SOC 100 Foundations of Sociology (3)

A course designed to place sociology’s development as a social science in the evolution of Western thought; it will also cover the elements of social scientific thinking. Major emphasis will be given to the analysis of culture, social structure, socialization, institutions, social inequality and social change. This course fulfills the social sciences requirement for the core curriculum and is normally a prerequisite for all 300- or 400-level courses in sociology. (Fall and Spring)

HISOC 150 Who Were the First Americans? (3)  

 Who were the first Americans? Yesterday’s answers are no longer convincing. While the issues are far from settled, there is some evidence to suggest that humans may have arrived in the Americas as much as 50,000 years ago, from Europe as well as Siberia, by sea as well as by land. This course explores how scientists are using archeology, genetics, linguistics, geophysics, and other techniques to rewrite the story of the earliest Americans.

SOC 106 Cultural Anthropology (3)

Survey of human adaptation to, and creation of, the social environment by means of culture. Comparison of ways of life among diverse peoples with emphasis given to non-Western cultures. (Spring)

SOC 200 Sociology of Families (3)

The historical development and transformation of American families is examined. The course analyzes the connections among demographic, economic, political and family trends, and constructs an interpretive framework for understanding the "personal trouble" (or "triumphs") of families within broader historical and institutional contexts. The course also analyzes contemporary "solutions" to family crises. (Every other year)

SOC 202 Introduction to Conflict Resolution

SOC 203 Foundations of Mediation

This course will explore mediation as a conflict resolution method as it is utilized in today’s world. Students will learn about the mediation process and the skill set necessary to use this alternative dispute resolution (ADR) method whether in a formal or informal setting. (Spring, odd years)

SOC 202 Introduction to Conflict Resolution

SOC 203 Foundations of Mediation

This course will explore mediation as a conflict resolution method as it is utilized in today’s world. Students will learn about the mediation process and the skill set necessary to use this alternative dispute resolution (ADR) method whether in a formal or informal setting. (Spring, odd years)

CVSO 201 The West in the Modern World: Capitalism and Globalization (3) 

This course focuses on the development of a world capitalist system over the last 150 years. It examines the unprecedented rapid changes in the West in the last century and a half, due largely to industrialization. In the course of the West’s expansion, it has remade the world’s economies into today’s global economic system. This course will explore the historical particulars and the large-scale social patterns that have evolved. This course is part of the four-course Western civilization sequence and can also count as a sociology elective.  (Spring)

THSOC 207 Catholic Social Teaching (3)

Same as THEOL 207. (Spring)

SOC 211 Sociology of Sport

While participation in sport varies widely, sport in general has become deeply embedded in the popular consciousness, culture, and social fabric of every society and bears the distinctive imprint of the culture in which it exists. The Sociology of Sport is the study of the network of roles, relationships, and interactions found in sport and their application to the institutional nature of sport. This course uses sociological perspectives to understand issues, problems, aspects, and dimensions of sport that may not be readily understood from common sense or experience alone.

SOC 214 Sociology of Religion (3)

Classical and modern perspectives on the nature and function of religion as a social institution; sources of religious variation; the relationships among religion and culture, social class, prejudice, radicalism and other social factors. (As needed)

SOC 225 Sociology of Death and Dying (3)

This course examines death, dying and bereavement from a variety of perspectives (e.g., historical, cross-cultural and social-psychological), but it emphasizes a sociological perspective on death and dying. Among the topics covered are: the social meaning of death, America as a "death-denying" culture, the dying process, death and the law, hospice, funerals and body disposition, and the grieving process. (Every other year)

SOC 240 Law and Society (3)

Examines the workings of law in everyday life as well as law as a social institution and its relation to other key institutions (family, government, economy, etc.). The relation of law to current social problems, social change and social movements is addressed. The focus will be on what sociological theories and methods can reveal about the nature of law and its impact on society. (As needed)

SOC 300 Social Theory (3)

This course is a survey of the major theoretical thinking in sociology, including its emergence in the 1800s, the major schools of social theory, and the relevance of theory to sociological research. Students will learn the skills of analysis, evaluation and application of sociological theory to contemporary social issues. Prerequisite: SOC 100. (Spring)

SOC 303 Sociology of Gender (3)

This course examines women, men and gendered lives as they appear through every aspect of social life, including personal and social identity, social relationships, and institutional structures. Topics include gendered aspects of work, education, family, media, sexuality, politics and social change, and violence, primarily in the United States. Particular attention will be paid to how gender as a major organizing principle of social life intersects with other socially defined positions of race, social class, and sexuality. Prerequisite: SOC 100. (Every other year)

SOC 304 Race and Ethnicity (3)

Comparative study of dominant and minority group relations. Focuses on outcomes of social contact among different ethnic, racial, nationality and religious groups, which include conflict, amalgamation, acculturation, assimilation, racial prejudice and racial discrimination. Prerequisite: SOC 100. (Every other year)

SOC 307 Social Inequality (3)

This course examines the nature, structure, historical development and operation of social inequality in contemporary American society. A comparative and historical analysis of class, race and gender inequalities, and their effects on the "life chances" of individuals. Methodological and theoretical approaches to stratification are critically examined, along with "common sense" understandings of social inequality. Prerequisite: SOC 100. (Fall)

HISO 310 History of the Family in Europe (3)

Examines the changing structure of the family in Europe from the late Middle Ages to the 20th century, with special emphasis on the following: the development of the stem, nuclear and extended families; affection between parents and children, and between husband and wife; and the changing roles of women.

SOC 314 Deviant Behavior (3)   

A central theme of this course is that deviance plays an integral role in the definition of what is "normal" in human group life. Deviant behavior as an agent of social change as well as a source of social stability will be addressed. Various sociological perspectives will be employed in discussing such topics as delinquency; organized, white collar and government crime; sexual deviance; and mental illness. Prerequisite: SOC 100. (Every other year)

SOC 320 Special Topics (3)

A course designed to supplement regular course offerings by permitting the pursuit of knowledge about subjects of varied sociological/criminological interest suggested by faculty or students. (As needed)

SOC 398 Independent Study (1-3)

Individually tutored reading and research on a selected sociological/criminological issue. Permission of the instructor, the department chair and the dean for academic affairs is required. Prerequisites: SOC 100 for sociology majors, CJUST 110 for criminal justice majors. (As needed)

SOCNW 360 Pre-Columbian Civilizations of the Americas (3)

An examination of the development of high civilizations in Mexico, Central and South America. Special attention will be devoted to the latest of those civilizations, the Maya, Aztec and Inca, but students will also learn about the important early New World civilizations as well, such as the Olmec, or the city of Teotihuacan, and Chavin and the Moche in the Andes. The approach will focus on the evolution of complex adaptations to the environment, intensive cultivation and the rise of empires. This course satisfies the core curriculum’s non-Western requirement. (As needed) BUSO

BUSO 365 Mock Trial (1)

Using the rules and the case developed by the American Mock Trial Association, students prepare a mock court case and present it at an invitational tournament (in the fall) or a regional tournament (in the spring). Cases alternate between civil matters (in odd years) and criminal matters (in even years). Using this case, students learn rules of evidence and courtroom procedures and develop public-speaking and critical-thinking skills. Attendance at meetings outside of the scheduled class time and travel to tournaments are required.

Mock Trial may be retaken up to 6 times for elective credit toward the sociology major.

SOCNW 401 Biography and Non-Western Culture (3)

A senior seminar in anthropology, the course will use biographies and autobiographies of people from non-Western societies to examine how particular individuals’ lives reflect sociocultural forces. The class will investigate material and nonmaterial culture, and the social patterning of emotion, gender, family, age, personality, work, and inequality and rewards. These life histories will provide students with cognitive and cultural tools with which to think about how lives are lived in different social and cultural environments. This course satisfies the core curriculum’s non-Western requirement. (As needed)

SOC 403 Methods of Social Research (3)

Concentrates on the basic procedures constituting the research process, focusing on theory construction, the relationship between theory and methodology, and the principles and problems of data collection in experimental and nonexperimental research. An annotated research proposal for the Senior Research Project is required. Prerequisite: SOC 100. (Fall)

SOC 404 Statistics (3)

A continuation of SOC 403, which is prerequisite for the course, emphasizing the application of statistical techniques to the analysis of data. Completion of the Senior Research Project is required. Prerequisites: SOC 100 and 403. (Spring)

SOC 498 Senior Seminar (3)

The capstone course of the sociology and criminal justice majors aims at providing a context for understanding the broad foci of the disciplines of sociology and criminal justice. Students review some key sociological and criminological writings with a more mature perspective and use these to develop a paper that synthesizes their knowledge of sociological/criminological theory, research and applications. Students also develop their abilities to analyze their personal experiences and explore options for continued study or employment related to their undergraduate training. Prerequisites: SOC 100 and 403 for sociology majors; SOC 100 and 403 plus CJUST 110 for criminal justice majors. (Spring)

SOC 480 Internship (1-6)

Provides opportunities for students to serve as interns at nearby social service, criminal justice and social action agencies. Permission of the instructor, the department chair and the dean for academic affairs is required. Prerequisites: SOC 100 for sociology majors, CJUST 110 for criminal justice majors. This course is normally available only for juniors and seniors.

CVSO 201 The West in the Modern World: Capitalism and Globalization (3) 

This course focuses on the development of a world capitalist system over the last 150 years. It examines the unprecedented rapid changes in the West in the last century and a half, due largely to industrialization. In the course of the West’s expansion, it has remade the world’s economies into today’s global economic system. This course will explore the historical particulars and the large-scale social patterns that have evolved. This course is part of the four-course Western civilization sequence and can also count as a sociology elective.  (Spring)

THSOC 207 Catholic Social Teaching (3)

Same as THEOL 207. (Spring)

SOC 211 Sociology of Sport

While participation in sport varies widely, sport in general has become deeply embedded in the popular consciousness, culture, and social fabric of every society and bears the distinctive imprint of the culture in which it exists. The Sociology of Sport is the study of the network of roles, relationships, and interactions found in sport and their application to the institutional nature of sport. This course uses sociological perspectives to understand issues, problems, aspects, and dimensions of sport that may not be readily understood from common sense or experience alone.

SOC 214 Sociology of Religion (3)

Classical and modern perspectives on the nature and function of religion as a social institution; sources of religious variation; the relationships among religion and culture, social class, prejudice, radicalism and other social factors. (As needed)

SOC 225 Sociology of Death and Dying (3)

This course examines death, dying and bereavement from a variety of perspectives (e.g., historical, cross-cultural and social-psychological), but it emphasizes a sociological perspective on death and dying. Among the topics covered are: the social meaning of death, America as a "death-denying" culture, the dying process, death and the law, hospice, funerals and body disposition, and the grieving process. (Every other year)

SOC 240 Law and Society (3)

Examines the workings of law in everyday life as well as law as a social institution and its relation to other key institutions (family, government, economy, etc.). The relation of law to current social problems, social change and social movements is addressed. The focus will be on what sociological theories and methods can reveal about the nature of law and its impact on society. (As needed)

SOC 300 Social Theory (3)

This course is a survey of the major theoretical thinking in sociology, including its emergence in the 1800s, the major schools of social theory, and the relevance of theory to sociological research. Students will learn the skills of analysis, evaluation and application of sociological theory to contemporary social issues. Prerequisite: SOC 100. (Spring)

SOC 303 Sociology of Gender (3)

This course examines women, men and gendered lives as they appear through every aspect of social life, including personal and social identity, social relationships, and institutional structures. Topics include gendered aspects of work, education, family, media, sexuality, politics and social change, and violence, primarily in the United States. Particular attention will be paid to how gender as a major organizing principle of social life intersects with other socially defined positions of race, social class, and sexuality. Prerequisite: SOC 100. (Every other year)

SOC 304 Race and Ethnicity (3)

Comparative study of dominant and minority group relations. Focuses on outcomes of social contact among different ethnic, racial, nationality and religious groups, which include conflict, amalgamation, acculturation, assimilation, racial prejudice and racial discrimination. Prerequisite: SOC 100. (Every other year)

SOC 307 Social Inequality (3)

This course examines the nature, structure, historical development and operation of social inequality in contemporary American society. A comparative and historical analysis of class, race and gender inequalities, and their effects on the "life chances" of individuals. Methodological and theoretical approaches to stratification are critically examined, along with "common sense" understandings of social inequality. Prerequisite: SOC 100. (Fall)

HISO 310 History of the Family in Europe (3)

Examines the changing structure of the family in Europe from the late Middle Ages to the 20th century, with special emphasis on the following: the development of the stem, nuclear and extended families; affection between parents and children, and between husband and wife; and the changing roles of women.

SOC 314 Deviant Behavior (3)   

A central theme of this course is that deviance plays an integral role in the definition of what is "normal" in human group life. Deviant behavior as an agent of social change as well as a source of social stability will be addressed. Various sociological perspectives will be employed in discussing such topics as delinquency; organized, white collar and government crime; sexual deviance; and mental illness. Prerequisite: SOC 100. (Every other year)

SOC 320 Special Topics (3)

A course designed to supplement regular course offerings by permitting the pursuit of knowledge about subjects of varied sociological/criminological interest suggested by faculty or students. (As needed)

SOC 398 Independent Study (1-3)

Individually tutored reading and research on a selected sociological/criminological issue. Permission of the instructor, the department chair and the dean for academic affairs is required. Prerequisites: SOC 100 for sociology majors, CJUST 110 for criminal justice majors. (As needed)

SOCNW 360 Pre-Columbian Civilizations of the Americas (3)

An examination of the development of high civilizations in Mexico, Central and South America. Special attention will be devoted to the latest of those civilizations, the Maya, Aztec and Inca, but students will also learn about the important early New World civilizations as well, such as the Olmec, or the city of Teotihuacan, and Chavin and the Moche in the Andes. The approach will focus on the evolution of complex adaptations to the environment, intensive cultivation and the rise of empires. This course satisfies the core curriculum’s non-Western requirement. (As needed) BUSO

BUSO 365 Mock Trial (1)

Using the rules and the case developed by the American Mock Trial Association, students prepare a mock court case and present it at an invitational tournament (in the fall) or a regional tournament (in the spring). Cases alternate between civil matters (in odd years) and criminal matters (in even years). Using this case, students learn rules of evidence and courtroom procedures and develop public-speaking and critical-thinking skills. Attendance at meetings outside of the scheduled class time and travel to tournaments are required.

Mock Trial may be retaken up to 6 times for elective credit toward the sociology major.

SOCNW 401 Biography and Non-Western Culture (3)

A senior seminar in anthropology, the course will use biographies and autobiographies of people from non-Western societies to examine how particular individuals’ lives reflect sociocultural forces. The class will investigate material and nonmaterial culture, and the social patterning of emotion, gender, family, age, personality, work, and inequality and rewards. These life histories will provide students with cognitive and cultural tools with which to think about how lives are lived in different social and cultural environments. This course satisfies the core curriculum’s non-Western requirement. (As needed)

SOC 403 Methods of Social Research (3)

Concentrates on the basic procedures constituting the research process, focusing on theory construction, the relationship between theory and methodology, and the principles and problems of data collection in experimental and nonexperimental research. An annotated research proposal for the Senior Research Project is required. Prerequisite: SOC 100. (Fall)

SOC 404 Statistics (3)

A continuation of SOC 403, which is prerequisite for the course, emphasizing the application of statistical techniques to the analysis of data. Completion of the Senior Research Project is required. Prerequisites: SOC 100 and 403. (Spring)

SOC 498 Senior Seminar (3)

The capstone course of the sociology and criminal justice majors aims at providing a context for understanding the broad foci of the disciplines of sociology and criminal justice. Students review some key sociological and criminological writings with a more mature perspective and use these to develop a paper that synthesizes their knowledge of sociological/criminological theory, research and applications. Students also develop their abilities to analyze their personal experiences and explore options for continued study or employment related to their undergraduate training. Prerequisites: SOC 100 and 403 for sociology majors; SOC 100 and 403 plus CJUST 110 for criminal justice majors. (Spring)

SOC 480 Internship (1-6)

Provides opportunities for students to serve as interns at nearby social service, criminal justice and social action agencies. Permission of the instructor, the department chair and the dean for academic affairs is required. Prerequisites: SOC 100 for sociology majors, CJUST 110 for criminal justice majors. This course is normally available only for juniors and seniors.

SOC 100 Foundations of Sociology (3)

A course designed to place sociology’s development as a social science in the evolution of Western thought; it will also cover the elements of social scientific thinking. Major emphasis will be given to the analysis of culture, social structure, socialization, institutions, social inequality and social change. This course fulfills the social sciences requirement for the core curriculum and is normally a prerequisite for all 300- or 400-level courses in sociology. (Fall and Spring)

HISOC 150 Who Were the First Americans? (3)  

 Who were the first Americans? Yesterday’s answers are no longer convincing. While the issues are far from settled, there is some evidence to suggest that humans may have arrived in the Americas as much as 50,000 years ago, from Europe as well as Siberia, by sea as well as by land. This course explores how scientists are using archeology, genetics, linguistics, geophysics, and other techniques to rewrite the story of the earliest Americans.

SOC 106 Cultural Anthropology (3)

Survey of human adaptation to, and creation of, the social environment by means of culture. Comparison of ways of life among diverse peoples with emphasis given to non-Western cultures. (Spring)

SOC 200 Sociology of Families (3)

The historical development and transformation of American families is examined. The course analyzes the connections among demographic, economic, political and family trends, and constructs an interpretive framework for understanding the "personal trouble" (or "triumphs") of families within broader historical and institutional contexts. The course also analyzes contemporary "solutions" to family crises. (Every other year)

SOC 202 Introduction to Conflict Resolution

SOC 203 Foundations of Mediation

This course will explore mediation as a conflict resolution method as it is utilized in today’s world. Students will learn about the mediation process and the skill set necessary to use this alternative dispute resolution (ADR) method whether in a formal or informal setting. (Spring, odd years)

SOC 202 Introduction to Conflict Resolution

SOC 203 Foundations of Mediation

This course will explore mediation as a conflict resolution method as it is utilized in today’s world. Students will learn about the mediation process and the skill set necessary to use this alternative dispute resolution (ADR) method whether in a formal or informal setting. (Spring, odd years)

CVSO 201 The West in the Modern World: Capitalism and Globalization (3) 

This course focuses on the development of a world capitalist system over the last 150 years. It examines the unprecedented rapid changes in the West in the last century and a half, due largely to industrialization. In the course of the West’s expansion, it has remade the world’s economies into today’s global economic system. This course will explore the historical particulars and the large-scale social patterns that have evolved. This course is part of the four-course Western civilization sequence and can also count as a sociology elective.  (Spring)

THSOC 207 Catholic Social Teaching (3)

Same as THEOL 207. (Spring)

SOC 211 Sociology of Sport

While participation in sport varies widely, sport in general has become deeply embedded in the popular consciousness, culture, and social fabric of every society and bears the distinctive imprint of the culture in which it exists. The Sociology of Sport is the study of the network of roles, relationships, and interactions found in sport and their application to the institutional nature of sport. This course uses sociological perspectives to understand issues, problems, aspects, and dimensions of sport that may not be readily understood from common sense or experience alone.

SOC 214 Sociology of Religion (3)

Classical and modern perspectives on the nature and function of religion as a social institution; sources of religious variation; the relationships among religion and culture, social class, prejudice, radicalism and other social factors. (As needed)

SOC 225 Sociology of Death and Dying (3)

This course examines death, dying and bereavement from a variety of perspectives (e.g., historical, cross-cultural and social-psychological), but it emphasizes a sociological perspective on death and dying. Among the topics covered are: the social meaning of death, America as a "death-denying" culture, the dying process, death and the law, hospice, funerals and body disposition, and the grieving process. (Every other year)

SOC 240 Law and Society (3)

Examines the workings of law in everyday life as well as law as a social institution and its relation to other key institutions (family, government, economy, etc.). The relation of law to current social problems, social change and social movements is addressed. The focus will be on what sociological theories and methods can reveal about the nature of law and its impact on society. (As needed)

SOC 300 Social Theory (3)

This course is a survey of the major theoretical thinking in sociology, including its emergence in the 1800s, the major schools of social theory, and the relevance of theory to sociological research. Students will learn the skills of analysis, evaluation and application of sociological theory to contemporary social issues. Prerequisite: SOC 100. (Spring)

SOC 303 Sociology of Gender (3)

This course examines women, men and gendered lives as they appear through every aspect of social life, including personal and social identity, social relationships, and institutional structures. Topics include gendered aspects of work, education, family, media, sexuality, politics and social change, and violence, primarily in the United States. Particular attention will be paid to how gender as a major organizing principle of social life intersects with other socially defined positions of race, social class, and sexuality. Prerequisite: SOC 100. (Every other year)

SOC 304 Race and Ethnicity (3)

Comparative study of dominant and minority group relations. Focuses on outcomes of social contact among different ethnic, racial, nationality and religious groups, which include conflict, amalgamation, acculturation, assimilation, racial prejudice and racial discrimination. Prerequisite: SOC 100. (Every other year)

SOC 307 Social Inequality (3)

This course examines the nature, structure, historical development and operation of social inequality in contemporary American society. A comparative and historical analysis of class, race and gender inequalities, and their effects on the "life chances" of individuals. Methodological and theoretical approaches to stratification are critically examined, along with "common sense" understandings of social inequality. Prerequisite: SOC 100. (Fall)

HISO 310 History of the Family in Europe (3)

Examines the changing structure of the family in Europe from the late Middle Ages to the 20th century, with special emphasis on the following: the development of the stem, nuclear and extended families; affection between parents and children, and between husband and wife; and the changing roles of women.

SOC 314 Deviant Behavior (3)   

A central theme of this course is that deviance plays an integral role in the definition of what is "normal" in human group life. Deviant behavior as an agent of social change as well as a source of social stability will be addressed. Various sociological perspectives will be employed in discussing such topics as delinquency; organized, white collar and government crime; sexual deviance; and mental illness. Prerequisite: SOC 100. (Every other year)

SOC 320 Special Topics (3)

A course designed to supplement regular course offerings by permitting the pursuit of knowledge about subjects of varied sociological/criminological interest suggested by faculty or students. (As needed)

SOC 398 Independent Study (1-3)

Individually tutored reading and research on a selected sociological/criminological issue. Permission of the instructor, the department chair and the dean for academic affairs is required. Prerequisites: SOC 100 for sociology majors, CJUST 110 for criminal justice majors. (As needed)

SOCNW 360 Pre-Columbian Civilizations of the Americas (3)

An examination of the development of high civilizations in Mexico, Central and South America. Special attention will be devoted to the latest of those civilizations, the Maya, Aztec and Inca, but students will also learn about the important early New World civilizations as well, such as the Olmec, or the city of Teotihuacan, and Chavin and the Moche in the Andes. The approach will focus on the evolution of complex adaptations to the environment, intensive cultivation and the rise of empires. This course satisfies the core curriculum’s non-Western requirement. (As needed) BUSO

BUSO 365 Mock Trial (1)

Using the rules and the case developed by the American Mock Trial Association, students prepare a mock court case and present it at an invitational tournament (in the fall) or a regional tournament (in the spring). Cases alternate between civil matters (in odd years) and criminal matters (in even years). Using this case, students learn rules of evidence and courtroom procedures and develop public-speaking and critical-thinking skills. Attendance at meetings outside of the scheduled class time and travel to tournaments are required.

Mock Trial may be retaken up to 6 times for elective credit toward the sociology major.

SOCNW 401 Biography and Non-Western Culture (3)

A senior seminar in anthropology, the course will use biographies and autobiographies of people from non-Western societies to examine how particular individuals’ lives reflect sociocultural forces. The class will investigate material and nonmaterial culture, and the social patterning of emotion, gender, family, age, personality, work, and inequality and rewards. These life histories will provide students with cognitive and cultural tools with which to think about how lives are lived in different social and cultural environments. This course satisfies the core curriculum’s non-Western requirement. (As needed)

SOC 403 Methods of Social Research (3)

Concentrates on the basic procedures constituting the research process, focusing on theory construction, the relationship between theory and methodology, and the principles and problems of data collection in experimental and nonexperimental research. An annotated research proposal for the Senior Research Project is required. Prerequisite: SOC 100. (Fall)

SOC 404 Statistics (3)

A continuation of SOC 403, which is prerequisite for the course, emphasizing the application of statistical techniques to the analysis of data. Completion of the Senior Research Project is required. Prerequisites: SOC 100 and 403. (Spring)

SOC 498 Senior Seminar (3)

The capstone course of the sociology and criminal justice majors aims at providing a context for understanding the broad foci of the disciplines of sociology and criminal justice. Students review some key sociological and criminological writings with a more mature perspective and use these to develop a paper that synthesizes their knowledge of sociological/criminological theory, research and applications. Students also develop their abilities to analyze their personal experiences and explore options for continued study or employment related to their undergraduate training. Prerequisites: SOC 100 and 403 for sociology majors; SOC 100 and 403 plus CJUST 110 for criminal justice majors. (Spring)

SOC 480 Internship (1-6)

Provides opportunities for students to serve as interns at nearby social service, criminal justice and social action agencies. Permission of the instructor, the department chair and the dean for academic affairs is required. Prerequisites: SOC 100 for sociology majors, CJUST 110 for criminal justice majors. This course is normally available only for juniors and seniors.

CVSO 201 The West in the Modern World: Capitalism and Globalization (3) 

This course focuses on the development of a world capitalist system over the last 150 years. It examines the unprecedented rapid changes in the West in the last century and a half, due largely to industrialization. In the course of the West’s expansion, it has remade the world’s economies into today’s global economic system. This course will explore the historical particulars and the large-scale social patterns that have evolved. This course is part of the four-course Western civilization sequence and can also count as a sociology elective.  (Spring)

THSOC 207 Catholic Social Teaching (3)

Same as THEOL 207. (Spring)

SOC 211 Sociology of Sport

While participation in sport varies widely, sport in general has become deeply embedded in the popular consciousness, culture, and social fabric of every society and bears the distinctive imprint of the culture in which it exists. The Sociology of Sport is the study of the network of roles, relationships, and interactions found in sport and their application to the institutional nature of sport. This course uses sociological perspectives to understand issues, problems, aspects, and dimensions of sport that may not be readily understood from common sense or experience alone.

SOC 214 Sociology of Religion (3)

Classical and modern perspectives on the nature and function of religion as a social institution; sources of religious variation; the relationships among religion and culture, social class, prejudice, radicalism and other social factors. (As needed)

SOC 225 Sociology of Death and Dying (3)

This course examines death, dying and bereavement from a variety of perspectives (e.g., historical, cross-cultural and social-psychological), but it emphasizes a sociological perspective on death and dying. Among the topics covered are: the social meaning of death, America as a "death-denying" culture, the dying process, death and the law, hospice, funerals and body disposition, and the grieving process. (Every other year)

SOC 240 Law and Society (3)

Examines the workings of law in everyday life as well as law as a social institution and its relation to other key institutions (family, government, economy, etc.). The relation of law to current social problems, social change and social movements is addressed. The focus will be on what sociological theories and methods can reveal about the nature of law and its impact on society. (As needed)

SOC 300 Social Theory (3)

This course is a survey of the major theoretical thinking in sociology, including its emergence in the 1800s, the major schools of social theory, and the relevance of theory to sociological research. Students will learn the skills of analysis, evaluation and application of sociological theory to contemporary social issues. Prerequisite: SOC 100. (Spring)

SOC 303 Sociology of Gender (3)

This course examines women, men and gendered lives as they appear through every aspect of social life, including personal and social identity, social relationships, and institutional structures. Topics include gendered aspects of work, education, family, media, sexuality, politics and social change, and violence, primarily in the United States. Particular attention will be paid to how gender as a major organizing principle of social life intersects with other socially defined positions of race, social class, and sexuality. Prerequisite: SOC 100. (Every other year)

SOC 304 Race and Ethnicity (3)

Comparative study of dominant and minority group relations. Focuses on outcomes of social contact among different ethnic, racial, nationality and religious groups, which include conflict, amalgamation, acculturation, assimilation, racial prejudice and racial discrimination. Prerequisite: SOC 100. (Every other year)

SOC 307 Social Inequality (3)

This course examines the nature, structure, historical development and operation of social inequality in contemporary American society. A comparative and historical analysis of class, race and gender inequalities, and their effects on the "life chances" of individuals. Methodological and theoretical approaches to stratification are critically examined, along with "common sense" understandings of social inequality. Prerequisite: SOC 100. (Fall)

HISO 310 History of the Family in Europe (3)

Examines the changing structure of the family in Europe from the late Middle Ages to the 20th century, with special emphasis on the following: the development of the stem, nuclear and extended families; affection between parents and children, and between husband and wife; and the changing roles of women.

SOC 314 Deviant Behavior (3)   

A central theme of this course is that deviance plays an integral role in the definition of what is "normal" in human group life. Deviant behavior as an agent of social change as well as a source of social stability will be addressed. Various sociological perspectives will be employed in discussing such topics as delinquency; organized, white collar and government crime; sexual deviance; and mental illness. Prerequisite: SOC 100. (Every other year)

SOC 320 Special Topics (3)

A course designed to supplement regular course offerings by permitting the pursuit of knowledge about subjects of varied sociological/criminological interest suggested by faculty or students. (As needed)

SOC 398 Independent Study (1-3)

Individually tutored reading and research on a selected sociological/criminological issue. Permission of the instructor, the department chair and the dean for academic affairs is required. Prerequisites: SOC 100 for sociology majors, CJUST 110 for criminal justice majors. (As needed)

SOCNW 360 Pre-Columbian Civilizations of the Americas (3)

An examination of the development of high civilizations in Mexico, Central and South America. Special attention will be devoted to the latest of those civilizations, the Maya, Aztec and Inca, but students will also learn about the important early New World civilizations as well, such as the Olmec, or the city of Teotihuacan, and Chavin and the Moche in the Andes. The approach will focus on the evolution of complex adaptations to the environment, intensive cultivation and the rise of empires. This course satisfies the core curriculum’s non-Western requirement. (As needed) BUSO

BUSO 365 Mock Trial (1)

Using the rules and the case developed by the American Mock Trial Association, students prepare a mock court case and present it at an invitational tournament (in the fall) or a regional tournament (in the spring). Cases alternate between civil matters (in odd years) and criminal matters (in even years). Using this case, students learn rules of evidence and courtroom procedures and develop public-speaking and critical-thinking skills. Attendance at meetings outside of the scheduled class time and travel to tournaments are required.

Mock Trial may be retaken up to 6 times for elective credit toward the sociology major.

SOCNW 401 Biography and Non-Western Culture (3)

A senior seminar in anthropology, the course will use biographies and autobiographies of people from non-Western societies to examine how particular individuals’ lives reflect sociocultural forces. The class will investigate material and nonmaterial culture, and the social patterning of emotion, gender, family, age, personality, work, and inequality and rewards. These life histories will provide students with cognitive and cultural tools with which to think about how lives are lived in different social and cultural environments. This course satisfies the core curriculum’s non-Western requirement. (As needed)

SOC 403 Methods of Social Research (3)

Concentrates on the basic procedures constituting the research process, focusing on theory construction, the relationship between theory and methodology, and the principles and problems of data collection in experimental and nonexperimental research. An annotated research proposal for the Senior Research Project is required. Prerequisite: SOC 100. (Fall)

SOC 404 Statistics (3)

A continuation of SOC 403, which is prerequisite for the course, emphasizing the application of statistical techniques to the analysis of data. Completion of the Senior Research Project is required. Prerequisites: SOC 100 and 403. (Spring)

SOC 498 Senior Seminar (3)

The capstone course of the sociology and criminal justice majors aims at providing a context for understanding the broad foci of the disciplines of sociology and criminal justice. Students review some key sociological and criminological writings with a more mature perspective and use these to develop a paper that synthesizes their knowledge of sociological/criminological theory, research and applications. Students also develop their abilities to analyze their personal experiences and explore options for continued study or employment related to their undergraduate training. Prerequisites: SOC 100 and 403 for sociology majors; SOC 100 and 403 plus CJUST 110 for criminal justice majors. (Spring)

SOC 480 Internship (1-6)

Provides opportunities for students to serve as interns at nearby social service, criminal justice and social action agencies. Permission of the instructor, the department chair and the dean for academic affairs is required. Prerequisites: SOC 100 for sociology majors, CJUST 110 for criminal justice majors. This course is normally available only for juniors and seniors.