College of Liberal Arts
Sociology

 

 Undergraduate Index


Barry Markovsky, Chair of the Department

Professors
Andrew Billingsley, Ph.D., Brandeis University, 1964
Elwood D. Carlson, Ph.D., University of California, Berkeley, 1978
Paul C. Higgins, Ph.D., Northwestern University, 1977
Patrick D. Nolan, Ph.D., Temple University, 1978
Jimy M. Sanders, Ph.D., University of California, Santa Barbara, 1984
Eui-Hang Shin, Ph.D., University of Pennsylvania, 1971
John V. Skvoretz, Ph.D., University of Pittsburgh, 1976
Lala Carr Steelman, Ph.D., Emory University, 1981
Lynn Weber, Ph.D., University of Illinois, 1976
David E. Willer, Ph.D., Purdue University, 1964
Associate Professors
Shelley A. Smith, Ph.D., University of Wisconsin, Madison, 1986
Assistant Professor
Shane R. Thye, Ph.D., University of Iowa, 1997
Distinguished Professors Emeriti
David L. Hatch, Ph.D., Harvard University, 1949
Ronald W. Maris, Ph.D., University of Illinois, 1965
Thomas E. Smith, Ph.D., University of Minnesota, 1964
Robert L. Stewart, Ph.D., State University of Iowa, 1955
Professor Emeritus
Charles W. Tucker, Ph.D., Michigan State University, 1966

Overview

The department offers two undergraduate majors. Students may elect programs leading to the Bachelor of Arts degree in sociology or to the Bachelor of Science degree in sociology. Students may also attempt to graduate with honors in sociology if they have a 3.50 overall average and a 3.50 in sociology. Under that program students are required to conduct, write, and defend a research project.

Degree Requirements

Bachelor of Arts in Sociology (120 hours)

1. General Education Requirements (53-62 hours)

A grade of C or better in SOCY 101 and SOCY 220 (or equivalent course in quantitative methods) is required for the Bachelor or Arts and the Bachelor of Science in Sociology; SOCY 101 can be used to fulfill a college general education requirement, but SOCY 220 must be taken as an elective.
For a general outline, see "College of Liberal Arts."

2. Major Requirements

General Major

SOCY 300, 310, 320 (9 hours)
Two 500-level sociology courses (6 hours)
Four additional courses numbered above 300 (12 hours)

3. Cognates, see "College of Liberal Arts." (12 hours)

Students must earn at least a C in all cognate courses.

4. Electives, see "College of Liberal Arts."

Bachelor of Science in Sociology

1. General Education Requirements (56-65 hours)

See general education requirements for a B.A. in sociology. In addition MATH 111, 122, and 170 must be included as part of the general education requirements.

2. Major Requirements

Requirements for the B.S. degree in sociology include all courses required for the B.A. as outlined previously (27 hours)

3. Cognates, see "College of Liberal Arts." (12 hours)

4. Electives, see "College of Liberal Arts."

Course Descriptions (SOCY)

Note: SOCY 101 is prerequisite to all other sociology courses.

  • 101–Introductory Sociology. (3) An introduction to sociological facts and principles: an analysis of group-making processes and products.
  • 220–Elementary Statistics for Sociologists. (3) An introduction to concepts and application of quantitative methods, including descriptive and inferential statistics. Emphasis on analysis of empirical sociological data.
  • 300–Social Structures. (3) (Prereq: SOCY 220 or equivalent course in quantitative methods) Selected theoretical orientations, methodological procedures, and illustrative substantive data pertaining to social structures.
  • 301–Sociology of Sex Roles. {=WOST 300} (3) Theories, methods, and substantive issues in a sociological approach to sex roles. Topics usually include sex role expectations and socialization in contemporary societies, sub-cultural and social class variations, and structural and institutional factors.
  • 304–Race, Class, Gender, and Sexuality. {=WOST 304} (3) Historical and contemporary power relationships in race, social class, gender, and sexual orientation.
  • 305–Sociology of the Family. {=WOST 305} (3) Sociological perspectives related to various aspects of family behaviors, roles, and values.
  • 307–Sociology of Religion. (3) Sociological perspectives related to selected aspects of religious behavior. Includes references to non-Western religions.
  • 308–Community Organization. (3) An analysis of formal and informal organization, the interrelationships among public and private agencies, and means through which community action programs are initiated, coordinated, and maintained.
  • 309–An Introduction to Social Inequality. (3) A sociological analysis of the distribution of wealth and income in selected societies.
  • 310–Social Demography. (3) (Prereq: SOCY 220 or equivalent course in quantitative methods) Selected theoretical orientations, methodological procedures, and illustrative substantive data pertaining to population.
  • 311–Ecology of Human Social Systems. (3) Relationships among and changes in populations, social organization, technology, and the environment.
  • 312–Bureaucracy and Modern Society. (3) Bureaucracies in the public and private sector, their internal dynamics and relationship to the social environment.
  • 313–Sociology of Aging. (3) Analysis of aging as a process of socialization and the status of older people in society, their roles in the community, demographic aspects of aging, and the impact of aging upon social institutions.
  • 315–World Population: Problems and Policies. (3) World population growth and concomitant socioeconomic problems. Effectiveness of governmental policies concerned with population growth. Topics include over-population, fertility control, population distribution, and future prospects.
  • 320–Individual and Society. (3) (Prereq: SOCY 220 or equivalent course in quantitative methods) Selected theoretical orientations, methodological procedures, and illustrative substantive data pertaining to the relations between the individual and society.
  • 322–Sociology of Suicide. (3) An introductory survey of the social aspects of suicidal behaviors and attitudes.
  • 323–Sociology of Deviant Behavior. (3) Theories, methodology, and substantive issues in the study of social deviance.
  • 325–Sociology of Childhood. (3) A consideration of the child in the family group, play group, school group, and community.
  • 326–Sociology of Adolescence. (3) Sociological perspectives and research findings related to adolescence.
  • 340–Introduction to Social Problems. (3) Normative dissensus and behavioral deviance in society, and their consequences for social change and social order. Problems may include: mental disorders, juvenile delinquency, crime, drug abuse, alcoholism, suicide, sexual pathology, race and ethnic relations, world population crises, and work problems.
  • 341–Sociology of Death and Dying. (3) The social and psychological processes of dying; community reactions to death; social institutions for resolving death problems.
  • 345–Utopian Societies. (3) Utopian societies and experiments in light of sociological knowledge and theory.
  • 350–Sociology of Delinquent Youth Behavior. {=CRJU 351} (3) Social factors in the development, identification, and treatment of delinquents.
  • 351–Urban Sociology. (3) Analysis of urban trends, characteristics, and functions of cities with reference to the social psychological factors in urban living. Attention is directed to the emergence of urbanism in the United States, with particular reference to the Southern region, and to institutions, problems, and city planning.
  • 352–The Sociology of Literature. (3) (Prereq: SOCY 101 or ANTH 101) Social factors in the production and reception of literature. Theories, methods, and substantive issues in a sociological approach to literature.
  • 353–Sociology of Crime. {=CRJU 341} (3) Social factors in the development, identification, and treatment of criminals.
  • 354–Collective Behavior. (3) An analysis of crowds, publics, social movements, and the mass society in terms of their institutional and social psychological consequences.
  • 355–Minority Group Relations. (3) Theories, methods, and substantive issues in the study of majority-minority group relations and social processes, and cultural orientations associated with racial and ethnic differentiation.
  • 357–Sociology of Education. {=EDFN 357} (3) Analysis of educational institutions, organizations, processes, and their effects in contemporary society.
  • 360–Sociology of Medicine and Health. (3) Social factors in health, illness, and medicine in contemporary society.
  • 362–Sociology of Disability. (3) Social dynamics of disability and the implications for society.
  • 365–Sociology of Leisure. (3) Analysis of the nature, types, and sociodemographic correlates of leisure behavior in American life; interrelationships between work and leisure; includes a critical survey of popular culture and recreation activities.
  • 370–Sociology of Sport. (3) Theories, methods, and substantive issues in the study of sport in contemporary societies.
  • 375–Public Opinion and Changing American Institutions. (3) Survey research processes, interpretations, and analyses of major trends in public opinion since World War II.
  • 398–Topics in Sociology. (3) Reading and research on selected sociological topics. Course content varies and will be announced in the schedule of classes by suffix and title.
  • 399–Independent Study. (3-6) (Prereq: consent of instructor) Contract approved by instructor, advisor, and department chair is required for undergraduate students.
  • 460–Sociology of Mental Health. (3) Social factors in the development, identification, and treatment of mental illness.
  • 496–Sociological Theory. (3) Theoretical perspectives on society and social behavior.
  • 497–Sociological Research Methods. (4) (Prereq: SOCY 220 and consent of instructor) Critical analysis of major methods used in the conduct of social science general problems of research design. Two lecture hours and two laboratory hours per week.
  • 498–Research Seminar. (3) (Prereq: SOCY 496 and 497; senior standing, and consent of instructor) Utilization of theoretical, methodological, and substantive knowledge in design and execution of a sociological study.
  • 500–Social Networks. (3) (Prereq: SOCY 300 or consent of instructor) Analysis of personal, social and organizational networks, their structural patterns, practical consequences, and principles of formation and change.
  • 501–Cities and Politics. (3) (Prereq: SOCY 300 or consent of instructor) The social forces, contemporary and historical, that form the present urban political system.
  • 502–Political Sociology. (3) (Prereq: SOCY 300 or consent of instructor) Theory and research concerning the interrelationship between the polity and social structures.
  • 503–Family and Social Stratification. (3) (Prereq: SOCY 300 or consent of instructor) An analysis of the contemporary American family emphasizing social stratification, mobility, occupations, and urbanization.
  • 504–Social Stratification. (3) (Prereq: SOCY 300 or consent of instructor) Theory and research in social stratification.
  • 505–Social Structures in Communities. (3) (Prereq: SOCY 300 or consent of instructor) Interrelationships of major social structures within communities.
  • 506–Social Organizations. (3) (Prereq: SOCY 300 or consent of advisor) Selected theoretical orientation, methodological procedures, and illustrative substantive issues pertaining to organizations.
  • 507–Sociology of Social Control. (3) (Prereq: SOCY 300 or consent of instructor) Early and contemporary theories, methods, and issues relating to conformity in human interaction.
  • 508–Freedom and Determination. (3) (Prereq: SOCY 300 or consent of instructor) Sociological theories of voluntarism and determinism.
  • 509–Advanced Social Structures. (3) (Prereq: SOCY 300) The analysis of core methodological and substantive issues in the study of social structures.
  • 510–Human Fertility. (3) (Prereq: SOCY 310) Social influences on patterns of reproduction, impact of public policies, and social consequences of fertility variations.
  • 511–Human Mortality. (3) (Prereq: SOCY 310) Changing patterns of death in society, social forces determining mortality, and societal reactions to mortality trends.
  • 512–Internal and International Migration. (3) (Prereq: SOCY 310 or consent of instructor) A survey of methods of analysis and research findings with emphasis on the social and economic concomitants of internal migration. Cultural, economic, and historical aspects of international migration. Effects of governmental policies on immigration and emigration. Examination of selected countries.
  • 513–Demographic Aspects of the Life Cycle. (3) (Prereq: SOCY 310 or consent of instructor) Theoretical, methodological, and substantive issues in the demographic analysis of life cycle phenomena, including marriage, education, labor force participation, occupational choice, and retirement.
  • 514–Urbanization. (3) (Prereq: SOCY 310 or consent of instructor) Analysis of urbanization using contemporary and historical data from developing societies. The demographic components of metropolitan growth and the changing structure of metropolitan communities.
  • 520–Social Behaviorism. (3) (Prereq: SOCY 320 or consent of instructor) Current theory and research relating to social interaction, communication, group structure, and social control.
  • 521–Small Group Analysis. (3) (Prereq: SOCY 320 or consent of instructor) A behavioral analysis of small groups.
  • 522–Power and Authority Structures in Groups. (3) (Prereq: SOCY 320 or consent of instructor) An exploration of theoretical perspectives, methodological approaches, and substantive issues in the study of interpersonal power and authority.
  • 523–Social Processes of Deviance Control. (3) (Prereq: SOCY 320 or consent of instructor) A systematic analysis of the interrelation among the creation, involvement, recognition, and control of deviance.
  • 524–Interpersonal Behavior in Families. (3) Social psychological perspectives on family behavior.
  • 525–Selves and Social Transaction. (3) (Prereq: SOCY 320 or consent of instructor) A systematic analysis of interrelationships among social acts, selves, roles, transactions, and language.
  • 526–Social Attitudes. (3) (Prereq: SOCY 320 or consent of instructor) Analysis of the formation, organization, measurement, and effects of social attitudes including the relationship between attitudes and behavior.
  • 550–Sociology of Science. (3) Interrelationships among society, culture, and contemporary science.
  • 557–Sociology of Education and Inequality. (3) (Prereq: SOCY 320 or consent of instructor) Advanced inquiry into the relationship between education and inequality.
  • 598–Selected Topics. (3) Readings and research on selected sociological topics. Course and content varies and will be announced in the schedule of classes by suffix and title.
  • 698–Special Topics. (3) Reading and research.

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