Course Descriptions

SOC 101 - (3) (S)
Introductory Sociology
Study of the fundamental concepts and principles of sociology with special attention to sociological theory and research methods. Survey of the diverse substantive fields in the discipline with a primary emphasis on the institutions in contemporary American society.

SOC 195, 196 - (3) (IR)
Special Topics in Social Issues
The topics covered vary from semester to semester and will be announced.

SOC 202 - (3) (IR)
Introduction to Women's Studies
A study of women from the perspectives of the social sciences and the humanities. Examines the past and present position of women in the family, the work place, and social and political groups, in both Western and non-Western societies.

SOC 219 - (2) (S)
Microcomputer Applications in Sociology
Introduction to the personal computer and its major applications in sociological research. Topics include conceptual framework and hands-on experience relating to applications, DOS, network environment, and computer communications.

SOC 221 - (3) (IR)
Drugs and Society
Study of the American use of licit and illicit drugs and the social processes involved in their development into a major contemporary social problem.

SOC 222 - (3) (IR)
Contemporary Social Problems
An analysis of the causes and consequences of current social problems in the United States: race and ethnic relations, poverty, crime and delinquency, the environment, drugs, and problems of educational institutions.

SOC 247 - (3) (Y)
American Society and Popular Culture
A study of popular culture from a sociological perspective. Topics include sociological perspectives and theories on culture; sociological concepts such as socialization and individualism/conformity; and the construction of gender, race/ethnicity, work, and the family in novels and movies. A familiarity with introductory level sociology is suggested but not required.

SOC 252 - (3) (Y)
Sociology of the Family
Comparison of family organizations in relation to other social institutions in various societies; an introduction to the theory of kinship and marriage systems.

SOC 255 - (3) (S)
Law and Society
Studies the relationship between society and criminal and civil law. Of special concern is the relationship between socio-economic status and access to the legal system, including the areas of education, employment, consumer protection, and environmental concerns.

SOC 257 - (3) (Y)
New Religious Movements
Study of how new religious movements emerge, how they recruit and hold followers, and how various sectors of society respond to different types of new religious groups. Sects and cults as well as religious movements arising from established religious traditions are considered.

SOC 273 - (3) (Y)
Computers and Society
Study of the impact of electronic data processing technologies on social structure, and the social constraints on the development and application of these technologies. Review of how computers are changing—and failing to change--fundamental institutions. Provides an understanding of computers in the context of societal needs, organizational imperatives, and human values.

SOC 279 - (3) (S)
Sociology of American Business
Study of the internal workings of business institutions, especially the modern American corporation, and their relationships to other social institutions. Topics include managerial control over corporate decisions; the determinants of individual success within business; the effect of business policies on family life; the political power of the business sector; and a comparison of Japanese and American business organizations.

SOC 302 - (3) (S)
Introduction to Social Theory
An introduction to the major theoretical issues and traditions in sociology, especially as developed in the writings of Marx, Weber, and Durkheim. Sociology majors are expected to take this course in their third year.

SOC 303 - (1) (S)
Sociology Majors Seminar
A colloquium in which sociology faculty will make presentations about their research activities. Required of all majors in their third year. Regular attendance is mandatory.

SOC 310 - (3) (SI)
Sociology of Art
Prerequisite: SOC 101 or permission of instructor
Study of the relationship between art and society, including the social role of the artist, the nature and extent of the audience for different forms of art, the commercialization of art and the rise of mass culture, the structure and function of the museum, the impact of state support, the use of art as propaganda, and the causes and consequences of censorship. Emphasizes painting, but other forms of art such as music, dance, and theatre, are also examined, depending on the background and interest of the students.

SOC 311 - (4) (S)
Introduction to Social Statistics
Study of elementary statistical methods for social science applications. Topics include summarizing data with graphs and descriptive measures, generalizing from a sample to a population as in opinion polls, and determining the relationship between two variables. No special mathematical background is required, and students will be taught basic computer techniques. Three hours of lecture, two hours of laboratory work. Majors are expected to take this course in their third year.

SOC 322 - (3) (IR)
Juvenile Delinquency
An analysis of the social sources and consequences of juvenile delinquency.

SOC 323 - (3) (S)
Criminology
Study of socio-cultural conditions effecting the definition, recording, and treatment of delinquency and crime. Examines theories of deviant behavior, the role of the police, judicial and corrective systems, and the victim in criminal behavior.

SOC 338 - (3) (SI)
India and South Asia
An introduction to the culture of South Asia from a sociological perspective. Special attention is given to the caste system and its relationship to the various religions of the area.

SOC 341 - (3) (Y)
Race and Ethnic Relations
An introduction to the study of race and ethnic relations, including the social and economic conditions promoting prejudice, racism, discrimination, and segregation. Examines contemporary American conditions, and historical and international materials.

SOC 343 - (3) (Y)
The Sociology of Sex Roles
Analysis of the physiological, psychological, and achievement differences between the sexes; theoretical explanations for sex differences and sex role differentiation; psychological and structural barriers to achievement by women; interpersonal power and sexual relationships between the sexes; and changing sex roles in contemporary society.

SOC 361 - (3) (IR)
Population Issues and Problems
Study of the history of world population growth with particular emphasis on developing nations. Topics include trends in fertility, mortality, and internal migration, and the relationship of these factors to changes in population size and composition; and implications for economic and social welfare.

SOC 368 - (3) (IR)
Problems of Urban Life
Study of current problems of the American metropolis in sociological perspectives, including growth and suburbanization; housing, transportation, environmental protection, and public finance; crime, segregation, and changing community structures; and urban planning and democratic control.

SOC 375 - (3) (IR)
Sociology of the Future
A survey of attempts by social scientists to understand and predict the future. Topics include utopian plans and their consequences, inevitability theories, the outcome of revolutionary movements, the art of demographic prediction, the extrapolation of social and economic trends, computer simulation of future conditions, science fiction as a social phenomenon, and methods of evaluating long-range predictions.

SOC 380 - (3) (IR)
Social Change
An analysis of social change in whole societies with a focus on contemporary America. Emphasizes the major theories of social change from Marx and Spencer through contemporary analyses.

SOC 381 - (3) (IR)
The Welfare State
Study of the causes and social ramifications of the shift in responsibility for the care of social dependents to agencies of the state in terms of costs, treatment, benefits, and violations.

SOC 382 - (3) (IR)
Social Movements
Prerequisite: SOC 101 or permission of instructor
Social movements considered as responses to the modernization of societies. Analysis of the structuring, leadership, recruitment, symbols, tactics, and strategies of movements seeking change. Studies of utopias and such groups as workers, peasants, and intellectuals, both historical and contemporary.

SOC 395, 396 - (3) (IR)
Special Topics in Sociology
The topics covered vary from semester to semester and will be announced.

SOC 409 - (3) (Y)
Sociology of Literature
Prerequisite: Six credits of sociology or permission of instructor
An upper-level seminar in the sociology of literature. Students should be familiar with general sociological concepts and theory. Covers material from a wide range of perspectives in an attempt to understand the social context of written language and of literature. Student groups will be responsible for leading general class discussion on one or more occasions.

SOC 423 - (3) (Y)
Deviance and Social Control
Prerequisite: Six credits of sociology or permission of instructor
Examination of a variety of deviant behaviors in American society and the sociological theories explaining societal reactions and attempts at social control. Emphasizes enduring conditions such as drug addiction, alcoholism, and mental illness.

SOC 426 - (3) (IR)
Health Care Systems
Prerequisite: Six credits of sociology or permission of instructor
Study of the formal and informal organizational framework within which health care services are delivered. Examines the process of social change and alternative systems of health care delivery.

SOC 428 - (3) (IR)
The Sociology of Mental Illness and Health
Prerequisite: Six credits of sociology or permission of instructor
Study of the concepts of behavioral deviance from sociologic, psychologic, and biologic perspectives with review and analysis of epidemiologic studies, both American and cross-cultural.

SOC 442 - (3) (IR)
Sociology of Inequality
Prerequisite: Six credits of sociology or permission of instructor
A survey of basic theories and methods used to analyze structures of social inequality. Includes comparative analysis of the inequalities of power and privilege, both their causes and their consequences for social conflict and social change.

SOC 443 - (3) (Y)
Women and Society
Prerequisite: Six credits of sociology or permission of instructor
Study of the changing legal and socio-economic relationships between women and men in Western and non-Western societies. Topics include class, ethnic, and religious differences in sex role socialization; biological, psychological, and social institutional factors effecting sex roles; sex discrimination; and movements for sex equality.

SOC 444 - (3) (IR)
Capitalism as a Social Order
Prerequisite: Six credits of sociology or permission of instructor
Analysis of prominent assessments of capitalism as a social order. Texts include both historically significant and contemporary statements. Topics include the defining characteristics of capitalism; the values by which critics and proponents judge the performance of the system; the social and political ramifications of this economic form, with special focus on distributional consequences; and the contrast between its "classical" and contemporary forms.

SOC 450 - (3) (Y)
American Society
Prerequisite: Six credits of sociology or permission of instructor
Study of present and anticipated trends in American institutions and values. Emphasizes on contemporary dilemmas such as race relations, poverty, community life, and technological transformations.

SOC 451 - (3) (IR)
Sociology of Work
Prerequisite: Six credits of sociology or permission of instructor
Study of the division of labor, occupational classification, labor force trends, career patterns and mobility, occupational cultures and life-styles, and the sociology of the labor market.

SOC 452 - (3) (Y)
Sociology of Religious Behavior
Prerequisite: Six credits of sociology or permission of instructor
Classical and contemporary theories and empirical research are examined to illuminate the changing role of religious belief and religious institutions in the Western World. Emphasizes the methodological problems of studying religion.

SOC 453 - (3) (Y)
Sociology of Education
Prerequisite: Six credits of sociology or permission of instructor
Analysis of education as a social institution and its relationship to other institutions, e.g., the economy, the stratification system, the family. Emphasizes the role of education in the status attainment process.

SOC 454 - (3) (Y)
Political Sociology
Prerequisite: Six credits of sociology or permission of instructor
Study of the relationships between social structure and political institutions. Competing theories about such topics as power structures, political participation, ideology, party affiliation, voting behavior, and social movements are discussed in the context of recent research on national and local politics in the United States.

SOC 455 - (3) (Y)
Sociology of Law
Prerequisite: Six credits of sociology or permission of instructor
Examination of the structure and functioning of the legal institution in primitive and modern societies and the institutionalization of social justice. Topics include the conditions under which laws change, the relationship between the legal and political systems, and the social impact of legal sanctions.

SOC 457 - (3) (IR)
Family Policy
Prerequisite: Six credits of sociology or permission of instructor
Study of the relationship between family and society as expressed in policy and law. Emphasizes the effects of formal policy on the structure of families and the interactions within families. The American family system is examined as it has responded to laws and policies of government and private industry and to changes in society.

SOC 459 - (3) (Y)
Conflict Management
Prerequisite: Six credits of sociology or permission of instructor
A theoretical exploration of the handling of grievances in diverse social settings. Analysis of social conditions associated with phenomena such as vengeance, honor, discipline, rebellion, avoidance, negotiation, mediation, and adjudication.

SOC 460 - (3) (Y)
Gender and Culture
Prerequisite: Six credits of sociology or permission of instructor
Study of how the social definition of gender effects and is effected by cultural artifacts such as literature, movies, music, and television. Students are expected to be familiar with general sociological concepts and theory and be regularly prepared for participation in a demanding seminar.

SOC 461 - (3) (IR)
Population Analysis
Prerequisite: Six credits of sociology or permission of instructor
Study of the methods, theories, and principles of demographic analysis with special applications to problems in the study of U.S. and international fertility, mortality, and migration.

SOC 470 - (3) (Y)
Medical Sociology
Prerequisite: Six credits of sociology or permission of instructor
A sociological orientation to understanding how and why the issues of health and disease have come to occupy such an important role in contemporary American society. Health issues are presented as a consequence of social change with an emphasis on population characteristics, working conditions, education, and mass communication in the United States.

SOC 471 - (3) (IR)
Sociology of Organizations
Prerequisite: Six credits of sociology or permission of instructor
Study of the formal organizations in government, industry, education, health care, religion, the arts, and voluntary associations. Considers such topics as power and authority, communication, “informal” relations, commitment, and alienation.

SOC 480, 481, 482 - (4) (S)
Internship
Prerequisite: Student must be a fourth-year sociology major with substantial completion of major requirements.
Internship placement to be arranged by the supervising faculty. Students work in various agencies in the Charlottesville community such as health care delivery, social services, juvenile justice, etc. Regular class meetings with the supervising faculty to analyze the intern experience and discuss assigned reading. Only three credits can be counted toward sociology major.

SOC 495 - (4) (S)
Sociology Research Workshop
Prerequisite: SOC 311
An introduction to data analysis and data processing, as well as the conceptualization of sociological problems. Emphasizes individual student projects.

SOC 497 - (1-6) (S)
Special Studies in Sociology
Prerequisite: Substantial completion of major requirements and permission of the department major advisor
An independent study project conducted by students under the supervision of an instructor of their choice.

SOC 503 - (3) (Y)
Classical Sociological Theory
Prerequisite: Six credits of sociology or permission of instructor; open to advanced undergraduates.
A seminar focusing on the writings of Marx, Weber, Durkheim, and other social theorists. Open to students in related disciplines.

SOC 506 - (3) (Y)
Contemporary Sociological Theory
Prerequisite: SOC 503, six credits of sociology or permission of instructor; open to advanced undergraduates.
A consideration of the nature and purpose of sociological theory, and a survey of the most important contemporary theories and theorists.

SOC 507 - (3) (IR)
Max Weber: Theoretical Considerations
Prerequisite: Six credits of sociology or permission of instructor; open to advanced undergraduates.
A critical examination of Weber's writings and his influence on social science.

SOC 510 - (3) (SI)
Research Design and Methods
Prerequisite: SOC 495, or graduate standing, six credits of sociology; or permission of instructor
Study of the steps necessary to design a research project including searching the literature, formulating a problem, deriving propositions, operationalizing concepts, constructing explanations, and testing hypotheses.

SOC 511- (3) (Y)
Survey Research Methods
Prerequisite: SOC 495, or graduate standing, six credits of sociology; or permission of instructor
Study of the theory and practice of survey research. Topics include the survey as a cultural form; sampling theory; the construction, testing, and improvement of survey instruments; interviewer training; the organization of field work; coding and tabulating; and the preparation of survey reports. Students collectively design and carry out one major survey during the semester.

SOC 512 - (3) (Y)
Intermediate Statistics
Prerequisite: SOC 311, graduate standing, six credits of sociology or permission of instructor
Study of social science applications of analysis of variance, correlation and regression; consideration of causal models.

SOC 562 - (3) (SI)
Social Demography
Prerequisite: Six credits of sociology or permission of instructor; open to advanced undergraduates.
International study of population structures, emphasizing comparison of developed and developing societies, and the way in which differing rates of population growth effect the patterns of social and economic change in these societies.

SOC 566 - (3) (SI)
Urban Ecology
Prerequisite: Six credits of sociology or permission of instructor; open to advanced undergraduates.
Study of the interaction between human populations and their urban environments. Emphasizes the processes of development and change in America's urban communities, and the linkages among their demographic, economic, and social structures.

SOC 573 - (3) (IR)
Organizations and Social Structure
Prerequisite: Six credits of sociology or permission of instructor; open to advanced undergraduates.
Examination of the effects of social structure on the creation, persistence, and performance of organizations. Topics include organizations as the units of stratification systems in modern societies; and the implications of organizations for both social integration and social revolution.

SOC 595, 596 - (3) (IR)
Special Topics in Sociology
Prerequisite: Six credits of sociology or permission of instructor; open to advanced undergraduates.
The topics vary from semester to semester and are announced.

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