Course descriptions may be updated periodically to reflect changes since the last published catalog.
Course Number Name
SOC-113 Introduction to Sociology...

Prerequisites

Course Credits

4.00

Description

An introduction to the sociological understanding of human interaction, group process and social structures. Students are introduced to basic concepts, theories and methods of sociological investigation. Majors and minors must pass with a grade of "C" or better.

Term Offered

Offered Both Fall and Spring

Course Types

Social Science

SOC-116 Social Problems...

Prerequisites

Course Credits

4.00

Description

An examination of traditional and contemporary problems associated with major social institutions such as the family, economics, government and education. Social forces related to ethnicity, social class, health and welfare, and urbanization are also included. Alternative remedial measures based on behavioral science theories are discussed. Majors and minors must pass with a grade of "C" or better.

Term Offered

Offered Both Fall and Spring

Course Types

Social Science

SOC-211 Corrections and Punishment...

Prerequisites

Take SOC-234 or SOC-333;

Course Credits

4.00

Description

A sociological exploration of coercive and incapacitative responses to crime. Attention is given to the origins and patterning of segregative controls, the correctional claims of prison systems, alternatives to incarceration and relationships between types of crime, and criminals and varieties of punitive response.

Term Offered

Occasional

SOC-212 Statistics for Sociology...

Prerequisites

SOC 113 or 116; and MATH 130 or higher

Course Credits

4.00

Description

In this course, students will be introduced to descriptive and basic inferential statistical techniques. The course will provide information on the following topics: Description - measures of central tendency (mean, median, mode) and measures of dispersion (range, standard deviation); logic of statistical inference, including normal curve and sampling distribution; hypothesis testing with one sample and two samples; measures of association between two variables (bivariate analysis), including chi-square, regression, and correlation; and introduction to multivariate regression. Students will utilize SPSS (Statistical Package for the Social Sciences) software to input and analyze data. The goals of the course are for students to appreciate the need for statistical methods in the broad field of sociology and to gain basic statistical literacy.

Term Offered

Offered Both Fall and Spring

Course Types

Quantitative Reasoning

SOC-214 Research Methods in Sociology...

Prerequisites

SOC 113 or 116 with "C" or better & one other SOC course. Cannot be taken concurrently with SOC 310,315,or 333.

Course Credits

4.00

Description

How sociologists decide what to study, how they select a research design, sample and collect data, analyze results, interpret findings, and write up reports. Students are introduced to the techniques most frequently used by sociologists and undertake their own small research project. Required for all Sociology majors.

Term Offered

Offered Both Fall and Spring

SOC-217 Sociology of Urban Life...

Prerequisites

Course Credits

4.00

Description

An examination of the effects of the city on human life in its broadest as well as its most specific aspects. Greater Boston and similar communities across the nation will be studied as ecological settings, as producers and shapers of change, and as special contexts for understanding sociological ideas. Comparisons will be made among urban places in the U.S. and in other countries.

Term Offered

Occasional

Course Types

Social Science,Cultural Diversity Opt A

SOC-218 Crime and Law in Indian Country...

Prerequisites

Course Credits

4.00

Description

What happens if you commit a crime on an Indian reservation? Who will prosecute you and how will they punish you? This course will explore the roots of tribal legal systems and criminal law, both the Native and American influences. You will gain an understanding of tribal government, legal systems, criminal law, and the role of tradition in contemporary tribal law. The course will also examine the conflict between Native and Non-Native perspectives on several cases: sovereignty, rights to cultural practices, women, freedom of religion, and land.

Term Offered

Occasional

Course Types

Cultural Diversity Opt A

SOC-220 Childhood and Adolescence in Contemporary Society...

Prerequisites

Course Credits

4.00

Description

This course examines the development of children and adolescents from biological, psychological, and sociological perspectives. Major themes and changes associated with each developmental stage are discussed. The course explores practical implications of theory and research (parenting, juvenile justice, etc.), and current topics in child and adolescent development. Class format includes lectures discussion, debates and direct observation of children.

Term Offered

Occasional

SOC-222 Women in Struggle on Film...

Prerequisites

Course Credits

4.00

Description

Women's struggles in arenas from war to labor disputes will be examined through films and writings. Societal, historical and cultural contexts of women's roles in films are discussed drawing on film criticism and sociological analyses.

Term Offered

Occasional

SOC-223 Families in Contemporary Society...

Prerequisites

Course Credits

4.00

Description

An exploration of the diversity of contemporary families. Comparisons are made between the cultural myths of the "ideal faily" and the lived realities. Challenges confronting contemporary families and their implications for social policy are examined in such areas as work/family conflicts, gay and lesbian families, welfare, family violence.

Term Offered

Occasional

Course Types

Social Science

SOC-224 Families in Contemporary Society (Spain)...

Prerequisites

Course Credits

4.00

Description

Spain has experienced major socio demographic changes since the mid 1970s. These transformations mainly arise from the new role of women in society and, in particular, women's higher levels of education, work experience, and labour market attachment. The changes in women's labour force participation have occurred in conjunction with a progressive postponement of main family events, such as leaving the parental home, forming a partnership and having children, as well as with a reduction in the family size. Spain is, indeed, characterized as having one of the "lowest low fertility levels" within western industrialized countries, a pattern that is exacerbating the ongoing process of population ageing. This picture partly reflects the conflicting relationship that currently exists between women?s labour force participation and the accommodation of family responsibilities: the so-called work, family balance. Ongoing differences among countries have been accounted for by different explanatory factors that involve socio economic, cultural and social policy dimensions. From a comparative perspective, the course in intended to cover recent debates, controversies, and research on family formation and family dilemmas in contemporary Spain.

Term Offered

Course Types

Social Science

SOC-225 Sociology of Romance...

Prerequisites

Course Credits

4.00

Description

The meaning of romance and courtship today and its social consequences in marriage, homogamy, stratification and divorce. The historical origins of romanticism and the sources of romance in socialization, books and magazines, television and movies, popular music and peer group membership are also considered.

Term Offered

Occasional

SOC-226 Religion in Contemporary Society...

Prerequisites

Course Credits

4.00

Description

An examination of the fundamental purpose and functions of religion in society. Major religious systems in America are analyzed in terms of basic values and structure. The impact of changes in religious organizations upon clergy, laity and society are discussed.

Term Offered

Occasional

Course Types

Expanded Classroom Requirement

SOC-227 Race in American Society...

Prerequisites

Course Credits

4.00

Description

Despite the election of Barack Obama as President of the United States, race remains one of the most divisive forces in U.S. society. While many of us struggle against racism, racial classification continues to affect where we live, where we work, and how we see ourselves. Racial classification affects our access to health care and our encounters with police officers. Distorted images of racial groups fill television and movie screens. Appeals to reacism and fear of foreigners are dominant themes in elections to state and national offices. This course examines the formation and re-formation of racial classifications: how particular groups become racially identified, how these classifications change over time, and how conflicts over race have shaped American society. The meanings of race, as seen from a variety of perspectives, will be a consistent theme throughout the course.

Term Offered

Occasional

Course Types

Cultural Diversity Opt A

SOC-228 Culture Diversity & Human Need...

Prerequisites

Course Credits

4.00

Description

Enables students to examine, as well as develop an awareness and appreciation of, diversity within today's society. Providing an overview of the major racial, ethnic, and cultural groups in the U.S., the focus is on the ways in which cultural awareness enhances professional helping relationships and improves the operation of human services systems.

Term Offered

Occasional

Course Types

Cultural Diversity Opt A

SOC-229 Social Class and Inequality...

Prerequisites

Course Credits

4.00

Description

This course examines the difference between the life experience of those who are rich, poor and middle class. Topics include: the elite in Boston, theories of inequality; blue collar neighborhoods, the hard living poor, and ethnic and sexual stratification.

Term Offered

Occasional

SOC-230 Bad Girls...

Prerequisites

Course Credits

4.00

Description

This class explores the images of the traditional "bad" girl in films. The course examines the idea of moving beyond merely the delinquent, many images in film suggest that girls and women who break with the socially condoned role of femininity are somehow bad. Girls and women who have power or challenge authority are often portrayed in films as deviant and therefore "bad". Girls and women who are "frigid" are just as "bad" as their sexually promiscuous silver-screen opposites. This course further focuses on the impact of these images on real life social roles for girls and women as well as the symbiotic relationship between fact and fiction.

Term Offered

Occasional

Course Types

Cultural Diversity Opt A

SOC-231 Victims of Crime...

Prerequisites

Course Credits

4.00

Description

In recent years, public attention to victims of crime has grown enormously. The reasons for this are complex. They include the effects of political organizing by crime victims; increased media attention to crime (often driven by crime stories as entertainment and advertising vehicles); the exploitation of crime victims by the politicians; and long-standing community frustrations with the criminal justice system. This course will examine the rise of public attention to crime, the response of the criminal justice system to victims, and the problems and possibilities regarding new responses to victims of crime. New developments in "restorative justice" will be presented as an emerging alternative to problems victims have reported with the criminal justice system.

Term Offered

Occasional

SOC-232 Street Gangs...

Prerequisites

Course Credits

4.00

Description

This course provides an overview of youth gangs and their sociological underpinnings, which are rooted in poverty and racism. Topical areas are discussed in relation to these key factors. Study topics include the history of gangs, theories about gang formation and individual membership, gangs and criminal behavior, socio-cultural importance of gangs, and strategies to control gang behavior. The course will utilize current gang issues in the US generally and in Massachusetts in particular as a basis to better understand the nuances of youth gangs.

Term Offered

Course Types

Cultural Diversity Opt A

SOC-234 Criminal Justice Systems...

Prerequisites

Course Credits

4.00

Description

An overview of issues and social variables involved in the pre-arrest and arrest stages followed by a more in-depth analysis of pre-trial, trial, sentencing, and correctional phases. Sociological and criminal justice models are examined and compared with the actual processes and purported functions of criminal justice agencies. Required for all majors in the Crime and Justice Concentration.

Term Offered

Offered Both Fall and Spring

SOC-236 Deviance and Social Control...

Prerequisites

Course Credits

4.00

Description

Who and what is deviant? How shall the society respond? The course examines a range of deviance theories and associated social policies. A number of case studies will be used to evaluate these theories, such as body piercing, witchcraft, gay and lesbian sexuality, corporate crime, disability, prostitution, violence against women, racism, anti-Semitism, and gangs.

Term Offered

Offered Both Fall and Spring

Course Types

Social Science

SOC-238 Cops & Robbers: Crime on Film...

Prerequisites

Course Credits

4.00

Description

An examination of images of crime and justice portrayed in the American cinema. Special attention is paid to the social and historical forces that have shaped popular representations of good and evil during the modern era.

Term Offered

Occasional

SOC-239 Men and Violence...

Prerequisites

Course Credits

4.00

Description

An exploration of the nature of masculinity and its connection to interpersonal and collective violence in American society. The course focuses on the emotional, spiritual, social and cultural roots of the crisis of boyhood and masculinity as a context for and consequence of violence.

Term Offered

Occasional

Course Types

Cultural Diversity Opt A

SOC-242 Law, Health & Human Rights...

Prerequisites

Course Credits

4.00

Description

This course will look at the special opportunities and obligations of those in the health and legal professions to protect human rights. There will be an overview of human rights doctrine and key documents. Students will learn to apply human rights principles to particular occupations in the health and legal professions.

Term Offered

Occasional

SOC-243 Introduction to Health & Human Services...

Prerequisites

Course Credits

4.00

Description

A survey of the fundamental values, organization and methods of practice of the major health and human services delivery systems. Problems associated with resource allocation and client base needs in the context of economic and political priorities are discussed. Alternative role models for professional workers in public and private settings are also evaluated.

Term Offered

Occasional

SOC-244 Social Work With Families...

Prerequisites

Course Credits

4.00

Description

This course will provide an in-depth analysis of family dynamics as well as some beginning skills in counseling families. Using a systems approach, students will learn about family roles, sibling constellations and different types of families. The importance of ethnicity and culture in shaping family values and organization will be emphasized. Students will be encouraged to study their own families of origin so they might better understand how families change.

Term Offered

Occasional

SOC-253 Sociology of Health and Illness...

Prerequisites

Course Credits

4.00

Description

This course provides students with an introduction to how social norms, structures, and practices shape experiences of illness and health. Among the topics that will be covered are: health and the environment, the reasons some groups of people are less healthy than others, living with chronic illness and disabilities, and public debates surrounding issues such as performance enhancing drugs and sports, Attention Deficit Disorder and the HPV vaccine. Required for all students in the health, Medicine and the Body Concentration.

Term Offered

Occasional

SOC-254 U.S. Health Care Landscapes...

Prerequisites

Course Credits

4.00

Description

In this course, students will learn about how the U.S. health care system works. We will study the politics and economics of the health care system and discuss the key health care policy issues of this decade. Using the theoretical perspectives provided by sociology, we will look at issues of power, hierarchy, race, and gender vis-a-vis the health care system. Reading for this course centers on first person narratives by people working in the health care system.

Term Offered

Occasional

Course Types

Expanded Classroom Requirement

SOC-256 Sociology of Aging...

Prerequisites

Course Credits

4.00

Description

Consideration of the physiological, psychological and social factors associated with the aging process. Contemporary American values toward the elderly are compared and contrasted with historical and cross-cultural studies. Current opportunities and techniques enabling the elderly to enrich and expand their societal roles are explored.

Term Offered

Occasional

SOC-264 Technology and Society...

Prerequisites

Course Credits

4.00

Description

An examination of the ways in which social structures and processes influence and are affected by modern ideas, needs and social practice techniques in technologically advanced societies is considered in conjunction with changes in the way in which we understand the world, the nature of work and leisure, the processing of information and the character of social institutions. Normally offered alternate years. Fulfills the Social Science Option. Fulfills the Sociology Department's Social Policy requirement.

Term Offered

Course Types

Social Science

SOC-273 Women in Contemporary Society...

Prerequisites

Course Credits

4.00

Description

A critical analysis of theory and research related to the socialization, roles and social participation of women in contemporary society.

Term Offered

Occasional

SOC-275 Women and Crime...

Prerequisites

Course Credits

4.00

Description

This course examines the complex relationships between women and crime today. This focus will include women as criminal offenders; women as victims of crime; and women as both offenders and victims. Course materials draw from recent feminist scholarship on these issues in the social sciences. Topics include the causes of women's crime women, drugs, and crime; child abuse and trauma; prostitution and sex trafficking; race, gender and victimization; and feminist social movements against violence. Crimes of violence against women are a central focus in the course.

Term Offered

Occasional

Course Types

Cultural Diversity Opt A

SOC-276 Sex and Society...

Prerequisites

Course Credits

4.00

Description

An examination of human sexuality as experience and institution. Sexuality is considered in relationship to power, love, religion, family, race, gender, sexual orientation, violence and courtship.

Term Offered

Occasional

SOC-285 Terrorism and Counterterrorism...

Prerequisites

Course Credits

4.00

Description

This course is designed to give students an overview of Terrorism and its impact on American society. It will examine various aspects of terrorism for a local, national and international perspective. It will examine the consequences of terrorism focusing on social responses and public policy issues.

Term Offered

Occasional

SOC-286 Women and Work...

Prerequisites

Course Credits

4.00

Description

An exploration of the relationship between gender roles, work environments, and careers in American society. The problems and prospects faced by women in the world of work are considered with special attention to power and sexism in the workplace, domestic vs. organizational work, role conflicts for working women, and the relationship between changing images of women and changing patterns of female employment. Policy requirement.

Term Offered

Occasional

Course Types

Cultural Diversity Opt A

SOC-315 Sociological Theory...

Prerequisites

SOC 113 or 116 with a grade of "C" or better and one other SOC course; CANNOT be taken concurrently with SOC 214; Majors/Minors only.

Course Credits

4.00

Description

An examination and comparison of the origin, development and structure of the major theoretical approaches in contemporary sociology. Contributions of different branches of sociology to theory are explored with special attention to the relevance of sociological explanations for society and the social process. Students must have taken and passed SOC 113 or SOC course from the sociology department. Normally only.

Term Offered

Occasional

SOC-320 Ireland and the Irish...

Prerequisites

Course Credits

4.00

Description

A look at the Irish in Ireland and America with a special focus on the uniqueness of Irish culture and society and their place in the world community. Attention will be given to Ireland's past, current social conditions, and directions of change, stressing the totality and interrelatedness of the Irish experience. This case study will illustrate social science concepts such as the peripheral society, the social construction of the immigrant experience, the roles and effects of organizations in a society, and the significance of social context. requirement.

Term Offered

Occasional

SOC-321 Identity, Self and Society...

Prerequisites

Course Credits

4.00

Description

This course explores the emergence of the self as an intersection of biography, history and social structure. Emphasis is on modern , Western societies. Conceptually, we will take a life course approach which emphasizes processes of psychosocial, moral, intellectual, and spiritual development for contemporary men and women. This course is designed in part as a workshop where students will develop the skills and insights essential for conducting life history research and biographical studies that are sociological in focus.

Term Offered

Occasional

SOC-322 Tough Guise...

Prerequisites

Course Credits

4.00

Description

Representations of masculinity in contemporary societies are examined in terms of their social sources and consequences. Images and scripts for "doing masculinity" are explored through case studies of film, television, sports, advertising, comic books, video games, music and other media that define what it means to be a man.

Term Offered

Occasional

Course Types

Cultural Diversity Opt A

SOC-325 Popular Culture in America...

Prerequisites

Prerequisite: SOC 113 or SOC 116.

Course Credits

4.00

Description

An investigation of the images of life provided by mass communications, the educational system and official culture. Topics include: the growth of the youth culture since the 1950s; images of working people; women, minorities and advertising; changing ideas of success; consciousness-raising and contra-cultures.

Term Offered

Occasional

SOC-326 Protest and Social Change...

Prerequisites

Course Credits

4.00

Description

An exploration of recent and contemporary protest movements. Cases studied may include Civil Rights women's movement, environmental, militia, and new right, gay and lesbian, labor, etc. Movement issues such as goals, tactics, use of violence, use of media cultural politics, social control and repression will be considered. Under what conditions do protest movements succeed or fail in bringing desired social change?

Term Offered

Occasional

Course Types

Cultural Diversity Opt A

SOC-327 Special Topics: General Sociology...

Prerequisites

Course Credits

4.00

Description

A course with special interest topics in sociology which changes depending on the professor.

Term Offered

Occasional

SOC-329 Sociology of Globalization...

Prerequisites

Prerequisite: SOC 113 or SOC 116.

Course Credits

4.00

Description

Globalization is shrinking the world. How and why did this happen? This course will explore global change and the global processes which effect key social institutions: culture, the economy and politics. Students will study the processes of globalization and its impact on our lives and people around the globe.

Term Offered

Occasional

Course Types

Cultural Diversity Opt B

SOC-330 Race and Ethnicity in a Globalized World...

Prerequisites

Prerequisite: SOC 113 or SOC 116

Course Credits

4.00

Description

What are the roles of race and ethnicity from a global perspective? A global racial hierarchy determines who experiences privilege or oppression. Students will examine how the meanings of race and ethnicity can vary by location and how they matter globally.

Term Offered

Occasional

Course Types

Cultural Diversity Opt B

SOC-333 Sociology of Crime...

Prerequisites

Take SOC-113 or SOC-116 with a minimum grade of C; Take one additional SOC course. Cannot be taken concurrently with SOC-214;

Course Credits

4.00

Description

The question "Why is there crime?" lies at the heart of this course. This class will address what we mean by crime, who gets to define what crime is, how crime can be explained and how it can be reduced. Making sense of crime is essential if we are to respond effectively to victims and offfenders. This course offers an in-depth examination of the many different theories of crime. These include biological, psychological, and sociological theories of victimization and offending. The course will study these theories in the context of many different kinds of criminal offending. By the end of the course, students will have a deep understanding of where these theories came from; what their strengths and weaknesses are; whether they are supported by research findings; and what implications these theories have for stopping crime.

Term Offered

SOC-334 Sociology of Policing...

Prerequisites

SOC 333 or SOC 234

Course Credits

4.00

Description

An investigation of the emergence, organization, and structure of police systems. The course focuses on the conditions surrounding the relationship between the police and policed in different historical, cultural, political, and economic contexts.

Term Offered

Occasional

SOC-336 Probation and Parole...

Prerequisites

SOC-234 or SOC-333;

Course Credits

4.00

Description

Correctional theories are reviewed along with the historical development of probation and parole. Current research and analytical perspectives reflecting on administrative problems, innovative policies and the internal philosophical inconsistencies of these systems are examined.

Term Offered

SOC-337 Juvenile Justice and the Law...

Prerequisites

Course Credits

4.00

Description

Considers the problems surrounding the legal definition and handling of juveniles who confront the law as offenders, clients and victims. Attention is devoted to the study of the special legal categories and procedures established for juveniles, the problems facing professionals providing juvenile services and the most significant directions of legal and social change affecting youth in our society. Normally offered every year. Fulfills the Sociology Department's Social Policy requirement.

Term Offered

SOC-338 White Collar Crime...

Prerequisites

Course Credits

4.00

Description

An examination of the relationship between crime, business activity, and technology with special attention to the crimes of the powerful and the changing relationship between economic development and criminal activity.

Term Offered

Occasional

SOC-339 Sociology of Violence...

Prerequisites

Course Credits

4.00

Description

A description of violence in the United States. This course emphasizes the historical development and utilization of violence from a sociological perspective. Social, political, and personal violence will be examined and an attempt will be made to develop some theoretical orientations that may be used to both explain and prevent violence.

Term Offered

Occasional

SOC-340 Licit/Lethal:America's Drug Problem...

Prerequisites

Course Credits

4.00

Description

Most Americans think of prohibited substances such as marijuana, cocaine or heroin when they hear the word drug. This course will provide an in-depth examination of legal drug use in American society. A broad conceptual framework will be presented that illustrates how history, politics, society and economics all have played a key role in defining certain substances as permissible in America. Fulfills the Sociology Department Social Policy and Globalization requirements.

Term Offered

Offered Fall Term

SOC-341 International Drug Control Policy...

Prerequisites

Course Credits

4.00

Description

Relying on a simplistic demand or supply explanation of why Americans use/abuse drugs obscures the reality of America's drug problem, is ineffective as a guide to public policy and has unforeseen, often negative consequences. Drug use is a complex and multi-faceted issue. There are no easy answers. To comprehend the complexity of America's drug problem one needs an understanding of the geography, history, religion, law, economics and international politics of the Middle and Far East, Eastern Europe, Africa, Mexico, and Central and South America. This class will provide this basic understanding without losing sight that the problem we seek to remedy is our own.

Term Offered

Offered Spring Term

SOC-343 Child Welfare Services...

Prerequisites

Course Credits

4.00

Description

A survey of the historical development and current composition of services for children, including income maintenance, daycare, foster and institutional care and the adoption process.

Term Offered

Occasional

SOC-345 Get a Job: Welfare and Welfare Reform...

Prerequisites

SOC 113 or SOC 116

Course Credits

4.00

Description

In 1996, Congress passed the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Act (PRWORA), which requires states to reduce welfare caseloads by requiring recipients to work and limiting the number of years a family can receive benefits. This course will explore the history of welfare in the United States and the various efforts to reform it. Students will examine social, economic, and political forces that have driven recent reforms as well as exploring the interaction between race, gender, and poverty as they relate to welfare dependency and reform.

Term Offered

SOC-347 Immigration Law and Policy...

Prerequisites

Prerequisite: SOC 113 or SOC 116 OR Instructor's consent

Course Credits

4.00

Description

This course examines U.S. Immigration legislation and policies, focusing on how and why various immigration laws and policies have been established and implemented throughout history. We will address the intersection between immigration policy and race, ethnicity, nationality and socioeconomic status, as well as explore the effects that immigration laws have had on various immigrant groups and society in general.

Term Offered

Occasional

Course Types

Cultural Diversity Opt A

SOC-354 Death and Dying...

Prerequisites

Course Credits

4.00

Description

An examination of changing definitions of life and death, social factors affecting causes and rates of death, care of the dying and their families, institutionalization, the funeral industry, suicide, crisis intervention, and the impact of technology on the dying process.

Term Offered

Occasional

SOC-355 Women and Health...

Prerequisites

Course Credits

4.00

Description

An exploration of topics that relate particularly to women as providers and consumers in the health care system. The course will consider historical and current information on issues of reproduction, technology, health and illness.

Term Offered

Occasional

SOC-357 Global Health and Healing...

Prerequisites

Course Credits

4.00

Description

An examination of how different cultures understand health and illness. Healing approaches from Asia, Africa and the Americas will be explored.

Term Offered

Occasional

Course Types

Cultural Diversity Opt B

SOC-374 Diversity Among Women...

Prerequisites

Course Credits

4.00

Description

An exploration of the diverse experiences of womanhood as shaped by race, ethnicity, class, sexuality, age and physical ability. The course examines the commonalities women share and considers what women's differences suggest about an agenda for change. Issues such as workplace equality, family, policy, violence against women, sexuality are studied. How do diverse women, along with men allies, build alliances and work together for social transformation? Cultural Diversity A

Term Offered

Occasional

Course Types

Cultural Diversity Opt A

SOC-379 Anthropological Perspectives in Spain...

Prerequisites

Course Credits

4.00

Description

The recent changes in both Spain and Portugal are only the latest in a series of important transformations which these two countries have undergone over the past fifty years or so. In that time, they have both gone from being predominantly rural societies where the majority of the population live and work on the land to becoming industrial societies not unlike those of northern Europe and North America. Yet the underlying cultural heterogeneity of the peoples of the Iberian Peninsula has meant that different regions have often had very distinct actions to the various pressures toward political, economic, and social change. This seminar will examine the ethnographic diversity of the Iberian Peninsula in its regional manifestations, using a specifically anthropological approach in order to better comprehend present-day Spain and Portugal. Offered on Madrid Campus only. 1 term - 4 credits

Term Offered

SOC-380 Special Topics in Sociology: Peer Tutoring...

Prerequisites

Instructor's consent; ECR

Course Credits

4.00

Description

Specialized topics based on peer tutoring research and development. Content, prerequisites and hours to be announced.

Term Offered

Offered Both Fall and Spring

Course Types

Expanded Classroom Requirement

SOC-390 The Prison Experience, Literature and Film...

Prerequisites

Course Credits

4.00

Description

An examination of prison writings, films, and the actual experience of prison life from literary and sociological perspectives. Students will have an opportunity to examine their own perspectives of "the prison" as a symbol and shadow in American Society and compare these impressions with the actual experience of inmates, correctional officers and others who have lived in the "prison nation".

Term Offered

Occasional

SOC-406 The Immigrant Experience...

Prerequisites

Take SOC 113 or SOC 116 and one 200 level or above SOC course.

Course Credits

4.00

Description

The United States of America: A land of immigrants; "The Great Melting Pot". This country has indeed attracted immigrants from all over the world. However, not all have been welcomed or treated equally. This course will investigate the reasons various immigrant groups (past and present) have come to the United States. We will also examine their experiences and the impact race, ethnicity, gender, class and social structures have had on them. During Spring Break the class will visit Ellis Island and the Tenement Museum in New York and the Lowell National Historical Park in Lowell. The class will also visit various sites in Boston throughout the semester.

Term Offered

Course Types

Cultural Diversity Opt A,Expanded Classroom Requirement

SOC-433 Seminar in Crime & Justice...

Prerequisites

SOC 113 or 116(with a grade of "C" or better).Take SOC-214, SOC-234, and SOC-333; Seniors Only; Required for all Crime and Justice Concentration Majors.

Course Credits

4.00

Description

This course explores contemporary topics in crime and justice, interrelating empirical and theoretical analyses. Topical areas vary by semester and by instructor. Students engage in a substantial research project to demonstrate mastery. Required for all students in the Crime and Justice Concentration.

Term Offered

SOC-443 Seminar in Health, Medicine, & the Body...

Prerequisites

Senior standing required for all Health and Human Services majors

Course Credits

4.00

Description

An overview of the historical development and current concerns in the health and human services. Students select an area of interest and develop individualized study plans. The purpose of this course is to summarize and refine accumulated knowledge in this area. Students will demonstrate knowledge by engaging in a significant research project.

Term Offered

Occasional

SOC-453 Seminar in Sociology...

Prerequisites

SOC 113 or SOC 116 with a minimum grade of a C; SOC 214; SOC 310, SOC 315, or SOC 333; Seniors only.

Course Credits

4.00

Description

This course will explore topics in sociology, requiring students to synthesize their learning in sociology to analyze research and develop their own study plans. The purpose of this course is to summarize and refine accumulated knowledge in sociology. Students will demonstrate knowledge by engaging in a significant research project.

Term Offered

Occasional

SOC-483 Professional Practicum I...

Prerequisites

To be eligible for the course, students must be a Sociology major; have one full day free each week; must have junior status at the time of application; must be in good academic standing; and must be in good standing with the Sociology Department. Applications for the Professional Practicum I must be approved by the Instructor. Normally offered every Fall and Spring. This course fulfills the ECR requirement.

Course Credits

4.00

Description

Students are provided with the opportunity to apply academic learning in a supervised internship consistent with their personal career goals or academic interest. The course covers such topics as career exploration and development, resume and cover letter writing, job fairs, and networking, and graduate school applications. In addition to the course assignments, students are required to complete a minimum full day internship each per week during the entire semester.

Term Offered

Offered Both Fall and Spring

Course Types

Expanded Classroom Requirement

SOC-484 Professional Practicum II...

Prerequisites

To be eligible for the course, students must be a Sociology major; have successfully completed Professional Practicum I; have one full day free each week; must be in academic good standing; and must be in good standing with the Sociology Department. Applications for the Professional Practicum II must be approved the Instructor. Normally offered every Fall and Spring. This course fulfills the ECR requirement.

Course Credits

4.00

Description

Students are provided an opportunity to intensify or extend their internship experience. The course covers such topics as mock interviewing, informational interviewing, and job fairs.

Term Offered

Offered Both Fall and Spring

Course Types

Expanded Classroom Requirement

SOC-510 Independent Study...

Prerequisites

Course Credits

4.00

Description

Members of the department hold special meetings with students and direct them in investigating topics of interest in sociology. Arrangements for independent study must be approved by the supervising instructor and the Department Chairperson.

Term Offered

Offered Both Fall and Spring

SOC-H218 Honors Crime and Law in Indian Country...

Prerequisites

Course Credits

4.00

Description

What happens if you commit a crime on an Indian reservation? Who will prosecute you and how will they punish you? This course will explore the roots of tribal legal systems and criminal law, both the Native and American influences. You will gain an understanding of tribal government, legal systems, criminal law, and the role of tradition in contemporary tribal law. The course will also examine the conflict between Native and Non-Native perspectives on several cases: sovereignty, rights to cultural practices, women, freedom of religion, and land.

Term Offered

Course Types

Cultural Diversity Opt A