Go to Table of Contents Sociology SOC2205 War and Peace This course uses an interdisciplinary approach to exploring the causes and consequences of war and terrorism. The course also explores peaceful ways of living and resolving conflict. Students will learn about the human, social, and financial costs of war, in particular the adverse effects on the lives of children. Students will also explore the historical and contemporary aspects of the ethics of peace. Students will learn the difference between negative peace, understood as the absence of war, and positive peace, defined as professional-active peacemaking, by learning about the peacemaking strategies of individuals, social groups and organizations actively engaged in creating a peaceful world. Spring semester, alternate years, expected spring 2014. 4 credits
SOC3101 Theories of Society The goal of this course is to introduce students to classical and contemporary sociological theories. Students will become familiar with competing sociological perspectives by studying the works of prominent 19th-, 20th-, and 21st-century social theorists. Students will learn to identify the major concepts of classical and contemporary social theories and will apply them to current social problems. Students will evaluate the content of theories by assessing theorists’ explanations of social inequality and their views on the mechanisms of social change. Fall semester. 4 credits Prerequisites: SOC1101 and at least one other Sociology course, and junior or senior status or permission of instructor SOC3103 Advanced Quantitative Research Methods This course is designed to give students the opportunity to build upon and expand the capabilities they developed in the Methods of Social Research course. Students will conduct secondary data analysis using the General Social Survey or another approved data set. Students will develop and test hypotheses using a variety of statistical tests. A substantial research paper and presentation are required. This course will help students prepare for both graduate school and the workplace. Spring semester, alternate years, expected spring 2014. 4 credits Prerequisites: SOC2113 and junior or senior status or permission of instructor SOC3104 Advanced Qualitative Research Methods Students will explore approaches and conventions of qualitative research methods and get experience by applying these methods. Students will practice qualitative research by conducting their own projects based on in-depth interviewing or 2012-2013 Academic Catalog
Course Descriptions for Liberal Arts and Sciences
SOC2207: Deviant Behavior and Social Controls The class focuses on the sociological study of the social construction to deviant behaviors and society’s response to those behaviors deemed “deviant.” These behaviors and the influence of social controls will be examined from positivist and social constructionist sociological and criminological perspectives. A range of behaviors will be covered, including but not limited to heterosexual deviance, interpersonal violence, sexual violence, alcoholism, illegal drug use, and Internet deviance. The main goals of this course are to: 1) expand students’ knowledge of deviant behaviors, 2) acknowledge and understand the subjectivity of such behaviors, 3) learn related theoretical perspectives and empirical research, and 4) examine the role social controls (and labeling) play in defining deviant behaviors and societal responses to these behaviors. Spring semester. 4 credits
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