HOME | ACADEMICS | ADMISSION | SPIRITUAL LIFE | CALENDAR | LIBRARY | SPORTS | GIVING | EMPLOYMENT | WEB MAIL


Academics

About Christian
Liberal Arts


Academic Programs
and Majors


Academic
Records Office


Adult Degree
Programs


Catalog

Course Descriptions

Faculty List

Learning Resources

Off-Campus
Programs


Office of the
Academic Dean

Web Sites for
Departments

  




Sociology Course Descriptions

SOC 101 Principles of Sociology (3, F&S)
Introduction to the sociological perspective; development and systematic use of concepts. Satisfies integrative studies requirement in the social sciences. NOTE: SOC 101 is prerequisite to all other sociology coursework, except anthropology. Liberal Arts Foundation - Social Science.

SOC 222 Social Problems (3, S)
Survey of contemporary social problems in American society. Analyses based on conflict and labeling theories, emphasizing ideological origins whereby certain behaviors are defined as problems.

SOC 231 Criminology (3, OD)
Consideration of elements in criminal justice system. Discussion of dilemma of promoting social order while protecting individual rights.

SOC 237 Introduction to Marriage and Family Studies (3, F)
The changing structure and functions of marriage and the family in modern society; emphasis on dating patterns, marriage selection, sex roles, childbearing patterns, and family life cycles.

SOC 243 Cultural Anthropology (CDRP, see Foreign Languages) (3, S)
Cultural and social aspects of human behavior; comparison of cultures. Liberal Arts Foundation - Social Science.

SOC 275 The Criminal Justice System (3, F)
This course will examine the dilemma involved in the relationship between “law and order” within liberal societies like the United States. In democratic “free” societies, there is a constant tension between the need for social order (and police efficiency in suppressing crime) and procedural law involving Constitutionally protected rights. We will examine the police, courts, prisons, probation and parole systems in light of this tension.

SOC 282 Sociological Theory (3, F)
Consideration of the major 19th century contributors to sociological theory of the 20th century; sociological perspectives they helped to form: functionalism, conflict theory, symbolic interaction.

SOC 293 East African Cultures (3 or 4, S)
(See course description in Off-Campus Programs — Tanzania section.)

SOC 295 Special Topics in Sociology (3, OD)
Topics offered according to interest and demand.

SOC 296 Special Topics in Anthropology (3, OD)
Topics offered according to interest and demand.

SOC 297 Special Topics in Family Studies (3, OD)
Topics offered according to interest and demand.

SOC 309 Statistics (3, F&S)
Study of descriptive and inferential statistics, including analysis of variance and measures of correlation. Focus on application to social and psychological data. Recommended for sophomore year.

SOC 312 Social Science Research Methods (3, S)
Basic scientific method, application to social phenomena; procedures and methodological problems in various types of social research; methods of data analysis. Recommended for junior year, after completion of SOC 309.

SOC 322 Social Stratification (3, S)
Major theories and evidence relating to the origin, nature, and social consequences of stratification systems of social inequality in contemporary United States.

SOC 325 Life in the City (3, F)
(See Off-Campus Programs — Houghton in Australia.)

SOC 330 Culture and Family (CDRP, see Foreign Languages) (3, S)
A multicultural and cross-cultural exploration of family environments, history, processes, and structures in various types of societies throughout the world, relying on sociological and anthropological principles.

SOC 338 Sociology of Religion (3, S)
Study of collective religious behavior from social scientific perspective; examine social factors related to secularization, rise of new religious groups, patterns of contemporary belief and practice.

SOC 345 Sociology of Aging (3, OD)
Examines the aging in America as an interdisciplinary topic. Analysis of the socio-historical and socio-political dimensions of aging. Multicultural perspectives included.

SOC 351 The Individual and Society (3, S)
Examines the major dilemmas that profoundly affect life in post-industrial Western society: dilemmas between individual freedom and social equality, and between rational organization and community. (Recommended for students planning to attend graduate school.)

SOC 361 Majority-Minority Relations (3, S)
Examines relationships between dominant (majority) and subordinate groups (minority), covering racial, ethnic, and religious conflicts in the U.S. and around the world. Analyzed are forms and causes of prejudice and how to reduce it, the origins of inequality, the effects of colonialism and modernization, and current trends in majority-minority relations.

SOC 362 Gender Relations (3, F)
Introduction to gender relations; focus on gender roles over life cycle. Includes multicultural perspectives on gender relations.

SOC 390 Practicum in Family Studies (1,2,3, F&S)
Supervised experience in a family services setting integrating theory with professional practice. Requires junior or senior standing and the completion of at least nine hours in the Family Studies minor and permission of the department. Contact: Dr. Maugans.

SOC 394 Internship in Family Studies (6,F&S)
An optional supervised experience in a family studies setting integrating theory with professional practice. By application only through the department. Contact: Dr. Maugans

SOC 410 Practicum in Sociology (1, 2, 3, F&S)
Supervised experience in a sociological setting integrating theory with professional practice. Requires permission of the department. Contact: Dr. Maugans

SOC 415 Internship in Sociology (6,F&S)
An optional supervised experience in a sociological setting integrating theory with professional practice. By application only through the department. Contact: Dr. Maugans

SOC 480 Senior Capstone: Sociology Seminar (3, S)
Capstone course of the major which will include readings, informed discussions of contemporary concepts and issues, and a paper with accompanying PowerPoint presentation on some topic in the discipline.

SOC 191, -2; 291, -2; 391, -2; 491, -2 Independent Study (1, 2 or 3)

SOC 496 Honors in Sociology (3, S)