SOCI 101S 01 & 02 Introduction to Sociology
(4 Credits)
Houseknecht, Sharon
This course will serve as a foundation for the development of the sociological perspective. Our goal is to understand society, and, in doing this, we will apply sociological concepts, theories, and methodologies to a broad array of important social issues. Sociology is a discipline that promotes a broad understanding and appreciation of the structures and processes that constitute social order and contribute to social change. It informs us about the forces that impinge on our private experiences while also providing insight into how those experiences are linked to the existence and maintenance of social institutions and society as a whole. Institutions and the issues of race, ethnicity, and other dimensions of inequality within social structures are analyzed in the context of multicultural societies and increasing global interaction. Basic sociological principles and research findings are used to support the analyses of social issues. Throughout this course, the development of analytical thinking skills will be emphasized as we explore systematically and critically how individuals, institutions, culture, and social structure interact to shape society and human behavior. These sections of Sociology 101 will have a lecture and discussion format. Grades will be based on three examinations and several exercises.
SOCI 101S 03 & 04 Introduction to Sociology
(4 Credits)
Doubt, Keith
Introduction to Sociology introduces and studies various sociological principles on the nature of social interaction and the problem of social order. The course demonstrates how different sociological perspectives help us understand and articulate the compelling character of social life. The course is divided into three parts, and the leading, theoretical approaches within sociology--Symbolic Interaction, Social Conflict, Functionalism--are studied one at a time in each part of the course. The course also explores different methodologies for conducting sociological research, in particular, statistical analysis and discourse analysis. In general, the course will encourage you to enjoy, recognize, and actively engage in the practice of social inquiry. During the course two distinct methodologies for conducting sociological inquiry will be compared and dramatized in this class, one being quantitative or statistical analysis and the other being qualitative or semiology. The purpose of the course is to introduce you to both the theoretical and the methodological diversity of the discipline.
SOCI 101S 05 Introduction to Sociology
(4 Credits)
Pankhurst, Jerry
This course serves as an introduction to the cultural and structural patterns of human behavior as seen through the sociological perspective. Course content, as presented through readings, lectures, exercises, films, and discussions, focuses upon norms, social interaction, social organization, and social change. We will explore socio-cultural differences in life styles through an analytical approach which views social behavior as the result of a complex integration of institutional affiliations (e.g., religious, family, educational, political, and economic). The course also introduces students to the discipline of sociology and to sociology as a profession. This section of Sociology 101 will have a lecture and discussion format. Grades are based on three examinations and several exercises.
SOCI 2O1S 01 Family Violence
(4 Credits)
Warren, Kiesha
In this course we will explore the problem of violence in the context of family as a primary social group and as a social institution. We will examine the theoretical perspectives that are used to explain family violence, as well as the methodologies used to study violence among family members. The nature of family violence, with a focus on child abuse, spouse/partner abuse, elder abuse, and the role of gender in violence will be studied. The normative and social/situational contexts in which abuse and violence occur will be of central concern.
SOCI 270S 01 & 02 Sociology of Minority Groups
(4 credits)
Nibert, David
Since humanity developed the capacity to produce an economic surplus, countless masses of earthlings have been oppressed, and many have had their labor appropriated, by relatively small groups of privileged humans. This course will examine the historical and contemporary causes for the continued oppression of entire groups, including various ethnic groups, women, the impoverished and other species of animals. Special attention will be given to the roots of oppression within the United States, particularly of people of color. The course will include class discussions, videotape presentations, and assignments outside of class. Students are expected to respond actively to assigned readings by discussing key ideas and by using examples to support or question these ideas.
SOCI 277C/R 1W & 2W Islam and Islamic Societies
(4 credits)
Pankhurst, Jerry
This course will provide a broad introduction to the religion of Islam, accompanied by an examination of the connections between Islam and the varied life of Muslim societies and of Muslim minority communities in non-Muslim societies. Given the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, the West’s military reprisals in Afghanistan, the increased intensity of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the 2003 war in Iraq, and other problem situations, knowledge of these issues has become of highest priority. We will seek to understand the complex sources of conflict in areas in which Islam is implicated in some way; we will also try to become acquainted with the rich cultural life of Muslims. We will consider Muslim societies all over the world, but, in support of the minor in Africana Studies, we will emphasize Islam in Africa and African American Islam. Course format: lecture/seminar, with much group discussion. Graded Requirements: A variety of writing exercises throughout the term, oral presentations, examinations and a term project. This course is Writing Intensive (W) and can be taken for either “C” or “R” credit in General Education. Prerequisite: None.
SOCI 301 S 01 The African American Family
(4 credits)
Warren, Kiesha
This course summarizes structural evaluation and role formation of the family. It will present an overview of the traditional African American family and socialization process. Focuses on the impact of slavery and post slavery institutions on the formation of the African family in America. This course will be divided into three sections. The first will address the late 1800’s and early 1900’s. The second section will focus on the advent of the New Frontier, the Great Society, and the War On Poverty. The third section will address issues of the contemporary African American family.
SOCI 301S 1W Family, Gender and Social Change
(4 credits)
Houseknecht, Sharon
“Family, Gender, and Social Change” will achieve, through empirical and analytical methods, an understanding of human behavior, relationships, and the family institution. Our sense of self and identities develop through the socialization process, first within the family and then with other institutions of society. We take on those roles and acts that society defines as gender acceptable behaviors. The linkages between gender and family life, however, are complex and ever changing. The major focus of this course will be on changes that are taking place in the gender-family connection. We also will look at the influence that other major social institutions (religion, economy, polity, education, for example) are having on the dynamics of family patterns as viewed through a gender-sensitive lens. The course will have two essay exams and writing requirements consistent with the “W” designation. Prerequisite: one prior course in Sociology.
SOCI 301S 02 Institutional Abuse of Animals & Humans
(4 Credits)
Nibert, David
This special topics course focuses on the history of western civilization and will bring into focus the interrelated suffering of oppressed humans and other animals. Students will be asked to consider if the exploitation of other animals has gone hand in hand with the oppression of women, people of color, and other oppressed groups. They will be asked to ponder whether the oppression both of humans and of other species of animals is inextricably tangled within the structure of social arrangements.
SOCI 301S 2W Who Are The Russians? The Russian Idea In History And Contemporary Affairs
(4 Credits)
Pankhurst, Jerry
The question of this course concerns how all of the disjunctions of national identity for Russians and other groups in the Russian Federation have been managed by the people who lived in the region of Russia and what impact these historical disjunctions might have on the formation of a national identity for the Russia of the twentieth-first century. How can this country recapture an old sense of self (which one would it choose?), or must it build a completely new one for the new millennium? In exploring this question, we will venture into philosophical, political, social and artistic aspects of history, and then consider the range of contemporary affairs that have an impact on the construction and sustenance of national identity. The richness of Russian culture is our basic object of study. Course format: Seminar format with several writing assignments consistent with the “W” designation of the course, a term project and two book critiques.
SOCI 307M 01 Z & W Research Methods
(5 Credits)
Warren, Kiesha
This course will introduce sociology majors to issues in research methodology (required for majors). Topics to be covered include the logic of the social sciences, research design, social measurement, and basic data analysis. Students will learn how to think about research, how to ask questions, and how to think about answers. The course will include both classroom and laboratory segments; the course is both writing intensive and math intensive. Students will undertake work that will prepare them for sociology senior thesis.
