SOCY - Sociology
SOCY401 Intermediate Statistics for Sociologists (3 Credits)
This is a course about multiple regression for undergraduate students and presumes that students taking this course will be both producers and consumers of multiple regression results. Students will work with the instructor to produce a research poster presentation based on secondary social science data. In addition to multivariable statistics, students will learn some statistical programming as well as how to organize a research presentation.
Prerequisite: SOCY201 and SOCY202; or permission of the Sociology department.
Restriction: Must not have completed STAT400, BMGT231, or ENEE324.
SOCY405 Scarcity and Modern Society (3 Credits)
Resource depletion and the deterioration of the environment. Relationship to lifestyles, individual consumer choices, cultural values, and institutional failures. Projection of the future course of American society on the basis of the analysis of scarcity, theories of social change, current trends, social movements, government actions, and the futurist literature.
Prerequisite: 6 credits in SOCY courses.
Credit Only Granted for: SOCY305 or SOCY405.
Formerly: SOCY305.
SOCY407 Explaining Social Change: Historical and Comparative Methods (3 Credits)
Examines social change from the perspective of comparative and historical sociology to get at the question, 'where are we now?' Students develop a critical appreciation of how scholars construct persuasive explanations for large-scale change focusing on four central questions: the origins of markets and industrial capitalism; the emergence of democracy as opposed to dictatorship; the causes and consequences of social revolution; and the logic of armed conflict. Explanations offered for the changes in question as well as the methods employed are explored. Counterfactual hypotheticals for each central question--that is, what might have been, rather than what historically emerged--are considered.
Prerequisite: 6 credits in SOCY courses.
Credit Only Granted for: SOCY407 or SOCY498Y.
Formerly: SOCY498Y.
SOCY410 Social Demography (3 Credits)
Types of demographic analysis; demographic data; population characteristics; migration; mortality; fertility; population theories; world population growth; population policy.
Prerequisite: 6 credits in SOCY courses; or permission of BSOS-Sociology department.
SOCY411 Demographic Techniques (3 Credits)
Basic techniques for analyzing population structure and demographic processes, including fertility, mortality and migration.
Prerequisite: (SOCY201; or students who have taken courses with comparable content may contact the department); and SOCY410. Or permission of BSOS-Sociology department.
SOCY412 Family Demography (3 Credits)
Family and population dynamics. Fertility issues, such as teenage pregnancy, the timing of parenthood, and family size, as they relate to family behavior, such as marital patterns, child care use, and work and the family. Policy issues that relate to demographic changes in the family.
Prerequisite: SOCY201 and SOCY202; or permission of the Sociology department.
SOCY413 Sociology of Aging (3 Credits)
The aging of the population is one of the major demographic changes affecting social institutions during the next century. Research demography, sociology, economics, epidemiology, psychology and public health are integrated to develop a broader understanding of the causes and consequences of population aging. A central focus is the diversity of experiences by age, gender, socioeconomic status and health.
Prerequisite: SOCY201 and SOCY202; or permission of the Sociology department.
SOCY415 Environmental Sociology (3 Credits)
Overview of the field and theoretical themes within the area of environmental sociology and technology. Current issues are explored including: environmental attitudes; environmental movements; environmental justice; globalization; global climate change; and garbage and food.
Prerequisite: 6 credits in SOCY courses.
SOCY416 Social Aspects of Artificial Intelligence (3 Credits)
In two generations computers insinuated themselves into the way societies create wealth, wage war, work, and govern their citizens. While scientists across disciplines debate the feasibility of engineering artificial general intelligence, the race is on to create computers (classic and quantum) that match or surpass human intelligence in as many domains as possible. Students in this course will weigh some social consequences of living with smart machines that are everywhere and never sleep, and confront the question of whether AI has gone too far, or not far enough.
Credit Only Granted for: SOCY216 or SOCY416.
Formerly: SOCY416.
SOCY418 Research in Family & Demography (3 Credits)
This is a special topics research course for Family and Demography.
Prerequisite: SOCY201 and SOCY202; or permission of the Sociology department.
Repeatable to: 6 credits if content differs.
SOCY420 Qualitative Research Methods in Sociology (3 Credits)
Using the sociological imagination to independently explore research questions as designed by students. Readings will explore dilemmas qualitative researchers confront such as, how to conduct research ethically and how their background influences their findings and analysis. Students will learn how to collect data, analyze it, and present it to others.
Prerequisite: SOCY201 and SOCY202; or permission of the Sociology department.
SOCY424 Sociology of Race Relations (3 Credits)
Analysis of race-related issues, with a primary focus on American society. The historical emergence, development, and institutionalization of racism; the impact of racism on its victims; and racially based conflict.
Prerequisite: 6 credits in SOCY courses; or permission of UGST-Undergraduate Studies. Cross-listed with: AAST424.
SOCY428 Research in Inequality (3 Credits)
This is the special topics research course for Stratification and Inequality.
Prerequisite: SOCY201 and SOCY202; or permission of the Sociology department.
Repeatable to: 6 credits if content differs.
SOCY431 Principles of Organizations (3 Credits)
Structural and processual characteristics of organizations that make them effective for different purposes and in different environments. Effects of different institutional environments, small group processes, organizational networks, and leadership. Types of organizations studied include formal bureaucracies, professional organizations, and voluntary associations.
Prerequisite: SOCY201 and SOCY202; or permission of BSOS-Sociology department.
SOCY432 Social Movements (3 Credits)
Movements that seek change in the social and political structure of society. Origins, tactics, organization, recruitment, and success. Case studies come from such movements as labor, civil rights, student, feminist, environmental, neighborhood, and gay rights.
Prerequisite: 6 credits in SOCY courses; or permission of BSOS-Sociology department.
SOCY435 Society, Biology, and Health (3 Credits)
It is not too far-fetched to speak of the pancreas under capitalism or the proletarian lung. Humans are social beings in physical bodies. In this course, we draw on research studies, podcasts, news articles, and best-selling non-fiction to inform conversation and writing on how various dimensions of human biology influence, and are influenced by, our social and cultural environment. We focus on conceptualizing human behavior as an interplay between both nature and nurture, and consider how this approach changes our understanding of modern social problems. This course is appropriate for students with a range of backgrounds in the social and natural sciences; introductory-level supplemental readings on all necessary biological concepts will be provided.
Prerequisite: Must have completed 6 credits in SOCY courses or permission of BSOS Sociology Department.
SOCY441 Social Stratification and Inequality (3 Credits)
The sociological study of social class, status, and power. Topics include theories of stratification, correlates of social position, functions and dysfunctions of social inequality, status inconsistency, and social mobility.
Prerequisite: 6 credits in SOCY courses; or permission of BSOS-Sociology department.
Restriction: Junior standing or higher.
SOCY442 The Black Middle Class (3 Credits)
Students will learn about the Black Middle Class. They will examine and explore the historical context that led to the rise of a Black Middle Class. Innovative avenues into the Black Middle Class will also be examined, including various household and family formations. Finally, the course will cover the consequences of being in the The Black Middle Class, with an emphasis on residential segregation and racial identity.
Prerequisite: 6 credits in SOCY courses.
Credit Only Granted for: SOCY498T or SOCY442.
Formerly: SOCY498T.
SOCY445 Sex and Love in Modern Society (3 Credits)
Sociological theories of sex and gender are used to explore empirical research on women's and men's sexual behavior and attitudes; variation in gendered sexuality by key social characteristics and how gendered sexuality is constructed and controlled; changes in sexuality over time and across relationship types, focusing on changes in sexual desire and behaviors and on the changing meaning of sex and marriage in U.S. society and other countries. Contemporary debates about sexuality will also be examined.
Prerequisite: SOCY201, SOCY202, SOCY203, and SOCY230.
Restriction: Must be in Sociology program; or permission of BSOS-Sociology department.
Credit Only Granted for: SOCY498X or SOCY445.
Formerly: SOCY498X.
SOCY451 Sociology of Culture (3 Credits)
Analyzes the relationship between society and culture. How do social forces affect cultural objects and products? How do values and meanings shape individual behavior? How can culture be both a source of domination and resistance? These and other topics will be analyzed to show the role of culture in our lives.
Prerequisite: 6 credits in SOCY courses; or permission of the department.
Credit Only Granted for: SOCY498C or SOCY451.
Formerly: SOCY498C.
SOCY452 Sociology of Mental Health (3 Credits)
The class focuses upon the larger question: "What is the balance between people being mentally 'ill' and us having a 'sick' society?" To explore this question, students will utilize sociological approaches toward mental illness and health. This will manifest as a focus on how social organization is related to mental health and illness. Students will consider how sociologists understand the nature, distribution, and treatment of mental illness and health in society, and will develop a personal understanding of what it means to be mentally healthy.
Prerequisite: 6 credits in SOCY courses; or permission of the department.
Credit Only Granted for: SOCY498O or SOCY 452.
Formerly: SOCY498O.
SOCY453 Racial Residential Segregation (3 Credits)
Examines how race and ethnicity have historically shaped residential patterns in the U.S. and their continuing importance today. Students will investigate the causes of residential segregation, including residential preferences, discrimination, and socioeconomic differences between racial and ethnic groups. Significant attention will be paid to how immigration and ensuing ethnic and racial diversity are reshaping the residential landscape. The readings highlight the U.S. context, though residential patterns in different countries are also briefly discussed.
Prerequisite: 6 credits in SOCY courses; or permission of the department.
Credit Only Granted for: SOCY498D or SOCY453.
Formerly: SOCY498D.
SOCY456 Smart Machines and Human Prospects (3 Credits)
Artificial intelligence is everywhere and never sleeps. It is transforming our social institutions in intended and unintended ways. While scientists debate the feasibility of engineering conscious machines with general intelligence, no one debates that the global race is on to create more potent computers. Through targeted research, discussion, and presentation of findings students will answer a specific question on how, where, and in what ways society is being changed by smart machines.
Prerequisite: SOCY201 and SOCY202; or permission of the Sociology department.
SOCY457 Sociology of Law (3 Credits)
Social, political, and cultural sources of legal norms and concepts; and how the law shapes society and society shapes the law using sociological theoretical frameworks. The role of social change, social reproduction and inequality (including race, class, gender, and sexuality) to achieve certain objectives such as compliance, deterrence and social control.
SOCY458 Special Topics in Study Abroad IV (1-6 Credits)
Special topics course taken as part of an approved study abroad program.
Repeatable to: 15 credits if content differs.
SOCY461 Sociology in Action: Research and Community Engagement in Prince George's County (3 Credits)
Sociology in Action is a research course that will use the science of sociology to inform real life issues and contribute to the development of social programs. In this course, students will gain hands-on experience in applying sociology by working with clients in Prince George's County on specific social problems and issues. Please assess your ability to commit to this course and fulfill all requirements. Given that students will be working with Prince George's County organizations, there will be some variation and unpredictability in the nature of the projects.
Prerequisite: SOCY202; or students who have taken courses with similar content may contact the department.
SOCY465 War and Society, from the American Revolution to the Present (3 Credits)
This course asks, why do nations make war the way they do? And how does the experience of waging war in this manner remake institutions, social and political relationships and even culture? To answer these questions, the course adopts a comparative and historical perspective, highlighting the ways nations organize and mobilize for armed conflict as well as how they define 'the enemy' against whom they direct armed force, and the ways these together shape the social consequences of warfare. Among the range of social consequences, we will focus on three: the experience of combat itself; the impact of war on class, race and gender relations; and the emergence of cultural values around armed conflict and the place of warfare and soldiers in society. The course concludes with almost a month devoted to making sense of the War in Ukraine and considering where to go from here.
Credit Only Granted for: SOCY465 or SOCY365.
Formerly: SOCY465.
SOCY467 Sociology of Education (3 Credits)
Sociological analysis of educational institutions and their relation to society: goals and functions, the mechanisms of social control, and the impacts of stratification and social change. Study of the school as a formal organization, and the roles and subcultures of teachers and students.
Prerequisite: 6 credits in SOCY courses; or permission of BSOS-Sociology department.
SOCY470 Pregnancy and Parenthood in an Unequal Society (3 Credits)
Analysis of patterns in sexual activity, contraceptive use, and unintended pregnancy, and how they reinforce or alleviate socioeconomic, gender, and racial inequalities. Emphasis on the role of healthcare providers and contraceptive access, attitudes about motherhood and contraception, policy interventions, and institutional designs. Social and economic consequences of increasing women's ability to control their fertility.
Prerequisite: 6 credits in SOCY courses; or permission of Sociology Department.
SOCY475 Sociology of Emotions (3 Credits)
Emotions are often thought of as purely subjective experiences. How much more personal than one get than their emotions and feelings? In addition to their physiological and psychological aspects, however, emotions have a social side that often go unnoticed. This course will introduce you to the social aspects of emotions. In doing so, we will cover wide-ranging topics including the social causes of emotions, social norms about emotions, disparities in emotionalexperiences, and the ways in which emotions can maintain and reshape society.
Prerequisite: 6 credits in SOCY courses; or permission of BSOS-Sociology Department.
Credit Only Granted for: SOCY498W or SOCY475.
Formerly: SOCY498W.
SOCY480 Researching the Middle East (3 Credits)
Introduces religion, gender, and politics in the Middle East and North Africa. After an overview of the political and social history the focus will be on methods for carrying out research on fundamental issues facing Middle Eastern societies, including national identity, religion, gender relations and the status of women in the family, politics, education, and labor market.
Prerequisite: SOCY201 and SOCY202; or permission of the Sociology department.
Credit Only Granted for: SOCY498E or SOCY480.
Formerly: SOCY498E.
SOCY481 Ideology and Social Conditions in the Making of Terrorism in the Middle East and North Africa (3 Credits)
The sociology of terrorism and political violence in the Middle East and North African will be explored in this course.
Prerequisite: Must have completed 6 credits in SOCY courses or permission of the Sociology department.
Restriction: Sophomore standing or higher.
SOCY490 Experimental Research Practicum (3 Credits)
Hands-on experience in designing, conducting, and analyzing experimental research. Introduces students to causal inference in social scientific research, focusing on experimental designs. Students will get hands-on research experience running experimental studies in the group processes lab. Students will also work with the professor and graduate students in the department to develop a research idea that can be executed in the spring semester.
Prerequisite: SOCY201 and SOCY202; or permission of the Sociology department.
Additional Information: This is the first course in the experimental research practicum 2-course sequence.
SOCY491 Experimental Research Design (3 Credits)
Students will finalize the design of their studies from the fall semester and carry out the research in this course. Introduces students to analyzing experimental data and presenting results from these data. Students will continue to get hands-on research experience running experimental studies in the group processes lab and working with the professor and graduate students in the department to further develop their projects.
Prerequisite: SOCY201, SOCY202 and SOCY490; or permission of BSOS-Sociology department.
Additional Information: This is the second course in the experimental research practicum 2-course sequence.
SOCY498 Selected Topics in Sociology (1-3 Credits)
Topics of special interest to advanced undergraduates in sociology. Such courses will be offered in response to student request and faculty interest.
Prerequisite: SOCY201 and SOCY202; or permission of BSOS-Sociology department.
Repeatable to: 6 credits.
SOCY601 Statistics For Sociological Research I (3 Credits)
Introductory statistical concepts are covered including descriptive statistics, probability, sampling distributions, expected values, hypothesis testing, tests of significance, measures of association, and if time permits, introduction to regression analysis. Statistical programming software may be used.
Prerequisite: SOCY201; or students who have taken courses with comparable content may contact the department.
Restriction: Permission of instructor.
Credit Only Granted for: SOCY601 and SURV601.
SOCY602 Statistics For Sociological Research II (3 Credits)
This course introduces regression analysis using matrix algebra. Topics include bivariate regression, multivariate regression, tests of significance, regression diagnostics, indicator variables, interaction terms, extra sum of squares, and the general linear model. Other topics may be addressed such as logistic regression and path analysis. Statistical programming software may be used.
Prerequisite: SOCY601; or students who have taken courses with comparable content may contact the department.
Restriction: Permission of instructor.
Credit Only Granted for: SOCY602 or SURV602.
SOCY609 Practicum in Social Research (3 Credits)
The conduct of research in collection and analysis of social science data under the guidance of experienced investigators. Emphasis on a particular research area of procedure, e.g. secondary analysis of survey data; experimental design; evaluation of research; data collection techniques.
Restriction: Permission of instructor.
SOCY610 Logic of Social Inquiry (3 Credits)
An introductory course on the fundamental issues that arise in the design, execution, analysis, and writing stages of the research process. The course is designed to help first-year graduate students begin their transition from a consumer to a producer of social research.
Restriction: Restricted to Sociology graduate students.
Credit Only Granted for: SOCY699D or SOCY610.
Formerly: SOCY699D.
SOCY611 Introduction to Demographic Methods (3 Credits)
Survey of standard demographic methods for the description and analysis of population size, structure and composition, including techniques for the analysis of fertility, mortality and migration.
SOCY612 Families and Modern Social Theory (3 Credits)
Designed to build knowledge about theories of modernity, with emphasis on modern families. Thus, it combines some core theories of modernity (Giddens, Bourdieu, Foucault), with key theoretical debates about families and intimate relationships (economics and economic sociology, gender, race, class), and social change (development and new family forms).
Credit Only Granted for: SOCY699F or SOCY612.
Formerly: SOCY699F.
SOCY613 Social Movement Theory (3 Credits)
The objective of this course is to introduce students to the field of social movements, with an emphasis on understanding theoretical tools within the field. To accomplish this, students will review theories on social movements including Karl Marx, breakdown approaches, resource mobilization and political process theory, dramaturgy, and new social movement theory. Students will also devote considerable attention to core concepts in the field, including social networks, political opportunity structure, repression, framing, collective identity, and movement outcomes.
Credit Only Granted for: SOCY699R or SOCY613.
Formerly: SOCY699R.
SOCY616 Sociology Pro-Seminar (1 Credit)
The proseminar is the guide to Sociology as a profession, and how sociology is practiced here at the University of Maryland. The goal of the course is to help students gain insider knowledge about how to develop sociological knowledge and capabilities, and what it means to practice sociology as a graduate student and beyond. The course will discuss both practical aspects of professional life in general and specific topics of interest.
Restriction: Must be in Sociology (Doctoral) program.
Credit Only Granted for: SOCCY699P or SOCY616.
Formerly: SOCY699P.
SOCY618 Computer Methods for Sociologists (3 Credits)
Designed to present the potential of the computer as a tool in sociological research. Projects involving programming and running of data manipulation techniques, statistical techniques, and simple simulations.
Prerequisite: SOCY401; or students who have taken courses with comparable content may contact the department. And must have elementary knowledge of a programming language; or CMSC120; or students who have taken courses with comparable content may contact the department.
Restriction: Permission of instructor.
SOCY620 Development of European and American Sociological Theory (3 Credits)
Review of the history of sociological thought with major attention to the key figures (from Marx to C. Wright Mills).
Prerequisite: SOCY203 or SOCY403; or students who have taken courses with comparable content may contact the department; or permission of instructor.
SOCY621 Contemporary Sociological Theory (3 Credits)
Review of sociological theory since approximately 1970, with emphasis given to schools of thought (from symbolic interaction to post- modernism) and priciple participants in them (from Goffman to Baudrilliard).
Prerequisite: SOCY620, SOCY203, or SOCY403; or permission of instructor.
SOCY622 The Sociology of Knowledge (3 Credits)
Analysis of the relation of types of knowledge to social structure. Role of social class and social organization in the development of science, political ideology, belief systems and social values. Social roles associated with production of knowledge.
SOCY623 Families and Modern Social Theory (3 Credits)
Modern families will be explored by combining core theories of modernity with key theoretical debates about families and intimate relationships (economics and economic sociology, gender, race), and social change (development and new family forms).
Restriction: Must be in one of the following programs (Sociology (Doctoral); Sociology (Master's)) ; or permission of instructor.
SOCY625 Activism and Global Movements (3 Credits)
An introduction to the research on activism, focusing particularly on the global and transnational aspects of activism and social movements. The course begins with an overview of the theoretical literature on activism and social movements. Then, we will focus on case studies of particular movements that have a global component and have been the focus of recent sociological inquiry: the globalization movement, Arab Spring, and the climate/climate justice movement.
Restriction: Must be enrolled in a Sociology (SOCY) graduate program; or permission of instructor.
SOCY626 Demography of Aging (3 Credits)
Examines the demographic foundations of population aging, focusing on macro and historical patterns as well as on trends in mortality health and disability. Also examines the relationship between aging and social institutions such as the family, the economy and public policy.
SOCY627 Migration (3 Credits)
Examines theories of immigration and immigrant adaptation, empirical patterns of migration and immigration, the economic and social effects of immigration, as well as immigration policy issues.
SOCY630 Population and Society (3 Credits)
Selected problems in the field of population; quantitative and qualitative aspects; American and world problems.
SOCY633 Qualitative Research Methods II, Field Research (3 Credits)
As the second course in the qualitative methods sequence, students are expected to have a general knowledge of qualitative methods. Students should have already learned how to collect and analyze qualitative data using interview and ethnographic methods. Student will spend this semester collecting and analyzing qualitative data and must begin the course with a formulated research question, a plan for data collection and sampling. Each student will spend the first two weeks preparing a proposal for submission the the University of Maryland's Institutional Review Board to gain Human Subjects approval to collect data. Then, students will spend a month collecting data, a month analyzing data using QSR NVivo, which will be taught as part of the coursework, and writing up the findings. The end product of the course will be an empirical paper based on the data collected and analyzed throughout the semester.
Prerequisite: SOCY632; or students who have taken courses with comparable content may contact the department.
SOCY634 Attitudes and Public Opinion (3 Credits)
Processes involved in the formation of attitudes; effects of communication; measurement techniques.
SOCY635 Social Aspects of Fertility (3 Credits)
Demographic and socioeconomic aspects of fertility behavior; causes and consequences of fertilty decline; relationship between women's status and fertility; determinants of adolescent and nonmarital fertility; differential fertility by race/ethnicity and migration status.
Restriction: Permission of instructor.
SOCY637 Demography Of The Labor Force (3 Credits)
Demographic trends as related to the composition of the U.S. labor force and trends in income; employment status of immigrants, women, and minorities; relationship between skills and jobs; types of data available for study of the labor force.
Restriction: Permission of instructor.
SOCY641 Leadership in Diverse Organizations (3 Credits)
Provides students with a practical understanding of leadership and a framework for understanding three key conditions from which effective leadership emerges: timing, organizational characteristics, and individual characteristics. We will consider different dimensions and/or styles of leadership, as well as the methods effective leaders use to build solidarity within groups and organizations.
Restriction: Must be in one of the following programs: Criminology and Criminal Justice (Master's); Criminology and Criminal Justice (Doctoral); Sociology (Master's); Sociology (Doctoral); or permission from either the Sociology Department or Criminology & Criminal Justice Department.
SOCY642 The Sociology of Mental Health (3 Credits)
Social factors that influence mental health. Group dynamics of mental health preservation.
SOCY643 Power and Status in Organizations (3 Credits)
Organizations affect virtually every aspect of modern social life. The impact and reach of public safety organizations--those special entities purportedly designed to maintain order and safety--are particularly influential. Although sociologists, psychologists, economists, and management scholars all examine the workings of status and power within organizations, our perspective will be primarily sociological as we explore how power and status operate within the context of organizations.
Restriction: Must be in one of the following programs: Criminology and Criminal Justice (Master's); Criminology and Criminal Justice (Doctoral); Sociology (Master's); Sociology (Doctoral); or permission from BSOS-Sociology department.
SOCY644 Gender, Work, and Family (3 Credits)
The interrelationships among gender, work, and family in contemporary societies. Major research issues addressed from an interdisciplinary and comparative (international) perspective.
SOCY645 Sociology of the Self Concept (3 Credits)
Theory and empirical research dealing with the social determination and social consequences of the self-concept. Sociological, psychological, and psychoanalytic approaches to the self.
SOCY646 Public Image Management and Policy Solutions (3 Credits)
Explores how to mitigate and solve image management problems that arise in organizations. Students will learn how to evaluate their organization, make recommendations for future development, and implement the practical aspects of the solution. Problems arise daily in organizations. Leaders need effective strategies to mitigate and solve these problems. While some problems are structural, daily problems often focus on social interactions among people. The course will focus on evaluating the source of problems, enhancing cultural competency among employees, restructuring and rebranding the organization, managing public image, and forming and implementing innovative policy solutions for long-term goals.
Restriction: Must be in one of the following programs: Master of Professional Studies in Public Safety Leadership and Administration (MPLA); Criminology and Criminal Justice (Master's); Criminology and Criminal Justice (Doctoral); Sociology (Master's); Sociology (Doctoral); or permission from either the Sociology Department or Criminology & Criminal Justice Department.
SOCY653 Family Demography (3 Credits)
Demograpic perspective on family and household relationships; relationships among economic institutions, family structure, and the content of family life; research from contemporary U.S., historical and cross-cultural sources.
Restriction: Permission of instructor.
SOCY657 Constitutional Law and Public Safety (3 Credits)
Introduces students to the constitutional issues inherent in the practice of policing. Particular emphasis is placed on issues pertaining to the 4th, 5th, and 6th Amendments.
Restriction: Must be in one of the following programs: Master of Professional Studies in Public Safety Leadership and Administration (MPLA); Criminology and Criminal Justice (Master's); Criminology and Criminal Justice (Doctoral); Sociology (Master's); Sociology (Doctoral); or permission from BSOS-Criminology & Criminal Justice department.
SOCY660 Theories of Social Psychology (3 Credits)
An introduction to some of the theories in social psychology that are particularly useful to sociologists. Topics to be covered include theories of cognitive consistency, social exchange, symbolic interaction, role theory, group processes, and collective behavior.
Prerequisite: Must have completed an undergraduate training in sociological research methods, statistics, and theory; or students who have taken courses with comparable content may contact the department.
SOCY661 Social Stratification (3 Credits)
Major theoretical and research problems in the sociology of social stratification. The characteristics, correlates, and consequences of class and status stratification; the distribution of power; the relationship of social stratification to ideology and the institutional orders of society.
Restriction: Permission of instructor.
SOCY664 Armed Forces and Society (3 Credits)
Analysis of the relationship between military organization and modern industrial society. Growth and decline of the mass army, the transition from conscription to all-volunteer forces, the social legitimacy of military organization, the military as a form of industrial organization, and problems of civil-military relations in the modern world.
SOCY670 Applied Research Methods and Technological Training Approaches (3 Credits)
Introduces students to the purpose, methodology, analysis, and ethics of social science research, especially in the areas of criminal justice and law enforcement. Students will engage in the research process from developing a research question, designing, and conducting a thorough research study, and collecting data for analysis and findings. Both qualitative and quantitative research models will be shared to facilitate students' learning around methodological inquiry and interpretation, including survey design, literature reviews, and report writing. Additionally, students will be exposed to contemporary models impacting law enforcement and public officials, such as algorithmic bias, facial recognition, and individual and community surveillance. At the end of the course, students will be expected to complete a research paper after submission of a research proposal to complete course requirements.
Restriction: Must be in one of the following programs: Public Safety Leadership and Administration (MPS); Leadership in Diverse Organizations certificate; Criminology and Criminal Justice (Master's); Criminology and Criminal Justice (Doctoral); Sociology (Master's); Sociology (Doctoral); or permission from BSOS-Sociology department.
SOCY671 Sociology of Development (3 Credits)
Third World development at institutional, organizational, and community levels; factors contributing to success, effectiveness and sustainability of development and to problems and hindrances.
Restriction: Permission of instructor.
SOCY673 Sociology of Gender (3 Credits)
This graduate seminar is an introduction to the broad field of sociology of gender. The focus of the seminar is, first, to examine gender as a multilevel system of social practices that construct and reinforce the gender binary, which functions as a master binary that creates "women" and "men" as two different and unequal categories through processes that instill and reinforce gendered identities, interactions, and institutions. In the course, students will examine how gender intersects with other domains of inequality, particularly sexuality, race-ethnicity, social class, and nationality.
SOCY675 Sociology of Emotions (3 Credits)
Reviews the sociological literature on emotion. We will cover wide-ranging topics including the social causes of emotions, social norms about emotions, disparities in emotional experiences, and the ways in which emotions can maintain and reshape society.
SOCY681 Group Processes (3 Credits)
An overview of sociology's group processes perspective, one of the three "faces" of sociological social psychology. The group processes tradition focuses on fundamental social processes that occur in group contexts. These include power, status, legitimacy, emotion, identity, prosocial behavior, justice, and others. The course will attend to all of these areas, with a special focus on research that addresses inequalities by race, gender, and class that are manifested in or exacerbated by specific group processes. Additionally, research in the group processes area tends to be characterized by formal approaches to theory and by experimental methodology, and the course will attend to the role of theory and experiments in building knowledge on group processes.
Restriction: Permission of instructor.
Credit Only Granted for: SOCY681 or SOCY699G.
Formerly: SOCY699G.
SOCY683 Power, Status, and Leadership in Groups (3 Credits)
An overview of research on power, status, and leadership in group contexts. Power, or the ability to achieve one's will even against resistance from others, represents how leadership is often conceived in everyday thinking. The course will review the extensive literature on power in social groups and networks, one conclusion of which is that the power to control others often leads to difficulty in relationships. Leading with status (or influence) has the ability to mitigate some of the problems that are created by inequalities in power, and the course will also review the extensive body of theory and research on status and influence in groups. Organizations are political entities that require the use of power and influence to be effective. Thus, the course will survey theory and research on power, influence, and politics in organizational contexts, paying particular attention to how they are relevant to leadership.
Restriction: Permission of instructor.
Credit Only Granted for: SOCY683 or SOCY699N.
Formerly: SOCY699N.
SOCY699 Special Social Problems (1-16 Credits)
SOCY701 Issues in the Integration of Theory and Method (3 Credits)
The course is intended solely for advanced doctoral sociology students. The main objective of the course is to develop a dissertation proposal. Consequently, this course may only be taken during or after the semester in which the student completes the specialty (comprehensive) exams.
Prerequisite: Must have attained advanced status in the sociology Ph.D. program; or permission of instructor.
Credit Only Granted for: SOCY699Y or SOCY701.
Formerly: SOCY699Y.
SOCY709 Advanced Special Topics in Data Analysis (3 Credits)
An intensive examination of an area of interest in data analysis, including such topics as log linear analysis; discriminant function analysis; canonical correlation; factor analysis; analysis of qualitative data; content analysis; mathematical models.
Restriction: Permission of instructor.
Additional Information: May be repeated for credit with permission of instructor.
SOCY719 Advanced Special Topics in Social Psychology (3 Credits)
An intensive review of an area of current interest in the field, including such topics as social influence; interpersonal attraction; equity theory; the dramaturgical perspective; stress and coping; interpersonal conflict; the social psychology of large organizations.
Restriction: Permission of instructor.
Additional Information: May be repeated for credit with permission of instructor.
SOCY728 Advanced Special Topics in Meta-theory (3 Credits)
An intensive examination of an area of interest in sociological theory, including such topics as paradigm conflicts; philosophy of social science; value issues in sociological theory; formal theory.
Restriction: Permission of instructor.
Additional Information: May be repeated for credit with permission of instructor.
SOCY729 Advanced Special Topics in Substantive Theory (3 Credits)
An intensive examination of an area of interest in theory or a school of sociological theory, including such topics as ethnomethodology; structuralism; Marxism and critical theory; historical study of a major sociological theorist such as Marx, Weber, or Durkheim.
Restriction: Permission of instructor.
Additional Information: May be repeated for credit with permission of instructor.
SOCY739 Advanced Special Topics in Organizations and Occupations (3 Credits)
An intensive review of an area of current interest in the field, including such topics as managing organizational data sets; problems of industrial democracy; quality of work life; innovation and productivity.
Restriction: Permission of instructor.
Additional Information: May be repeated for credit with permission of instructor.
SOCY749 Advanced Special Topics in Demography (3 Credits)
An intensive review of an area of current interest in the field, including such topics as population policy; social and demographic issues in aging; migration; family demography.
Restriction: Permission of instructor.
Additional Information: May be repeated for credit with permission of instructor.
SOCY758 Advanced Special Topics in Sex Roles (3 Credits)
An intensive review of an area of current interest in the field, including such topics as labor force participation; comparative studies; sex roles and aging; gender socialization.
Restriction: Permission of instructor.
Additional Information: May be repeated for credit with permission of instructor.
SOCY759 Advanced Special Topics in Sociology of the Family (3 Credits)
An intensive review of an area of current interest in the field, such as alternative family life styles, cross-cultural and comparative family studies; victimization (sexual and physical abuse).
Restriction: Permission of instructor.
Additional Information: May be repeated for credit with permission of instructor.
SOCY769 Advanced Special Topics in Military Sociology (3 Credits)
An intensive review of an area of current interest in the field, including such topics as women in the military; conscription and national service; organizational change in the military; comparative studies of the military.
Restriction: Permission of instructor.
Additional Information: May be repeated for credit with permission of instructor.
SOCY789 Advanced Special Topics in Social Stratification (3 Credits)
An intensive examination of an area of interest in the field, including such topics as macrostratification; measurement of prestige; institutional variation in status attainment.
Restriction: Permission of instructor.
SOCY799 Master's Thesis Research (1-6 Credits)
SOCY819 Research Seminar in Social Psychology (1 Credit)
An advanced research seminar for students preparing to do research or take comprehensive examinations in social psychology.
Restriction: Permission of instructor.
Additional Information: May be repeated for credit with permission of instructor.
SOCY829 Research Seminar in Sociological Theory (1 Credit)
An advanced research seminar for students preparing to do research or take comprehensive examinations in sociological theory.
Restriction: Permission of instructor.
Additional Information: May be repeated for credit with permission of instructor.
SOCY839 Research Seminar in Organizations and Occupations (1 Credit)
An advanced research seminar for students preparing to do research or take comprehensive examinations in organizations or occupations.
Restriction: Permission of instructor.
Repeatable to: 6 credits.
SOCY849 Research Seminar in Demography (1 Credit)
An advanced research seminar for students preparing to do research or take comprehensive examinations in demography.
Restriction: Permission of instructor.
Repeatable to: 6 credits.
SOCY858 Research Seminar in Gender, Work and Family (1 Credit)
An advanced research seminar for students preparing to do research or take the specialty examination in Gender, Work and Family.
Restriction: Permission of instructor.
Repeatable to: 6 credits.
SOCY859 Research Seminar in Sociology of the Family (1 Credit)
An advanced research seminar for students preparing to do research or take comprehensive examinations in sociology of the family.
Restriction: Permission of instructor.
Repeatable to: 6 credits.
SOCY889 Research Seminar in Social Stratification (1 Credit)
An advanced research seminar for students preparing to do research or take comprehensive examinations in stratification.
Restriction: Permission of instructor.
Repeatable to: 6 credits.
SOCY898 Pre-Candidacy Research (1-8 Credits)
SOCY899 Doctoral Dissertation Research (1-8 Credits)