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Course Descriptions

Sociology (SOC)                       Course Schedules

SOC 501 Development of Sociological Theory 3(3-0) F
Contributions to sociological theory by Smith, Comte, Spencer, Marx, Durkheim, Weber, Mead, and others. Relation of sociological thought to prevailing social and intellectual conditions. Prerequisite: SOC 100 or SOC 201 or SOC 221; or permission of instructor.

SOC 502 Theories of Race Relations in Sociology 3(3-0) F (Odd year)
Contributions to sociological theories of race relations by major theorists including Dubois, Frazier, Cox, and others. Prerequisites: SOC 300, SOC 301, SOC 323; or SOC 323, signed American Ethnic Studies minor; or regular admission to the Sociology Graduate program.
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SOC 504 Seminar in the Community 3(3-0)
Theories of the nature, types, functions, and processes of the community. Methodology of community study. Prerequisites: SOC 100, SOC 200, and SOC 201 or permission of instructor.

SOC 506 Comparative Cultural Systems 3(3-0)
Explores theories of cultural development, with particular emphasis on urban and post-industrial cultures. Students investigate cultures different from their own. Identical to ANT 506. Credit may not be earned in more than one of these courses. Prerequisite: introductory anthropology and/or sociology course or equivalent.

SOC 507 Class and Poverty in America 3(3-0)
Examination of theories of social class and their application to American society. Review of empirical literature on class and poverty in the U.S. Prerequisites: 12 hours of sociology or permission of instructor.

SOC 512 Industrial Sociology 3(3-0)
Characteristics of industrial societies. Relationship of the organization of industrial work to that of nonwork culture, institutions, and roles. Prerequisites: SOC 300, SOC 301; or regular admission to the Sociology Graduate program.

SOC 513 Society and Sex 3(3-0)
Ways in which society defines the various aspects of sexuality and ways in which changes in society affect definitions. Identical to WST 513. Credit may not be earned in more than one of these courses. Prerequisite: SOC 213 or HEV 213 or WST 213.

SOC 515 Custodial Institutions 3(3-0)
The structural, organizational, and functional dimensions of custodial institutions in American society, emphasizing social processes of jails, prisons, training schools, mental hospitals, and nursing homes. Prerequisites: SOC 300 or PSC 280; SOC 301; or regular admission to the Sociology Graduate program.

SOC 521 Advanced Study of Deviant Behavior 3(3-0)
Contemporary issues in deviance theory and research. Prerequisites: SOC 300, SOC 301, SOC 321; or regular admission to the Sociology Graduate program.

SOC 523 Community Corrections and Alternative Sentencing 3(3-0)
Philosophies and practice of community corrections and alternative sentencing, including probation, parole, restitution, and victim-offender reconciliation. Prerequisites: SOC 300, SOC 301; 9 hours of social and criminal justice coursework; or regular admission to the Sociology Graduate program.

SOC 524 Sociology of Law 3(3-0)
The association of law with stratification, culture, social organization, and social control. Current issues of justice and law. Prerequisites: SOC 300, SOC 301; or regular admission to the Sociology Graduate program.

SOC 525 Internship in Social and Criminal Justice 3-6(Spec)
Supervised practical experience in a criminal or social justice organization. CR/NC only. Prerequisites: SOC 523 and permission of course instructor.

SOC 526 Police and Community Relations 3(3-0)
Community and police perceptions of police role in democratic society, police discretion, use of force, community policing, and related topics. Prerequisites: SOC 300, SOC 301; or regular admission to the Sociology Graduate program.

SOC 527 Alternative Dispute Resolution in Justice Systems 3(3-0)
Citizen action through community-based alternatives to institutionalization of adults and juveniles in the justice systems. Prerequisites: SOC 300, SOC 301; or regular admission to the Sociology Graduate program.

SOC 530 Capstone Experience in Youth Studies 3(3-0)
Capstone course which provides field experience for students enrolled in the Youth Studies Minor. Students spend time working with youth in various community settings and meet periodically on campus to systematically reflect on practical field experience. Prerequisites: SOC 411, SOC 412, SOC 425. Concurrent enrollment in SOC 411, SOC 412, and/or SOC 425 is possible.

SOC 535 Sexual Orientation 3(3-0)
Examination of the development of sexual orientation, its roots, what it is, and how it has been defined scientifically and popularly. Identical to WST 535. Credit may not be earned in more than one of these courses. Prerequisites: SOC 100, and SOC 213 or WST 213.

SOC 590 Gender, Culture & Society 3(3-0)
Analysis of gender roles in various cultures; theoretical approaches to explaining gender role variation. Identical to ANT 590 and WST 590; credit may not be earned in more than one of these courses. Prerequisites: 6 hours of anthropology and/or sociology and/or women's studies; or permission of instructor.

SOC 599 Special Topics in Sociology 1-10(Spec)
Consideration of subject-matter not included in courses currently listed in catalog. Prerequisite: permission of instructor.

SOC 601 Contemporary Sociological Theory 3(3-0) Sp (Odd year)
Analysis of functionalism, interactionism, structuralism, radical sociology, critical theory, exchange theory and other sociological theories of contemporary relevance. Prerequisite: 15 hours of sociology or permission of instructor.

SOC 602 Professional Seminar 3(3-0) F (Odd year)
Techniques of thesis writing; development of thesis prospectus. Research of departmental faculty presented and discussed. Prerequisites: permission of instructor.

SOC 604 Sociology of Education 3(3-0)
Schooling in socio-cultural contexts, response of schools to diversity, and processes promoting inequality and/or progressive social change. Prerequisites: graduate standing in the social sciences or education.

SOC 605 Sociology of Knowledge 3(3-0)
Relationship of ideas to social life. The intellectual in society; relationship of empirical knowledge to cultural values and ideologies; objectivity in sociology. Prerequisite: SOC 301 or SOC 501 or permission of instructor.

SOC 607 Methodology of Sociological Research 3(3-0) F
Exploration and critique of various epistemological approaches to sociological inquiry. Research design, concept development, nature of data, introduction to qualitative and quantitative methods. Prerequisite: SOC 300 or permission of instructor.

SOC 611 Human Diversity Within and Between Families 3(3-0)
Diverse backgrounds of families/individuals based on ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, class and disabilities will be studied. Models to explore the diverse nature will be applied. Identical to HEV 603. Credit may not be earned in more than one of these courses. 

SOC 619 Continuing Registration for Final Research Project 1(1-0)
A non-credit course intended for students who have completed all program credits but still need to use university resources to complete their degree requirements.

SOC 621 Social Control and Justice Systems 3(3-0) F (Even year)
Formal and informal responses to crime and delinquency, analyzed in terms of criminology theory and research and with reference to concepts of social control. Prerequisites: SOC 300, and SOC 301 or SOC 501; or permission of instructor.

SOC 623 Violence, Victims and Social/Justice Responses 3(3-0) Sp (Odd year)
Theories and research on victims and perpetrators of interpersonal violence are explored, including formal and informal processes of societal response to violence and victimization. Prerequisites: graduate standing, SOC 621, and SOC 501 or SOC 601.

SOC 624 Social Justice 3(3-0) Sp (Even year)
Social justice is explored from a sociological perspective. Conceptualization differences, social structural contexts, and social control and “crime” control policies are analyzed. Prerequisites: graduate standing, SOC 621, and SOC 501 or SOC 601.

SOC 625 Field Consultation 3(3-0)
Individual or collective technical assistance project for community-based criminal justice or social/human client organization. Prerequisites: SOC 501, SOC 601, SOC 607, SOC 621, SOC 623, SOC 624, SOC 632 and significant applied experience in criminal or social justice settings.

SOC 631 Workshop on Qualitative Research 3(3-0) Sp (Even year)
This course is designed to introduce students to the various qualitative research methods in the social sciences. Prerequisite: SOC 607.

SOC 632 Techniques of Sociological Research 3(3-0) Sp (Odd year)
Analysis of quantitative social science data. Hypothesis testing and descriptive methods. Prerequisite: SOC 607.

SOC 690 Social Aspects of Health Care and Illness 3(3-0)
Major health problems in America. Socialization, skills, and work of health care practitioners. Health care organizations. Systems of health care, emphasizing the American system. Prerequisites: matriculation in physicians' assistant program or permission of instructor.

SOC 699 Special Topics in Sociology 1-10(Spec)
Subject matter not included in courses currently listed in catalog. Prerequisite: permission of instructor.

SOC 795 Independent Reading 1-6(Spec)
Open to students who have obtained the permission of the department chairperson and an instructor to read intensively on an approved topic.

SOC 796 Independent Research 1-6(Spec)
Open to students who have obtained the permission of the department chairperson and an instructor to conduct research on an approved topic.

SOC 798 Thesis 1-6(Spec)
Credit is earned in this course through successful completion of a thesis in sociology. Advisor’s permission is required. CR/NC only.

Unspecified content or variable credit courses. Click here for additional information regarding these types of courses. The following courses offered through the department are of unspecified content or variable credit: SOC 599, 619, 699, 795, 796, 797, 798.

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