Courses may not be offered during every semester. To confirm course offerings for each semester, please use the Course Search.
Sociology courses are designed to take advantage of the unique resources of an urban campus
The curriculum emphasizes the applied aspects of sociology as well as those segments of sociology necessary for advanced study. Courses in sociology serve to broaden the understanding of all students and should be of particular interest to students preparing for careers in professional social science, education, government, law, criminal justice, urban affairs, social service, medical service fields, and business. In an ever-changing environment, the Department of Sociology strives to provide students with diverse educational experiences, including traditional classroom activities and applied fieldwork and/or survey research experience. Undergraduate majors are encouraged to participate in internships and research projects as part of their educational experience.
Courses in our Medical Sociology curriculum are preceded by (M)
(M) SOC-R 100 Introduction to Sociology (3 cr.) P: ENG-W 131 or consent of instructor. Consideration of basic sociological concepts, including some of the substantive concerns and findings of sociology, sources of data, and the nature of the sociological perspective.
SOC-R 121 Social Problems (3 cr.) Selected current problems of American society are analyzed through the use of basic sociological data and the application of major sociological frameworks. Policy implications are discussed in the light of value choices involved in various solutions.
SOC-R 234 Social Psychology (3 cr.) Sociological approach to human character, with emphasis on the psychology of the individual in social situations. Topics include socialization and the self, language and communication, interpersonal relations, attitude formation, conformity and social influence, and group processes.
SOC-R 240 Deviance and Social Control (3 cr.) An introduction to major sociological theories of deviance and social control. Analyzes empirical work done in such areas as drug use, unconventional sexual behavior, family violence, and mental illness. Explores both "lay" and official responses to deviance, as well as cultural variability in responses to deviance.
SOC-R 295 Topics in Sociology (3 cr.) Exploration of a topic in sociology not covered by the regular curriculum but of interest to faculty and students in a particular semester. Topics to be announced.
SOC-R 300 Topics in Applied Sociology (3 cr.) This course shows the application of sociological theory and methods to topics of current interest. Topics include gambling, elder abuse, evaluation of anti-aids programs, etc.
SOC-R 305 Population (3 cr.) Focus on study of people in terms of relative numbers, geographic distribution, and factors influencing change. Included are considerations of population theory, values related to population questions, an overview of basic techniques of analysis, and mortality, fertility, migration, and growth trends.
SOC-R 312 Sociology of Religion (3 cr.) Examination of religion from the sociological perspective. Religious institutions, the dimensions of religious behavior, the measurement of religious behavior, and the relationship of religion to other institutions in society are examined.
SOC-R 314 Families and Society (3 cr.) The family is a major social institution, occupying a central place in people's lives. This course explores formation and dissolution of marriages, partnerships, families; challenges family members face, including communication and childrearing; reasons for and consequences of change in American families; and how family patterns vary across and within social groups.
SOC-R 315 Political Sociology (3 cr.) Analysis of the nature and basis of political power on the macro level--the community, the national, and the international arenas. Study of formal and informal power structures and of the institutionalized and non-institutionalized mechanisms of access to power.
SOC-R 316 Society and Public Opinion (3 cr.) Analysis of the formulation and operation of public opinion. Although the course may focus on all aspects of opinion and behavior (including marketing research, advertising, etc.), most semesters the course focuses on political opinion and behavior. Special attention will be given to two aspects of opinion in our society: its measurement through public opinion polls and the role of mass communication in manipulating public opinion. The distortions in the popular press's reports of the results of survey research are considered in depth.
SOC-R 317 Sociology of Work (3 cr.) Analysis of the meaning of work, the dynamic social processes within work organizations, and environmental constraints on organizational behavior.
(M) SOC-R 320 Sexuality and Society (3 cr.) Provides a basic conceptual scheme for dealing with human sexuality in a sociological manner.
(M) SOC-R 321 Women and Health (3 cr.) A review of the relationships among cultural values, social structure, disease, and wellness, with special attention focused on the impact of gender role on symptomatology and access to health care. Selected contemporary health problem areas will be examined in depth. Alternative models of health care delivery will be identified and discussed.
SOC-R 325 Gender and Society (3 cr.) A sociological examination of the roles of women and men in society, analysis of the determinants and consequences of these roles, and assessment of forces likely to bring about future change in these roles. Although focus will be on contemporary American society, cross-cultural variations in gender roles will also be noted.
(M) SOC-R 327 Sociology of Death and Dying (3 cr.) An analysis of historical, social and psychological forces influencing human mortality. Topics include: changing images of death and dying, technology's dehumanization of dying, hospices, funerals, grief, widowhood, children's death, suicide, genocide, and the social structure's influence on the death and dying process.
SOC-R 329 Urban Sociology (3 cr.) The social dynamics of urbanization, urban social structure, and urban ecology. Theories of urban development; the city as a form of social organization; macro processes of urbanization both in the United States and other countries.
SOC-R 330 Community (3 cr.) Social, psychological, and structural features of community life. Topics include microphenomena such as the neighborhood, networks of friendship and oppositions, social participation, community power structure, and institutional frameworks.
SOC-R 333 Sports and Society (3 cr.) This course will examine the importance sports and leisure activities play in society. From local examples such as Indiana motorsports and high school basketball, to international examples such as the Olympics and World Cup, we will examine sports from the perspective of athletes and fans, look at sports as an increasingly important business, and discuss how sports have been a significant agent for social change (including Title Nine, and the integration of major league baseball).
SOC-R 335 Sociological Perspectives on the Life Course (3 cr.) Focuses on the human life course as a product of social structure, culture, and history. Attention is given to life course contexts, transitions, and trajectories from youth to old age; work, family, and school influences; self-concept development, occupational attainment, and role acquisition over the life course.
SOC-R 338 Comparative Social Systems (3 cr.) History and general theories of comparative sociology. Major focus on comparative analyses of social structure, kinship, policy and bureaucracy, economics and stratification, and institutionalized belief systems. Some attention is given to culture and personality and to cross-cultural methodology.
SOC-R 344 Juvenile Delinquency and Society (3 cr.) Legal definition of delinquency, measurement and distribution of delinquency. Causal theories considered for empirical adequacy and policy implications. Procedures for processing juvenile offenders by police, courts, and prisons are examined.
SOC-R 345 Crime and Society (3 cr.) Examination of the creation, selection, and disposition of persons labeled criminal. Emphasis on crime as an expression of group conflict and interest. Critique of academic and popular theories of crime and punishment.
SOC-R 346 Control of Crime (3 cr.) History, objectives, and operation of the crime control system in relation to its sociopolitical context. Critical examination of philosophies of punishment and programs of rehabilitation.
SOC-R 349 Practicum in Victimology (3 cr.) This course introduces students to the real world of criminal victimization through readings and required observation of victim service agencies in operation. Students will have the opportunity to learn the circumstances of victimization, to experience victims' reactions to their violation, and to observe agency responses to victims.
SOC-R 351 Social Science Research Methods (3 cr.) A survey of methods and techniques used by sociologists and other social scientists for gathering and interpreting information about human social behavior.
SOC-R 355 Social Theory (3 cr.) This course covers several traditions of classical, contemporary, and post-modern social thought (e.g., social Darwinism, conflict theory, functionalism, symbolic interactionism, critical theory, and feminist theory). The social context, construction, and application theories are included.
SOC-R 359 Introduction to Sociological Statistics (3 cr.) Measures of central tendency, dispersion, standardizing and normalizing procedures, and simple index numbers. Simple notions of probability as related to statistical inference (means, proportions, binomial distribution, chi-square, simple regression).
(M) SOC-R 381 Social Factors in Health and Illness (3 cr.) Examines the social aspects of health and illness, including variations in the social meanings of health and illness, the social epidemiology of disease, and the social dimensions of the illness experience.
(M) SOC-R 382 Social Organization of Health Care (3 cr.) Surveys the nature of, and recent changes in, the health care delivery system in the United States. Patient and professional roles and the characteristics of different health care settings are explored. Current debates about the nature of the professions and professional work are emphasized.
(M) SOC-R 385 Aids and Society (3 cr.) This course examines the HIV/AIDS epidemic from a sociological perspective. Students will explore how social factors have shaped the course of the epidemic and the experience of HIV disease. The impact of the epidemic on health care, government, and other social institutions will also be discussed.
(M) SOC-R 410 Alcohol, Drugs and Society (3 cr.) P: SOC-R 100 or consent of instructor. This is a survey of the use and abuse of alcohol, including extent of use, history of use and abuse, "biology" of alcohol, alcoholism as a problem, legal actions, and treatment strategies.
(M) SOC-R 415 Sociology of Disability (3 cr.) P: SOC-R 100 or consent of instructor. This course examines disability from the point of view of a variety of sociological perspectives and theories, concentrating on that of symbolic interaction. Attention will also be given to disability in history and the media and to the disability rights movement.
SOC-R 420 Sociology of Education (3 cr.) P: SOC-R 100 or consent of instructor. A survey of sociological approaches to the study of education, covering such major topics as education as a social institution, the school in society, the school as a social system, and the sociology of learning.
SOC-R 425 Gender and Work (3 cr.) P: SOC-R 100 or consent of instructor. This course examines the changing roles that women and men play in paid and unpaid work, and how these roles are socially constructed through socialization practices, social interaction, and actions of social institutions. The interaction of gender, race, ethnicity, and social class on individuals' involvement in work will also be explored.
SOC-R 430 Families and Social Policy (3 cr.) P: SOC-R 100 or consent of instructor. This seminar explores how the state and labor market currently affect family structure and the quality of family life in the United States and the role the state and labor market could play in the future. Family policies in other parts of the world will be considered for possible applicability to the United States.
SOC-R 461 Race and Ethnic Relations (3 cr.) P: SOC-R 100 or consent of instructor. Comparative study of racial, ethnic, and religious relations. Focus on patterns of inclusion and exclusion of minority groups by majority groups. Discussion of theories of intergroup tensions--prejudice and discrimination--and of corresponding approaches to the reduction of tensions.
SOC-R 463 Inequality and Society (3 cr.) P: SOC-R 100 or consent of instructor. Presentation of conservative and radical theories of class formation, consciousness, mobility, and class consequences. Relevance of social class to social structure and personality. Emphasis on the American class system, with some attention given to class systems in other societies.
SOC-R 467 Social Change (3 cr.) P: SOC-R 100 or consent of instructor. Basic concepts, models, and individual theories of social change; historical and contemporary analysis of the structural and psychological ramifications of major social trends.
SOC-R 476 Social Movements (3 cr.) P: SOC-R 100 or consent of instructor. Study of the origins and dynamics of contemporary social movements in American society, with some attention to cross-national movements. Coverage of progressive and regressive movements aimed at changing the social, economic, and political structure of the society. Case studies of expressive and ideological movements, including fads, cults, and revolts and revolutions.
SOC-R 478 Formal Organizations (3 cr.) P: SOC-R 100 or consent of instructor. Sociological inquiry into the nature, origin, and functions of bureaucratic organizations. Emphasis on bureaucratic organizations as the predominant mode of contemporary task performance and on their social-psychological consequences. Theoretical and empirical considerations in organizational studies from Weber to contemporary findings.
SOC-R 480 Sociology and Social Policy (3 cr.) P: SOC-R 100 or consent of instructor. This course is a broad review of the increasing use of sociology in the formulation and implementation of social policy. Specific case studies will be examined. Recommended for students with an interest in medicine, law, education, social service, urban affairs, etc.
SOC-R 481 Evaluation Research Methods (3 cr.) P: SOC-R 100, SOC-R 351, SOC-R 359, or consent of instructor. A comprehensive study of research techniques and practical applications in the area of the evaluation of social programs. Recommended for students with an interest in social research concerning medicine, law, education, social service, urban affairs, etc.
(M) SOC-R 485 Sociology of Mental Illness (3 cr.) P: SOC-R 100 or consent of instructor. A survey of current problems in psychiatric diagnosis, the social epidemiology of mental illness, institutional and informal caregiving, family burden, homelessness, and the development and impact of current mental health policy. Cross-cultural and historical materials, derived from the work of anthropologists and historians, are used throughout the course.
SOC-R 490 Survey Research Methods (3 cr.) P: SOC-R 100, SOC-R 351, SOC-R 359, or consent of instructor. In this practicum, students will design and conduct a survey, learn how to code survey results, enter data, and analyze data with the mainframe computer. A report will also be written. The advantages and disadvantages of survey methodology will be highlighted and ethical issues will be discussed.
SOC-R 493 Practicum in Sociological Fieldwork (3 cr.) P: SOC-R 100 and SOC-R 351, senior standing, or consent of instructor. Role of systematic observation as a sociological method. Training in fieldwork techniques and the application of sociological concepts to actual social situations. The core of this course will involve a supervised fieldwork research project in some area of social life.
SOC-R 494 Internship Program in Sociology (3-6 cr.) P: SOC-R 100, 9 credits of sociology with a B (3.0) or higher, junior standing with consent of instructor. This course involves students working in organizations where they apply or gain practical insight into sociological concepts, theories, and knowledge. Students analyze their experiences through work logs, a paper, and regular meetings with the internship director.
SOC-R 495 Topics in Sociology (3 cr.) Exploration of a topic in sociology not covered by the regular curriculum but of interest to faculty and students in a particular semester. Topics to be announced.
SOC-R 497 Individual Readings in Sociology (3 cr.) P: Consent of instructor and 9 credit hours of sociology courses with at least a B (3.0) or higher. Investigation of a topic not covered in the regular curriculum that is of special interest to the student and that the student wishes to pursue in greater detail. Normally available only to majors through arrangement with a faculty member.
SOC-R 498 Sociology Capstone Seminar (3 cr.) P: SOC-R 100, SOC-R 351, SOC-R 355 (or SOC-R 356 or SOC-R 357) and senior status. Designed to help graduating senior sociology majors to synthesize and demonstrate what they have learned in their major while readying themselves for a career and/or graduate study.
SOC-R 515 Sociology of Health and Illness (3 cr.) P: Graduate standing or consent of the instructor. Surveys important areas of medical sociology, focusing on social factors influencing the distribution of disease, help-seeking, and health care. Topics covered include social epidemiology, the health care professions, socialization of providers, and issues of cost and cost containment.
SOC-R 517 Sociology of Work (3 cr.) P: Graduate standing or consent of the instructor. Course explores how work is being restructured in the "new economy". Topics include the changing meaning of work, the quest for dignity in the workplace, the plight of the working poor, and prospects for the labor movement (among other items).
SOC-R 551 Quantitative Research Methods (3 cr.) P: Graduate standing or consent of instructor. This course surveys the major techniques for investigating current sociological problems. It emphasizes the relationship between theory and practice in understanding and conducting research. Although methods intended for rigorous hypothesis testing through quantitative analysis will be of major concern, the course will also examine issues in field research essential to a full understanding of a research problem.
SOC-R 556 Advanced Sociological Theory I (3 cr.) P: Graduate standing or consent of instructor. In-depth study of classical sociological theorists, particularly Marx, Durkheim, and Weber. Examines their roles in defining the discipline of sociology.
SOC-R 557 Advanced Sociological Theory II (3 cr.) P: graduate standing or consent of instructor.[Text Wrapping Break]In-depth study of cotemporary sociological theories (e.g., social conflict, structural functionalist, symbolic interactionist) as a continuation of the issues raised by the classical sociological theorists as well as a response to the epistemological and social changes of the late twentieth century.
SOC-R 559 Intermediate Sociological Statistics (3 cr.) P: SOC-R 359 or equivalent, graduate standing or consent of instructor. SOC-R 359 or equivalent, graduate standing or consent of instructor. Basic techniques for summarizing distributions, measuring interrelationships, controlling extraneous influences, and testing hypotheses are reviewed, as students become familiar with the computer system. Complex analytical techniques commonly applied in professional literature are examined in detail, including analysis of variance, path diagrams, factor analysis, and log-linear models.
SOC-R 585 Social Aspects of Mental Health and Mental Illness (3 cr.) P: Graduate standing or consent of instructor. This is a graduate-level course on the sociology of mental illness and mental health. Provides a thorough grounding in the research issues and traditions that have characterized scholarly inquiry into mental illness in the past. Students will become familiar with public policy as it has had an impact on the treatment of mental illness and on the mentally ill themselves.
SOC-R 594 Graduate Internship in Sociology (3-6 cr.) P: Graduate standing, 18 hours of graduate credit in sociology, and consent of instructor. This course involves master's degree students working in organizations where they apply or gain practical insight into sociological concepts, theories, knowledge, and methodology. Students analyze their experiences through work logs, a lengthy written report and regular meetings with a faculty committee. (Students on the thesis track may also take this course as an elective.)
SOC-R 697 Individual Readings in Sociology (3 cr.) P: Graduate standing and consent of instructor, 6 hours of graduate credit in sociology with grades of B or better. Investigation of a topic not covered in the regular curriculum that is of special interest to the student and that the student wishes to pursue in greater detail. Available only to sociology graduate students through arrangement with a faculty member.
SOC-S 526 The Sociology of Human Sexuality (3 cr.) P: Graduate standing and/or consent of instructor. This is a one-semester graduate-level course on the sociology of human sexuality. This course will provide a detailed examination of the development of sex research, a sociological perspective on and critique of this corpus, and an opportunity for students to develop research of their own.
SOC-S 560 Graduate Topics (3 cr.) P: Graduate standing and/or consent of instructor, variable with topic. Exploration of a topic in sociology not covered by the regular curriculum but of interest to faculty and students in a particular semester. Topics to be announced.
SOC-S 569 M.A. Thesis (3 cr.) P: Graduate standing and/or consent of instructor.
SOC-S 612 Political Sociology (3 cr.) P: Graduate standing and/or consent of instructor. Possible topics include experimental studies of power relationships, political socialization, political attitudes, political participation, voting behavior, decision-making processes, theories of social power, organizational power systems and structures, the state as a social institution, and political movements.
SOC-S 613 Complex Organizations (3 cr.) P: Graduate standing and/or consent of instructor. Theory and research in formal organizations: industry, school, church, hospital, government, military, and university. Problems of bureaucracy and decision making in large-scale organizations. For students in the social sciences and professional schools interested in the comparative approach to problems of organizations and their management.
SOC-S 659 Qualitative Methods in Sociology (3 cr.) P: Graduate standing and/or consent of instructor. Methods in obtaining, evaluating, and analyzing qualitative data in social research. Methods covered include field research procedures, participant observation, interviewing, and audio-video recording of social behavior in natural settings.
SOC-R 569 Thesis (3 cr.) P: SOC-R 359 or equivalent, graduate standing or consent of instructor. Thesis
