Sociology

SO 113 Sociology (back to previous page)
The role of culture in society, the person and personality; groups and group behavior; institutions; social interaction and social change. 3 credit hours.

SO 114 Contemporary Social Problems (back to previous page)
Prerequisite: SO 113 or consent of instructor. The major problems which confront the present social order, and the methods now in practice or being considered for dealing with these problems. 3 credit hours.

SO 115 Women in Society (back to previous page)
An overview of women's role in the social system. Discussion includes myths and realities of sex differences. Areas covered include analysis of the relationship of women to the economy, the arts, and the sciences and how these affect the behavior of women in the contemporary world. 3 credit hours.

SO 214 Deviance (back to previous page)
Prerequisite: SO 113 or consent of the instructor. Centered around deviance as a social product. The problematic nature of the stigmatization process is explored in such areas as alcoholism, crime, mental illness and sexual behavior. 3 credit hours.

SO 218 The Community (back to previous page)
Prerequisite: SO 113 or consent of instructor. The community and its provisions for health, education, recreation, safety and welfare. Theoretical concepts of community, plus ethnographic studies of small-scale human communities, introduce students to fundamental concepts of community. 3 credit hours.

SO 220 Physical Anthropology and Archaeology (back to previous page)
An introduction to the study of human evolution and of present physical variations among humankind. Includes geologic time, primate evolution and early humans and their culture. 3 credit hours.

SO 221 Cultural Anthropology (back to previous page)
A systematic study of the culture of preliterate and modern societies and of cultural change. Includes analyses of religion, economics, language, social and political organization and urbanization. 3 credit hours.

SO 231 Juvenile Delinquency (back to previous page)
Prerequisites: SO 113, P 111. This course is offered as CJ 221 in university schedules. An analysis of delinquent behavior in American society; examination of the theories and social correlates of delinquency, and the sociolegal processes and apparatus for dealing with juvenile delinquency. 3 credit hours. (Same course as CJ 221).

SO 250 Research Methods (back to previous page)
Prerequisite: Sophomore status. The student develops the concepts necessary for selection and formulation of research problems in social science, research design and techniques, analysis and interpretation of research data. 3 credit hours.

SO 310 Primary Group Interaction (back to previous page)
Prerequisite: SO 113. Exploration of communication in group process. Building a group and analyzing group structure and interaction; the ways people communicate emotionally and intellectually. 3 credit hours.

SO 311 Criminology (back to previous page)
Prerequisites: P 111, SO 113. An introduction to the principles and concepts of criminology; analysis of the social context of criminal behavior, including a review of criminological theory, the nature and distribution of crime, the sociology of criminal law and the societal reactions to crime and criminals. 3 credit hours. (Same course as CJ 311).

SO 312 Marriage and the Family (back to previous page)
Prerequisite: SO 113 or the consent of instructor. The formation, functioning and dissolution of relationships in contemporary American society is examined from an applied sociology perspective. 3 credit hours.

SO 313 Sociology of Sport (back to previous page)
Prerequisite: SO 113 or consent of instructor. A study of the relationships among sport, culture and society. Emphasis is on both amateur and professional sports and their impact on the larger social order. Course will examine sport from a comparative and historical perspective, but will also focus on problems confronting the world of sport in contemporary American society. 3 credit hours.

SO 315 Social Change (back to previous page)
Prerequisite: SO 113 or consent of instructor. Sources, patterns and processes of social change with examination of classical and modern theories of major trends and developments as well as studies of perspectives on microlevels of change in modern society. 3 credit hours.

SO 320 Social Psychology (back to previous page)
Prerequisites: P 111, SO 113. This course is offered as P 321 in university schedules. The interdependence of social organizations and behavior. The interrelationships between role systems and personality; attitude analysis, development and modification; group interaction analysis; social conformity; social class and human behavior. 3 credit hours. (Same course as P 321).

SO 321 Social Inequality (back to previous page)
Prerequisite: SO 113 or consent of instructor. Organization of social class: status, power and process of social mobility in contemporary society. Social stratification, its functions and dysfunctions, as it relates to the distribution of opportunity, privilege and power in society. 3 credit hours.

SO 331 Population and Ecology (back to previous page)
Prerequisite: SO 113 or permission of instructor. Societal implications of population changes and trends; impact of humans as social animals on natural resources, cultural values and social structures; their influence on environmental ethics. 3 credit hours.

SO 333 Sociology of Aging (back to previous page)
Prerequisite: SO 113 or consent of instructor. The sociological phenomenon connected with aging in America. Discussion of the connections between personal troubles and social issues encountered by members of this society as they age. An examination of age stratification and the resultant problems of ageism, prejudice and discrimination. Systematic review of major theoretical framework and research studies; emphasis will be placed on the application of sociological theory and research in the field of aging. 3 credit hours.

SO 337 Human Sexuality (back to previous page)
Prerequisite: SO 113 or consent of instructor. A scientific study of human sexual behavioral patterns, social class attitudes and cultural myths. Topics include reproductive systems, sexual attitudes and behavioral patterns, abortion and sexual laws, and variations in sexual functioning. 3 credit hours.

SO 340 Medical Sociology (back to previous page)
Prerequisite: SO 113 or consent of instructor. An analysis of a major social institution, the health care field. Emphasis placed on socio-cultural aspects of the field; general overview of the organization and delivery of health care services and the current problems and issues. 3 credit hours.

SO 350 Social Survey Research (back to previous page)
Prerequisite: P 301 or M 228. Introduction to the logic of social science by a survey research project. Emphasis on the use of computer software in analyzing large data sets. Topics include theory development, survey design, sampling, methods of data collection and statistical analysis of social science data. This course is part of the computer literacy component of the University Core Curriculum. 3 credit hours.

SO 390 Sociology of Organizations (back to previous page)
Prerequisite: SO 113 or consent of instructor. Classic sociological theories of organization with emphasis on the concepts of bureaucracy, scientific management, human relations and decision theory. The relevance of these ideas to concrete organization contexts, e.g., civil service, business, social movements and political parties, charitable institutions, hospitals. 3 credit hours.

SO 400 Minority Group Relations (back to previous page)
Prerequisite: SO 113 or consent of instructor. An interdisciplinary analysis of minority groups with particular attention paid to those regional, religious and racial factors that influence interaction. Designed to promote an understanding of subgroup culture. 3 credit hours.

SO 413 Social Theory (back to previous page)
Prerequisite: Nine semester hours in sociology. An analysis of the development of sociology in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries with particular emphasis on the theories of Comte, Durkheim, Simmel, Weber, Marx, deToc- queville and others. 3 credit hours.

SO 418 Public Opinion and Social Pressure (back to previous page)
Prerequisites: SO 113, P 111. An intensive analysis of the nature and development of public opinion with particular consideration of the roles, both actual and potential, of communication and influence. 3 credit hours.

SO 440 Undergraduate Seminar (back to previous page)
Prerequisite: Consent of department chair. A detailed examination of selected topics in the field of sociology and a critical analysis of pertinent theories with emphasis on modern social thought. 3 credit hours.

SO 441 Sociology of Death and Suicide (back to previous page)
Prerequisite: SO 113 or consent of instructor. A confrontation with individual mortality and an academic investigation of such phenomena as funerals, terminal illness and crisis intervention, among many others. 3 credit hours.

SO 450 Research Seminar (back to previous page)
Prerequisite: P 301 or M 228. The student develops and carries out an original research project in social science, reporting this procedure to the class. 3 credit hours.

SO 451-455 Special Topics in Sociology, Social Services, Anthropology (back to previous page)
Prerequisite: SO 113, SO 221, or permission of instructor. Special topics in sociology, anthropology, or social welfare on a variety of current problems and specialized areas not available in the regular curriculum. 3 credit hours.

SO 501-502 Practicum I and II (back to previous page)
Prerequisite: Consent of department chair. Field experience in sociology or anthropology. Seminars in conjunction with this experience before off-campus field work is undertaken. Contact during the field work experience and guidance by the mentor provide an opportunity for understanding group and individual dynamics and their repercussions. Follow-up seminars and a paper are required. 1-6 credit hours.

SO 599 Independent Study (back to previous page)
Prerequisites: Consent of instructor and department chair. Opportunity for the student, under the direction of a faculty member, to explore an area of personal interest. This course must be initiated by the student. 1-3 credit hours.

SO 610 Urban Sociology (back to previous page)
Prerequisite: PA 604. The problems of urban growth and development. Residential patterns together with the physical development of cities and their redevelopment. An examination of the people and their relationships to the environment.

SO 620 Sociology of Bureaucracy (back to previous page)
A study of some of the classic conceptualizations of bureaucracy and their relevance to the structure and functioning of American economic and governmental institutions. Gives students informational and experiential resources with which they, as planners and managers, can improve their abilities to make effective policy decisions.

SO 641 Death and Suicide (back to previous page)
In-depth analysis of suicide. Traditional theories of suicide are analyzed regarding the psychological approach as well as the demographic and group analysis of sociology. The goal of the course is both academic and practical, stressing community application.

SO 649 Seminar in Health and Social Policy (back to previous page)
Analysis of the legal, political, social, economic and organizational factors in planning and providing health care services with emphasis on policy formulation and implementation. Current health policy issues.

SO 651 Social Gerontology (back to previous page)
Basic introduction to the field of gerontology. Discusses the history and definition of the field, the contributions of academic disciplines to the field, various perceptions of aging; explores the basic theories, problems and prospects of gerontology.

SO 670 Selected Topics (back to previous page)
A study of selected issues of particular interest to the students and instructor. May be taken more than once.

SO 695 Independent Study I (back to previous page)
A planned program of individual study under the supervision of a member of the faculty.

SO 696 Independent Study II (back to previous page)
A continuation of Independent Study I.

SO 698 Thesis I (back to previous page)
Prerequisite: 15 graduate hours. Periodic meetings and discussions of the individual student's progress in the preparation of a thesis.

SO 699 Thesis II (back to previous page)
A continuation of Thesis I.