such that students are able to investigate, analyze and present research findings in written form. Research is always an inherently collaborative process and thus the course will utilize seminar-style discussions to formulate and examine ideas. The seminar will focus on topics germane to a critical reading of books that inform our understanding of large and small group processes as well as individual experiences. Students will be introduced to the sociological imagination as an overarching frame work to examine groundbreaking classical and contemporary books on topics such as health and aging, gender, work and family, social inequality and crime and delinquency, guided by the instructor of record. Readings will provide a sociological perspective for understanding and assessing macro- and micro-level interactions as well as encourage and stimulate critical thinking. Counts as a SAGES Departmental Seminar course.
SOCI 326. Gender, Inequality, and Globalization. 3 Units.
Using a sociological perspective, this course examines how major societal institutions, including the economy, polity, medicine, religion, education and family, are structured to reproduce gendered inequalities across the globe. Attention is given to the intersections of race/ethnicity, social class, gender and sexuality in social systems of power and privilege. Of critical importance is how gender figures in the relationship between Economic North and Economic South countries. We will elucidate how gender norms vary by culture and exert profound influence on the daily, lived experiences of women and men. The course will be informed by recent scholarship on feminism, women's movements, and globalization. Offered as SOCI 326 and WGST 326. Counts as a CAS Global & Cultural Diversity course. Counts as a Understanding Global Perspectives course. Prereq: SOCI 101 or permission of program director.
SOCI 327. Narrative Methods: Life Stories, Oral History, and Sociological Storytelling. 3 Units.
This course discusses theoretical foundations and methodologies of narrative research, including life stories, oral history, and auto ethnography. The course is designed for students to complete a research project in the semester using narrative methods to collect and analyze primary data and write up the results. Offered as SOCI 327 and SOCI 427. Counts as a Disciplinary Communication course. Prereq: SOCI 101 and SOCI 306.
SOCI 328. Capitalism, Cities, and Inequality. 3 Units.
This course focuses on social inequality, but through an examination of cities in the U.S. and abroad. In many ways, cities provide a window onto the organization of the larger social world, including regional, state, national and global areas. As such, understanding cities goes far beyond their geographical boundaries. The purpose of this course then is to learn the central role that cities play within a larger capitalist economy, how public policies shape life in cities, how cities organize and reproduce social inequality, and how community groups and organizations challenge and negotiate the organization of power and inequality. The course will examine topics such as the formal and informal labor force, immigration, the growth of global cities and slums, urban poverty, racial segregation, housing and homelessness, crime, gentrification, policing, community organization and political resistance. Offered as AFST 328, SOCI 328 and SOCI 428. Counts as a CAS Global & Cultural Diversity course. Counts as a Disciplinary Communication course. Counts as a Human Diversity & Commonality course. Counts as a Understanding Global Perspectives course. Prereq: SOCI 101.
SOCI 338. Seminar and Practicum in Adolescents. 3 Units.
Supervised field placement and attendance in early childhood, child and adolescent settings including preschools, schools, hospitals, and neighborhood centers. This course is an elective. Recommended preparation: PSCL 101. Offered as EDUC 338, PSCL 338 and SOCI 338.
SOCI 344. Health Disparities. 3 Units.
We have come to understand that stark disparities in health result from the social organization of society, especially inequality in resources and opportunities between and within social groups in the population. This seminar course examines the differential distribution of health and illness in society, focusing on the social determinants of health. Topics include: socioeconomic inequality; geographic context; social cohesion and exclusion; health burden in minority populations; policy and federal priorities. We utilize a life course perspective to understand how inequality "gets under the skin" to produce adverse health. Offered as SOCI 344 and SOCI 444. Counts as a CAS Global & Cultural Diversity course. Counts as a Moral & Ethical Reasoning course. Prereq: SOCI 101 and Sophomore standing.
SOCI 345. Sociology of Mental Illness. 3 Units.
Focus is on social construction of mental health and illness and sociology of emotions. Social determinants of psychological distress will be discussed along with social stigma associated with mental illness. Institutional and community options for care of the mentally ill will be considered along with the impact of recent social movements of deinstitutionalization and independent living. Offered as SOCI 345 and SOCI 445. Prereq: SOCI 101 and junior/senior standing.
SOCI 347. Sociology of Education. 3 Units.
This course provides an introduction to the field of sociology of education, which might be more properly called sociology of schooling. We will examine the development of schools historically and competing paradigms for understanding the place of school in society. Major theoretical perspectives concerning the nature and consequences of schools for individuals and for societies will be reviewed. Issues of individual opportunity - including how it is organized by race, class, and gender - will be covered, as well as issues institutional dynamics - including tracking, testing and so-called crisis and reform. Offered as SOCI 347 and SOCI 447. Prereq: SOCI 101 and junior or senior standing.
SOCI 349. Social Inequality. 3 Units.
This course discusses classical theory and contemporary research on the mechanisms of power that produce inequalities in income, wealth, education, privilege, and occupational prestige and are manifest in racial, ethnic, gender, age, health, and sexual hierarchies. Offered as SOCI 349 and SOCI 449. Counts as a Human Diversity & Commonality course. Prereq: SOCI 101 and Sophomore standing.
SOCI 355. Special Topics. 3 Units.
Courses taught as special topics are innovative or cutting-edge topics not offered regularly in the Sociology curriculum. These are taught by faculty in their areas of expertise and offer the opportunity to explore a particular topic in-depth or survey an emerging area of Sociology. Some courses may be interdisciplinary in their approach. The course is similar in expectations to other 300-level Sociology courses. Offered as SOCI 355 and SOCI 455.
SOCI 356. Economic Sociology: Money, Markets, Morals, and Social Life. 3 Units.
The course introduces students to a sociological perspective on the economy, and the social processes that effect and are embedded in economic behavior, economic institutions and markets. Students will examine issues such as the social significance of money, the effect of social networks on labor market outcomes, the success and failure of firms, tips and gifts, informal markets and the trade of illicit goods, as well as topics such as immigration and globalization. Our investigations into these diverse topics reveal how economic phenomena, economic systems and processes are shaped by social networks, cultural understandings and relations of power. Throughout the course students will examine how economic relations are facilitated--created, maintained, transformed, and constrained--by social relations, revealing that economic life and behavior is just as social as religion, family or education. Prereq: SOCI 101.
SOCI 357. Sociology of Human Rights. 3 Units.
This course is designed to introduce students to the sociology of human rights. The starting point is fundamental ideas of rights, including citizenship and human rights. We then study various aspects of human rights treaty processes. Over the remainder of the term, we examine different human rights issues, both long-standing and contemporary. Throughout the term, we will critically approach human rights systems and scholarship. Offered as SOCI 357 and SOCI 457. Prereq: SOCI 101.
SOCI 360. The Sociology of Law. 3 Units.
This course will focus on the role of rights in the U.S. legal system and society. In particular, we will consider three questions. The first is how do rights fit in the legal system and society? Second, how have different social groups used and thought about rights? Third, how do legal actors like judges and lawyers think about rights compared to non-lawyers? Offered as SOCI 360 and SOCI 460. Prereq: SOCI 101 and Sophomore standing.
SOCI 361. The Life Course. 3 Units.
Individual experiences and transitions over the life course are considered as the result of societal, cultural, psychological, biological, and historical influences. Developmental issues of childhood, adolescence, young adulthood, middle years and late life are discussed in the context of social expectations, challenges, and opportunities. Emphasis is placed on theoretical readings. Offered as SOCI 361 and SOCI 461. Counts as a Disciplinary Communication course. Prereq: SOCI 101 and Sophomore standing.
SOCI 365. Health Care Delivery. 3 Units.
Health care in the U.S. may be approaching a critical cross-road. Limiting care to older persons and the chronically ill has been proposed as a means to combat rising costs and limited access to health care. What are the alternatives to health care rationing? Socialized medicine? National health insurance? This course deals with issues of cost, quality, and access to health care in the United States and other societies. It considers how solutions by other societies can provide directions for the organization of health care in the U.S. Offered as SOCI 365 and SOCI 465. Prereq: SOCI 101 and Sophomore standing.
SOCI 366. Racial Inequality and Mass Imprisonment in the US. 3 Units.
This course examines the relationship between racial inequality and mass imprisonment in the U.S. It begins by exploring the role of prisons in the Jim Crow south, with a particular focus on convict-leasing practices, and then turns to the north to examine the social forces that created the black urban ghetto and concentrated black urban poverty. The course also examines the impact that these same social forces have had on Puerto Ricans. We will then explore a series of topics including urban poverty and crime, the war on drugs, the politics of mass incarceration, the prospects that mass incarceration has become the new Jim Crow, and the effects that mass incarceration has had on voting rights, urban communities, families and children. We will conclude with a discussion of varying decarceration arguments, strategies, movements, and achievements. Offered as AFST 366 and SOCI 366. Counts as a Human Diversity & Commonality course. Prereq: SOCI 101 or SJUS 100.
SOCI 369. Age, Society, and Inequality. 3 Units.
Age is one of the most influential factors in the organization and operation of modern society, yet receives significantly less attention than other key demographic characteristics such as race and gender. This course explores the way that age is woven into major social institutions such as work, family, policy, and the economy. Special attention is given to the ways that age intersects with other social dimensions to shape who gets to be old, as well as their health, wealth, and social circumstances when they get old. Topics will include: global trends in population aging, disappearance of retirement; cultural and historical differences in the value of older adults in society, lifetime discrimination and accelerated biological aging. The course will also cover emergent topics in the field such as LGBTQ aging, older immigrants, and gray divorce. Offered as SOCI 369 and SOCI 469. Counts as a Human Diversity & Commonality course. Prereq: SOCI 101 and Sophomore standing.
SOCI 370. Sociology of Families, Globally. 3 Units.
This course provides an overview on the sociology of families in the global context including non-Western societies in Asia, Latin America, and Africa. Against the background of family diversification and global inequality, we study diverse families across life course events such as partnership, parenting, and dissolution. We explore how family as a fundamental social institution reproduces and reduces inequalities at the intersection of gender, sexuality, race/ethnicity, class, and other social categorizations. Specific attention is given to multiracial, LGBTQ+, low-income, and immigrant families. Offered as SOCI 370 and SOCI 470. Counts as a Human Diversity & Commonality course. Counts as a Understanding Global Perspectives course. Prereq: SOCI 101 and Sophomore standing.
SOCI 372. Work and Family: U.S. and Abroad. 3 Units.
Covers the impact on human lives of the interface between work and family; the different ways gender structures the experience of work and family depending upon racial and ethnic background, social class, age, and partner preference; the impact of historical context on work-family experiences; work-family policies in the United States and other countries. Offered as SOCI 372, WGST 372, and SOCI 472. Prereq: SOCI 101 and Sophomore standing.
SOCI 377. Sociology of Population. 3 Units.
What are Demography and Social Demography? How have population dynamics changed in the past few decades or even centuries? How do social demographers use demographic concepts and techniques to make sense of population changes and social problems in the United States and worldwide? This course provides an overview of the subfield of demography, which is the scientific study of the human population. We will systematically examine the size, composition, and distribution of populations, introduce key processes of birth, death, and migration, and link them to the health and well-being of individuals and families as well as the social, political, and economic organization of societies. Specifically, we will cover the topics of Demographic Transitions; Mortality, Aging, and Health; Fertility, Marriage, and Family; and Migration, Urbanization, and Environment. We will also examine special topics such as the Demography of Race and Ethnicity and Population Policy. Our class will discuss substantial materials from the global context and adopt an inequality lens to highlight intersecting systems of privilege and suppression based on gender, sexuality, race/ethnicity, class, age, immigration status, nationality, and so on. Offered as SOCI 377 and SOCI 477. Counts as a Understanding Global Perspectives course. Prereq: SOCI 101 or equivalent; 9 hours in SOCI, ANTH, or ECON.
SOCI 380. Social Movements and Social Change. 3 Units.
This course will introduce students to the theories of social movements and collective action. We look at the conditions that create grievances in democracies, how grievances get translated into collective action, and what types of collective actions are successful for bringing about social change. We discuss a variety of movements in the U.S. in the 20th century to illustrate these theories and concepts. Counts as a Disciplinary Communication course. Counts as a Moral & Ethical Reasoning course. Prereq: SOCI 101 or requisites not met permission.
SOCI 384. Sociology of Sex(es), Gender(s) and Sexuality(ies). 3 Units.
Gender is an organizing principle of society and affects every element of social life. Ideas about gender and sexuality shape identity and suffuse interactions, institutions and the societies within which we live. These ideas vary from individual to individual, but also across time and place. This course surveys research on sex, gender and sexuality with the goal of providing students with a theoretical grounding for analyzing sex, gender and sexuality from a sociological perspective. We will explore outdated theories like essentialism and biological determinism, and newer theories rooted in social constructionism. Central to this course is intersectionality, a theoretical perspective that reveals ways in which race/ethnicity, class, gender, sexuality and other social categories are inextricably connected and form interlocking systems of inequality. Additional topics to be explored include: the sexual revolution, the hook-up culture, gendered families, gendered health, occupational segregation, sexual harassment and gendered violence, reproduction, social change and feminist activism. Offered as SOCI 384, SOCI 484, and WGST 384. Counts as a Human Diversity & Commonality course. Prereq: SOCI 101.
SOCI 385. Ethnography. 3 Units.
The course will be taught twice weekly as a seminar for upper level undergraduate students and graduate students, and will examine some of the key debates in ethnography, read ethnographies published as both books and articles, and explore various ways of designing ethnographic fieldwork. Offered as SOCI 385 and SOCI 485. Prereq: SOCI 101 and Sophomore standing.
SOCI 386. Race and Racism. 3 Units.
Race and Racism will discuss the classical and contemporary understandings of the concepts of race and racism. We will begin by taking an historical approach, delving into processes of racialization and the first instances where distinctions in human race were noted. We will survey theories of race and use a social constructions approach to examine how sociologists approach the study of racial and ethnic group difference. We will examine how definitions of racial groups have evolved over time and differ across contexts, as well as some of the underlying social and structural processes that create racial hierarchies. At the end of the course students should have a strong understanding of the mechanisms that reproduce systems of racial classification. The course will also examine patterns and trends in racial and ethnic inequality over recent decades, centering our discussion on the legacies of racism, current discrimination, and new processes that are currently unfolding to reproduce inequality.While the course's main focus is to examine understandings of race and racism in the United States, we will devote some attention to how race and ethnicity emerge in different environments by examining race and racism in an international context. Offered as AFST 386, SOCI 386 and SOCI 486. Counts as a CAS Global & Cultural Diversity course. Counts as a Human Diversity & Commonality course. Prereq: SOCI 101.
SOCI 392. Senior Capstone Experience. 3 Units.
SOCI 392 represents the completion of an independent study paper involving exploration of a sociology topic to be chosen in consultation with the student's capstone advisor. The student will interact regularly with the faculty advisor who will review their progress on the project. This project allows for original thought and for the tailoring of the research to the student's interests. The student will integrate theory, methods and social issues as he/she applies critical thinking skills and insights to the analysis of some aspects of a subject chosen from any of the following subfields and concentrations: Gerontology, Social Inequality, Medical Sociology, Crime and Delinquency, The Life Course, Education, Work and Family, Sociology of Law, and Deviance. The Capstone Project has both a written and an oral component. Following the submission of the Capstone paper, the student will give a presentation of the project at the Senior Capstone fair, or another forum chosen by the department. Counts as a Capstone Project course. Counts as a SAGES Senior Capstone course. Prereq: SOCI 101 and SOCI 300 and SOCI 306 and (SOCI 307 or ANTH 319 or PSCL 282 or STAT 201).
SOCI 397. Honors Studies. 3 Units.
Intensive investigation of research or conceptual problem; original work under supervision of faculty member. Limited to senior majors. Prereq: Senior status.
SOCI 398. Honors Studies. 3 Units.
Intensive investigation of research on conceptual problem; original work under supervision of faculty member. Limited to senior majors.
SOCI 400. Development of Sociological Theory. 3 Units.
This course examines in detail the works of the major social theorists of the 19th and 20th centuries. It is intended to integrate their ideas with the social and historical milieu from which they were born. Questions of intergroup conflict vs. cooperation, interactions between economic, familial, religious, and political institutions, and the development of the self as a function of larger social processes are addressed. Such celebrated figures as Marx, Weber, and Durkheim, as well as modern thinkers will be presented and discussed. Prereq: Graduate standing.
SOCI 401. Contemporary Sociological Theory. 3 Units.
Current viewpoints in sociological theory are explored using contrasting theoretical perspectives.
SOCI 406. Logic of Social Inquiry. 3 Units.
This course provides an introduction to the epistemologies and research methodologies used in sociological inquiry. We concentrate on the fundamental principles of research design and on developing a basic understanding of the research process. Topics include formulating a question, alternative modes of research design and principles of measurement, sampling and analysis. We draw examples from published work, ongoing studies, and publicly available data. Offered as SOCI 306 and SOCI 406.
SOCI 407. Social Statistics. 3 Units.
This course provides an introduction to social statistics, including univariate statistics and bivariate tests of association (chi-square, ttest, ANOVA, correlation, regression). Topics include: levels of measurement, probability theory and inference; hypothesis testing; and statistical power. Students receive hands-on instruction using statistical software for data analysis. A student may receive credit for only one of the following: ANTH 319, PSCL 282, SOCI 307, or STAT 201. Offered as SOCI 307 and SOCI 407. Counts as a CAS Quantitative Reasoning course. Counts as a Quantitative Reasoning course. Prereq: SOCI 406.
SOCI 410. The Individual in Society. 3 Units.
This course focuses on the relationship between individuals and the societies in which they live. Influences of values and culture on individuals' selves and identities are discussed as well as how individuals attach meaning to personal life experiences and histories in the context of society at large. Offered as SOCI 310 and SOCI 410.
SOCI 411. Health, Illness, and Social Behavior. 3 Units.
This course considers the role of social factors (e.g., poverty, occupational and family structure) on health and illness. Discussion will concentrate on the role of health promotion (e.g., anti-smoking campaigns), social behavior and lifestyle in health and health care use. Considerable attention is given to understanding health careers and professions and their role in the health of societies and individuals. Offered as SOCI 311 and SOCI 411.
SOCI 413. Sociology of Stress and Coping. 3 Units.
This course will focus attention on human stress throughout the lifespan and its role in personal health and well-being. There have been exciting advances in recent years in understanding the nature of stress in everyday life as well as elements of extreme stress. Trauma is experienced by many people due to normative events such as illness and bereavement or natural and man-made disasters such as crime or war. Coping strategies and social supports which ameliorate negative impact of stress will be considered. Offered as SOCI 313 and SOCI 413. Counts as a Human Diversity & Commonality course.
SOCI 415. Comparative-Historical Sociology. 3 Units.
This seminar offers participants an introduction to comparative methodological approaches to social science research. Participants will employ hands-on approaches to learning about and using innovative methods to apply their knowledge to social science questions. Our starting point will be key questions social scientists must contend with in pursuing answers to questions about social phenomena. After turning to "classic" texts in comparative research, we will study various components of comparative research. We will then focus on configurational comparative methods. Offered as SOCI 315 and SOCI 415.
SOCI 427. Narrative Methods: Life Stories, Oral History, and Sociological Storytelling. 3 Units.
This course discusses theoretical foundations and methodologies of narrative research, including life stories, oral history, and auto ethnography. The course is designed for students to complete a research project in the semester using narrative methods to collect and analyze primary data and write up the results. Offered as SOCI 327 and SOCI 427. Counts as a Disciplinary Communication course.
SOCI 428. Capitalism, Cities, and Inequality. 3 Units.
This course focuses on social inequality, but through an examination of cities in the U.S. and abroad. In many ways, cities provide a window onto the organization of the larger social world, including regional, state, national and global areas. As such, understanding cities goes far beyond their geographical boundaries. The purpose of this course then is to learn the central role that cities play within a larger capitalist economy, how public policies shape life in cities, how cities organize and reproduce social inequality, and how community groups and organizations challenge and negotiate the organization of power and inequality. The course will examine topics such as the formal and informal labor force, immigration, the growth of global cities and slums, urban poverty, racial segregation, housing and homelessness, crime, gentrification, policing, community organization and political resistance. Offered as AFST 328, SOCI 328 and SOCI 428. Counts as a CAS Global & Cultural Diversity course. Counts as a Disciplinary Communication course. Counts as a Human Diversity & Commonality course. Counts as a Understanding Global Perspectives course.
SOCI 443. Medical Sociology. 3 Units.
Course covers theories, research methods, and problems in sociology of medicine. Topics include social epidemiology, health and illness behavior, and sick role. Structures and functions of delivery systems and their interrelationships with other social institutions are discussed.
SOCI 444. Health Disparities. 3 Units.
We have come to understand that stark disparities in health result from the social organization of society, especially inequality in resources and opportunities between and within social groups in the population. This seminar course examines the differential distribution of health and illness in society, focusing on the social determinants of health. Topics include: socioeconomic inequality; geographic context; social cohesion and exclusion; health burden in minority populations; policy and federal priorities. We utilize a life course perspective to understand how inequality "gets under the skin" to produce adverse health. Offered as SOCI 344 and SOCI 444. Counts as a CAS Global & Cultural Diversity course. Counts as a Moral & Ethical Reasoning course.
SOCI 445. Sociology of Mental Illness. 3 Units.
Focus is on social construction of mental health and illness and sociology of emotions. Social determinants of psychological distress will be discussed along with social stigma associated with mental illness. Institutional and community options for care of the mentally ill will be considered along with the impact of recent social movements of deinstitutionalization and independent living. Offered as SOCI 345 and SOCI 445.
SOCI 447. Sociology of Education. 3 Units.
This course provides an introduction to the field of sociology of education, which might be more properly called sociology of schooling. We will examine the development of schools historically and competing paradigms for understanding the place of school in society. Major theoretical perspectives concerning the nature and consequences of schools for individuals and for societies will be reviewed. Issues of individual opportunity - including how it is organized by race, class, and gender - will be covered, as well as issues institutional dynamics - including tracking, testing and so-called crisis and reform. Offered as SOCI 347 and SOCI 447.
SOCI 449. Social Inequality. 3 Units.
This course discusses classical theory and contemporary research on the mechanisms of power that produce inequalities in income, wealth, education, privilege, and occupational prestige and are manifest in racial, ethnic, gender, age, health, and sexual hierarchies. Offered as SOCI 349 and SOCI 449. Counts as a Human Diversity & Commonality course.
SOCI 455. Special Topics. 3 Units.
Courses taught as special topics are innovative or cutting-edge topics not offered regularly in the Sociology curriculum. These are taught by faculty in their areas of expertise and offer the opportunity to explore a particular topic in-depth or survey an emerging area of Sociology. Some courses may be interdisciplinary in their approach. The course is similar in expectations to other 300-level Sociology courses. Offered as SOCI 355 and SOCI 455.
SOCI 457. Sociology of Human Rights. 3 Units.
This course is designed to introduce students to the sociology of human rights. The starting point is fundamental ideas of rights, including citizenship and human rights. We then study various aspects of human rights treaty processes. Over the remainder of the term, we examine different human rights issues, both long-standing and contemporary. Throughout the term, we will critically approach human rights systems and scholarship. Offered as SOCI 357 and SOCI 457.
SOCI 460. The Sociology of Law. 3 Units.
This course will focus on the role of rights in the U.S. legal system and society. In particular, we will consider three questions. The first is how do rights fit in the legal system and society? Second, how have different social groups used and thought about rights? Third, how do legal actors like judges and lawyers think about rights compared to non-lawyers? Offered as SOCI 360 and SOCI 460.
SOCI 461. The Life Course. 3 Units.
Individual experiences and transitions over the life course are considered as the result of societal, cultural, psychological, biological, and historical influences. Developmental issues of childhood, adolescence, young adulthood, middle years and late life are discussed in the context of social expectations, challenges, and opportunities. Emphasis is placed on theoretical readings. Offered as SOCI 361 and SOCI 461. Counts as a Disciplinary Communication course.
SOCI 465. Health Care Delivery. 3 Units.
Health care in the U.S. may be approaching a critical cross-road. Limiting care to older persons and the chronically ill has been proposed as a means to combat rising costs and limited access to health care. What are the alternatives to health care rationing? Socialized medicine? National health insurance? This course deals with issues of cost, quality, and access to health care in the United States and other societies. It considers how solutions by other societies can provide directions for the organization of health care in the U.S. Offered as SOCI 365 and SOCI 465.
SOCI 466. Promoting Health Across Boundaries. 3 Units.
This course examines the concepts of health and boundary spanning and how the synergy of the two can produce new, effective approaches to promoting health. Students will explore and analyze examples of individuals and organizations boundary spanning for health to identify practice features affecting health, compare and contrast practices and approaches, and evaluate features and context that promote or inhibit boundary spanning and promoting health. Offered as MPHP 466, PQHS 466, SOCI 466, NURS 466 and BETH 466. Prereq: Graduate student status or instructor consent.
SOCI 469. Age, Society, and Inequality. 3 Units.
Age is one of the most influential factors in the organization and operation of modern society, yet receives significantly less attention than other key demographic characteristics such as race and gender. This course explores the way that age is woven into major social institutions such as work, family, policy, and the economy. Special attention is given to the ways that age intersects with other social dimensions to shape who gets to be old, as well as their health, wealth, and social circumstances when they get old. Topics will include: global trends in population aging, disappearance of retirement; cultural and historical differences in the value of older adults in society, lifetime discrimination and accelerated biological aging. The course will also cover emergent topics in the field such as LGBTQ aging, older immigrants, and gray divorce. Offered as SOCI 369 and SOCI 469. Counts as a Human Diversity & Commonality course.
SOCI 470. Sociology of Families, Globally. 3 Units.
This course provides an overview on the sociology of families in the global context including non-Western societies in Asia, Latin America, and Africa. Against the background of family diversification and global inequality, we study diverse families across life course events such as partnership, parenting, and dissolution. We explore how family as a fundamental social institution reproduces and reduces inequalities at the intersection of gender, sexuality, race/ethnicity, class, and other social categorizations. Specific attention is given to multiracial, LGBTQ+, low-income, and immigrant families. Offered as SOCI 370 and SOCI 470. Counts as a Human Diversity & Commonality course. Counts as a Understanding Global Perspectives course.
SOCI 472. Work and Family: U.S. and Abroad. 3 Units.
Covers the impact on human lives of the interface between work and family; the different ways gender structures the experience of work and family depending upon racial and ethnic background, social class, age, and partner preference; the impact of historical context on work-family experiences; work-family policies in the United States and other countries. Offered as SOCI 372, WGST 372, and SOCI 472.
SOCI 477. Sociology of Population. 3 Units.
What are Demography and Social Demography? How have population dynamics changed in the past few decades or even centuries? How do social demographers use demographic concepts and techniques to make sense of population changes and social problems in the United States and worldwide? This course provides an overview of the subfield of demography, which is the scientific study of the human population. We will systematically examine the size, composition, and distribution of populations, introduce key processes of birth, death, and migration, and link them to the health and well-being of individuals and families as well as the social, political, and economic organization of societies. Specifically, we will cover the topics of Demographic Transitions; Mortality, Aging, and Health; Fertility, Marriage, and Family; and Migration, Urbanization, and Environment. We will also examine special topics such as the Demography of Race and Ethnicity and Population Policy. Our class will discuss substantial materials from the global context and adopt an inequality lens to highlight intersecting systems of privilege and suppression based on gender, sexuality, race/ethnicity, class, age, immigration status, nationality, and so on. Offered as SOCI 377 and SOCI 477. Counts as a Understanding Global Perspectives course.
SOCI 484. Sociology of Sex(es), Gender(s) and Sexuality(ies). 3 Units.
Gender is an organizing principle of society and affects every element of social life. Ideas about gender and sexuality shape identity and suffuse interactions, institutions and the societies within which we live. These ideas vary from individual to individual, but also across time and place. This course surveys research on sex, gender and sexuality with the goal of providing students with a theoretical grounding for analyzing sex, gender and sexuality from a sociological perspective. We will explore outdated theories like essentialism and biological determinism, and newer theories rooted in social constructionism. Central to this course is intersectionality, a theoretical perspective that reveals ways in which race/ethnicity, class, gender, sexuality and other social categories are inextricably connected and form interlocking systems of inequality. Additional topics to be explored include: the sexual revolution, the hook-up culture, gendered families, gendered health, occupational segregation, sexual harassment and gendered violence, reproduction, social change and feminist activism. Offered as SOCI 384, SOCI 484, and WGST 384. Counts as a Human Diversity & Commonality course.
SOCI 485. Ethnography. 3 Units.
The course will be taught twice weekly as a seminar for upper level undergraduate students and graduate students, and will examine some of the key debates in ethnography, read ethnographies published as both books and articles, and explore various ways of designing ethnographic fieldwork. Offered as SOCI 385 and SOCI 485.
SOCI 486. Race and Racism. 3 Units.
Race and Racism will discuss the classical and contemporary understandings of the concepts of race and racism. We will begin by taking an historical approach, delving into processes of racialization and the first instances where distinctions in human race were noted. We will survey theories of race and use a social constructions approach to examine how sociologists approach the study of racial and ethnic group difference. We will examine how definitions of racial groups have evolved over time and differ across contexts, as well as some of the underlying social and structural processes that create racial hierarchies. At the end of the course students should have a strong understanding of the mechanisms that reproduce systems of racial classification. The course will also examine patterns and trends in racial and ethnic inequality over recent decades, centering our discussion on the legacies of racism, current discrimination, and new processes that are currently unfolding to reproduce inequality.While the course's main focus is to examine understandings of race and racism in the United States, we will devote some attention to how race and ethnicity emerge in different environments by examining race and racism in an international context. Offered as AFST 386, SOCI 386 and SOCI 486. Counts as a CAS Global & Cultural Diversity course. Counts as a Human Diversity & Commonality course.
SOCI 509. Advanced Statistical Analysis. 3 Units.
The purpose of this course is to teach students multivariate data analysis, including linear regression, logistic regression, and econometric models. Students will learn about issues in data management such as variable measurement and techniques for handling missing data. Students also learn to select appropriate statistical models, design the analysis, and assess model fit. The course includes hands-on instruction with computer labs. Prereq: SOCI 407 and SOCI 406 or requisites not met permission.
SOCI 514. Qualitative Methods/Field Research. 3 Units.
Students explore the theoretical foundations of qualitative social research. The course is designed to introduce and provide experience with a range of data generation strategies and analytic skills. The ethnographic techniques of semi-structured interviewing and participant-observation receive particular attention.
SOCI 525. Multilevel Modeling. 3 Units.
This course is designed to provide an introduction to multilevel, or hierarchical, regression models, and to explore its two primary applications in the social sciences: (1) studies of individuals nested within groups; (2) studies of repeated observations nested within individuals. After taking this course, students should be able to discuss the components of the multilevel model, including random intercepts & slopes, variances at levels 1 & 2, within- and between-group regressions. Students should also be able to conduct independent statistical analysis using Stata from initial tests of assumptions and hypothesis testing, and to assessing model fit. This course will additionally provide instruction on time-based and age-based latent growth curves within the multilevel modeling framework. Prereq: SOCI 509 or requisites not met permission.
SOCI 601. Reading and Research. 1 - 9 Units.
Individual study and/or project work.
SOCI 701. Dissertation Ph.D.. 1 - 9 Units.
(Credit as arranged.) Prereq: Predoctoral research consent or advanced to Ph.D. candidacy milestone.