Sociology
Undergraduate Program Information
The undergraduate major in sociology is broad in scope. It prepares students for various public and private sector employment opportunities, including market research, personnel management, data analytics, computational sociology, human relations, law enforcement, health services, etc. Successful students often use their major as pre-professional preparation for advanced degrees in law, business, education, counseling, and other social science-based careers. Courses are offered both online and on campus.
Graduate Program Information
The program is designed to prepare students for doctoral study in sociology as well as employment in research and applied areas of the field. In addition to the on-campus program, we also offer an online MA for students who cannot attend in person. Through small seminars, on-campus graduate students engage in discussions of subjects that often result in thesis and internship topics. In online seminars, small classes allow for in-depth discussions that can generate ideas for research as well as knowledge for applied work environments. In both online and on-campus settings, faculty members and students work toward the mutual goal of developing each student's full potential.
The Southwest and Border Region
Our unique location attracts faculty and students who are interested in peoples of the southwest, particularly Hispanics/Latinos and Native Americans. In addition, our proximity to the U.S.-Mexico border provides an ideal laboratory for examining such issues as globalization, transnational migration, and the consequences of border development.
Social Inequality
Our faculty members examine the intersection of race, class, and gender oppression in their teaching and research, with special attention to educational, rural/urban, ecological, and global disparities. This examination addresses social problems such as poverty and racial/ethnic inequality.
Program Options and Requirements
Students seeking a master’s degree in sociology should have taken undergraduate courses in methods and statistics or their equivalent. Students who have not taken these courses are encouraged to complete them before beginning their graduate study or in consultation with the sociology graduate director as soon as possible.
Graduate students in sociology have two program options, thesis or non-thesis. Faculty consider the students special interests and career plans in advising regarding their choice of program options. The thesis option is typically selected by students who intend to pursue a Ph.D. degree, while the non-thesis option is commonly pursued by those desiring immediate employment in research and applied areas in business, government, education, social welfare, and health. The non-thesis, coursework only option is currently the only option available for online MA students. All students must pass a final master’s examination.
Academic Department Head - David G. Ortiz, Ph.D.
Professors - LoConto, Rice; Associate Professors - Ortiz, Pelak, Steinkopf, Way; Assistant Professors - Arnett, Bermúdez Tapia, Harper, Newby, Taylor; Emeritus Professor - Hoffman, Loustaunau
S. Arnett, Ph.D. (University of Notre Dame)– education, race and ethnicity, social inequalities; B. Bermúdez Tapia, Ph.D. (University of Colorado, Boulder)– international migration, race and ethnicity, qualitative methodology; H. Harper, Ph.D. (University of California, San Diego)– political sociology, policy design and development, computational analysis; D. LoConto, Ph.D. (Oklahoma State University)– classical American social thought, popular culture, social psychology; C. A. Newby, Ph.D. (University of Texas at Austin)– race/ethnicity/minority relations, immigration, demography; D. Ortiz, Ph.D. (University of Notre Dame)– social movements, political sociology, Latin America; C. Pelak, Ph.D. (Ohio State University)– social inequalities, race and ethnicity, sociology of sport; J. Steinkopf-Rice, Ph.D. (Washington State University)– gender, globalization, communities; J.C. Rice, Ph.D. (Washington State University)– environment, society and technology, political sociology; M. Taylor, Ph.D. (University of Notre Dame)- computational/quantitative methods, culture, cognitive sociology; S. Way, Ph.D. (University of Arizona)– education, gender, juvenile delinquency.
Sociology Courses
SOCI 1110G. Introduction to Sociology
3 Credits (3)
This course will introduce students to the basic concepts and theories of sociology, as well as to the methods utilized in sociological research. The course will address how sociological concepts and theories can be utilized to analyze and interpret our social world, and how profoundly our society and the groups to which students belong influence them. Students will be given the opportunity to challenge their “takenforgranted” or “common sense” understandings about society, social institutions, and social issues. Special attention will also be paid to the intimate connections between their personal lives and the larger structural features of social life. In addition, the implications of social inequalities, such as race/ethnicity, gender, and social class will be central to the course’s examination of social life in the United States.
Learning Outcomes
- Define sociological perspectives and the contributions that sociological knowledge can bring to the social sciences.
- Understand the sociological imagination and explain the relationships between social structures, social forces and individuals.
- Demonstrate the ability to apply the perspectives of symbolic interactionist theory, conflict theory, and structural-functionalist theory to qualitative and/or quantitative data.
- Understand and explain intersectionality and the connections between race, class, gender, disability, sexual identity and other forms of structural inequality.
SOCI 2230. Sociology of Sexuality
3 Credits (3)
This course explores all aspects of human sexuality from a sociological perspective. Topics include, but are not limited to, sex work, intimate relationships, sexual response, political movements, power, and the social construction of sexuality. The course also considers how various social statuses such as ethnicity, gender, and social class intersect with sexuality.
Learning Outcomes
- Identify the central research questions, theories, and methodologies used in the study of human sexuality.
- Identify and describe biological, cultural, social, and psychological sexual behaviors and response across the lifespan.
- Identify and describe trends and changes that influence sexual attitudes and values in the U.S. and globally.
- Describe how sexuality is influenced by contextual factors, such as race/ethnicity, gender, socioeconomic status, disability, and nationality.
SOCI 2240. Sociology of Intimate Relationships and Family
3 Credits (3)
This course provides an overview of contemporary intimate relationships and families from sociological perspectives. We will examine intimate relationships and families as social constructions whose meanings have changed over time and from place to place. This course will aid students in developing a greater understanding of intimate relationships and families as institutions in contemporary U.S. society. Intersections of race, class, gender, sexual orientation, nationality, and other factors within these institutions will be addressed. Community Colleges only. May be repeated up to 3 credits.
Learning Outcomes
- Explain the sociological approaches to researching intimate relationships and families.
- Describe important sociological research findings concerning intimate relationships and families.
- Explain how intimate and familial relationships are affected by multiple intersecting inequalities and ongoing events in other social institutions.
SOCI 2261. Issues in Death and Dying
3 Credits (3)
Major personal and social issues related to the process of dying in our culture. Community Colleges only.
Learning Outcomes
- be able to understand the diversity of the death experience and the various options available in coping with death and bereavement as shown by the student’s participation in class discussions and field trips.
- better understand death and dying as social phenomena as shown by the student’s reaction papers.
- have taken an in-depth look at her or his own death with a researched paper. Comprehension will be shown by the student’s grade on the paper.
SOCI 2310G. Contemporary Social Problems
3 Credits (3)
This course studies the nature, scope, and effects of social problems and their solutions. The course will concentrate on sociological perspectives, theories, and key concepts when investigating problems, such as inequality, poverty, racism, alienation, family life, sexuality, gender, urbanization, work, aging, crime, war and terrorism, environmental degradation, and mass media. This course is designed to build students’ sociological understanding of how sociological approaches attempt to clarify various issues confronting contemporary life, as well as how sociologists view solutions to these problems.
Learning Outcomes
- Identify and explain major social problems in the United States, and how social problems become constructed as problems.
- Describe and analyze policy related solutions associated with social problems from various perspectives.
- Critically examine social problems through the use of sociological theories, methods, and empirical techniques.
- Identify connections, both national and global, between social problems and social inequalities (e.g., social class, race/ethnicity, and gender/sexuality).
SOCI 3110V. Sociology of Religion
3 Credits (3)
Provides an overview of old and new methods and theories for the study of religion. Exposure to the ways groups of people in diverse cultural systems construct and change their religious traditions to serve practical and meaningful ends. May be repeated up to 3 credits.
SOCI 3120V. Introduction to Population Studies
3 Credits (3)
Determinants and consequences of changes in fertility, mortality and migration patterns. Introduction to techniques of demographic analysis. Focus on U.S. and world population issues and their relation to social, cultural, and economic systems. May be repeated up to 3 credits.
SOCI 3150. Social Research: Methods
3 Credits (3)
An introduction to research design and data collection strategies commonly employed in the social sciences. Topics include experiments, survey research and various other quantitative and qualitative methods. May be repeated up to 3 credits.
Prerequisite: SOCI 1110G.
SOCI 3160. Sociological Research: Analysis
3 Credits (3)
Elementary data analysis class emphasizing descriptive and inferential statistical techniques commonly employed in the social sciences. Topics range from one variable analysis through regression and correlation analysis of two variables. May be repeated up to 3 credits.
Prerequisite: SOCI 1110G.
Learning Outcomes
- Critically evaluate understand social statistics from various common sources such as TV, newspapers, research reports, and scholarly articles. --Assessed via discussion, assignments and exams.
SOCI 3165. Sociological Theory
3 Credits (3)
Analysis of the main historical themes underlying contemporary sociological theory. May be repeated up to 3 credits.
Prerequisite: SOCI 1110G.
SOCI 3240. Sociology of the Family
3 Credits (3)
Family patterns, dynamics, and processes in North American and other contemporary families. Emphasis on diversity. May be repeated up to 3 credits.
Learning Outcomes
- Family patterns, dynamics, and processes in North American and other contemporary families. Emphasis on diversity.
SOCI 3245V. Comparative Family Systems
3 Credits (3)
A comparative analysis of family forms and characteristics in various societies. An examination of the diversity of family practices among ethnic and class groups in the United States. May be repeated up to 3 credits.
SOCI 3250. Sociology of Childhood
3 Credits (3)
This course examines theories, methods, and empirical research in several areas of the sociology of childhood. Major themes are: (1) how social structure constrains children's lives, (2) how children negotiate, share, and create culture, and (3) how children's experiences vary within and across societies. May be repeated up to 3 credits.
SOCI 3255. Youth and Society
3 Credits (3)
Comparative historical analysis of social, economic and cultural forces affecting young people. Emphasis on organizational and institutional effects on the well being of children and young adults. May be repeated up to 3 credits.
SOCI 3270. Gender and Society
3 Credits (3)
Overview of issues related to gender, including how gender is constructed and reproduced in our society. Gender is examined from social psychological and institutional perspectives. May be repeated up to 3 credits.
SOCI 3310V. Social Issues in the Rural Americas
3 Credits (3)
Discussion of the major social issues facing the rural United States and borderland areas. Topics include the social history, governmental policies, water rights, land issues and labor. May be repeated up to 3 credits.
SOCI 3315. Urban Society in a Global World: Problems, Prospects, and Promises
3 Credits (3)
Identification and analysis of the causes and consequences of social issues in urban environments including poverty, crime, terrorism, urban social policy, suburban flight, disinvestment, and deindustrialization. Special emphasis on global forces affecting global urban environments around the world. May be repeated up to 3 credits.
SOCI 3330. Environmental Sociology
3 Credits (3)
This course provides a sociological examination of the interconnections of human social organization and the biophysical environment. The goal is to make sense of these complex interconnections between society and the environment--including examination of potential causes and solutions to environmental problems in real world settings. May be repeated up to 3 credits.
SOCI 3340V. Social Change
3 Credits (3)
Explanations of autonomous and directed social change as occurring at the individual, organizational, societal, and international levels. Case studies from around the world. May be repeated up to 3 credits.
SOCI 3410. Race and Ethnic Relations
3 Credits (3)
Dynamics of racial prejudice and patterns of racial and ethnic interaction in the United States. May be repeated up to 3 credits.
SOCI 3415. Social Inequality
3 Credits (3)
Analysis of the social distinctions arising from sex, age, occupation, and ethnicity. Emphasis on indicators of social class and patterns of social mobility. May be repeated up to 3 credits.
SOCI 3510. Crime and Society
3 Credits (3)
Analysis of crime at the interpersonal, organizational, and social structure levels in society. Exploration of contemporary images of crime in mass media. Examination of connections between race, class, gender, and crime in U.S. society. May be repeated up to 3 credits.
SOCI 3520. Juvenile Delinquency
3 Credits (3)
Nature, extent, and causes of juvenile delinquency; juvenile justice; modern methods of treatment; programs of prevention. May be repeated up to 3 credits.
SOCI 3610V. Sociology of Pop Culture
3 Credits (3)
This course will provide students with a sociological look at creation, distribution, and effects of popular culture that have shaped, preserved, and conveyed distorted images of social class, race, gender and history to unwary consumers. May be repeated up to 3 credits.
SOCI 3620V. Sports and Society: A Global Perspective
3 Credits (3)
A critical examination of sports in a global context, emphasizing the social and cultural factors that shape the world of sports and the consequences of sports for societies. Course examines issues of social inequality, violence, media and corporate influence, religion and sports, and the student-athlete experience. May be repeated up to 3 credits.
SOCI 3630. Culture and Social Life
3 Credits (3)
What exactly does culture look like, and how precisely does it shape---and is shaped by---social behavior? These are the core questions in the sociology of culture and will be the focus of this course. The course begins with an overview of the various ways that culture has been defined in sociological theory and research. The course will then focus on various topics within the contemporary sociology of culture, including, but not limited to, culture and cognition, the production of culture, culture and politics, and culture and inequality.
Learning Outcomes
- Finish the course with an understanding of the different ways that culture is defined in sociological research.
- Understand the various ways that culture affects social behavior and how social behavior shapes and changes culture.
- Finish the course with a sociological imagination that is expanded to included cultural theory.
- Finish the course with the ability to formulate research projects that involve cultural theories.
SOCI 3640. Sociology of Digital Media
3 Credits (3)
This course explores how the social, political-economic, and cultural landscape is changing in relation to digital media and information technologies.
Learning Outcomes
- Develop analytical tools for understanding the complex information society.
- Examine how the cultural, political, and social environments are changing with the emergence of new media and digital technologies.
- Place the relationship between society and new media in context – what is interesting about these “new” technologies?
- Successfully develop, conduct, and present a final project.
- Understand a central and contemporary issue within the study of social media from a sociological perspective.
SOCI 3645. Music in Society
3 Credits (3)
This course reviews historical, contemporary, and emerging forms of music. We will analyze the fascinating interplay between music and society, delving into how music reflects and shapes cultural attitudes and beliefs. Our focus views music as a primary source of meaning in our lives, exploring individual experiences and collective behavior and analyzing the central role of music in social life and society.
Learning Outcomes
- Discuss music and its social and individual impact using sociological terms, concepts, and theories.
- Apply a sociological perspective (using sociological theories and methods) to ask/answer questions about music and music-related topics.
- Analyze the tremendous influence music has on our understanding and expressions of race, class, gender, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, and contemporary culture.
- Examine diversity and culture as they intersect with music in both historical and contemporary contexts.
- Illustrate the role of music in collective identity and social movements.
- Identify themselves as competent social actors exploring ways they can make positive contributions to society and be catalysts for change.
SOCI 3650. Film in Society
3 Credits (3)
Using historical, cultural, and social perspectives, this course analyzes the comprehensive scope of classic and contemporary films. It uses examples from a variety of films to discuss how meaning is socially constructed and presented and its overall function in society. We explore the topics of identity, race, social class, gender, sexuality, education, courtship and marriage, religion, and many other elements of society.
Learning Outcomes
- Express a working knowledge of sociological inquiry and sociological terms, concepts, and the major theoretical approaches that sociologists use to understand the complexities of film in society.
- Explain how the human experience, personal values, and ideas are shaped and expressed by films at both individual and structural levels.
- Illustrate expressions of intersectionality and the presentation expressed in contemporary film.
- Apply a broad, sociological perspective to understand the complex issues involved in the social construction and perpetuation of contemporary social problems.
- Evaluate the power of classical and contemporary film and their influence on human experience, personal identity, social values and ethics, and American culture.
- Identify ourselves as competent social actors exploring ways we can make positive contributions to society and be catalysts for change.
- Develop and express interpretation and analysis of sociological principles through formal and informal writing.
SOCI 4150. Networked and Connected
3 Credits (3)
Introduction to social network analysis in sociology. First half of the course focuses on understanding the structure of social networks. Second half of the course involves examining real-world social networks ranging from romantic relationships to political parties.
Learning Outcomes
- Finish the course with the ability to interpret, question, and discuss network science theories and methods.
- Understand which type of network method is appropriate for different kinds of research questions.
- Finish the course with basic programming and network analysis skills in the R statistical computing environment.
SOCI 4155. Textual Analysis of Digital and Social Media
3 Credits (3)
Introduction to some of the methods that social scientists use to analyze digital and social media. Focus is on developing the fundamentals for designing and conducting text analysis projects.
Learning Outcomes
- Finish the course with the ability to interpret, question, and discuss text analysis methods accurately.
- Understand which type of text analysis method is appropriate for different kinds of research questions.
- Finish the course with basic programming and data analysis skills in the R statistical computing environment.
SOCI 4160. Visualizing Social Life
3 Credits (3)
Introduction to how to communicate sociological findings using graphics. Emphasis is on finding meaningful trends in real-world social science data and creating graphics that best communicate those associations or trends.
Learning Outcomes
- Finish the course with the ability to create, interrogate, and interpret data visualization.
- Understand which type of graphic is appropriate for different kinds of social science data.
- Finish the course with basic programming and data visualization skills in the R statistical computing environment, especially with the ggplot2 package.
SOCI 4240V. Comparative Global Family Systems
3 Credits (3)
The study of families around the world. The comparison will include how capitalism and power differentials have affected the course of family history, gender relations, and family life today. May be repeated up to 3 credits.
SOCI 4310. Community Development
3 Credits (3)
This is a holistic view of community development with an emphasis upon how economic development efforts can become more inclusive and sustainable. Topics include examining what 'community' means, community development versus economic development, and alternative economic activities. May be repeated up to 3 credits.
Prerequisite: SOCI 1110G.
SOCI 4315. Public Sociology
3 Credits (3)
This course examines both the theory and practice of public sociology. The course begins by examining the theoretical aspects, challenges, and critiques informing public sociology. After setting these foundations the remainder of the course examines different ways of applying public sociology, whether in the K-12 classroom, through community engagement activities such as nonprofit work, or other endeavors that seek to make the world a better place.
Learning Outcomes
- Understand the theoretical foundations and debates within public sociology 2)Understand various ways public sociology can be practiced outside academia
SOCI 4320. Social Movements and Activism
3 Credits (3)
An overview and exploration of the key concepts of collective behavior and social movements as they apply to both historical and contemporary trends and movements. We examine also social movement tactics and their effectiveness in shaping policy and social norms. May be repeated up to 3 credits.
Learning Outcomes
- Demonstrate understanding of social movement theory and how it applies to particular cases.
- Identify and analyze how social movements emerge and the conditions that their success depends on.
- Analyze the role that movements play in transitions to and consolidations of democracy.
- Critically examine how: a) State repression incites or threatens the development of movements, and b) which strategies movements use for communicating with the larger society.
- Demonstrate knowledge of a specific social movement and its relations to broader questions of social, economic, political, and cultural transformations.
SOCI 4325. Digital Media and Activism
3 Credits (3)
This course introduces the study of social movements and activism and their relationship with digital and social media.
Learning Outcomes
- Understand the most relevant theories of social movements and how these have been affected by the new digital media ecology.
- Critically examine how the qualities and attributes of digital media contribute to the operation, growth, and success of contemporary activism around the world.
- Place the relationship between social movements and new media in context.
- Understand a central and contemporary social movement and its use of social media to further its goals.
SOCI 4335V. Advanced Environmental Sociology
3 Credits (3)
Advanced examination of societal responses to environmental problems including social adjustments to natural and technological hazards, sociocultural aspects of technological risk and impact assessment, and emergence of environmental social movements. May be repeated up to 3 credits.
SOCI 4337. Human Society and the Environment
3 Credits (3)
This course explores the relationship between human societies and the natural environment, with an emphasis on both sustainable human and environmental relationships. May be repeated up to 3 credits.
Prerequisite: SOCI 1110G.
SOCI 4410. Diversity in Alternative Families
3 Credits (3)
Cross-cultural examination of diversity among and within families: analysis of family diversity includes consideration of the theoretical frameworks, ideological commitments, personal experiences, and methodological approaches to examine family life. May be repeated up to 3 credits.
SOCI 4420. Sociology of Latinos/as in the United States
3 Credits (3)
In-depth examination and comparative analysis of political and economic issues affecting Latino/a culture and behavior. Includes the Chicano/a and larger Latino/a movements, the border, immigration, language policies, education, religion, labor, and Latina women s issues. Recommended preparatory courses: SOCI 1110G, SOCI 3410, or HIST 367. May be repeated up to 3 credits.
SOCI 4430. International Migration
3 Credits (3)
This course examines international migration as a social process, focusing on the American experience. Students will examine historical and comparative literature on immigration that puts contemporary questions about policy and immigrant assimilation into a broader sociological perspective. May be repeated up to 3 credits.
Prerequisite: SOCI 1110G.
SOCI 4450. Power and Politics in America
3 Credits (3)
This course provides an introduction to the study of Political Sociology with a focus on the United States. Political Sociology studies the social bases of politics and political systems and facilitates the understanding of the processes and consequences of power distributions in the United States. May be repeated up to 3 credits.
Prerequisite: SOCI 1110G.
SOCI 4455. Inequality and Public Policy
3 Credits (3)
This course explores the reciprocal relationship between inequality and public policy, with a particular focus on poverty and anti-poverty policy in the contemporary United States.
Learning Outcomes
- Understand and compare different ways in which poverty has been historically measured and understood
- Understand and apply various types of social inequality
- Critically read and evaluate empirical research measuring, and policy proposals addressing, poverty and inequality
- Write your own policy evaluation including empirically grounded policy recommendations
- More effectively participate in policy debates regarding inequality and poverty
SOCI 4460. Globalization
3 Credits (3)
Analysis of the globalization process. Covers theories of globalization, the global economy, political globalization, global culture, transnational social movements, transnational migration and world labor market, global cities, and local-global linkages. Same as POLS 469. May be repeated up to 3 credits.
SOCI 4510. Social Deviance
3 Credits (3)
Theoretical approaches to the study of social deviance with emphasis on critical theories. Exploration of forms of deviance in society. Examination of social construction of deviance within mass media and systems of social control. May be repeated up to 3 credits.
SOCI 4555. Sociology of Education
3 Credits (3)
Socio-political and economic factors that shape the structure and operation of educational institutions in modern complex societies. Socio-historical development of the school as a microcosm of society, with examples from American and other school systems. May be repeated up to 3 credits.
SOCI 4992. Directed Readings
1-3 Credits (1-3)
Individual readings or research for either majors or nonmajors. Consent of Instructor required. May be repeated up to 6 credits.
SOCI 4996. Special Topics
3 Credits (3)
Specific subjects to be announced in the Schedule of Classes. May be repeated up to 12 credits.
Learning Outcomes
- Varies
SOCI 4998. Internship
1-6 Credits (1-6)
Supervised participation in an appropriate community setting. Taught with SOCI 5998. May be repeated up to 9 credits.
SOCI 4999. Sociology Senior Seminar
3 Credits (3)
The main goal of this course is to provide Sociology students the opportunity to integrate the knowledge acquired from the classroom with personal real-world experiences in order to explore how a sociological perspective can be applied to one’s everyday life and work. Students must be in senior standing to enroll in this course. May be repeated up to 3 credits.
Prerequisite: SOCI 1110G.
Learning Outcomes
- Refine and demonstrate students’ sociological imaginations.
- Engage in critical self-reflection by practicing sociological mindfulness on a regular basis.
- Have the opportunity to apply sociological concepts to a real-world setting.
- Have the opportunity to critically apply and evaluate the utility of select social theories to a real-world setting.
- Refine critical writing and thinking skills through class discussions.
SOCI 5110. Perspectives on Sociology
3 Credits (3)
Overview of Sociology and development of students' sociological imaginations. Understanding the place of sociology in career development and the application of Sociology and sociological concepts to the real world. May be repeated up to 3 credits.
Learning Outcomes
- Refine students’ sociological imaginations.
- Engage in critical self-reflection by practicing sociological mindfulness on a regular basis.
- Have the opportunity to apply sociological concepts to the real world.
- Explore how students can utilize sociology in achieving their career goals.
- Refine students' critical writing and thinking skills through class discussions.
SOCI 5150. Seminar in Social Networks
3 Credits (3)
Advanced introduction to social network methods. First half of the course focuses on understanding the structure of social networks. Second half of the course involves examining real-world social networks ranging from romantic relationships to political parties. Includes hands-on experience with the R statistical computing environment
Learning Outcomes
- Finish the course with the ability to interpret, question, and discuss network science theories and methods.
- Understand which type of network method is appropriate for different kinds of research questions.
- Finish the course with basic programming and network analysis skills in the R statistical computing environment.
SOCI 5153. Seminar in Sociological Research
3 Credits (3)
Exploration of research methods, issues, and practical application. Restricted to: Sociology Majors May be repeated up to 3 credits.
SOCI 5155. Seminar in Text Analysis for the Social Sciences
3 Credits (3)
Advanced exploration into some of the methods that social scientists use to analyze digital and social media. Focus is on developing the fundamentals for designing and conducting text analysis projects. Includes hands-on experience with the R statistical computing environment.
Learning Outcomes
- Finish the course with the ability to interpret, question, and discuss text analysis methods accurately.
- Understand which type of text analysis method is appropriate for different kinds of research questions.
- Finish the course with basic programming and data analysis skills in the R statistical computing environment.
SOCI 5157. Seminar in Qualitative Research Methods
3 Credits (3)
This course provides an in-depth examination of qualitative research methods, including the logic, time, and purpose of using such methods. Students must be in Graduate standing.
SOCI 5158. Seminar in Visual Ethnographic Methodology
3 Credits (3)
This course focuses on the potential and the qualities of visual data collection in research and will start with a review of the diversity of research strategies and ethics that incorporate visual data. We will discuss different ways of using visual methods in research alongside epistemological theory of understanding what it means to look at the world. We will use our own experiences of looking and feeling to consider what visual methods can contribute to effective ethnographic research. Students must be graduate students to enroll.
Learning Outcomes
- Learn the basic fundaments of visual qualitative inquiry.
- Learn the concept of ethics and reflexivity in qualitative research.
- Learn how to design visual qualitative research.
- Understand the different methods used in visual qualitative research.
- Select and use appropriate visual qualitative methods to answer research questions.
SOCI 5160. Seminar in Data Visualization
3 Credits (3)
Advanced exploration into how to communicate sociological findings using graphics. Emphasis is on finding meaningful trends in real-world social science data and creating graphics that best communicate those associations or trends. Includes hands-on experience with the R statistical computing environment, especially the ggplot2 package.
Learning Outcomes
- Finish the course with the ability to create, interrogate, and interpret data visualization.
- Understand which type of graphic is appropriate for different kinds of social science data.
- Finish the course with basic programming and data visualization skills in the R statistical computing environment, especially with the ggplot2 package.
SOCI 5163. Issues in Advanced Quantitative Analysis
3 Credits (3)
Advanced methods of sociological analysis are examined in detail. Restricted to: Sociology majors. May be repeated up to 3 credits.
SOCI 5165. Foundations of Social Theory
3 Credits (3)
Analysis of classical social thought within the discipline. Restricted to: Sociology majors. May be repeated up to 3 credits.
Learning Outcomes
- Know and have an understanding of the history of social thought in Sociology.
- Know and have an understanding of the fundamental underlying assumptions of many social theories.
- Be able to effectively write showing an understanding of the theorists/theories as they apply to social phenomena.
- Be able to openly discuss with confidence the various tenets of social theory.
SOCI 5166. Seminar in Contemporary Theory
3 Credits (3)
This course equips students with the ability to critically analyze contemporary social theory (post World War II) with a particular focus on how these texts apply theoretical frameworks to pressing issues of our time.
Learning Outcomes
- Understand the main conceptual and theoretical frameworks that have influenced social research post World War II.
- Improve critical thinking through cross-cultural and cross-disciplinary analyses of social forces.
- Identify one’s own work and interests within/and in relation to these perspectives.
- Comprehend and evaluate sociology as a discipline that has been shaped by diverse sets of social phenomena.
SOCI 5170. Seminar in Individual and Society
3 Credits (3)
Examines reciprocal relationship between individual and society. Topics include socialization, social influence and persuasion, group structure and performance, altruism, aggression, interpersonal attraction, group cohesion and conformity, and intergroup conflict. May be repeated up to 3 credits.
Learning Outcomes
- Know and understand the theoretical antecedents for Social Psychology.
- Know and understand the fundamental underlying assumptions of Social Psychology approaches in Sociology.
- Know and understand the history and development of Social Psychological Theories.
- Be able to effectively write a literature review addressing specific topics utilizing Social Psychology as an underlying framework.
- Understand the relationship between the individual and society, particularly addressing the relationship between structure and agency.
SOCI 5175. Seminar in Symbolic Interaction
3 Credits (3)
This seminar will provide you a backdrop on Symbolic Interactionism, focusing on the direct and indirect antecedents of the theory, as well as current research and theoretical development up to the present. May be repeated up to 3 credits.
Learning Outcomes
- Know and understand the theoretical antecedents for Symbolic Interaction.
- Know and understand the fundamental underlying assumptions of Symbolic Interaction.
- Know and understand the history and development of Symbolic Interaction.
- Be able to effectively write a literature review addressing specific topics utilizing Symbolic Interaction as an underlying framework.
- Be able to openly discuss the various tenets of Symbolic Interaction with confidence.
SOCI 5270. Seminar in Sex and Gender
3 Credits (3)
Comprehensive examination of current gender identity and gender stratification issues. May be repeated up to 3 credits.
Learning Outcomes
- Gain an understanding of gender from a sociological perspective.
- Critically examine how gender shapes and is shaped by personal interaction and meaning and how it is embedded in the structure of our social institutions.
- Understand the relationship between gender, the body, media and violence.
- Gain competence in discussing the biological and psychological explanations of gender differences as well as in discussing cultural and gender socialization and identity formation.
- Examine how gender is relevant within the institutions of family, work, and education with particular focus on how gender is linked to inequality.
SOCI 5310. Seminar in Community Development
3 Credits (3)
This is in an advanced seminar addressing a holistic view of community development with an emphasis upon how economic development efforts can become more inclusive and sustainable. Students must be in a graduate student to enroll. May be repeated up to 3 credits.
Learning Outcomes
- Define community development.
- Apply the different theoretical approaches to community development to an issue.
- Identify the major challenges confronting various communities today.
- Understand emerging and radical community development initiatives in both theory and practice.
SOCI 5315. Seminar in Public Sociology
3 Credits (3)
This course examines both the theory and practice of public sociology. The course begins by examining the theoretical aspects, challenges, and critiques informing public sociology. After setting these foundations the remainder of the course examines different ways of applying public sociology, whether in the K-12 classroom, through community engagement activities such as nonprofit work, or other endeavors that seek to make the world a better place.
Learning Outcomes
- Understand the theoretical foundations and debates within public sociology
- Understand various ways public sociology can be practiced outside academia
SOCI 5320. Seminar in Social Movements and Activism
3 Credits (3)
An advanced exploration of the key concepts of collective behavior and social movements as they apply to both historical and contemporary trends and movements. We examine also social movement tactics and their effectiveness in shaping policy and social norms. May be repeated up to 3 credits.
Learning Outcomes
- Demonstrate comprehensive understanding of social movement theory and how it applies to particular cases.
- Identify and analyze how social movements emerge and the conditions that their success depends on.
- Analyze the role that movements play in transitions to and consolidations of democracy.
- Critically examine how: a) State repression incites or threatens the development of movements, and b) which strategies movements use for communicating with the larger society.
- Exhibit scholarly professionalization by successfully developing, conducting and presenting a research project.
- Demonstrate in-depth knowledge of a specific social movement and its relations to broader questions of social, economic, political, and cultural transformations.
SOCI 5325. Seminar in Digital Media and Activism
3 Credits (3)
This seminar will investigate the interaction between digital media, social movements, and social change.
Learning Outcomes
- Demonstrate comprehensive understanding of the most relevant theories of social movements and how these have been affected by the new digital media ecology.
- Critically examine how the specific qualities and attributes of digital media contribute to the operation, growth, and success of contemporary social movements and activism around the world.
- Place the relationship between social movements and new media in context – what is interesting about these “new” technologies?
- Exhibit scholarly professionalization by successfully developing, conducting and presenting a research project.
- Demonstrate in-depth knowledge of a central and contemporary social movement and its use of social media to further its goals.
SOCI 5335. Seminar Environmental Sociology
3 Credits (3)
Advanced examination of societal responses to environmental problems including social adjustments to natural and technological hazards, sociocultural aspects of technological risk and impact assessment, and emergence of environmental social movements. May be repeated up to 3 credits.
SOCI 5337. Seminar in Human Society and the Environment
3 Credits (3)
This is an advanced seminar exploring the relationship between human societies and the natural environment, with an emphasis on both sustainable human and environmental relationships. May be repeated up to 3 credits.
Prerequisite: Graduate Student Status.
SOCI 5410. Seminar in Race and Ethnic Relations
3 Credits (3)
In-depth analysis of the dynamics of prejudice/discrimination and patterns of intergroup interaction in the U.S. May be repeated up to 3 credits.
Learning Outcomes
- Identify a diverse set of critical sociological approaches to studying race, ethnicity, and racism within the United States.
- Understand the social construction of race, racialized modernity, and the unequal distribution of racialized power and privilege in local, regional, national, and transnational contexts.
- Examine the racialized structures of US society and give special consideration to how processes, discourses, and structures of white supremacy and racialization intersect with other systems of inequality, particularly gender, class, sexuality, nation, and settler colonialism.
SOCI 5415. Seminar in Social Stratification
3 Credits (3)
Advanced examination of theories of stratification and current methods of stratification research. Focus on differences by ethnicity, race, class and gender. May be repeated up to 3 credits.
Learning Outcomes
- Gain an appreciation of the role of stratification as a powerful determinant of the opportunities that individuals experience in modern societies.
- Critically consider the functions and repercussions of stratification for the individual and society.
SOCI 5420. Seminar in Sociology of Latinos/as in the United States
3 Credits (3)
In-depth examination and comparative analysis of political and economic issues affecting Latino/a culture and behavior. Topics include the Chicano/a and larger Latina/o movements, the border, immigration, language policies, education, religion, labor and Latina women s issues. May be repeated up to 3 credits.
Learning Outcomes
- Examine the challenges currently facing the Latino population in the U.S. with special attention to three Latino subgroups: Puerto Ricans, Mexican-Americans, and Cubans.
- Identify that latina/o experiences and identities are far from homogenous.
- Understand how then has a sense of “Latino community” been created if this is the case? What is a Latina/o? And, how are individual identities among the many Latina/o identities shaped by difference?
- Know the major Latino peoples, their immigration, migration and settlement patterns, identity formation, socioeconomic and labor conditions, politics, gender relations, and bilingualism.
SOCI 5430. Seminar in International Migration
3 Credits (3)
This course examines international migration as a social process, focusing on the American experience. Students will examine historical and comparative literature on immigration that puts contemporary questions about policy and immigrant assimilation into a broader sociological perspective. Students must be Graduate students to enroll. May be repeated up to 3 credits.
Learning Outcomes
- Acquire in-depth knowledge, and develop a broad understanding of the historical and theoretical development, of the sociological sub-field of immigration.
- Develop an ability to examine the processes involved in international migration, and the socioeconomic trajectories of different immigrant groups in the United States, analytically, critically, and comparatively.
- Develop an understanding of how various social constructs (such as national origin, nativity, generation, length of time spent in the United States, citizenship, legal status, class, race, ethnicity, gender, and religion) influence immigrants’ social positions and organize their daily lives.
SOCI 5440. Seminar in Sociological Perspectives on the U.S.-Mexico Border
3 Credits (3)
Theoretical perspectives and current research on U.S.-Mexico border region, including migration, identity, health, gender, and environment. May be repeated up to 3 credits.
Learning Outcomes
- Use history, sociology, geography, anthropology, and other disciplines as a framework for understanding the border and analyzing border lives and structural dynamics.
- Understand border identities, including nationality, ethnicity, and class, and apply them to analyzing border lives.
- Understand border orientations (nationalist/binationalist; unicultural/bicultural) and apply them to analyzing border lives.
- Recognize and analyze multiple, often conflicting, perspectives on border issues.
- Apply the "multiple perspective" approach to U.S.-Mexico migration and know objective facts, humanistic understandings, and policy options for that issue.
- Use the tools of "culture" and "social structure" to understand border working people, especially those facing poverty, low wages, low or no benefits, and discrimination in public.
- Use comparisons to other borders to understand two important topics: (a) Border symbols and politics; (b)Border consumption, commerce, smuggling, and other cross-border transactions.
SOCI 5450. Seminar in Power and Politics in the United States
3 Credits (3)
This is an advanced seminar addressing the study of Political Sociology with a focus on the United States. Political Sociology studies the social bases of politics and political systems. it facilitates an understanding of the processes and consequences of power distributions in the United States. Students must be Graduate students to enroll. May be repeated up to 3 credits.
Learning Outcomes
- Demonstrate comprehensive understanding of the most relevant theories of political sociology and how these apply to current political issues of the United States.
- Critically examine the role that civil society plays in shaping contemporary political processes in the United States.
- Critically examine the role that civil society plays in shaping contemporary political processes in the United States.
- Exhibit scholarly professionalization by successfully developing, conducting and presenting a research project.
- Demonstrate in-depth knowledge of a central and contemporary political issue and its relations to broader questions of social, economic and cultural transformations in America.
SOCI 5455. Seminar in Inequality and Public Policy
3 Credits (3)
This course explores the reciprocal relationship between inequality and public policy, with a particular focus on poverty and anti-poverty policy in the contemporary United States.
Learning Outcomes
- Understand and compare different ways in which poverty has been historically measured and understood.
- Understand and apply various types of social inequality.
- Critically read and evaluate empirical research measuring, and policy proposals addressing, poverty and inequality.
- Write your own policy evaluation including empirically grounded policy recommendations.
- More effectively participate in policy debates regarding inequality and poverty.
SOCI 5460. Advanced Issues in Globalization
3 Credits (3)
Analysis of the globalization process. Covers theories of globalization; global economy; political globalization; global culture; transnational social movements; transnational migration and world labor market; global cities; local-global linkages. Same as POLS 569. May be repeated up to 3 credits.
SOCI 5510. Issues in Social Deviance
3 Credits (3)
Selected forms of deviant behavior, social issues, and social problems. May be repeated up to 3 credits.
SOCI 5515. Sociology of Organizations
3 Credits (3)
Sociological models of formal organizations relevant to business, education, government, healthcare, military, and religion. Focus on internal organizational structure and dynamics plus the reciprocal relationship between organizations and their operating environment. May be repeated up to 3 credits.
SOCI 5555. Advanced Sociology of Education
3 Credits (3)
Socio-political and economic factors that shape the structure and operation of educational institutions in modern complex societies. Socio-historical development of the school as a microcosm of society, with examples from American and other school systems. May be repeated up to 3 credits.
SOCI 5610. Seminar in Popular Culture
3 Credits (3)
This course delves into Popular Culture and how Sociologists define and evaluate Popular Culture in the world today. Students will learn about diverse forms of Popular Culture, their meanings, and how social theory is applied to how Popular Culture is commodified and consumed. Students must be a graduate student to enroll.
Learning Outcomes
- Explain and show an advanced understanding of the relationship of popular to culture.
- Have an in-depth knowledge of Critical Theory as it applies to the culture industry.
- Understand the relationship of the individual and social issues to both popular culture and technologically driven cultural changes.
- Apply critical thinking about the popular culture experienced in your day-to-day existence and its meaning to everyday life.
- Read empirical and theoretical writings, summarize and expand upon their core ideas.
- Be able to discuss as well as compare and contrast various issues associated with popular culture.
SOCI 5630. Seminar in Culture and Social Life
3 Credits (3)
What exactly does culture look like, and how precisely does it shape---and is shaped by---social behavior? These are the core questions in the sociology of culture and will be the focus of this course. The course begins with an overview of the various ways that culture has been defined in sociological theory and research. The course will then focus on various topics within the contemporary sociology of culture, including, but not limited to, culture and cognition, the production of culture, culture and politics, and culture and inequality.
Learning Outcomes
- Finish the course with an understanding of the different ways that culture is defined in sociological research.
- Understand the various ways that culture affects social behavior and how social behavior shapes and changes culture.
- Finish the course with a sociological imagination that is expanded to included cultural theory.
- Finish the course with the ability to formulate research projects that involve cultural theories.
SOCI 5640. Seminar in Sociology of Digital Media
3 Credits (3)
This course explores how the social, political-economic, and cultural landscape is changing in relation to digital media and information technologies. Seminar participants work together to explore frameworks, methods, and tools for understanding networked society in the digital media ecology.
Learning Outcomes
- Develop analytical tools for understanding the complex information society.
- Examine how the cultural, political, and social environments are changing with the emergence of new media and digital technologies.
- Place the relationship between society and new media in context – what is interesting about these “new” technologies?
- Exhibit scholarly professionalization by successfully developing, conducting and presenting a final project.
- Demonstrate in-depth knowledge of a central and contemporary issue within the study of social media from a sociological perspective.
SOCI 5991. Special Research Problems
1-3 Credits (1-3)
Individual analytic or experimental investigations. May be repeated up to 6 credits.
Learning Outcomes
- Varies
SOCI 5996. Graduate Special Topics
3 Credits (3)
Specific subjects to be announced in the Schedule of Classes. May be repeated up to 99 credits.
Learning Outcomes
- Varies
SOCI 5998. Internship
1-6 Credits (1-6)
Supervised participation in appropriate occupational setting. Taught with SOCI 4998 with additional work required at the graduate level. May be repeated up to 12 credits.
Learning Outcomes
- Various
SOCI 5999. Master's Thesis
1-6 Credits (1-6)
Thesis. Consent of instructor required. Restricted to Sociology majors. May be repeated up to 88 credits.
Learning Outcomes
- Various
Website: http://sociology.nmsu.edu
Email: sociology@nmsu.edu