Courses - Summer 2025
SOCY100
Introduction to Sociology
Introduces fundamental concepts and theories of sociology. Guided by C. Wright Mills' "sociological imagination," the course promotes critical thinking; challenges conventional assumptions about culture politics, history, and psychology; and equips students with theoretical approaches and research methods to analyze various sociological topics, including family, work, education, religion, social movements, and issues related to class, gender, race, and ethnic inequalities.
SOCY201
Introductory Statistics for Sociology
Prerequisite: SOCY100; and (MATH107 or MATH111).
Restriction: Must not have completed STAT400, BMGT231, or ENEE324.
Students will explore descriptive and inferential statistics. You will hone your quantitative analytical skills to construct impactful bivariate tables, craft frequency distributions, and decipher measures of central tendency and dispersion. Additionally, you will master the techniques of hypothesis testing, chi-square, ANOVA, and ordinary least squares regression, equipping you to seamlessly translate data into meaningful research insights.
SOCY202
Introduction to Research Methods in Sociology
Prerequisite: SOCY100.
We will examine why social research is needed, explore some of the main quantitative and qualitative techniques to conduct sociological research, and discover how to understand and critically evaluate sociological research on pressing social problems. Students will also learn to use specialized software to analyze and interpret quantitative data in the computer lab.
SOCY203
Sociological Theory
Credits:
3
Grad Meth:
Reg, P-F, Aud
Prerequisite: SOCY100.
Examines major trends in the history and development of sociological thought, including theories of inequality, the self, institutions, and more. With each theorist students will learn what sociologists assume and focus on when studying societies.
SOCY230
Sociological Social Psychology
Why do people do that? Sitting at the nexus of sociology and psychology, this course surveys the various ways in which sociologists have answered this question. We investigate individuals-for example, how they develop and understand themselves in relation to others, how they choose to present themselves to the world, and how they form thoughts and opinions. And we study larger units of analyses, from small groups to the broader society. Topics covered include socialization, identity formation, social influence, group processes, how social processes shape individual behavior, and how human behavior shapes society.
SOCY325
The Sociology of Gender
Credits:
3
Grad Meth:
Reg, P-F, Aud
Prerequisite: 3 credits in SOCY courses.
Cross-listed with: WGSS325.
Credit only granted for: SOCY325, WMST325 or WGSS325.
Formerly: WMST325.
Institutional bases of gender roles and gender inequality, cultural perspectives on gender, gender socialization, feminism, and gender-role change. Emphasis on contemporary American society.
SOCY351
Sociological Writing
Credits:
3
Grad Meth:
Reg, P-F, Aud
Prerequisite: SOCY100.
This course aims to help students improve basic writing and communication skills while also familiarizing students with the norms and mechanics of writing sociological papers. Students should come away from the course with an increased ability to both evaluate and construct arguments supported by relevant evidence.
SOCY386
Experiential Learning
Credits:
3 - 6
Grad Meth:
Reg, P-F
Restriction: Permission of BSOS-Sociology department; and junior standing or higher.
SOCY399
Independent Study in Sociology
Credits:
1 - 6
Grad Meth:
Reg, P-F, Aud
SOCY432
Social Movements
Credits:
3
Grad Meth:
Reg, P-F, Aud
Prerequisite: 6 credits in SOCY courses; or permission of BSOS-Sociology department.
This course broadens students' understanding of social movements in the United States. Many topics are discussed, including the emergence of social movements, why people join social movements, collective identity, gender, culture, emotions, tactics, repression, and the decline of social movements. Various movements are reviewed, including the civil rights movement, the Chicano movement, the women's movement, the LGBTQ movement, the white power movement, the American Indian movement, and the animal rights movement.
SOCY498A
Selected Topics in Sociology; Unsung Social Theory: Views from the South
Credits:
3
Grad Meth:
Reg, P-F, Aud
This course explores essential social theories from scholars who have grappled with forms of subjugation such as enslavement, colonialism, and incarceration. These thinkers, writing from what might be termed a southern perspective whether from the Global South, the U.S. plantation system or internal colony, or broader subordinated contexts offer radical insights into existing structures of power. Often overlooked in traditional theory, the voices of les damns (to use the words of Frantz Fanon) provide critical perspectives on the state, economy, race, and gender, guiding us in understanding our unequal present and envisioning potential paths to liberation.
SOCY498B
Selected Topics in Sociology; Sociology of Climate Change
Credits:
3
Grad Meth:
Reg, P-F, Aud
Climate change is one of the most urgent and consequential issues of the twenty-first century and understanding the social dimensions of climate change is an inherently sociological concern. In this course we will look at: 1) the social causes of climate change and how social structure informs human relationships with the environment, 2) the social impacts of climate change and how inequality and power intersect with ecological risks, and 3) how societies are responding or not responding to climate change.
SOCY498V
Selected Topics in Sociology; Sociology of Sport and Film
Credits:
3
Grad Meth:
Reg, P-F, Aud
SOCY699
Special Social Problems
Credits:
3
Grad Meth:
Reg, Aud
SOCY799
Master's Thesis Research
Credits:
1 - 6
Grad Meth:
S-F
SOCY898
Pre-Candidacy Research
Credits:
1 - 8
Grad Meth:
Reg
SOCY899
Doctoral Dissertation Research
Credits:
1 - 8
Grad Meth:
S-F
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