Dept of Sociology - BU Undergraduate Bulletin 2005-2006

Arts & Sciences | School of Education | School of Humanities | School of Sciences | School of Social Sciences

Communication Studies | History | Media Studies | Political Science | Sociology

Department of Sociology
Andrea Stepnick (chair), Annemarie Harrod, Ken Spring.

Vision:

The Sociology Program provides specific knowledge, skills, and theoretical frameworks for developing cultural awareness and an understanding of how social arrangements influence life at the individual, group, community, and societal levels.

Purpose:

Our rigorous and student-centered program provides graduates with the transferable skills necessary for a fast-changing and complex world including: data analysis, critical thinking, leadership, and effective oral and written communication. The study of Sociology encourages cross-cultural awareness, self-understanding, and the betterment of society through the reduction of social problems. These skills and knowledge prepare our students for graduate training and for a variety of careers including but not limited to: International Relations, Marketing Research, Social Service and Non-profit Management, City Management, Gerontology, Education, Ministry, Criminal Justice, Advocacy/Activism, and Law.

Goals:

1. Sociology students will develop a complex understanding of how major social and cultural arrangements related to race, class, and gender interact with the economy, education, religion, family, and the environment.

2. Sociology students will acquire critical reading and data analysis skills though rigorous methodological training.

3. Sociology students will learn to apply research skills, theoretical orientations, and sociological knowledge to social issues and matters of public policy.

4. Sociology students will learn to use research skills for exploring intellectual freedom and knowledge of self, especially related to the role of human agency in promoting social change.

5. Sociology students will have multiple opportunities for community involvement and internships that enhance student learning and benefit the community.

6. Sociology students will experience a student-friendly learning environment that offers personalized advising and mentoring to foster students' personal and professional development.

7. Sociology students will develop interpersonal skills, cross-cultural awareness, and other professional skills that will serve them throughout their lives in a variety of contexts.

Major in Sociology (B.A. or B.S.)	Hours
General Education Core Requirements			56-58
Prerequisites for Major in Sociology (taken as part of the General Education core)
MTH 1030, Statistical Concepts	3
SOC 1010, Introduction to Sociology	3
Major Requirements			30
SOC 2200, Sociological Theory	3
SOC 2250, Social Research Methods	3
Sociology Core Courses		9
Institutions (three hours chosen from the following)	3
SOC 2300, Crime and Deviance SOC 3000, Schools and Society SOC 3050, Family Problems & Social Change SOC 3220, Sociology of Religion SOC 3230, Medical Sociology SOC 3250, Economy and Society SOC 3440, Sociology of Science SOC 3700, Criminal Justice SOC 3800, Criminology
Power and Inequality (three hours chosen from the following)	3
SOC 3200, Sex and Gender SOC 3240, Political Sociology SOC 3400, Inequality SOC 3450, Race and Ethnic Relations
Social Change and Culture (three hours chosen from the following)	3
SOC 3350, Social Movements SOC 3550, The Urban Community SOC 3600, Environmental Sociology SOC 3650, Popular Culture
Sociology Electives		15
Minor Requirements			18
Electives			22-24
Total			128

Minor in Sociology	Hours
Prerequisites for Minor in Sociology (included in core or electives)			6
MTH 1030, Statistical Concepts	3
SOC 1010, Introduction to Sociology	3
Minor Requirements*			18
SOC 2200, Sociological Theory	3
SOC 2250, Social Research Methods	3
Sociology Core Courses		9
Institutions and the Self (three hours chosen from the following)	3
SOC 2300, Crime and Deviance SOC 3000, Schools and Society SOC 3050, Family Problems & Social Change SOC 3220, Sociology of Religion SOC 3230, Medical Sociology SOC 3250, Economy and Society SOC 3440, Sociology of Science SOC 3700, Criminal Justice SOC 3800, Criminology
Power and Inequality (three hours chosen from the following)	3
SOC 3200, Sex and Gender SOC 3240, Political Sociology SOC 3400, Social Stratification SOC 3450, Race and Ethnic Relations
Social Change and Culture (three hours chosen from the following)	3
SOC 3350, Social Movements SOC 3550, The Urban Community SOC 3600, Environmental Sociology SOC 3650, Popular Culture
Sociology Electives		3
Total			18
*Social Work and Psychology majors only may substitute SWK 2050 or PSY 2400 for SOC 2250. Eighteen hours in sociology is still required.

Sociology Courses (SOC)

SOC 1950-4950. Studies Abroad (3-18). Study in a foreign country. Individual course titles and locations are assigned for each course taken. See Studies Abroad program for details.

SOC 1990-4990. Special Studies (1-3).

SOC 1010. Introduction to Sociology (3). A study of human association: social control, interaction, conflict, assimilation, segregation, and stratification.

SOC 1100. Special Topics in General Education: Sociology (3). These courses are designed to provide special topic classes in sociology approved for the general education program. Students may take no more than one course from this prefix to meet social science general education requirements.

SOC 2020. Social Problems (3). Pre or co requisite: SOC 1010. A study of current social problems: crime, drug addiction, alcoholism, pollution, and poverty.

SOC 2100. Cultural Theory (3). This course lays the theoretical foundation for understanding contemporary cultural phenomena. Explanations of the production and consumption of culture, along with those of symbolic boundaries and authenticity will be examined in tandem with an analysis of modern and postmodern cultures. The goal of this course is to provide a foundation which facilitates more effective studies of specific cultural milieus.

SOC 2200. Sociological Theory (3). Prerequisite: SOC 1010. An analysis of macro-social theories including Marx, Durkheim, and Weber, and micro-social theories including symbolic interaction, role theory, and social exchange theory.

SOC 2250. Social Research Methods (3). Prerequisites: SOC 1010, MTH 1030. An introduction to the basic skills necessary in conducting empirical research in the social sciences. Topics covered will include the logic of science in sociology, literature reviews, design and measurement, use of primary and secondary data, ethical issues in research, and writing research reports. This course will be offered every other year.

SOC 2300. Deviance (3). This course focuses on dissidents, those labeled mentally ill, sexual and religious minorities, gamblers, addicts, and other non criminal deviants. It studies the role of public stigma in the maintenance of both solidarity and inequality, as well as the consequences for those labeled deviant.

SOC 3000. Schools and Society: The Sociology of Education (3). Prerequisite: SOC 101 or consent of instructor. The role of education in modern industrial life. The contributions of various theories to understanding how schools affect the individual and relate to the economy, families, race, ethnicity, and social class.

SOC 3050. Family Problems & Social Change (3). This course in family problems is sociological in focus and specifically addresses how families are influenced by the social and economic context in which they exist. It will address major historical transformations in society (i.e. social change) and corresponding family change. Topics will include (but not limited to): patterns of fertility, marriage, cohabitation, remarriage, "singlehood," women's labor force participation. We will also study a variety of contemporary problems faced by families including divorce, child care, elder care, and abuse.

SOC 3100. Politics of Knowledge (3). Prerequisite: SOC 2100. This course looks into how the media shapes our knowledge of politics. The symbolism and layers of meaning embedded in political and other types of media commentary will be analyzed using various theoretical frameworks such as the sociology of knowledge, social contructionism, structuralism, critical theory, and postmodernity. Foundational works taken up could include readings by Foucault, Merton, Mannheim, and Habermas along with more contemporary readings of politics, media, and popular culture.

SOC 3120. Sociology of Music (3). Prerequisite: SOC 2100. Several sociological perspectives are used to understand the role of music in society including how music is produced, the social meaning people give it, the role of music as a marker of social status, how people of diverse backgrounds cooperate to make music, and the scenes that foster innovative music. Together these will help us generate hypotheses about the future of music. Music of diverse sorts, from disco to country, jazz, classical, hip-hop, and techno, will be used to show these and related processes. The main focus of this course will be on the development of popular music over the last half of the century.

SOC 3140. Sociology of Film (3). Prerequisite: SOC 2100. This course examines the history of the film industry and the significance of films in the cultural history of the United States. In particular, it focuses on the effects of social conditions on the film industry and the content of films. The impact of films on American culture and society is assessed. Contents may include but are not limited to: the Sociology of Film, The Invention of Film, Rise of the Studio System, Introduction of Sound and Color, Film Narrative, Film Genre, Minorities in Film, Women in Film, Censorship in Film, Film Art and Film Criticism, Independent Film, and Film as Ideology.

SOC 3200. Sex and Gender (3). This course examines the social construction of manhood, womanhood, and human sexuality. It emphasizes feminist sociological study of inequality, and focuses on a variety of topics, which in any semester could include: family, romance, the status of working women, religious doctrines, public authority, sexual deviance, and violent crime.

SOC 3220. Sociology of Religion (3). This course studies religion as a force of moral solidarity and social change. It reviews the history of the post-Enlightenment study of religion, major sociological theories, and their assumptions. Substantive topics include the history of struggles among religious organizations in the American South, contemporary debates about morality and the state nationwide, overlap and tensions between mass religion and our secular popular culture. This course focuses on the place of mainline Protestantism in these struggles.

SOC 3230. Medical Sociology (3). This course looks at medicine as an institution which is highly related to other social institutions such as religion, the family, the economy, and the state. It examines the social demography of health, social stratification and healthcare delivery, doctor-patient interaction, and professional norms in the healthcare profession.

SOC 3240. Political Sociology (3). Prerequisite: SOC 1010 or consent of instructor. This course will examine topics such as politics and power in society, theoretical perspectives in political sociology, elite power in American society, linkages between elites and masses, and sociopolitical movements.

SOC 3350. Social Movements (3). Prerequisite: SOC 1010 or consent of instructor. This course examines factors that affect the evolution, structure, and growth of social movements. Key social movements will be analyzed for their affect on American society.

SOC 3400. Inequality (3). Prerequisites: SOC 1010, SOC 2200 or consent of instructor. An analysis of the dimensions of stratification in American society, namely, race, class, and gender. It will also discuss occupational prestige, class and social change, socialization and values, structural opportunities for social mobility, class consciousness and class conflict, and the underclass and American public policy.

SOC 3440. Sociology of Science (3). Prerequisite: One course in the Sciences. This course will focus on three major areas: studies of the social structure of the scientific community, studies of the construction of scientific knowledge, and studies of science in social, political and economic contexts. The third focus will deal in greater depth with one or more specific scientific controversies, such as the debates which have occurred around nuclear energy, genetic research, and environmental issues.

SOC 3450. Race and Ethnic Relations (3). A study of race and ethnic relations in the U.S. focusing on both historical and contemporary issues in a sociological framework. Included for consideration are the nature of human prejudice and discrimination, colonization and immigration, assimilation and pluralism, inequality and conflict, and other relevant current issues.

SOC 3550. The Urban Community (3). Prerequisite: SOC 1010. An examination of urban social structures and processes, historical patterns in the structure and growth of the city. Also examined are community power structures, urban planning and Third World cities.

SOC 3600. Environmental Sociology (3). This course analyzes various theoretical and policy approaches to environmental issues, how societies progress from states of surplus to scarcity, and structural barriers to environmental progress.

SOC 3650. Popular Culture (3). This course examines mass-mediated entertainment and its engagement both with enduring social tensions (regarding class, race, and gender divisions) and with religious faith and institutions. It reviews theories of the significance of popular culture, as well as methods of genre and single-case analysis. It also prepares students to contribute to current trends in research. The course emphasizes contemporary music, video, and especially film.

SOC 3700. Criminal Justice (3). The study of the institutions that process suspected and convicted criminal offenders, this course focuses on legal codes, courts, police, prisons, and mass-media crime scares. It offers study of the ways in which these institutions shape and are shaped by large-scale inequality.

SOC 3800. Criminology (3). The study of motives for and situations conducive to crime, this course reviews major theories of crime and methods for its study. Focus on specific crimes may vary by semester, but the role of inequality in the shaping of crime remains central.

SOC 3910. Special Topics in the Sociology of Culture (3). Prerequisite: SOC 2100. This course offers focused study of special topics including but not limited to media violence, the culture of terrorism, religion in the media, national identity, the culture of advertising and consumption in America, the culture of sports, globalization, and political culture.

SOC 4800. Senior Research Seminar (3). Prerequisites: SOC 1010, MTH 1030, SOC 2200, SOC 2250, at least 12 additional hours in sociology and senior standing. This is a seminar during which seniors will pursue their own individual research projects. There will be no lectures or exams, but each class will include discussion of the various research topics of interest to students. Each student's work will culminate in the completion of an empirical research project.

SOC 4900. Practicum in Sociology (3). Prerequisites: Consent of instructor required. A specially arranged course designed to give the student practical experience in work settings related to sociology. Students are assigned to an area of interest to them and their work is supervised by a field supervisor and the course supervisor. A minimum of 100 hours in the agency is required. Grading is on a Pass/ Fail basis. Only three hours of practicum may be applied to the minor.