Sociology

Program Overview

Sociology helps us to understand how social groups, organizations, social institutions and societies function, how they change over time, how they impact our lives, how they are created and sustained, and how they change.

Sociological research and scholarship overlaps with an array of disciplines and professions beyond sociology. Organizational and management studies, communication and media studies, criminology, race studies, gender studies and psychology all integrate sociological concepts into their scholarship. Likewise, elements of these disciplines can be found in the work of sociologists. That is why training in sociology provides an excellent background and skillset for a wide range of careers beyond the classroom.

While many students decide to pursue advanced degrees in the social sciences, sociologists can be found working in diverse settings. You will likely find sociologists working as management consultants, market researchers, public opinion researchers, social workers, public service workers, government officials, and just about any setting where the skillsets developed in sociology apply. As it turns out, that includes just about anywhere where social institutions, people and human interaction exist.

Curriculum Overview

Sociology students take a total of 15 three-credit courses to complete the major. The curriculum includes a collection of required courses, taken sequentially, that introduce students to Sociology as a discipline and provide more advanced training in the development of their sociological imaginations as they move through the degree. Along the way, majors are exposed to the basic concepts, theories, and methods of sociology while exploring various topics of sociological interest in such things as inequality, race and ethnic relations, and social interaction, to name but a few. Seminars at the freshman and senior levels provide extensive class participation, personalized instruction, and carefully supervised individual research.

Student Learning Outcomes

Graduates of the Sociology major will be able to:

Use sociological theories to interpret the world around them.
Interpret how social structure, culture, power, inequality, and economic forces impact our understanding of social institutions and social interaction.
Effectively collect, interpret, and analyze social data using sociological theories as a framework throughout the process.
Communicate their sociological knowledge using both verbal and written techniques.

Honors Program in Sociology

Honors in sociology may be achieved by earning a 3.5 cumulative average in the discipline and completing, through honors in sociology (SOC 496), a senior honors thesis with distinction.

Degree Offered

B.A. in Sociology

Contact

Victor Thompson, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
Department of Sociology and Criminology
School of Humanities and Social Sciences
Fine Arts
609-895-5463
vthompson@rider.edu

Program Website: Sociology

Associated Department: Sociology and Criminology

Related Programs

Sociology Major Requirements

(42 credits)

Course List
Code	Title	Credits
Sociology Major Curriculum
Required Courses: ¹
SOC 101	Sociological Imagination	3
SOC 201	Intro Seminar in Sociology	3
SOC 301	Methods of Sociological Research	3
SOC 314	Social Theory	3
SOC 400	Senior Seminar	3
Select three of the following: ²		9
SOC 311	Social and Cultural Change
SOC 315	Issues in Modern Social Theory
SOC 317	Law and Lawyers
SOC 330	Class and Economic Inequality
SOC 340	Power and Politics
SOC 355	Social Interaction
Select six of the following sociology electives:		18
SOC 110	Cultural Anthropology
SOC 119	Introduction to Criminal Justice: Police, Courts, Corrections
SOC 205	Families
SOC 206	Deviance and Crime
SOC 207	Racial and Ethnic Relations
SOC 211	Social Movements
SOC 216	Youth and Crime
SOC 225	Population Study
SOC 245	Social Problems
SOC 246	Drugs, Crime & American Society
SOC 247	Aging
SOC 248	Social Service Organizations
SOC 252	Media, Culture and Society
SOC 261	Schools and Schooling
SOC 269	Physical Anthropology
SOC 270	Area Studies: Africa
SOC 271	Area Studies
SOC 272	Area Studies: Indians of North America
SOC 300	Work and Occupations
SOC 308	Cities And Suburbs
SOC 309	Peasant Society
SOC 310	Pre-Industrial Economies
SOC 311	Social and Cultural Change
SOC 312	Women in Society
SOC 313	Gender and Criminal Justice
SOC 314	Social Theory
SOC 315	Issues in Modern Social Theory
SOC 316	Feminist Social Thought
SOC 317	Law and Lawyers
SOC 320	Religion and Belief Systems
SOC 321	White Collar and Corporate Crime
SOC 322	Punishment and Corrections
SOC 325	Population Study
SOC 330	Class and Economic Inequality
SOC 340	Power and Politics
SOC 341	Developing Societies
SOC 342	Police and American Society
SOC 343	Policing and Counter Terrorism
SOC 345	Race and Crime
SOC 346	Health Care and Society
SOC 349	Retirement and Leisure
SOC 350	Social Policy
SOC 355	Social Interaction
SOC 396	Applied Sociology
SOC 401	Sex and the Body in Society
SOC 490	Independent Study: Research and Creative Expression
SOC 491	Internship in Sociology
SOC 496	Honors in Sociology
or SOC 497	Honors in Sociology
Total Credits		42

¹: Course sequence recommendations: The Sociological Imagination preferably should be taken in the freshman year, the Introductory Seminar in the sophomore year, Methods and Social Theory in the junior year. Your particular sequence of courses will be arranged in consultation with your advisor.
²: Additional courses from the above list may be taken beyond the minimum to satisfy the Sociology electives component of sociology major requirements

Note: Seniors planning to attend graduate school should take the Graduate Record Examination, including the Advanced Test in Sociology.

Sociology Minor Requirements

(21 credits)

Course List
Code	Title	Credits
Required Course:
SOC 101	Sociological Imagination	3
Select two of the following courses:		6
SOC 201	Intro Seminar in Sociology
SOC 300	Work and Occupations
SOC 311	Social and Cultural Change
SOC 315	Issues in Modern Social Theory
SOC 317	Law and Lawyers
SOC 330	Class and Economic Inequality
SOC 340	Power and Politics
SOC 355	Social Interaction
Select four of the following courses:		12
SOC 110	Cultural Anthropology
SOC 119	Introduction to Criminal Justice: Police, Courts, Corrections
SOC 205	Families
SOC 206	Deviance and Crime
SOC 207	Racial and Ethnic Relations
SOC 211	Social Movements
SOC 216	Youth and Crime
SOC 225	Population Study
SOC 245	Social Problems
SOC 246	Drugs, Crime & American Society
SOC 247	Aging
SOC 248	Social Service Organizations
SOC 252	Media, Culture and Society
SOC 261	Schools and Schooling
SOC 269	Physical Anthropology
SOC 270	Area Studies: Africa
SOC 271	Area Studies
SOC 272	Area Studies: Indians of North America
SOC 300	Work and Occupations
SOC 308	Cities And Suburbs
SOC 309	Peasant Society
SOC 310	Pre-Industrial Economies
SOC 311	Social and Cultural Change
SOC 312	Women in Society
SOC 313	Gender and Criminal Justice
SOC 314	Social Theory
SOC 315	Issues in Modern Social Theory
SOC 316	Feminist Social Thought
SOC 317	Law and Lawyers
SOC 320	Religion and Belief Systems
SOC 321	White Collar and Corporate Crime
SOC 322	Punishment and Corrections
SOC 325	Population Study
SOC 330	Class and Economic Inequality
SOC 340	Power and Politics
SOC 341	Developing Societies
SOC 342	Police and American Society
SOC 343	Policing and Counter Terrorism
SOC 345	Race and Crime
SOC 346	Health Care and Society
SOC 349	Retirement and Leisure
SOC 350	Social Policy
SOC 355	Social Interaction
SOC 361	Sel Top: Studies Soc. of Art
SOC 396	Applied Sociology
SOC 396	Applied Sociology
SOC 401	Sex and the Body in Society
SOC 490	Independent Study: Research and Creative Expression
SOC 491	Internship in Sociology
or SOC 497	Honors in Sociology
Total Credits		21

Academic Plan of Study

The following educational plan is provided as a sample only. Rider students who do not declare a major during their freshman year; who are in a Continuing Education Program; who change their major; or those who transfer to Rider may follow a different plan to ensure a timely graduation. Each student, with guidance from his or her academic advisor, will develop a personalized educational plan.

Plan of Study Grid
Year 1
Fall Semester		Credits
CMP 120	Seminar in Writing and Rhetoric	3
SOC 101	Sociological Imagination	3
MTH 102	Finite Mathematics	3
HIS 150	World History to 1500	3
Foreign Language ¹		3
	Semester Credit Hours	15
Spring Semester
SOC 201	Intro Seminar in Sociology	3
CMP 125	Seminar in Writing and Research	3
HIS 151	World History Since 1500	3
Social Perspectives		3
Foreign Language ¹		3
	Semester Credit Hours	15
Year 2
Fall Semester
Required Sociology Elective (1 of 6) ³		3
Required Sociology Elective (2 of 6) ³		3
Aesthetic Perspectives: Literature		3
Aesthetic Perspectives: Fine Arts		3
Scientific Perspectives		3
	Semester Credit Hours	15
Spring Semester
Required Sociology Elective (3 of 6) ³		3
Required Sociology Elective (4 of 6) ³		3
Scientific Perspectives		3
Philosophical Perspectives		3
Elective Course Credits ²		3
	Semester Credit Hours	15
Year 3
Fall Semester
SOC 314	Social Theory	3
Sociology Requirement 300 Level (1 of 3)		3
Required Sociology Elective (5 of 6) ³		3
Elective Course Credits ²		3
Elective Course Credits ²		3
	Semester Credit Hours	15
Spring Semester
SOC 301	Methods of Sociological Research	3
Required Sociology Elective (6 of 6) ³		3
Sociology Requirement 300 Level (2 of 3)		3
Elective Course Credits ²		3
Elective Course Credits ²		3
	Semester Credit Hours	15
Year 4
Fall Semester
Sociology Requirement 300 Level (3 of 3)		3
SOC 400 Senior Seminar or Elective Course Credits		3
Elective Course Credits ²		3
Elective Course Credits		3
Elective Course Credits ²		3
	Semester Credit Hours	15
Spring Semester
Elective Course Credits		3
SOC 400 Senior Seminar or Elective Course Credits		3
Elective Course Credits ²		3
Elective Course Credits ²		3
Elective Course Credits ²		3
	Semester Credit Hours	15
	Total Credit Hours for Graduation	120

¹: For course placement information see https://www.rider.edu/student-life/first-year-experience/orientation/placement-testing
²: Please note that elective credits may be used to complete requirements in a second major or minor.
³: Select from the following: SOC 311,SOC 315, SOC 317, SOC 330, SOC 340, SOC 355

Courses and Descriptions

SOC 101 Sociological Imagination 3 Credits

Introduction to principles and concepts for the sociological analysis of human societies. Social relations, social structure, and institutions characteristic of societies past and present are examined, and causes and directions of social change are considered. This course counts towards the fulfillment of the Disciplinary Perspectives element of the CLAS general education curriculum.

SOC 110 Cultural Anthropology 3 Credits

The anthropological perspective is introduced, placing human behavior and institutions within their evolutionary, ecological, structural, and ideological contexts. Examples are drawn from the full range of human societies, with an emphasis on nonindustrial forms.

SOC 119 Introduction to Criminal Justice: Police, Courts, Corrections 3 Credits

This course introduces students to the sociological study of the criminal justice system. It examines the cultural and social foundations of this system, and review debates about problems with the criminal justice system and proposals to change it. Topics covered include nature of the crime problem, requirements of criminal law, policing, the role of the courts and legal professionals, sentencing, incarceration and alternatives to it.

Prerequisite(s): SOC 101.

SOC 142 The Legal & Policy Dimensions of Cannabis 1.5 Credits

In this course, you will learn about drug policy in the United States through the lens of cannabis. Theoretical and empirical arguments for, and consequences of, prohibition, and legalization will be considered with special attention to race, class, and gender. Opportunities and challenges springing from recent legal reforms and a rapidly expanding legal industry will be considered using a variety of cultural, legal, and academic sources.

SOC 143 From Plant to Profession: Practical Skills & Applications 1.5 Credits

Put your new cannabis knowledge to use in real world settings! In this final skills-based course of Rider’s Cannabis Studies certificate, you will expand on the initial knowledge you've obtained through completing Rider's foundational courses in business, biology, and the law. You will learn directly from key experts in the field, whose knowledge about key trends in the cannabis industry will prepare you to explore unmatched opportunities to enter the rapidly expanding cannabis industry. Content will expose students to cannabis horticulture, science, clinical practice, and legal compliance to prepare them to enter into a variety of cannabis industry positions.

Prerequisite(s): SOC 142, BIO 102, and BUS 150.

SOC 150 Introduction to Forensics 3 Credits

Introduces students to principles of forensic science. Whether the issue is establishing paternity or cause of death, determining arson or liability, or deciding criminal guilt or innocence, collecting and evaluating forensic material is typically involved. Students will learn the meaning and significance of scientific evidence and its role in criminal investigations and civil and criminal trials. Students will learn how forensic scientists work, define a problem, collect data, and analyze results. Case studies, crime simulations and examination of criminal evidence will highlight the application of scientific principles.

SOC 201 Intro Seminar in Sociology 3 Credits

Designed for students considering a major or minor in sociology. The seminar locates sociology in relation to other disciplines; reviews the basic perspectives used by sociologists to study human behavior; and considers the methods and applications of sociological inquiry.

Prerequisite(s): SOC 101.

SOC 204 Law, Literature, and Film in America 3 Credits

Focuses in an interdisciplinary manner on law and justice as represented in American literature and films. It analyzes novels, short stories, and selected non-fiction texts from the perspectives of literary criticism, social history, and cultural and American studies.

SOC 205 Families 3 Credits

Examines families in the United States, past and present, emphasizing the variety of family experiences in different social contexts and the relationship between family life and social change. Includes comparative material on families in other countries and considers possible alternatives to current family forms.

SOC 206 Deviance and Crime 3 Credits

Considers deviant behavior as violation of social norms. Examines the concepts of deviance and crime in socio-historical context. Evaluates major theories advanced to explain deviance. Surveys different types of deviance, including conventional crime, non-criminal deviant behavior, and white-collar corporate, and government crime.

Prerequisite(s): SOC 101.

SOC 207 Racial and Ethnic Relations 3 Credits

Examines the social origins of prejudice and discrimination, and analyzes intergroup trends in conflict, competition, and cooperation. Considers issues of immigration, economic and political power, and ethnic, racial, and religious pluralism.

SOC 210 Criminal Investigation 3 Credits

Approaches criminal investigation conceptually. Students consider the social issues involved in criminal investigation, as well as ethical and legal aspects of it. The course covers such topics such as the principles of criminal investigations, the rules and procedures of preliminary and follow-up investigations, the art of interrogation, recording of statements, confessions, and the collection and preservation of physical evidence at the crime scene. Emphasis is placed on the need for meticulous adherence to rules of law and ethical practices, as an investigation proceeds from initial actions to arrest, and eventual prosecution. The course also examines the methods used in scientific interpretation of evidence and the preparation of criminal cases for trials, as well as its role in today’s criminal justice system.

Prerequisite(s): SOC 150.

SOC 211 Social Movements 3 Credits

This course examines social movements that seek change in the social, cultural and political structures of society. The social, economic and political contexts of these movements are treated as well as their origins, tactics, organization, recruitment, and successes and failures. Case studies focus on movements in the areas of labor, civil rights, feminism, the environment, “right wing politics”, and neighborhood activism.

SOC 216 Youth and Crime 3 Credits

In-depth examination of the nature and extent of youth criminality in the U.S. Explores changes in youth culture and theories of delinquency. Social policies are related to youth criminality and the youth justice system is considered.

SOC 225 Population Study 3 Credits

Demography; its definition, historical emergence, and growth; population as a social problem in developing and developed nations; population theories, sources and methods of demographic data, population composition, and distribution; demographic processes including fertility, mortality, and migration.

SOC 230 Foundations of Civic Engagement 3 Credits

This course is an introduction to civic engagement: its meanings, opportunities and limitations. Students will learn about the different opportunities for civic engagement in the community as well as the theories and skills associated with it. Students will learn the role of formal and informal institutions in community engagement and will identify a specific organization for in depth investigation.

Prerequisite(s): SOC 101.

SOC 245 Social Problems 3 Credits

American social, economic, and political institutions and their interrelationships are analyzed, with an emphasis on the causes, directions, and consequences of social change in American society.

SOC 246 Drugs, Crime & American Society 3 Credits

Explores the nature and extent of drug use in the U.S., how drugs are legally defined and socially constructed, and considers how and why drug policies have developed and changed historically. Considers how the criminalization of drugs has impacted policing strategies, courts, probation programs, sentencing and corrections, as well as other social institutions. Examines the role of local and federal agencies in enforcing drug laws, and considers debates about directions for legal reforms.

SOC 247 Aging 3 Credits

The emergence of social gerontology, demographic foundation of aging, the aging process, comparative study of aging and aged, effect of aging on the individual, social institutions and aging, and problems of aging and some solutions.

SOC 248 Social Service Organizations 3 Credits

Examines the growth and variety of social service organizations. The training of providers, such as teachers and physicians, and relationships between professionals and clients in settings such as schools and hospitals are studied as well as organizational decision-making, finances, and community relations.

Prerequisite(s): SOC 101.

SOC 252 Media, Culture and Society 3 Credits

Examines mass-produced commercial culture, how it has developed, and the role it plays in modern society. Analyzes the content of these cultural forms, how its production is organized, and how audiences perceive it.

SOC 261 Schools and Schooling 3 Credits

Schools and the process of schooling are analyzed within a broad historical perspective as well as within the structural and cultural context of American society. Education within a global perspective is also considered. Issues discussed include school funding, integration, tracking, technology, bureaucratization, and the “cultural wars” fought within the schools.

SOC 269 Physical Anthropology 3 Credits

An analysis of the biological development of the human capacity for culture. Topics include: modern theories of evolution and their application to human evolution; the relationship of human beings to other primates, the human fossil record, and variation among modern human populations. A background in biological studies is not necessary.

Prerequisite(s): SOC 101.

SOC 270 Area Studies: Africa 3 Credits

An intensive investigation of problems arising from historical and contemporary studies of tribal, peasant, and transitional societies in Africa south of the Sahara.

Prerequisite(s): SOC 101.

SOC 271 Area Studies 3 Credits

Studies problems arising from historical and contemporary studies of peasant populations of Europe.

Prerequisite(s): SOC 101.

SOC 272 Area Studies: Indians of North America 3 Credits

Societies and cultures of the Indians of North America from the Arctic to Mesoamerica. Emphasis on evidence of these tribal groups prior to extensive acculturation and their contemporary situation.

Prerequisite(s): SOC 101.

SOC 280 Social Movements Abroad 3 Credits

This course will provide students with an international perspective on community-engaged strategies for addressing social problems, with a special focus on social welfare and justice. This course utilizes an international experiential component via a faculty led study abroad course and is mixed modal: online and on site internationally. Through seminars with local experts, case examples, dialogue, and visits to exemplary organizations, students will learn about strategies for engaging communities in creating change, honoring indigenous knowledge and practice, working to enhance leadership, and facilitating change in the context of larger social institutions. Through readings, online discussions, and self-reflection students will gain a greater understanding of social movements across the host country, with special emphasis on the culture and experiences of international residents.

SOC 300 Work and Occupations 3 Credits

Analyzes the nature and organization of work in modern society. Focuses on such issues as division of labor, specialization, alienation, professionalization, and the role of technological change. Includes an examination of the historical development of work in the 20th century, and a consideration of contemporary and future patterns of work organization.

Prerequisite(s): SOC 101.

SOC 301 Methods of Sociological Research 3 Credits

One of the required courses in both the Sociology and Criminal Justice majors, Methods of Sociological Research introduces students to basic research processes in the social sciences. The course introduces students to both quantitative and qualitative approaches and data analysis using both original and secondary sources. Students will also complete an original research paper in this course.

Prerequisites: SOC 101 or SOW 250.

SOC 302 Crime & Justice in the Media 3 Credits

This course focuses on the impact of media on Americans’ perceptions and understanding of the extent and causes of crime, and the effectiveness and purposes of crime policy. It examines how criminals, types of crime, crime policies and the criminal justice system are portrayed in various media outlets, including film, tv, newspaper, and electronic/internet. It explores the historical and contemporary relationships between media representations of criminal behavior, crime as a social problem, and the nature of the criminal justice system and contrasts these to their social realities.

SOC 304 Women and Law 3 Credits

Explores the social, economic, political and cultural context of laws relating to women and gender, such as workplace discrimination, divorce and child custody and reproductive rights. It examines how such laws have changed historically and the impact such laws have had on women as well as on men and on American social institutions, such as the family, politics, and the workplace. The course also examines women in the legal profession and their impact on the practice of law and legal reasoning.

SOC 307 Criminal Justice Practice 3 Credits

This course will consider the ways criminal justice agencies and occupations are shaped by social, economic, political, technological and legal changes. Through case studies and projects students will examine the work, culture, and work settings of various criminal justice practitioners, assess the impact of social policies on criminal justice careers, and identify new directions in the field. Students will develop the reading and writing skills needed by an array of criminal justice practitioners.

SOC 308 Cities And Suburbs 3 Credits

Examines the growth of an urban way of life under the influence of industrialism. Study of community, political, and economic institutions in cities. Comparisons between urban and suburban areas.

Prerequisite(s): SOC 101.

SOC 309 Peasant Society 3 Credits

A comparative view of peasants and their significance in agrarian, colonial, and industrial societies. Peasant economic, political, and social institutions are analyzed with an eye to both their internal operation and the way they relate to non-peasant groups who hold power in these societies. The changes that have occurred in the peasant world are viewed both as a consequence and a cause of wide reaching political and economic upheaval.

Prerequisite(s): SOC 101.

SOC 310 Pre-Industrial Economies 3 Credits

The anthropological study of technology, production, and exchange in nonmarket cultures, as related to the social, ideological, and ecological systems in which they are embedded. The question of whether the concepts that derive from market economies can be applied to all economic systems is considered in detail.

Prerequisite(s): SOC 101.

SOC 311 Social and Cultural Change 3 Credits

Investigates the process of change in both industrial and nonindustrial settings. Particular attention paid to the role of the individual in change as well as the roles played by the mode of production, social organization, and ideological constructs. Case studies are drawn from non-Western as well as Western sources.

Prerequisite(s): SOC 101.

SOC 312 Women in Society 3 Credits

Examines changes in women’s roles and in male-female relationships. Focuses on impact of law, economy and social movements in shaping women’s positions as wives and as workers. Explores theories and evidence concerning the nature and extent of sex differences. Attention to women’s socialization through language, schools and media.

Prerequisite(s): SOC 101.

SOC 313 Gender and Criminal Justice 3 Credits

This course will examine women’s experiences with the criminal justice system as offenders, victims, prisoners, and practitioners. It will consider how gender has shaped theories of crime and criminological research. It will explore how cultural constructions of gender have influenced substantive and procedural criminal law, the ways criminal justice agencies respond to crime, and how these have changed historically. Attention will be given to the development of new approaches, reforms, and challenges.

Prerequisite(s): SOC 101.

SOC 314 Social Theory 3 Credits

Introduces the major thinkers and conceptual problems characterizing the development of sociological thought. Required of sociology majors.

Prerequisite(s): SOC 201.

SOC 315 Issues in Modern Social Theory 3 Credits

Examines current trends and issues in sociological thought.

Prerequisite(s): SOC 314 or permission of instructor.

SOC 316 Feminist Social Thought 3 Credits

An introduction to feminist social theory, with emphasis on its breadth and variety. Special attention paid to the ways feminist theorists have analyzed the relationship of gender to other kinds of group differences.

Prerequisite(s): SOC 101.

SOC 317 Law and Lawyers 3 Credits

Relationships between law, the economy, and the state are explored. Discussion of laws, legal systems and legal reasoning using cross-cultural comparisons and historical analysis of these in the United States. Particular attention given to impact of law on corporations, workers, women, and minorities. Changes in legal profession and legal education are examined.

Prerequisite(s): SOC 101.

SOC 318 Hate Crimes in the United States 3 Credits

Provides an interdisciplinary exploration of hate crimes in the United States, its causes and consequences. It will examine the social, political, and legal issues that have shaped policies and laws designed to respond to hate crimes and assess their effectiveness. Debates about the nature of hate crimes and the special laws and sentencing provisions developed to deal with them will be discussed. Topics include hate crimes on college campuses, hate on the Internet, legal and constitutional issues, and criminal justice enforcement.

SOC 320 Religion and Belief Systems 3 Credits

The relation of religious phenomena to social structures and processes; religion in cross-cultural perspective.

Prerequisite(s): SOC 101.

SOC 321 White Collar and Corporate Crime 3 Credits

This course will identify, explore, and study the unique criminological characteristics of the crime subtypes white collar crime and corporate crime. In addition to developing a formal definition of white collar crime and corporate crime, students will study: (a) the nature of the criminal act and the criminal actor(s); (b) the extent or scope of the white collar/corporate crime problem; (c) the factors that contribute to the crime decision, and (d) the various prevention and mitigation strategies used to address the white collar crime/corporate crime problem. Students will learn to evaluate historical cases of white collar crime/corporate crime and apply criminological theory to actual cases.

Prerequisite(s): SOC 101.

SOC 322 Punishment and Corrections 3 Credits

This course explores the nature, forms, rationales, and effectiveness of punishment as a form of crime control. It traces the development of corrections in the U.S., identifies cultural trends and developments in penology, including mass incarceration and supermax prisons, considers the ways race and class have shaped these, and the reverberating effects penal policies have had on American culture and society beyond the criminal justice system. It examines the role of laws, politics, crime control agencies, as well as of media, and corporations in shaping penal policies. Topics also include: prison subcultures, inmate rights, correctional practices, privatization of prisons, and alternatives to punitive policies of incarceration and capital punishment.

Prerequisite(s): SOC 101.

SOC 325 Population Study 3 Credits

SOC 330 Class and Economic Inequality 3 Credits

Social, economic, and political aspects of the division of society into classes are considered. Theories of stratification and the distribution of wealth, power, and prestige in societies past and present are examined.

Prerequisite(s): SOC 101.

SOC 333 Convict Criminology 3 Credits

Convict Criminology is the study of crime and the advancement of criminological ideas and contributions originating from the first-hand experiences of convicts/ex-convicts. Convict criminologists are primarily current or former criminal justice system-involved individuals who have pursued and achieved advanced degrees and are actively researching relevant criminal justice issues. In addition to fully defining convict criminology as a school of thought, this course will explore the history, development, and current and future place of convict criminology in the overall criminology field. The course will identify key convict criminology writings and research and will include a comparative review of traditional versus convict criminological approaches and how differing motivations and priorities have impact on the incarcerated, and the current system responses to them. Students will identify, document and analyze other ways of hearing the convict perspective and voice to see if this convict view can offer additional insight on how to address those in confinement and perhaps suggest solutions to a broad range of criminal justice system questions. Sophomores, Juniors and Seniors ONLY.

SOC 340 Power and Politics 3 Credits

Examines the nature and distribution of power in contemporary societies; analyzes the relationships between power and politics.

Prerequisite(s): SOC 101.

SOC 341 Developing Societies 3 Credits

Examines theories explaining patterns of development; indicators and measures of social well-being; and problems such as population, hunger and environmental crises in developing countries. Focuses especially on patterns of development in Latin America or China.

Prerequisite(s): SOC 101.

SOC 342 Police and American Society 3 Credits

This course examines important issues regarding police in American society, such as the paradoxes inherent in police work, police organization and strategies and their effectiveness, the dilemmas of supervising police work, police unionism, the nature and implications of police occupational subculture, the use of police discretion, forms of police misconduct and accountability, professionalization of police and the trend toward police privatization. It also considers the diversity of the police force, trends in the delivery of policing services, the impact of new technologies on policing, and the challenges of policing in a multicultural society.

Prerequisite(s): SOC 101.

SOC 343 Policing and Counter Terrorism 3 Credits

This course is designed as an upper level (undergraduate/graduate) combination lecture and discussion section on the foundations of international security. It will examine the concept of security from both the macro and micro level. We will discuss a mix of security strategies (balance of power, alliances, rearmament, collective security, deterrence), theoretical perspectives on security (Neorealism, Neoliberalism, Critical Theory, Copenhagen School), great power and third world security, democratic and non-democratic security, classic threats (changes in relative power, proliferation) and new threats (environment, population movements, terrorism), and concepts of security ranging from state survival, to societal security, to unit level-variables such as Human Security.

Prerequisite(s): SOC 101.

SOC 344 Gangs in America 3 Credits

This course explores the extent and nature of street gangs in the US and public reaction to them. The course considers what gang membership means, and when gangs are cohesive or not. The course will focus on the functioning and process of the justice system and its response to gangs. Students will examine potential strategies to address gang crime, weigh the costs and benefits of these various actions, and discuss how to rehabilitate both low level and serious gang offenders.

Prerequisite(s): CMP 125.

SOC 345 Race and Crime 3 Credits

Examines the impact of crime policy on minority communities in the United States, with particular attention to the impact of “The War on Drugs”, three-strike laws, and mandatory sentencing on minorities and minority communities. Drawing on sociological research, the course explores myths and realities concerning the relationship between race and crime. The relationship between racial attitudes, historical race relations, and mass incarceration are discussed.

Prerequisite(s): SOC 101.

SOC 346 Health Care and Society 3 Credits

Application and contributions of sociology to medicine; the strategy and methods of sociomedical research; sociology of illness, addictive and mental disorder; medical institutions; health services and medical care; and current status of medical sociology.

Prerequisite(s): SOC 101.

SOC 347 Aging and the Elderly 3 Credits

SOC 348 Human Service Organizations 3 Credits

SOC 349 Retirement and Leisure 3 Credits

Examines the social phenomena of retirement as an event, process, social role, and life stage. Explores the meaning of leisure, time utilization, and creativity among the elderly. Defines related problems and issues, i.e., financial, physical, psychosocial, and environ-mental. Positive as well as negative implications are presented and evaluated.

Prerequisite(s): SOC 247 recommended.

SOC 350 Social Policy 3 Credits

Investigates the relationship between economic development and social policy in comparative and historical context. The main features of preindustrial, early industrial, and advanced industrial social welfare systems are described. Social, economic and political factors that shape social policy are investigated.

Prerequisites: SOC 101 or SOW 250.

SOC 351 The Rights of the Accused 3 Credits

Analyzes the major substantive and procedural rights accorded to the criminally accused by the United States Constitution. Particular attention will be given to the right to counsel, confessions and self-incrimination, arrest, search and seizure. Students will learn to argue and write hypothetical case opinions.

SOC 355 Social Interaction 3 Credits

Examines the interpersonal relation between and among people in private life, public places, and at work. Explains how such relations affect and are affected by changes in the larger social structure.

Prerequisite(s): SOC 101.

SOC 360 3 Credits