Sociology Major
Human conduct and experience cannot be adequately understood without recognizing the various social forces constantly influencing and shaping it. Sociology reveals the connections between individuals and the cultural and structural contexts in which they live.
The major in sociology includes classes in anthropology, environmental and development issues, and other topics related to contemporary society. It provides a critical dimension to a liberal arts education and a framework for enhancing our efforts to address the social and ecological problems facing our local, national, and global communities. The Sociology Major offers two directions to students for choosing the focus of their education. You may complement it with a second major in Biology (Environmental Studies), Business, Communication, Education, Intercultural Studies, Political Science, Psychology, Recreation, or another field. Or you may more deeply explore environment, development, marriage and family-related issues, or the sociology discipline through additional coursework.
Studying sociology offers excellent preparation for students anticipating careers in community and international development, environmental and natural resource conservation, social work and health services, politics and law, business and human resource management, recreation and tourism, urban planning, and related areas.
Major & Minor Requirements
A sociology major consists of 28 hours above SOC 210, including the following courses: SOC 282 Sociological Theory (4); SOC 309 Statistics (4); SOC 312 Social Science Research Methods (4); and SOC 480 Senior Capstone: Sociology Seminar; plus 14 hours of elective sociology courses.
A minor in sociology consists of 12 hours above SOC 210, including at least three hours numbered 300 or above. SOC 309 Statistics does not count for the sociology minor.
Sociology Course Descriptions
SOC 101 Principles of Sociology
Introduction to the sociological perspective; development and
systematic use of concepts.
SOC 218 Social Psychology
Introduction to social behavior from a sociological and
psychological perspective. Individual behavior as it affects and is
affected by the behavior of others. Topics: prejudice, group
processes, leadership, conformity, attitudes change.
SOC 222 Social Problems
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 237 Introduction to Marriage and Family Studies
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
Cultural and social aspects of human behavior; comparison of
cultures.
SOC 277 Crime and Society: Environmental Crime
Examines sociological explanations for how the ecological
impacts of various kinds of human actions become categorized as
‘environmental crime’ in society. Introduces students to the social
process for how these activities are labeled deviant and prohibited
through law, monitored and policed by regulation and enforcement,
prosecuted and deterred through the criminal justice system, and
influenced by globalization and transnational corporations.
SOC 282 Sociological Theory
This course covers classical and contemporary sociological theorists
and theories, including grand theories and micro-theories, and the
integration of these theories, i.e., large scale social phenomena
and everyday life. Both modern and postmodern theories are examined.
SOC 285 Sociology of Development
Introduces students to the global context and dimensions of
development and social change within and among human societies.
Examines sociological explanations for why different nations follow
different paths of industrialization, and vary in their form of
economic production and organization or associated political
decision-making processes. Explores why some nations become wealthy
while others remain poor with reference to social theories of
development and the costs and benefits of different development
trajectories.
SOC 293 East African Cultures
(See course description in Off-Campus Programs — Tanzania section.)
SOC 295 Special Topics in Sociology
Topics offered according to interest and demand.
SOC 295B Introduction to Social Work
SOC 296 Special Topics in Anthropology
Topics offered according to interest and demand.
SOC 297 Special Topics in Family Studies
Topics offered according to interest and demand.
SOC 309 Statistics
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
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/ANTH 315 Human Ecology
Human communities and human populations will be viewed as
part of the ecosystem in which they reside. Integrates knowledge
from several disciplines and acts as a hybrid of the social and
natural sciences.
SOC 322 Social Stratification
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
(See Off-Campus Programs — Houghton in Australia.)
SOC 330 Culture and Family
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
Introduces students to the sociological perspective on religion and
religious behavior in modern and developing societies. Examines the
relationship of religion to other major social institutions (family,
economy), its role in social conflicts (genocide, terrorism), and
the influence of religious sub-cultures ( US Evangelicals) on
contemporary issues (environmentalism, politics).
SOC 350 Culture Change and Its Effects on Traditional
Societies
Globalization is spreading rapidly around the world and this is
causing significant culture change to traditional societies. With a
strong focus on history and case studies, this course will make
students aware of what is happening and give them the theoretical
knowledge to understand, empathize, and assist people who are
wrestling with change. Pre- or Co-requisite: Cultural Anthropology.
SOC 351 The Individual and Society
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 Race and Ethnicity
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 361 Race, Gender and Environment
Explores race and gender as social characteristics
affecting individuals’ experience of the benefits and costs of
development, industrialization, and the environment in developed and
developing countries. Examines conflicts between dominant (majority)
and subordinate racial/ethnic groups (minority) in defining
‘environmental racism’. Analyzes how gender influences access to
natural resources and participation in decision-making processes.
Includes multicultural perspectives on race and gender relations and
examples of the environmental justice movement.
SOC 362 Gender Relations
Introduction to gender relations; focus on gender roles over life
cycle. Includes multicultural perspectives on gender relations.
SOC 390 Practicum in Family Studies
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: Professor
Richard Stegen.
SOC 394 Internship in Family Studies
(Sometimes in cooperation with the Office of Urban Connections at
the Houghton College @ Buffalo program)
An optional supervised experience in a family studies setting
integrating theory with professional practice. By application only
through the department. Contact: Professor Richard Stegen.
SOC 410 Practicum in Sociology
Supervised experience in a sociological setting integrating theory
with professional practice. Requires permission of the department.
Contact: Professor Richard Stegen.
SOC 415 Internship in Sociology
An optional supervised experience in a sociological setting
integrating theory with professional practice. By application only
through the department. (Sometimes in cooperation with the Office of
Urban Connections at the Houghton College @ Buffalo program)
Contact: Professor Richard Stegen.
SOC 480 Senior Capstone: Sociology Seminar
Capstone course of the major which will include preparing a resume
for graduate school or a career, conducting an academic seminar over
a primary reading in Sociology, preparing for and taking the
Sociology Major Field Test, teaching a sociology class, and
completing a major paper or project that reflects your personal,
spiritual, and intellectual development.
