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Curriculum

Sociology Major

Sociology Minor

Course Offerings in Spring 2013

Offered Course Descriptions

SOCI-111   Introduction to Sociology

Enter the fascinating world of Sociology.  This course provides a great introduction to the many intriguing subjects that sociologists study.  We look at a whole range of topics-from what the self is, how it develops, how the process of socialization works... to the major institutions in society like education, the political system, and the economy... to the major forms of inequality affecting our lives in this society-race/ethnicity, gender, and class.  You will come to understand the science by which sociologists gather and analyze data, how they know what they know.  In the process, you will begin developing your own sociological imagination.  You'll be surprised how much you've always taken for granted about society...  In better understanding how our world works, you'll be better able to take an active role in your own life.  Come join us in the quest!

SOCI-121   Introduction to Anthropology                                                                                                                                         

Anthropology, very broadly defined as the study of humankind, is essentially an interdisciplinary endeavor. Traditionally, anthropology is described as having four major fields of inquiry: cultural anthropology, physical anthropology, linguistic anthropology, and anthropological archaeology. More recently, a "fifth field" called applied anthropology has been included in the discipline.

This course introduces the four fields of anthropology, but instead of spending a few weeks learning about each field separately, we will instead focus on some of the key problems that the study of anthropology can help to describe and the ways in which anthropological understandings of such problems can help devise solutions. The course units include four-field examinations of culture, race, human evolution, family and kinship, gender and sexuality, social hierarchy, nation-states, politics and violence, progress, and development. Throughout this course, you will engage with materials from all fields of anthropology to 1) understand the approaches, methods, and key questions of each field, 2) analyze human problems across space and time, and 3) integrate interdisciplinary approaches to understand human diversity more completely. 

SOCI-201  Social Statistics

How well can you characterize a group in terms of a simple number?  How do you know whether a case is typical or different from expectations?  How do you know whether someone else has legitimately summarized their results?  Knowledge of statistical analysis can help you become a better communicator and consumer of information.  By understanding the basic techniques of statistical analysis, you can better discern bogus, biased, or incomplete claims from supported claims made from actual data.  This is an introductory course in statistics that begins at levels of measurement and ends with OLS regression techniques.  The course is useful for anyone that is interested in understanding and/or engaging in social science research.

SOCI-204  Contemporary Social Theory 

This survey course is designed to introduce students to some of the major contributions to social theory.   Who are the giants who shaped our discipline?  Who are the people whose ideas guide our research?  The course begins with a critical assessment of a number of differing definitions that have been offered for the word "theory."  From there, the course moves to an examination of the establishment of sociology as a separate academic discipline in Western Europe in the early 19^th century.  The study of individual theorists begins with an extended study of "the big three" (Marx, Durkheim and Weber), followed by a consideration of George Herbert Mead and the symbolic interactionists.  We will then consider the rise of American functionalism and rational choice theory.  The course concludes with overviews of contemporary topics such as feminist social theory and postmodern theory.

SOCI-302   Social Research Methods

Are you the type that likes to find the answers for yourself? Does society fascinate you? Then this is the class for you! Social Research Methods will provide you with the tools you need to conduct your own investigations on the social world. You will learn about different social research methods, including but not limited to: experiments, surveys, ethnographies, and content analyses.  You will engage in hands-on activities to practice these methods and read interesting examples of high-quality studies demonstrating them. Your semester will culminate in an applied research project in which we will design and execute a survey of sophomores at CSB-SJU in collaboration with the Office of Institutional Research.

SOCI-329   Family and Society

Most of us will spend most of our lives in families-but in a society where so many families are "broken," what does it take to make families strong?  Why is it that some families, despite all kinds of challenges from the society-poverty, racism, unemployment, etc.-are able to provide a secure foundation for both children and spouses while other families struggle with relationship problems, violence, and divorce?  In this course we'll look at a variety of family forms and backgrounds.  We'll explore both macro issues like the economy and immigration, and micro issues like parenting styles and communication.   Each student will also interview 3 generations of family members to learn how attitudes and behaviors have changed over the years, even within the same family.   Whether your interest in families is personal or professional, this course has much to offer you.

SOCI-337E   Cultural Anthropology: Transnational Cultures

Cultures and cultural groups have never been bounded to a single location-people have always been in movement, learning from people outside their cultural groups, and hybridizing ideas and ways of life. This course provides an advanced introduction to cultural anthropology, focusing on transnational cultural groups that are present in contemporary Minnesota. In particular, we will study ethnographic manuscripts about Hmong, Somali, and Mexican people and topics including ethnicity, migration, refugees, tourism, nomadism, political economy, and medical anthropology.  Students will be conducting original ethnographic research in a semester-long project that analyzes a particular transnational cultural case study.

SOCI-338    World Populations

The study of populations and population processes has a long tradition in the social sciences.  World Populations is a demography course interested in critically looking at such issues as vital statistics (e.g., births, deaths, and marriages), epidemiology (e.g., diseases), population movements (e.g., migration), market demographics (e.g., age, sex, race, religious affiliation), and historical changes.  Anyone interested in social change, development, social policy, the human impact upon environments, and marketing should find this course useful.  Various perspectives about populations are discussed including Malthus and the Neo-Malthusians, Marx, the Population Ecologists, and World Systems Theory.