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Course Descriptions for Sociology

SOC 1010-3 Introduction to Sociology (3 + 0)
Prerequisite: minimum performance standard scores on the reading and writing preassessment placement tests
A course that facilitates the development of a sociological perspective as it applies to understanding the social forces that shape persons' lives, interests and personalities. Emphasis is on the scientific study of groups; the importance of culture; the processes of socialization, social control, and social conflict; and the major institutions of society. (General Studies-Level II, Social Sciences) (Guaranteed Transfer-SS3)

SOC 1040-3 Introduction to Social Gerontology (3 + 0)
Prerequisite: minimum performance standards on the reading, writing and mathematics freshman placement tests
This course is a study of the processes of aging, biological and social, of the impact of the environment on the personality and behavior of older persons and their roles in society. (General Studies Course Level II, Social Sciences, Multicultural)

SOC 2000-3
(AAS 2000) Social Movements and the Black Experience (3 + 0)

Prerequisites: AAS 1010, SOC 1010, or permission of instructor
Analyzes and interprets the nature, cause and consequence of black social movements in the United States, ranging from the slave period to the present. Particular attention is given to the Civil Rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s. Credit will be granted for only one prefix: SOC or AAS.

SOC 2010-3 Current Social Issues (3 + 0)
Prerequisites: satisfaction of the Level I Mathematics course requirement, and either ENG 1010 or the Level I Communication course requirement
This course presents an analysis of the causes and consequences of major social problems, such as crime, family violence, racial and ethnic conflict and poverty, using examples from contemporary America in conjunction with historical and cross-cultural data. (General Studies-Level II, Social Sciences)

SOC 2500-3 Deviant Behavior in Society (3 + 0)
Prerequisite: SOC 1010
An introduction to the study of various types of deviance in societies, their sources and consequences. Several definitions and theoretical approaches are presented and analyzed, with applications to such contemporary topics as crime and delinquency, mental disorders, and society's "outsiders."

SOC 3040-3 Contemporary Issues in Gerontology (3 + 0)
Prerequisite: SOC 1010
A focus on economic, social, political, and cultural issues relevant to aging and the aged, including such topics as minority status, social definitions and restrictions, pensions and income, medical care, institutionalization, senior housing, transportation and relationships between the generations.

SOC 3080-3 Social Action Through Art (3 + 0)
Prerequisite: SOC 1010 or permission of instructor
This course examines the ways in which sociological concepts and theories relate to the visual arts in contemporary social life. The course emphasizes the various contexts in which visual arts are used to create social integration and social change in small and large groups. In addition, the content of the course provides insight about ways that practitioners may apply sociological principles to create art-related ventures for public and private industries.

SOC 3090-3 Urban Sociology (3 + 0)
Prerequisite: SOC 1010
The history and development of the modern city and its relationship to social and cultural change will be the focus of this course. Social problems, power structures and social organization, including class divisions, migrants and urbanites, urban institutions, and mass communications and urban leisure will be examined.

SOC 3100-3 Death and Dying (3 + 0)
Prerequisite: SOC 1010
An examination of attitudes, customs and institutions related to death and dying, approached three-dimensionally: from the viewpoint of the individual, of society, and of established institutions. Relevant for students in medicine, psychology, law, nursing, law enforcement, human services, business, education and the behavioral social sciences.

SOC 3130-3
(CHS 3100) The Chicana/o Community (3 + 0)

Prerequisites: CHS 1000 or permission of instructor; satisfaction of Level I General Studies course requirements
This course offers an in-depth study of the history of Chicana/o community organizations, the process by which they came about, and information relative to existing organizations and their functions in the Chicana/o community. Credit will be granted for only one prefix: CHS or SOC. (General Studies-Level II, Social Sciences; Multicultural)

SOC 3140-3
(AAS 3300) The Black Community (3 + 0)

Prerequisites: AAS 1010 or AAS/SOC 2000, or permission of instructor and satisfaction of all Level I General Studies course requirements
Relates fundamental concepts and theories of sociology and African American studies to the study of the black community through an analysis of the educational, political, religious, economic and family dimensions. Emphasizes local, national and international black communities. Classic and contemporary Black community studies are examined. Credit will be granted for only one prefix: SOC or AAS. (General Studies-Level II, Social Sciences; Multicultural)

SOC 3160-3 Industry, Work and Occupations (3 + 0)
Prerequisite: SOC 1010
Provides a sociological perspective of labor force trends and the nature of work in the United States. The technological, demographic, cultural and social context of work will be examined, as well as the individualistic factors affecting occupational processes and outcomes.

SOC 3220-3
(WMS 3220) Race, Gender and Ethnic Groups (3 + 0)

Prerequisites: SOC 1010, WMS 1001, or permission of instructor, and satisfaction of all Level I General Studies course requirements
A focus on race, racism, gender biases and ethnic prejudices, their origins and characteristics; facts and myths about populations, including the social, psychological, and cultural sources of discrimination and bias; implications in current societal structures and institutions. Credit will be granted for only one prefix: SOC or WMS. (General Studies-Level II, Social Sciences; Multicultural)

SOC 3240-3 Poverty in America (3 + 0)
Prerequisite: SOC 1010
An examination of urban poverty and of political, economic and social factors contributing to and perpetuating various conditions of the poor. Also included is an analysis of past and current poverty programs and their impact on America's underprivileged.

SOC 3320-3 Sociological Theory: Past and Present (3 + 0)
Prerequisite: SOC 1010
An analysis of major sociological theories, from those of Comte, Marx, Durkheim, Weber and others in the late nineteenth century, to contemporary theoretical approaches in sociology. Emphasis is on comparison and critical understanding of the varying perspectives and on the continuing development of differing theories in changing social contexts.

SOC 3400-3 Childhood and Adolescent Socialization (3 + 0)
Prerequisite: SOC 1010
An analysis of the socialization of children and adolescents in American society, emphasizing the impact of the family, education, religious organizations, the mass media and teenage subcultures on the socialization process. Socialization in other cultures will be studied for comparison.

SOC 3410-3 The Family in Transition (3 + 0)
Prerequisite: SOC 1010
This course is designed to study the changing nature of the family in a changing society. A variety of theoretical perspectives will be incorporated to facilitate an understanding of the transitions taking place in the areas of sex roles, coupling, parent-child relationships as well as variations in lifestyle, including historical and cross-cultural data.

SOC 3420-3 Education in a Changing Society (3 + 0)
Prerequisite: SOC 1010
An analysis of all levels of formal education in contemporary American society, focusing on the formal and informal goals of education, the relation of education to other societal institutions and to social change and current issues regarding education in the U.S.

SOC 3430-3
(WMS 3350) Sociology of Gender Roles (3 + 0)

Prerequisite: SOC 1010 or WMS 1001
An exploration of historical and contemporary social, political and economic trends affecting the roles of women and men in society. The emphasis is on the historical, social and cultural forces that have contributed to gender-role stereotyping in the United States and in other societies, and on the effects on individuals and the broader society in terms of maintaining and/or changing gender roles. Credit will be granted for only one prefix: SOC or WMS.

SOC 3440-3
(AAS 3550) The Black Family (3 + 0)

Prerequisites: AAS 1010 or SOC 1010 and satisfaction of all Level I General Studies course requirements
Provides an in-depth exploration of the black family as a social institution. Emphasizes the historical roots of the black family and how the African influence is still enmeshed in the functioning of the family in modern society. Examines the factors responsible for the ability of the black family to meet the challenge of a changing society. Credit will be granted for only one prefix: SOC or AAS. (General Studies-Level II, Social Sciences)

SOC 3460-3 Sociology of Sexuality (3 + 0)
Prerequisite: SOC 1010
This course is a survey of historical, cultural and social aspects of human sexuality. The interplay between sex and society will be the major focus. Cross-cultural and historical analysis of sexual values and behavior will be examined. Competing and conflicting sexual value systems in contemporary societies will be analyzed. Other topics include: sexual scripts, sexual deviance and social control, sexual socialization processes and the social bases of sexual dysfunction.

SOC 3470-3
(CHS 3210) The Chicano Family (3 + 0)

Prerequisites: CHS 1000 or permission of instructor and satisfaction of all Level I General Studies course requirements
A study of the Chicano family as a social institution in its varying manifestations as it transmits knowledge for existence in a multicultural world. Credit will be granted for only one prefix: CHS or SOC. (General Studies- Level II, Social Sciences)

SOC 3500-3 Criminology (3 + 0)
Prerequisite: SOC 1010
A sociological analysis of the nature, causes and treatment of crime and delinquency; of the processes by which such persons and behaviors develop.

SOC 3510-3 Juvenile Delinquency (3 + 0)
Prerequisite: SOC 1010
This course emphasizes the universality and variability of misconduct and delinquencies of youth. In addition, the course examines the youth subculture, gangs, drug addiction, the juvenile justice system and the effects of child abuse.

SOC 3550-3 Sociology of Law (3 + 0)
Prerequisite: SOC 1010
The interplay between social forces and law is the major focus of the course. Sociological theories about the interplay between social-cultural factors and law will be elaborated. The role of value orientations, one's position in the social structure and other sociological variables in the legislative process will be discussed. Conflicts regarding appropriate legislation and enforcement will be debated and analyzed.

SOC 3590-3 Social Statistics (3 + 0)
Prerequisites: MTH 1210 and SOC 1010
Begins with a review of descriptive and inferential statistics and their application to social phenomena. The course covers measures of association and non-parametric statistics using SPSS as the computer package. Includes: measures of central tendency, variability, probability, chi square, lambda, gamma, tau, Somer's d, r and non-parametrics.

SOC 3600-3 Research in the Social Sciences (3 + 0)
Prerequisite: SOC 1010
An introduction to research in the social and behavioral sciences, emphasizing student experience in the actual application of a variety of modern social scientific data-gathering, interpretation and reporting techniques.

SOC 3650-3 Contemporary Social Trends: Variable Topics (3 + 0)
Prerequisite: SOC 1010
An examination of trends and/or issues in contemporary society, using the sociological perspective. Each section addresses a separate issue or development. This course may be repeated for credit under different topics.

SOC 3710-3 Politics and Power (3 + 0)
Prerequisite: SOC 1010
An analysis of the structures of power and decision-making in American society, focusing on the interrelationships between political institutions and other institutions in society, sociological theories of power and possible consequences of various political structures.

SOC 3730-3 Mass Media and Social Behavior (3 + 0)
Prerequisite: SOC 1010
A study of the function of mass media as a dynamic force in political, economic, and social life and its multidimensional structure and impact for creating new personal behavior, as well as collective behavior in contemporary society.

SOC 3800-3 Health and Healers (3 + 0)
Prerequisite: SOC 1010
The health care system is currently in a state of transition. This course is designed to analyze the changes taking place from a variety of theoretical models. Specific issues as well as the roles of the participants will be analyzed in terms of the impact upon the health of Americans.

SOC 3810-3 Population Issues (3 + 0)
Prerequisite: SOC 1010
Examination of past and current demographic theories, the factors associated with population growth, decline, and dispersion and the national population policies of those nations addressing themselves to the issue of the world population explosion.

SOC 3830-3 Mental Disorders (3 + 0)
Prerequisite: SOC 1010
An examination of the concepts and treatment procedures for those defined as mentally ill within this society. Specific social variables such as social class, sex, race and marital status will be analyzed in terms of their influence on diagnosed disorders.

SOC 3910-3 Religious Movements in America (3 + 0)
Prerequisite: SOC 1010
A development of a functional theory of religion preceded by an examination of the relationship between religion and such factors as morals, science, magic, personality, ethnicity, social status, economics, political institutions and social change.

SOC 4200-3 Social Stratification and Inequality (3 + 0)
Prerequisites: SOC 1010 and SOC 3320
This course examines theories of the distribution of scarce resources within human societies and the consequences of social inequality. Topics include: characteristics and consequences of stratification systems; bases of stratification systems in society; measurement of social position; age, gender and ethnic variations in the social mobility process; social class in the United States.

SOC 4210-3 Structure and Dynamics of Modern Organizations (3 + 0)
Prerequisites: SOC 1010 and SOC 3320
The course examines theories of social organization, basic processes and problems that occur between the individual and the design of the organizational structure and contemporary examples of organizational structures that are designed to meet organizational goals and individual needs.

SOC 4220-3 Society and the Environment (3 + 0)
Prerequisites: SOC 1010 and senior standing
This course explores the relationship between humans in social groups and their effect on the natural environment. A variety of social theories are used to analyze these effects. Proposals for implementing change are evaluated from a sociological perspective.

SOC 4300-3 Social Change (3 + 0)
Prerequisite: SOC 1010
An analysis of the alterations in patterns of culture, social systems and social behavior over time. A variety of theoretical perspectives will be used as a basis for understanding these changes. Factors that contribute to as well as those that inhibit change will be analyzed.

SOC 4350-3 Advanced Seminar in Sociological Theory: Variable Topics (3 + 0)
Prerequisite: permission of instructor
Content varies, but each course involves intensive study and critical analysis of major sociological theories, such as those of Weber, Durkheim, Marx, Simmel, Mannheim, C. Wright Mills, and Parsons; or of selected theoretical systems in contemporary or classical sociology. This course may be repeated for credit under different topics.

SOC 4600-3 Advanced Research in the Social Sciences (3 + 0)
Prerequisites: SOC 1010, SOC 3320, SOC 3600; satisfaction of Level I and Level II General Studies course requirements, and senior standing
Continuation of SOC 3600. Further application of research techniques, including individual and task-group assignments designed to develop students' skills in designing, organizing, computer coding and doing computer- assisted analysis of selected research projects. (Senior Experience)

SOC 4700-3 Advanced Field Internship (0 + 9)
Prerequisites: SOC 2010 and upper-division standing
An advanced level supervised in-service field experience in the broad area of social concern and the "urban scene," conducted with the cooperation of participating agencies and institutions.

SOC 4710-3 Applied Sociology (2 + 2)
Prerequisites: SOC 3320, SOC 3600, satisfaction of Level I and Level II General Studies requirements and senior standing
This capstone course centers on supervised field work. Students will apply theoretical perspectives and methodological techniques within community and organizational settings. (Senior Experience)



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