A systematic view of sociology, providing essentials for an approach to questions about man in society; analysis of social processes, structures, and functions.

This course introduces students to the American criminal justice system, with a focus on the interconnectedness of the major pieces: the police, the courts, and the correctional system. Benefits and limitations of the existing criminal justice system will be explored, along with growing threats to both society and the system itself.

History and ethnological studies of family. Role of family in the development of the individual. Interrelation of church, state, and family. Social conditions and changes affecting the American family. Family stability and disorganization.

A balanced and thoughtful introduction to what is currently known about human sexuality. Research in sexuality comes from a variety of disciplines, including Psychology, Sociology, Biology, Medicine, Physical Education, and Human Education. Without assuming that the student has an extensive background in any of these fields, this course draws liberally on all of them and works hard to show how the biology, psychology, and sociology of sex are interrelated.

This course deals with the origins of sex roles, the historical changes in sex roles, the consequences of sex roles to the individual and to society, and the outlook for sex roles in the future.

It is customary to think of violence between family members as infrequent and, when it does occur, as being the result of some mental defect or aberration. Research evidence shows that neither of these views is correct. This course examines the prevalence, experience, causes, and prevention of family violence.

An overview of the causes, correlates, and history of violence in American society.  Topics include the relationship between guns and gun control and violence, violence and popular culture, drug-related violence, and the development of organized crime and gangs in the United States.

An analysis of the nature and extent of crime and the causes and prevention of criminality. Topic areas include the history of criminology, criminological research methods, the extent and patterns of crime, theories of criminal behavior, and current issues surrounding crime in the U.S. today.

An examination of drugs and alcohol in American society as a major social problem. 

A study of the agencies devoted to the correction and treatment of convicted offenders with a special focus on adult and juvenile probation, parole agencies supervising offenders in the community, as well as residential correction facilities, including jails, prisons, and juvenile institutions.

This course examines the nature of deviant behavior and the social responses to it. Topics covered include the following: what constitutes deviance; theories of deviance; varieties of deviant behavior; and the types of societal responses to deviant behavior.

A survey of the main problems of social work and of agencies and methods that have developed to cope with them. The nature and requirements of the different fields of social work.

Students enrolled in this course will learn about different types of group counseling services. Students will acquire knowledge of group practice issues for each phase in the evolution of groups. Students will develop initial competence in beginning work as a group leader or facilitator.

Interviewing and intervention strategies in dealing with the criminal offender population in both prison and community settings, as well as the social services available for this population.

Students enrolled in this course will gain knowledge of the counseling process, including values, goals, methods, and limitations. Students will learn about various client characteristics that impact the counseling relationship. Students will develop initial competence in delivering counseling services.

A theoretical analysis of inter-group tensions and processes of adjustment with special reference to modern racial, national, and religious conflicts, both domestic and abroad.

An examination of the relationship between social structure and crime, with an emphasis on developing and applying a critical perspective. Topics include the relationship between immigration and crime, the role of protests both contemporary and historically in shaping our attitudes about crime, the ways that socialization impacts criminality across race/class/gender boundaries, and ways in which the system can be improved.

An examination of sport from a social and cultural perspective. Emphasis is placed on examining how the institution of sport is a microcosm of American society, reflecting society’s major cultural beliefs, and how the organization of sport reflects that of society. 

Cross-listed with PS-212. See description under the Political Science course listings.

This course will offer career guidance for students in the Behavioral and Social Sciences. The course will include topics such as mentoring, networking, résumés and interviewing skills.

An examination of the nature and extent of juvenile delinquency, its causes, and its prevention. Topics include the similarities and differences between juvenile and adult justice systems, trends in juvenile delinquency, theories of delinquency, gangs, and the roles of family, schools, and legal institutions.

A general survey of the field of social psychology. Social factors in human nature, psychology of individual differences, social interaction, collective behavior, psychology of personality, and social pathology. Cross listed with PSY-341.

A survey of the structure and dynamics of social inequality in American life. Attention is focused on the institutionalization of power arrangements that perpetuate intergenerational patterns of economic, political, and prestige inequalities among collectivities. A special effort is made to compare the consequences of structured social inequality for the very wealthy and the very poor.

A broad introduction to the theoretical and practical concerns that arise in the study of white collar crime and other forms of deviance conducted by the upper class in a capitalist society. Theoretical aspects of governments and organizations are examined to further understand the damage to society caused by white collar crime.

This course is an introduction to quantitative analysis for the social sciences using SPSS, one of the most frequently and widely used statistical packages in the world. Students will learn how to enter and manipulate data in SPSS, apply and interpret statistics from descriptive through multiple regression, and test hypotheses using statistical methods. Cross listed with PS-265.

Introduction to sociological research; selected problems of research in social relations; interviewing techniques; questionnaire design and case studies.

This course is designed for students currently taking the sociological methods course (SOC371) as part of the sociology and criminology capstone process.  This course investigates the most common criminological theories students are likely to utilize for their own research projects.  Theories are discussed with a focus on the operationalization of concepts of theory into variables that students may find in social science databases. 

The aim of the course is provide the student majoring in sociology, or in one of the related fields, with an historical background necessary for understanding of the current trends in sociology as well as for clarification of its distinct subject matter, problems, and methods.

This course is intended for senior sociology majors. In this course you will complete an empirical research paper, quantitative or qualitative, and present the results to an audience of faculty and peers.

Professional cooperative education placement in a private or public organization related to the student’s academic objectives and career goals. In addition to their work experience, students are required to submit weekly reaction papers and an academic project to a Faculty Coordinator in the student’s discipline. (See the Cooperative Education section of this bulletin for placement procedures.)