Sociology (SOC)

This course provides students with an enhanced understanding of the local community. Students are required to perform structured community service throughout the semester and to reflect and engage with other students on the meaning of community. Through readings, critical reflection, group discussions, and volunteer service, students will understand the impact of civic engagement on the community and its members. This course will require 1-3 hours of community service per week (or the equivalent).

This class provides a general introduction to the science of sociology, including the sociological imagination, theory and methods. Students are taught what is unique about the way in which sociologists view and analyze human behavior. The role of the social structure and how it affects our lives will be emphasized. There will also be an emphasis on how sociologists develop and test their hypotheses, as well as on various aspects of social life such as culture, groups and institutions, deviance and social control, inequality, ethnicity, and family.

Selected contemporary American social problems are studies from a sociological perspective. Problem areas such as poverty, race, crime, and violence, marriage and family problems, drugs and alcoholism, unemployment and work, gender roles and sexism, and other relevant issues are covered. Emphasis is also on the subjective and objective aspects of social problems.

Examines the roles and status of older people in a changing social structure. Social issues of aging such as employment, retirement, family relations, and housing are analyzed.

The Introduction to Social Welfare will introduce students to services and techniques used in providing social services. Emphasis will be placed on the historical development of social services, public and private agencies as social work providers, and research of services provided to individuals in need. Myths and factors about social welfare will be discussed as well as resources and solutions will also be examined. Students will study the relationship between helping efforts and the political and economic structures of society as they relate to social welfare policy. To complete this course you MUST complete service-learning hours.

This course is designed to introduce the student to the world of public health as it deals with biological, physical, social and man-made threats to human health and wellbeing. Topics specific to this course will include the viral pandemics, food and water safety, the obesity epidemic, natural disasters, bioterrorism and other health concerns. During the course students will be exposed to the many places where public health is found in our local and global society, how public policy is established to ensure healthier communities, a sensitivity to cultural differences within each community, and the many career paths associated with public health. This course is appropriate for any student who is pursuing careers in allied health, health care administration and finance, public policy, environmental studies, and/or social behavioral studies.

This course examines the history, structure, functions, and varieties of modern American families. Changing definitions of marriage, sexual expression, child rearing, sex roles, and divorce rates will be examined from a sociological perspective that considers the family in comparative and historical perspective. Racial and ethnic diversity in family life will also be considered, along with the variety of family forms that exist today. Emphasis is less on personal adjustment in marriage and more on sociological explanations for why current trends are occurring and what implications they hold for the individual, family, and society.

This class examines how gender and sexuality shape our everyday lives and are shaped by our everyday lives. We will explore the social organization, construction and politics of gender within historical and cultural contexts, and how gender inequalities are maintained and perpetuated through social institutions and processes of socialization, including (but not limited to) family, economy, education, media, politics and violence, while remaining sensitive to the diversity of gendered experiences across class, racial-ethnic groups, cultures, and regions. Topics include gender, sexuality, family, work, politics, power, education, media, violence, intersectionality, and inequality.

A consideration of normal physical and psychosocial changes that occur with aging, as well as the effects of selected acute and chronic age-related conditions. Healthy lifestyles, healthcare policies and programs for the older adult will be examined.

This course explores the social aspects of sexualities as they exist across different social groups. Students will analyze the Western hegemonic ideal of sexuality and expand their understanding of the many influences on patterns of sexual behavior. This includes a close examination of sexualities in relation to ethnic and racial boundaries and evolutionary, historical and cross-cultural perspectives.

A multidisciplinary course that introduces the student to issues associated with the aging process. Topics considered include: demographics, the biological basis of aging, health status, behavioral and social sciences issues and the cultural aspects of aging.

This course surveys social issues confronting the people of the United States and other nations due to ever-increasing global interdependence. Topics vary from semester to semester depending on current concerns and interests, but often include global poverty, economic globalization, sustainability, population growth, global health issues, the survival of indigenous peoples, and women's rights as human rights. Attention is paid to both the underlying social patterns giving rise to world problems, and to solutions proposed by actors on the world scene, including elites, grassroots movements, and international organizations such as the United Nations.

A study of the history and culture of various racial and ethnic groups in the United States including an investigation into institutionalized racism, prejudice, discrimination, and other issues of diversity related to power and privilege.

This course examines the types and possible causes of inequality in contemporary U.S. society, from a sociological perspective. How to recognize and analyze likely determinants of inequality will be explored through an examination of key issues such as gender, race, and class, among others. In this context, social inequality in the U.S. will likewise be examined for its potential relationship to global social patterns and processes.

An examination of the historical, economic, social, political, and cultural experiences of Africans in America. The course emphasizes the diverse nature of those experiences and the different ways they have been interpreted.

A survey of Puerto Rican society, both in Puerto Rico and in the United States. The course will explore the history, culture, values, traditions, relationships, politics, art literature, and daily life of Puerto Ricans from Pre-Columbian times to the present.

An in-depth exploration of human emotions, attitudes and behaviors associated with death and dying. Topics include the study of historic and religious foundations, suicide, euthanasia, bereavement, preparations, coping with fear, dealing with children, and theories concerning life after death and reincarnation. The course is designed to provide stimulus for introspection of individual problem areas.

Theoretical and historical analyses of reform and revolutionary movements will provide the overall focus of this course. Case studies will be used to examine the societal roots, characteristics, and impact of particular movements.

This course will discuss the development of modern cities in the United States, as well as focusing on contemporary urban social issues such as housing and homelessness, urban poverty, racial and ethnic segregation, urban sprawl, environmental issues, and urban redevelopment, and how these issues promote and are affected by socio-economic and racial/ethnic inequalities in society. Urbanization and urban issues will also be considered rom a global perspective.

This course provides an introduction to the principles and concepts of criminology; analysis of the social context of criminal behavior, including a review of criminological theory, the nature and distribution of crime, the sociology of criminal law and the societal reactions to crime and criminals.

Examines the social aspects of juvenile delinquency and the factors that cause this behavior to emerge. The organization, functions and jurisdiction of the juvenile court system, as well as the processing, detention, case disposition and juvenile delinquency statutes are examined.

This course traces the evolution of that most American of musical forms from its roots in African and European musical traditions to its melding of blues, country, gospel, folk, and pop into something truly unique and revolutionary. We will examine rock and roll's lasting impact on American society and culture, from the initial formation of a new, teenage social class, to the rise in juvenile delinquency, the breakdown of racial and sexual barriers, the formation of various subcultures (drugs, bikers, surfers), and the role it played in the civil rights, anti-war, and feminist movements. From the randb juke joints and rockabilly honky-tonks of post-war America, to Alan Freed, American Bandstand, Motown, and the British Invasion, this course will examine and illustrate the growth and development of a uniquely American musical form that reflected, challenged, changed and ultimately redefined, the society from which it sprang.

Examines mental health and illness from a sociological perspective and considers how the organization of social life, including socioeconomic status, marital status, age, and community ties affects psychological states. This course critically examines how the definitions of both mental health and mental illness reflect the normative ideologies of the broader dominant culture, how these definitions change within the sociopolitical and historical context, and to what degree mental illness is socially constructed.

A critical analysis and evaluation of the social needs of the community and organizational efforts undertaken by both governmental and private organizations to meet these needs are examined in depth. This course meets the service-learning requirement for the social services degree program.

This course will be used by a department when a course is in the development stage or if there is a pressing social issue or event where students would benefit from a focused course relevant to the topic at hand.