Schedule of Classes

Sociological insight into study of humans, society, and culture.

Overview of the discipline of sociology. Focus on specializations within the field, possible career paths, and options for graduate study. Introduction to discipline-specific research and writing skills. Discussion of faculty members' ongoing research activities. Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory.

Examination of the notion of the U.S. American family from a sociological perspective. Focus on perceptions of the family throughout U.S. American history, in mass media, and in relation to public policy; the historical transformation of families; the diverse and changing aspects of families; and the impact of social change and problems on the families of U.S.A. Emphasis on how society and the economic system affect families.

Sociological analysis of current social problems in the U.S.: poverty, racism, sexism, agism, medical care, the environment, population, urban disorganization, crime, juvenile delinquency, alcoholism, drug addiction, family disorganization, and mental illness. Use of different perspectives promotes a broad understanding of the study of social problems.

Social research methods: research design and models of observation, including single subject and program evaluation, quantitative and qualitative methods, sampling techniques, questionnaire construction, types of surveys, measurement problems, and data analysis.

Examines the construction of gender in non-western societies, concentrating on the way gender shapes and is shaped by power relations in these societies.

Analysis of dominant-minority group relations. The emergence and dynamic of racism. Exploration of the experience of various ethnic and "racial" groups.

An examination of gender as a system of stratification, as a social construction, and as a system of meaning which changes trans-historically and differs cross-culturally. Focus on structural and interactional aspects of gender inequality, as well as the relationship between gender and other social hierarchies, including class, race, ethnicity, religion, and sexuality.

Development of contemporary social thought from its Euro- American roots. Covers major strands of both classic and contemporary social theory.

Various philosophical conceptions of the relationship between the individual and social order; nature and status of individuality in the modern world. Emphasis on critical evaluation of influential systems of thought: Marxism, phenomenology, and critical theory.

Analysis of the concept and nature of deviance and its various forms, with emphasis on various theoretical perspectives on nature and causation of deviance.

Focus on the emergence and organization of social movements and the conditions under which they successfully bring about social change. Examination of the theory and practice of social movements against the historical backdrop of several important American and European movements over the last half century, including the civil rights, women's, environmental, and peace movements, and the current international movement against corporate globalization.

Introduction to major themes, concepts, and debates in political sociology. Focus on the relationships between the State and other collective actors in society (e.g. interest groups, political parties, social classes, and social movements) and related social issues, including the political power of corporations, religion and politics; the tensions inherent in free market, socialist, and social democratic political-economic systems; the role of the State in addressing social inequality; and the tension between security and civil/human rights.

Supervised work in applied settings; study of practical problems from the perspective of the discipline.

Supervised work in applied settings; study of practical problems from the perspective of the discipline.

Students will have the opportunity to synthesize and integrate perspectives from their sociology courses and apply these perspectives to real-world social problems.

Special study on topics with faculty supervision.

Empirical research with faculty supervision.

Extended individual research with faculty supervision.