SOC - Sociology Course Descriptions

SOC 51004 Dominican Society: From African Black Slavery to the Advent of Trujillo

This course addresses relevant issues pertaining to the socioeconomic development of Dominican society. It looks at the formation of the first European colony in the New World, the creation of the Dominican Republic, and the formation of the Dominican people. The course ends in 1930, with the arrival of Trujillo.

Credits

3

Contact Hours

3

SOC 52004 The Dominican People in the United States: From Migrants to Rooted People

This course examines the migration process of Dominicans to the U.S. and their transformation from migrants to settled, rooted people.

Credits

3

Contact Hours

3

SOC B1002 Qualitative Methods

Concepts and methods of qualitative research will be discussed for their relevance and utility in sociological analysis. Representative studies will be examined for the adequacy of their procedures and techniques, as well as the kind of knowledge which they provide.

Credits

3

Prerequisites

SOC B1004 OR Departmental permission.

Contact Hours

3 hr./wk.

SOC B1003 Analyzing Evidence 1

This course introduces the science and craft of social research. Partly this is a class about the scientific method, partly this is about learning the basic statistics that sociologists most often use, but there will also be an emphasis on doing research, and learning the tricks and traps of the trade. We will focus on learning quantitative research methods and survey design, but will also discuss experiments and qualitative research.

Credits

3

Prerequisites

Open only to program majors OR with Departmental permission.

Contact Hours

3 hr./wk.

SOC B1004 Analyzing Evidence 2

This course continues the introduction to research methodology, with a focus on qualitative research and the research process, examining the steps toward developing a sociological research project. A formal proposal for the capstone paper will be the final paper for the course.

Credits

3

Prerequisites

SOC B1003 OR Departmental permission.

Contact Hours

3 hr./wk.

SOC B1100 Seminar in General Sociological Analysis

A comparative overview of various current models of sociological analysis, including functionalism, ethnomethodology, and evolutionary schools.

Credits

3

Contact Hours

3 hr./wk.

SOC B2100 Seminar in Marriage and the Family

Marriage and the family as social institutions. Changing family forms in Western civilization. Demographic trends and family size. The modern family and its relation to the total society. Marriage and divorce. Selected problems for discussion and research. Offered in cooperation with the School of Education.

Credits

3

Contact Hours

3 hr./wk.

SOC B3200 Research

Individualized research on specific projects, under the direction of a graduate professor. Maximum of 6 credits.

Credits

3 cr./sem.

Prerequisites

Approval of a faculty member and Chair of Graduate Committee required.

Contact Hours

Conferences to be arranged.

SOC B4100 Comparative Social Systems

Description and classification of whole societies viewed as dynamic social systems in the relevant environmental setting, geographic and historical. Case studies will be selected from the American Indian, African, Oceanic, Asiatic, and European fields. The course is designed to prepare students for an understanding of their own contemporary society.

Credits

3

Contact Hours

3 hr./wk.

SOC B5100 Urban Sociology

This course examines theories of urbanization and urban life and current policy issues.

Credits

3

Contact Hours

3 hr./wk.

SOC B5200 People of the City of New York

An analysis of the many subgroups that live in New York City. This includes but is not limited to African and Hispanic Americans, Italians, Jews, Irish, etc. Focus on how the city developed historically, its spatial structure, its expansion, and its political, social, and economic life.

Credits

3

Contact Hours

3 hr./wk.

SOC B6100 Seminar: Problems in Criminology

Overview of criminology from the historical background to contemporary theories of criminological thought. Specific case studies will be used to illuminate the limitations and applicability of those theories.

Credits

3

Contact Hours

3 hr./wk.

SOC B8000 Seminar: Deviant Behavior

Overview of historical and contemporary approaches to defining and understanding deviance. Focus on development of those understandings and their repercussions for individuals and society.

Credits

3

Contact Hours

3 hr./wk.

SOC B8100 Sociology of Politics and Collective Behavior

The social bases of political participation and ideology will be explored within the context of modern industrial society. The problem of establishing, maintaining and dissolving political institutions will be examined as well as the relationships between the legitimacy and the effectiveness of political institutions. The social origins of democracy, authoritarianism, and totalitarianism. New approaches to the study of mass movements and collective behavior.

Credits

3

Contact Hours

3 hr./wk.

SOC B8300 Sociology of Generations

Socialization processes occurring and associated with infancy, childhood, adolescence, student status, and various stages of adulthood. Secularization of various benchmarks in the life cycle. Special characteristics of each age group, their potential for intergenerational conflict and accommodation, and their relationship to social institutions. Contemporary modifications of age-graded experiences by social structure.

Credits

3

Contact Hours

3 hr./wk.

SOC C0000 Series

Courses given on special issues in sociology, on a rotating schedule, such as public policy, ethnic issues, drug and alcohol problems, etc. Courses offered in other graduate programs are available to graduate students in Sociology with permission of the Graduate Sociology Committee.

Credits

3

Contact Hours

3 hr./wk.

SOC V0100 Development of Sociological Theory

Critical examination of the major classical theorists.

Credits

3

Prerequisites

SOC V0200 OR Departmental permission.

Contact Hours

3 hr./wk.

SOC V0200 Sociological Thinking

This course is an introduction to sociological thinking through readings of key texts in various subfields. It aims to enhance students' understanding of how sociological research is conceptualized, the relationship between theory and method, and some of the considerations that inform sociological writing.

Credits

3

Prerequisites

Open only to program majors OR with Departmental permission.

Contact Hours

3 hr./wk.

SOC V0300 Capstone Seminar

Completion of capstone paper, which is the grade for the course and the final degree requirement. Intensive workshop format that requires extensive reading, writing, and revision of one's own and others' ideas and writing. Multiple structured deadlines, various oral and written assignments, collaborative critique, continuous revision toward completed capstone paper.

Credits

6

Prerequisites

SOC B1002, SOC B1003, SOC B1004, SOC V0100, and SOC V0200, OR Departmental permission.

Contact Hours

6 hr./wk.