Chair and Associate Professor Frank ; Professors Haas, Kelley, Pitts;
Associate Professors Ghidina, Lee, Omer; Assistant Professors Peterson, Wood;
Lecturer Bramlett, Visiting Assistant Professor Jill Wightman
Sociology (SOC) and Anthropology (ANTH)
Sociology is the study of society including the
complex relationships between individuals, social institutions, culture and
social structure. The major is designed to equip students with a sociological
perspective with which they may examine a wide variety of social issues. The
major equips students with the theoretical and investigative tools necessary to
examine a wide variety of social issues. Electives are offered in four broad
areas: inequality, power, and justice; groups and social institutions; culture
and meaning; and global complexity and change. Cultural anthropology is one of
the most international of all the social sciences. A diverse but comprehensive
discipline, anthropology investigates the social and cultural life of human
beings in all times and all places. A concentration in anthropology provides
students with an appreciation of other ways of life, different systems of belief
and knowledge, and, perhaps most importantly, a better understanding of the
world in which they live. Students majoring in sociology are prepared for
careers in social work, criminal justice, non-profit agencies, business and
government as well as graduate study in sociology, anthropology, criminology,
social work, law, and various other fields.
General Sociology
I. Required courses in the major -- 36 hours including: SOC 100, 225, 310; 335 or 336; 420, 455 and 465; 15 additional hours in Anthropology or Sociology, at least 9 of which must be in Sociology. Nine of the 15 hours must also be at the 300-400 level.
II. Required courses outside of the major -- None. STAT 185 is recommended for students wishing to pursue additional quantitative analysis.
III. Other department requirements -- A grade of C or better in SOC 455 and 465 satisfies the senior demonstration of competency, oral competency, and computer competency requirements.
Concentration in Anthropology
I. Required courses in the major -- 36 hours including: ANTH 100, 225, 336, 455, 465; SOC 310, 420; 15 additional hours in Anthropology or Sociology, at least 9 of which must be in Anthropology. Nine of the 15 hours must be at the 300-400 level.
II. Required courses outside of the major -- None. STAT 185 is recommended for students wishing to pursue additional quantitative analysis.
III. Other department requirements -- A grade of C or better in ANTH 455 and 465 satisfies the senior demonstration of competency, oral competency, and computer competency requirements.
Sociology with Teacher Licensure
I. Required courses in the major -- 36 total hours including: SOC 100, 225, 310; 335 or 336, 420, 455, 465; 15 additional hours in Anthropology or Sociology, at least 9 of which must be in Sociology. Nine of the 15 hours must also be at the 300-400 level.
II. Required courses outside of the major -- 12-18 hours: ECON 101 or 102; HIST 101, 102; POLS 220. Students who have not received credit for the Humanities sequence must also compete HIST 151 and 152. STAT 185 is recommended for students wishing to pursue additional quantitative analysis.
III. Other department requirements -- A grade of C or better in SOC 455 and 465 satisfies the senior demonstration of competency, oral competency, and computer competency requirements.
Students should review requirements found in the Education section of the catalog and must consult with the appropriate advisor in the Department of Education. In addition, those desiring middle school licensure must take HIST 315 and complete requirements for a second area of licensure.
Declaration of Major in Sociology
To declare a major in Sociology, a student must:
1. successfully complete LANG 120.
2. complete SOC 225 and either ANTH 100 or SOC 100 (depending on concentration) with a grade of C or better.
3. see the department chair to complete a Declaration of Major form.
Minor in Sociology
18 hours in Sociology including: SOC 100, 225, 420; and 9 hours of Sociology electives with at least 6 hours at the 300-400 level.
Minor in Anthropology
For students not majoring in Sociology, a minor in Anthropology may be earned by completing 18 hours in Anthropology including: ANTH 100, 225, 336; and 9 hours of Anthropology electives with at least 6 hours at the 300-400 level.
Courses in Anthropology
100 Introduction to Cultural
Anthropology (3)
Introduces the study of culture and
human diversity. Through reading ethnographies (case studies), students learn
about different societies around the world, including their own. They also learn
how different anthropologists have gone about studying societies. The class pays
particular attention to concepts of culture, cultural relativism, holism, and
participant observation. Fall and spring.
225 Social and Cultural Inquiry (SOC
225) (3)
Explores a variety of frameworks for
understanding human societies and social experience. Students learn classical
and contemporary approaches to analyzing and interpreting the worlds around
them, integrating both theoretical and methodological concerns. The emphasis is
on developing questions and hypotheses, using methodologies, gathering data,
interpreting information, crafting explanations, and building theory.
Prerequisite: ANTH 100 or SOC 100. Fall and Spring.
280 Cultures of Africa (3)
Introduces the diverse societies,
geographies, and practices of African peoples. Materials include ethnographic,
fictional, and historical texts, as well as an array of visual materials such as
maps, photographs, documentary films, and African-directed feature films. Fall.
325 Culture and Mind (3)
Explores how people in different
places around the world make and communicate meaning. On the way, we ponder the
nature of culture and mind. Texts include classic and contemporary works in
symbolic and psychological anthropology. Odd years spring.
336 Ethnographic Methods (SOC 336)
(3)
Understands social experiences
through grounded-theory research. Course offers hands-on lessons in gathering,
analyzing, and interpreting ethnographic data. Topics include
participant-observation, interviewing, mapping, content analysis, taking and
interpreting field notes, and writing. All students conduct a field project.
Prerequisite: ANTH 225. Fall.
350 Body, Disability and Culture (3)
Using ethnographies, memoirs and
films, this course examines the concepts of the body and disability in a variety
of cultures, including our own. Particular attention is paid to the different
ways that the body and disability are both gendered and sexed. Topics include
mind/body distinctions, stigma, normalcy, and the role of narrative in the
cultural construction of the body and disability. Odd years fall.
353 Culture and the Individual (3)
Explores the relationship between
individuals and their experiences of the cultures in which they live. Using
ethnographies and films, the course also examines cross-cultural variation in
emotions, illnesses and the definition of the person. Even years spring.
361 Writing Gender (3)
Examines the cross-cultural
representation of gender, through ethnographies, documentary films and writing
exercises. The course considers how culture affects our understanding and
experience of gender. Issues such as hierarchies and power, the body and
sexualities, and the dilemmas of writing about identities are explored. Even
years fall.
365 Death and Dying (3)
Everybody dies. Not everybody manages
death the same way. The class takes a cross-cultural look at the ways people die
and cope with death around the world, by reading a variety of classic and
contemporary literature on death, and by taking field trips to graveyards and
funeral homes. Spring.
400 Internship in Sociology and
Anthropology (SOC 400) (1-6)
Places students with participating
agencies and organizations. Weekly seminar meetings focus on the acquisition of
basic helping and inter-relational skills, understanding organizational contexts
that impact and inform practice, and ethical issues in professional life. May be
repeated for a total of 6 hours credit. Prerequisite: Twelve hours of sociology
and/or anthropology. Fall and Spring. S/U grading.
425 Manhood and Masculinities (3)
Looks cross-culturally and critically at men's experiences, the meaning of
manhood, and the practices of masculinity. Drawing on a variety of theoretical
perspectives, the class studies manhood within a wider field of gendered
meaning. Even years Spring.
455 Senior Thesis Seminar (SOC 455)
(3)
First of two courses in the senior capstone experience. Choosing from a variety
of sociological and anthropological approaches, students plan and begin to carry
out theoretically grounded and methodologically sophisticated individual
research projects. Student course work culminates with a research statement that
includes a well-articulated research question and a set of research strategies
appropriate to their topic that will allow them to complete their thesis during
the Senior Symposium. These research statements are presented in both written
and oral form. Prerequisites: SOC 310; SOC 335 or ANTH 336. Fall and Spring.
465 Senior Symposium (SOC 465) (3)
Final course in the senior capstone
experience. This course involves two components. First, students will continue
data collection and analysis, completing the Senior Thesis, and making a public
presentation of their findings. The second component involves an examination of
contemporary topics in the fields, focusing on theoretical and methodological
concerns and an examination of the disciplines in the contemporary world.
Selected topics will be varied and current. Prerequisite: ANTH 455. Fall and
Spring.
499 Undergraduate Research in
Anthropology (1-6)
Undergraduate research under the
supervision of a faculty mentor. An IP grade may be awarded at the discretion of
instructor. May be repeated for a total of six hours credit. Fall and Spring.
171-6, 271-6, 371-6, 471-6 Special
Topics in Anthropology (1-6)
Courses not otherwise included in the
catalog listing but for which there may be special needs. May be repeated for
credit as often as permitted and as subject matter changes. See department
chair.
Courses in Sociology
100 Introduction to Sociology (3)
Employs the sociological imagination
to explore society and social experience. Introducing the students to a diverse
range of sociological approaches, the course emphasizes the complex
relationships between individuals and their social worlds, social structure and
social institutions, socialization, social interaction, and social identities
and inequalities. Fall and Spring.
200 Criminology (3)
Provides an introduction to the field
of criminology, surveying the social construction of crime, the legal
conceptualization of crime, the nature and extent of crime, the theoretical
models on the causes of crime, typologies of crime, and the criminal justice
response from policing, to trial, to institutionalization. Substantive attention
is devoted to the importance of race, gender and social class in the American
criminal justice system and the reliance on prisons as the solution to the crime
problem. Spring.
210 Contemporary Social Problems (3)
Explores the institutional and
cultural causes of selected social problems in contemporary U.S. society. Also
critically examines the ways in which social problems are constructed and
defined. Particular attention is paid to the ways in which social institutions
perpetuate social problems. Fall and Spring.
220 Juvenile Delinquency (3)
Traces the socio-historical discovery of childhood and the social and cultural
construction of adolescence and delinquency. Drawing from various bodies of
social thought, the extent, nature, and social location of delinquent behavior
is investigated. Current changes in juvenile justice are critically analyzed
relative to the impact of theory on social policy and future implications for
childhood, adolescence, and juvenile (in)justice. Fall.
221 Race and Ethnic Relations (3)
Critically examines the construction
of race and ethnic identities and the ways in which dominance and subordination
are linked to this process. Course surveys related issues including group
formation, racial and ethnic stratification, prejudice and discrimination, race
privilege, and patterns of domination, segregation, and integration in
multi-ethnic societies. Fall.
223 Social Gerontology (3)
Introduces the field of social
gerontology. Course focuses on historical and cross-cultural meanings of aging
for individuals, the social roles of the elderly, and the institutional and
cultural frameworks that shape the experience of growing old in contemporary
western societies. Fall.
225 Social and Cultural Inquiry (ANTH
225) (3)
Explores a variety of frameworks for understanding human societies and social
experience. Students learn classical and contemporary approaches to analyzing
and interpreting the worlds around them, integrating both theoretical and
methodological concerns. The emphasis is on developing questions and hypotheses,
using methodologies, gathering data, interpreting information, crafting
explanations, and building theory. Prerequisite: SOC 100 or ANTH 100. Fall and
Spring.
240 Evolution, Revolution and Social
Change (3)
Reviews the historical treatment and
contemporary status of African Americans, women, and the gay and lesbian
subcultures in American society and the respective social movements which
emerged in their attempts to attain social equality. Problems of power and
privilege are analyzed within the context of cultural diversity and social
change. Fall and Spring.
260 Sport and Society (3)
Examines contemporary societies and
the meaning of work and play in daily life. Why and how are some persons labeled
athletes and others are not? How does athletic identity develop and vary? How do
economics and politics enter into the organization of sports? Sports practices
in the 21st century are compared in the context of societal myths
regarding amateurs and professionals, children and adults, and changing gender
and race norms. Fall.
280 Sociology of Gender (3)
Provides an overview of the broad
field of gender studies in sociology. Drawing on the premises of social
constructionism and critical theory, the course examines the micro- and macro-
levels of the creation and maintenance of a binary system of gender. Major
course themes include gender socialization, the micro-politics of gender, the
social construction of gender, gender and sexuality, and gender stratification.
Odd years Spring.
301 Sociology of Education (3)
Considers formal education in the U.S. by analyzing the multiple ways in which
the institution impacts social life and organization. Course emphasizes the
relationship of education to individual status attainment, social mobility of
marginalized groups, the maintenance of dominant cultural values, and its roles
in supporting professional organizations through credentialing. Course
emphasizes schools and social class, gender, multicultural and racial
inequalities. Spring.
302 Sociology of Religion (3)
Draws on the intellectual tradition
within the discipline of understanding religion as a social and cultural
phenomenon. Looks into the complex nature of religion and explores the social
conditions and processes which account for diverse religious phenomena including
religiosity, religious organizations, conflict and change, religious pluralism,
and the relationships between religion and other social institutions. Spring.
310 Theoretical Inquiry (3)
Examines major social theories and
ways of theorizing, focusing on a range of contemporary perspectives and the
links to classical foundations of the discipline. By applying theories to social
phenomena, the course enhances students' abilities to make sense of human social
worlds and to consider the strengths and limitations of theoretical perspectives
in terms of how they account for diverse human experiences. Prerequisite: SOC
225. Fall and Spring.
312 Society, Culture and Poverty (3)
Investigates the economic, political,
and cultural causes of poverty in the United States. A historical and
contemporary analysis of social policy illuminates the political debates and
cultural discourse on the societal response to welfare and poverty, particularly
the perceived differences between the deserving and undeserving poor relative to
race and gender. Spring.
335 Survey and Social Research
Methods (3)
Examines social worlds with an
emphasis on hypothesis-driven research. Course offers hands-on lessons in
developing and conducting survey research, qualitative interviewing, and content
analysis. The course will focus on developing the skills necessary to read and
interpret statistical studies, as well as to designing and implementing
research. All students conduct a research project. Prerequisite: SOC 225. Fall
and Spring.
336 Ethnographic Methods (ANTH 336)
(3)
Understands social experiences
through grounded-theory research. Course offers hands-on lessons in gathering,
analyzing, and interpreting ethnographic data. Topics include
participant-observation, interviewing, mapping, content analysis, taking and
interpreting field notes, and writing. All students conduct a field project.
Prerequisite: SOC 225. Fall.
340 Social Control and Deviant
Behavior (3)
Considers the development of social
order and ideological hegemony, the dynamics of conformity and dissent, and the
major theoretical models of deviance and social control. Employing a
deconstructive and critical approach, this course examines the role of power in
defining who the deviant is and what acts constitute a threat to social order.
Particular attention is given to the voices and lived experiences of deviants
illuminating how social control, mediated through the state or other powerful
agencies, can lead to the loss of individual freedom and the abrogation of human
rights and civil liberties. Fall.
346 Dynamics of Organizations (3)
Analyzes the ways in which
organizational forms, especially bureaucracy, increasingly characterize and
impact social life in the contemporary world. Topics covered include the roles
of organizations, organizational structure, dynamic processes within
organizations such as power and conflict, the individual in the organizational
context, relations between organizations and environments, and the major
theoretical perspectives on organizations. Fall.
357 Development and Social Change in
Latin America (3)
Examines historical, political, and
socio-economic perspectives on Latin America by focusing on the region's
development through the 19th and 20th centuries. Mexico,
Brazil, Argentina and Chile, as well as other countries, will be used as case
studies. Also examines historic relations between the region and the United
States. Fall.
358 Globalization and Social Change
in Africa (3)
Focuses on social change and economic
development in Africa with an emphasis on theories of modernization, dependency,
and world systems. Special attention is paid to the ways that Western society's
policies impact the lives of individuals in Africa and on the ability of African
countries to be self-determining. Spring.
359 Women of Color and Feminism (3)
Overviews the emerging scholarship of
feminists of color while offering a critique of dominant Western feminist
theories as they relate to the experiences and lives of women of color. Special
attention is paid to the diversity of experiences among women of color in a
global context. Fall.
362 Sociology of Health and Illness
(3)
Attends to the meaning and
consequences of health and illness for individuals as well as society, with
attention to the organization of health care systems, the healing professions,
and the emergent conceptualization of health care as a right. Also considers how
health issues intersect with issues of diverse groups. Spring.
364 Population and the Environment:
An International Perspective (3)
Uses the tools of demography,
sociology and anthropology to explore population processes in different parts of
the world, the politics of population, and population policies as they relate to
the environment, development, food, and energy. Using a comparative approach,
the course emphasizes the importance of cultural difference in understanding the
dynamics of population growth. Spring.
365 Violence in America (3)
Explores the historical and cultural
tradition of violence in America with special emphasis on interpersonal,
organizational, and structural violence and its impact on the lives of victims
and the quality of life within communities. A major theme is the relationship
between violence and social class, sex and gender, and race. In reviewing a
range of violent behavior patterns-from intimate violence to hate crimes, from
serial murders to state-sanctioned violence- the societal response is
investigated relative to prevention, intervention and public policy. Even years
Spring.
385 Science and Technology (3)
Examines the cultural authority and
power of science and technology in the contemporary period, with attention to
the social production of scientific knowledge and technological artifacts.
Drawing on a social constructionist approach, the course emphasizes the ways in
which both experts and lay people relate to technological artifacts, as well as
the organizational, economic, cultural and political forces behind technological
innovation and the impacts of technological change on individuals and social
groups. Even years Fall.
390 Queer Sociology (3)
Interrogates identity politics of
gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgendered, and queer individuals. Drawing upon
constructionist and critical theory, this course focuses on sexual identities,
the "science of desire," sexual politics, and sexual communities.
Socio-historical comparisons of pre- and post-Stonewall culture highlight the
social evolution from sex acts to social roles to "kinds of persons"
to the emergence of politically organized sexual communities. The production of
knowledge in science and popular culture is analyzed within the context of
social change. Odd years Fall.
393 Popular Culture/High Culture (3)
Explores the meanings of cultural
products from the perspectives of audiences and producers. Drawing on
contemporary cultural theories, the course focuses on how people use culture and
problematizes simple dichotomies between high and low culture, good and bad art,
and authentic and imitative cultural artifacts. In addition, the courses deals
with issues of cultural power, ideology, hegemony, resistance and agency in
cultural products, both in mass media and high art forms. Odd years Fall.
400 Internship in Sociology and
Anthropology (ANTH 400) (1-6)
Places students with participating
agencies and organizations. Weekly seminar meetings focus on the acquisition of
basic helping and inter-relational skills, understanding organizational contexts
that impact and inform practice, and ethical issues in professional life. May be
repeated for a total of 6 hours credit. Prerequisite: Twelve hours of sociology
and/or anthropology. Fall and Spring. S/U grading.
402 The Color Line: Classical &
Contemporary Views of African Americans (3)
In the tradition of W.E.B. Du Bois,
this course explores to what degree the problem of the twenty-first century is
still the color line. A historical overview of the African American experience
in the United States serves as the context for an analysis of the contemporary
color line. Issues to be addressed include the cultural meaning of race, the
relationship between race and class positions, forms of racism, structural and
cultural analysis of racial inequality, and strategies for obtaining equality.
Even years Spring
410 Sociology through Film (3)
Examines 20th century society and culture as represented by modern
film. What are the characteristics of our modern society and how can we
understand and explain them? Who, or where, is the "modern"
individual? How do economic, political and cultural forces shape the individual
and society? Spring.
420 Difference and Inequality (3)
Investigates the most significant
categories of difference on the cultural landscape of American society--social
class, race, sex and gender, sexual identity and disability. Course content
emphasizes structural inequality and the social construction of difference and
privilege. How do categories of people come to be seen as "different"?
How does being seen as "different" affect peoples' lived experience?
What meaning does difference and inequality have for social interaction, social
institutions, or culture? What difference does "difference" make?
Particular attention is given to the interaction and intersection among
categories of difference. Prerequisite: SOC 225. Fall and Spring.
446 Working Class Organizations in
North America, Europe and Latin America (3)
How successful have working class organizations been in their attempts to shape
socio-political as well as economic conditions of their countries? In looking at
comparative cases of working class organizations from the United States, Europe
and Latin America, this course examines how these organizations have influence
the historic course of capitalism and democracy in these regions. Odd years
Spring.
455 Senior Thesis Seminar (ANTH 455)
(3)
First of two courses in the senior
capstone experience. Choosing from a variety of sociological and anthropological
approaches, students plan and begin to carry out theoretically grounded and
methodologically sophisticated individual research projects. Student course work
culminates with a research statement that includes a well-articulated research
question and a set of research strategies appropriate to their topic that will
allow them to complete their thesis during the Senior Symposium. These research
statements are presented in both written and oral form. Prerequisite: SOC 310;
SOC 335 or ANTH 336. Fall and Spring.
465 Senior Symposium (ANTH 465) (3)
Final course in the senior capstone
experience. This course involves two components. First, students will continue
data collection and analysis, completing the Senior Thesis, and making a public
presentation of their findings. The second component involves an examination of
contemporary topics in the fields, focusing on theoretical and methodological
concerns and an examination of the disciplines in the contemporary world.
Selected topics will be varied and current. Prerequisite: SOC 455. Fall and
Spring.
480 Sociology of Law (3)
Problematizes the law as a social
institution, revealing how its meaning and content are as changeable as the
political, social and economic forces of society. A central theme of the course
is the complex and reciprocal relationship between law and social change.
Special attention is given to law in theory and practice relative to cultural
values, conflicting interests, cultural resistance, status and power, and
popular will. Even years Spring.
499 Undergraduate Research in
Sociology (1-6)
Undergraduate research under the
supervision of a faculty mentor. An IP grade may be awarded at the discretion of
instructor. May be repeated for a total of six hours credit. Fall and Spring.