Courses

Course Descriptions

101. INTRODUCTION TO SOCIOLOGY (3 credit hours)
A general survey of the discipline, its methods, basic concepts, and area of study. The course examines man’s organization and institutional life, the social process of socialization, conflict and its resolution and social change.

102. SOCIAL NETWORKING (1 credit hour)
A course designed to provide students opportunities to participate in social networking activities. Students will interact with students, faculty, and invited guests in discussion of topical issues, attend social meetings of academic interest, and take part in Sociology Club. May be repeated for a total of 3 credit hours. Prerequisite: SOC 101.

206. SOCIAL PROBLEMS (3 credit hours)
Nature and meaning of social problems; the incidence and characteristics of selected social problems of major public interest; analysis of proposed solutions.

208. MINORITIES IN AMERICAN SOCIETY (3 credit hours)
A study of race and ethnic relations from a comparative perspective. The course includes a strong American component with emphasis on the experiences of such minorities as African Americans, Hispanic Americans, and Asian Americans.

212. URBAN SOCIOLOGY (3 credit hours)
Urban structure and ecology, particularly in light of the planning movement and urban populations, and the growth and development of urban communities. Emphasis is placed on conceptual frame of reference for the study of cities, types of social behavior in cities, influences of city life on personality, as well as urbanization from a world perspective.

230. CRIMINOLOGY (3 credit hours)
This course focuses on the biological, psychological, and sociological theories of crime, provides definitions of crimes, and examines the types and extent of crime in the United States and other countries. Cross-listed with C J 230. Prerequisite: C J 101 or SOC 101.

270. CULTURAL ANTHROPOLOGY (3 credit hours)
A comparative study of world cultures from the anthropological perspective including an emphasis on economic systems (from traditional to modern), social stratifications, gender roles, kinship relations, political organization, and religious and cultural values.

303. SEX, LOVE AND INTERPERSONAL RELATIONS IN MARRIAGE (3 credit hours)
A course designed to study the patterns of sexual, love and inter-personal relationships expressed in American society and the marriage institution. Emphasis placed on changes occurring and emerging patterns. Cross-cultural comparisons are made.

305. BIRTH-DEATH-MIGRATION: A CROSS-CULTURAL STUDY OF POPULATION (3 credit hours)
Birth, Death and Migration is a cross-cultural study of the world’s population and those factors (social and biological) which create population growth and change over time. Prerequisite: SOC 101.

307. SOCIOLOGY OF RELIGION (3 credit hours)
A study of the relationship of religion and society. The origins of religious institutions, structure, function, and role in change or stability of the social system.

308. WORLD RELIGIONS (3 credit hours)
An overview of the world’s major religions including Buddhism, Hinduism, Confucianism, Islam, Christianity, and African and Native American religions. An examination of religious practices, historical development, doctrines, and world views. Emphasis is placed upon human problems, community and ethical issues, and relations to other religions and world affairs. Cross-listed with PHIL 308. Prerequisite: ENGL 102.

309. HISTORY OF SOCIOLOGY (3 credit hours)
The major writers and ideas that have shaped contemporary sociology are analyzed. Special attention will be given to the ways in which social structure affects social thought from ancient to present time as well as how social thought affects social structure. Prerequisite: SOC 101.

310. SOCIOLOGICAL THEORY (3 credit hours)
The sociological theories of the 19th and 20th centuries are presented in their chronological order in regard to the schools and important thinkers. Attention is given to contemporary concepts, micro-macro perspectives, the leading theories of functionalism, conflict theory, and social-psychological theories (from behaviorism to ethnomethodology) and theory structuring in the light of new empirical finding. Prerequisite: SOC 101.

311. METHODOLOGY AND RESEARCH (3 credit hours)
Introduction to the concepts and methods of social science research: the role of theory in research, forming hypotheses and questions, identifying variables, and gathering and analyzing statistical data. Emphasis will be on developing good writing skills and using computers for basic statistical evaluation. This course meets the requirements of CJ 315 and POSC 311. Perequisite: Junior classification and a C grade in ENGL 102 and PSYC 200.

312. APPLIED METHODOLOGY AND RESEARCH (3 credit hours)
A practical opportunity to apply basic social science research methods. Students will review scientific approaches to social science research, design and execute a research project, and produce a professional quality report on the project. This course meets the requirements of POSC 312. Prerequisite: SOC 311 or POSC 311.

316. INDEPENDENT STUDIES IN SOCIOLOGY (2-4 credit hours)
Independent work on a special sociological program. Prerequisites: Sociology major of junior standing and permission of the chairperson of the department and the instructor involved. (May be taken for a maximum of eight hours.)

320. WOMEN, CHANGE AND SOCIETY (3 credit hours)
A course designed to explain the major differences between a woman’s and man’s world historically and traditionally; woman’s position from characteristics other than erotic and reproductive roles; women’s role socially, economically, environmentally, occupationally through relationships other than physiological. Examines the interchangeability of female and male roles in society.

321. SOCIOLOGY OF HEALTH AND MEDICINE (3 credit hours)
An introduction to the sociology of health and medicine. Emphasis is on the relationships between social factors and health. The course will survey both the theory and practice of medicine in its social setting. Prerequisite: SOC 101 or permission of instructor.

399. SPECIAL TOPICS (1-4 credit hours)
Regular courses or seminars on special topics of sociological interest for majors and non-majors as determined by need and availability of staff.

406. SOCIAL STRATIFICATION (3 credit hours)
A study of structured social inequality from the viewpoint of sociological theory and research. Social class theory, class consciousness, occupations and social mobility will be considered. Prerequisite: SOC 101 or permission of department chair and the instructor.

410. SOCIOLOGY FIELD EXPERIENCE (3-6 credit hours)
Placement of sociology students in various community agencies for the purpose of helping them to integrate and test theories advanced in the classroom. Prerequisites: Junior standing, approval of the department chairperson and supervising instructor, and nine hours in sociology, including SOC 101. (May be taken for a maximum of six hours.)

420. SENIOR SEMINAR (3 credit hours)
A systematic survey of sociological theory and a summary and analysis of sociology and its related fields with emphasis on their inter-relationships. (Should be taken in last semester of course work.) Prerequisites: 15 credit hours of elective sociology and six hours of required sociology courses including SOC 101.

444-42. APPALACHIAN CULTURE AND SOCIAL CHANGE (3 credit hours)
A comparative sociological study of the rural culture of Southern Appalachia; the forces involved in shaping the culture and the changes occurring in the culture at the present time. Emphasis is placed on: (1) Defining and understanding cultural elements; i.e., mores, folkways, values, beliefs, laws, etc,; how these cultural elements function to create a social structure which persists over time. (2) Identifying and understanding the social systems and the function that culture plays in these systems; i.e., family, religion, education, social status (ranking) political community. (3) Identifying forces which are creating changes in the culture and related social systems and the consequences of changes on rural Appalachia. Prerequisite: 75 credit hours. (Upper division seminar.)

445. EGYPT - THE LAND OF ANCIENT KHEMET (3 credit hours)
A travel course comprised of a diverse educational experience of Ancient Egypt, its middle eastern culture and the African culture of Nubia. The course, taught in the anthropological perspective, emphasizes the broad legacy of Ancient Egypt and its impact on western civilization and religion.