Sociology  

SOC #815 - Criminological Theory
Credits: 4.00
Critically examines the major schools of criminological thought. Traditional perspectives---learning, control, strain,and labeling theories---covered as are more contemporary approaches, including Marxian, feminist, routine-activities, and structural theories.

SOC #820 - Current Developments in Sociology of the Family
Credits: 4.00
A current topic is selected each semester, such as stratification and the family, intrafamily communication, power structure of the family, kinship in modern societies. Critical review of the literature. Class or individual research project usually will be carried out. Prereq: 8 credits of sociology; a family course recommended.

SOC 830 - Political Sociology
Credits: 4.00
Contemporary issues in political sociology with emphasis on the relationship between social class structure and political power. Seminar explores various perspectives on the nature and distribution of power, theories of the state, class structure and political participation, and the politics of policy making.

SOC 835 - Complex Organizations
Credits: 4.00
Comparative study of the structure and dynamics of complex, formal organizations (business, military, political and governmental, educational, medical). Power and social control in formal systems; organizational processes, performances, and effectiveness; effect of complex, formal organizations on persons and societies. Prereq: permission.

SOC #841 - Social Change and Societal Development
Credits: 4.00
Comparative, interdisciplinary approach. Interrelationships among economic, political, and social factors in determining the structure, dynamics, character, and level of deveolpment of societies. Prereq: permission.

SOC 860 - Aging and Late Life Family
Credits: 4.00
Using a life-course perspective, this course focuses on family relationships and social role transtions in later life. Addresses impact of the empty nest stage, grandparenthood, retirement, care giving, and widowhood on the well-being and relationships of older people.

SOC #861 - Population Studies
Credits: 4.00
Major population trends including changes in birth and death rates, population characteristics, mobility, migration, world population growth, population problems, and policies of countries at different stages of economic development. Interrelationship of population and society.

SOC 873 - Siocology of Childhood
Credits: 4.00
This course will expose students to a variety of sociological perspectives about childhood in American society. It will stimulate analysis about how social institutions, like the modern American family, school, economic system, justice system and communications media affect children. Assumes a prior understanding of important sociological concepts, critical thinking skills and social science writing ability.

SOC 880 - Social Conflict
Credits: 4.00
Nature of social conflict, especially war. Setting and initiation of conflict, its dynamics, and factors affecting its course and outcomes. Prereq: permission.

SOC 890 - Applied Sociology
Credits: 4.00
(1) Current level of use of sociological knwoledge; (2) the advocate, consultant, and researcher roles in applied settings; (3) techniques of applied research; (4) implications of applied sociology, incluyding ethical problems. Each student focuses on a social problem and writes a paper covering the above issues. Applied projects where possible. Prereq: methods of social research.

SOC 892 - Research Internship
Credits: 4.00
Designed for students who want some practical experience applying social research methods in a program or policy setting. Students meet together weekly to discuss their experiences internship placement. Students design and carry out research in the setting of the placement. Placements are to be arranged by student and faculty member together. Examples of placements include community development agencies, social service agencies, non-profits, research centers and companies. Major report on the research undertaken is required. prereq: sociological mehtods I: intermediate social statistics; sociological methods II: research design; and permission.

SOC 893 - Sociology of Childhood
Credits: 4.00

SOC 894 - Evaluation of Social Programs
Credits: 4.00
Evaluation research defined: purposes of evaluation; design of evaluation studies; setting of programs; utilization of evaluation results. Examination of case studies of evaluations of social programs. Students are responsible for designing an evaluation study in their chosen substantive area. Prereq: methods of social research.

SOC 897 - Special Topics in Sociology
Credits: 4.00
Occasional or experimental offerings. prereq: permission. May be repeated for different topics.

SOC 899 - Master's Thesis
Credits: 1.00 to 10.00
Usually 6 credits but up to 10 credits when the problem warrants. Credit/Fail.

SOC 900 - Proseminar in Sociology
Credits: 2.00
An introduction to the discipline of sociology and to the graduate program. Topics include writing for professional audiences, publishing, applying for support, TA workshop, writing a thesis or dissertation. Meetings with faculty members throughout the semester. Meets bi-weekly.

SOC 901 - Sociological Methods I: Intermediate Social Statistics
Credits: 4.00
Application of statistical methods to the anaylisis of social data, with particular emphasis on mutiple regression and related topics.

SOC 902 - Sociological Methods II: Research Design
Credits: 4.00
Systematic investigation of each step in the design and implementation of sociological research. Selected techniques of data collection and analyses are pursued. Prereq: methods of social research; social statistics;/or their equivalents or permission.

SOC 903 - Sociological Methods III: Special Problems in Methods and Statistics
Credits: 4.00
Course alternates among speical problems, such as measurements and advanced statistics.

SOC 904 - Sociological Methods IV: Field Work
Credits: 4.00
Training for participant observation in the manner of an anthropologist or Chicago-school sociologist. Students write and discuss field notes and become familiar with case studies, content analysis, and relevant issues. Field notes, basis for a term paper.

SOC 911 - Sociological Theory I
Credits: 4.00
The content, presuppositions, and implications of the body of sociological theory, exemplifying the full range of sociological inquiry. Prereq: history of social theory; comtemporary social theory;/or equivaltents.

SOC 912 - Sociological Theory II
Credits: 4.00
The content, presuppositions, and implications of contemporary sociological theory. Students engage in theory construction and analysis and in this endeavor are encouraged to develop their particular interests in substantive areas. Prereq: SOC 911.

SOC #913 - Sociological Theory III
Credits: 4.00
A seminar of intensive study in topics in sociological theory. Sample topics include exchange theory, functionalism, systems theory, theory construction, pioneering theorists. Prereq: history of social theory; contemporary social theory;/or equivalents.

SOC #918 - Historical Methods in Sociology
Credits: 4.00
Introduction to major varieties of historical sociology. Focus on problems of method in defining research agendas, selecting historical evidence, and using historically bounded models and concepts.

SOC #921 - Crime and Conflict
Credits: 4.00
Serves as the core course for the Crime and Conflict concentration. Theories and patterns of crime; the social origins of violent and nonviolent conflict; the role of social factors in the justice system; alternative forms of crime control and conflict management.

SOC #934 - Sociology of Mental Health and Illness
Credits: 4.00
This seminar reviews major sociological theories of mental illness including social isolation, labeling, stressful life events, role conflicts, social class, and economic factors and family dynamics. Family and community processes involved in becoming a mental patient and the problems of leaving the role of mentally ill are examined. The politics of mental illness are considered, including decarceration, issues surrounding sex roles and mental illness, patients' rights and the prediction of dangerousness. Other topics covered include cross-cultural comparisons in diagnosis and treatment, training of clinicians, and mental health as a social movement.

SOC #942 - Sociology & Social Policy
Credits: 4.00
Social policy and public policy defined: description of the policy making process. The political sociology of the policy-making process; who makes policy and who influences policy, under what conditions, and with what effect. Definition of social policy research and the various roles social scientist can adopt for policy-relevant work. Students are responsible for critiquing the readings and for preparing a substantial research paper.

SOC #951 - Seminar in Social Psychology
Credits: 4.00
Some of the major themes in social-psycological theory, including social structure and personality, socialization, small-group processes, and interaction analysis. Students are expected to read and evaluate selected empirical research.

SOC #954 - Sociology of Religion
Credits: 4.00
The reciprocal relationship of religion and culture; the function of religion in society; the contributions of sociological research; the relationship between religion and other social institutions; religion and social change; the problem of church and state.

SOC 970 - Social Stress and Health
Credits: 4.00
Focuses on social stress processes and their relation to physical and mental health. Sources, moderators, and outcomes of stress are examined within various social-structural contexts. Specific topics include the measurement and conceptualization of stress, social support and coping practices, self concept, and the role of gender, race, and social class in the stress process.

SOC 975 - Sociology of the Family
Credits: 4.00
Major approaches in the sociological study of families. Individuals in families, family relationships, and families as groups and the interrelationships among these levels. Interactional and systemic properties of marriage, parent-child relations, and extended family relations.

SOC 976 - Violence in the Family
Credits: 4.00
Analysis of abusive relationships within the family, especially physical and sexual abuse of children and spouses. The primary focus is on the design of research to test theories purporting to explain intrafamily violence, consequences of violence for family members and society, and research on prevention.

SOC 980 - Social Stratification
Credits: 4.00
Introduces students to the core of theoretical, methodological, and substantive issues in social stratification. Readings include classical and contemporary theories of stratification and work exploring the sources and consequences of stratification. Inequalities based on class, race, and grender examined.

SOC 988 - Medical Sociology: Health, Healing, and Society
Credits: 4.00
Social context of wellness, illness, and healing; stratification and health; mortality and morbidity in relation to class, race, ethnicity, religion, gender, and age; social control functions of medicine: medicalization and de-medicalization; interaction of phsyicians and patients; medical occupations; mental health and mental illness; stress and illness; medical care systems in various countries.

SOC 990 - Teaching Sociology Seminar
Credits: 4.00
Helps graduate students with teaching issues, explore teaching techniques, and improve their teaching skills. Topics include: setting course goals, designing lectures, evaluating student course work, leading discussion, and experimenting with inovative teaching techniques. (Also offered as GRAD 974.)

SOC 995 - Reading and Research in Sociology
Credits: 2.00 to 8.00
A) Communications; B) Criminology; C) Cultural Change; D) Culture and Personality; E) Deviant Behavior; F) Family; G) Population; H) Rural-Urban; I) Social Control; J) Social Differentiation; K) Social Movements; L) Social Psychology; M) Social Research; N) Social Theory; O) Applied Sociology; P) Medical Sociology. A student prepared by training and experience to do the independent work under the guidance of an instructor may register for one or more of these sections. Prereq: 16 graduate hours of sociology and permission. Hours and credit to be arranged. May be repeated for different topics.

SOC 996 - Reading and Research in Sociology
Credits: 2.00 to 8.00
See description for SOC 995.

SOC 997 - Advanced Special Topics in Sociology
Credits: 2.00 or 4.00
Occasional or experimental offerings. Credit/Fail.

SOC 999 - Doctoral Research
Credits: