DEPARTMENT OF SOCIOLOGY

COURSE SYLLABI FOR SPRING 2010

SPRING ONLINE SCHEDULE OF CLASSES

Correspondence/Online Courses

• 100-Level Courses
• 200-Level Courses
• 300-Level Courses
• 400-Level Courses
• Graduate Courses

Sociology 101: Introduction to Sociology

Basic concepts, topics, and theories of contemporary sociology.  This course is a prerequisite for more advanced courses in sociology.

Correspondence section available; call 277-1604 for details

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Sociology 200: Foundations of Social Welfare

Overview of social welfare institutions in Western societies related to social change, stratification, economy, politics, dependency, poverty, wealth, and unemployment in U.S. and other countries; examines social work and related human service occupations.  This course is a prerequisite for both Sociology 300 and Sociology 400.

Prerequisite: Sociology 101.

Sociology 205: Crime, Public Policy & the Criminal Justice System

The study of crime, the criminal justice system, and crime-related public policy.  Discussion of key criminological concepts, measurement of crime and delinquency, its distribution in society, victimization, public opinion, the criminal justice system, crime control strategies and policies.

Prerequisite: Sociology 101.

Sociology 211: Social Problems

Description and analysis of major social problems facing American society. Foci may include: poverty, homelessness, alcohol and drug problems, race and ethnic relations, aging, and mental illness.

Prerequisite: Sociology 101.

Correspondence section available; call 277-1604 for details

Sociology 213: Deviance

Survey of major forms of norm-violating behavior in American society, such as drug and alcohol abuse, mental illness, criminal behavior and sexual deviance. Discussion of sociological explanations of the causes of, and attempts to address, these behaviors.

Prerequisite: Sociology 101.

Sociology 216: The Dynamics of Prejudice

The study of prejudice and discrimination, including their history and contemporary sources and prospects for their reduction, with application to American institutions.

Prerequisite: Sociology 101.

Sociology 221: Global Issues

The global context of patterns of development in nation-states with an emphasis on industrializing countries. Selected topics of social, economic and cultural change. Inequality, war, reform and revolution in global perspective.

Prerequisite: Sociology 101.

Sociology 225: Marriage Family and Their Alternatives

Comparative analysis of contemporary family and household forms such as dual-worker, single-parent and homosexual couple households. Focus on links between large-scale social changes and changing family composition and interaction patterns.

Prerequisite: Sociology 101.

Sociology 280: Introduction to Research Methods

A survey of the major methods of social research:  foundations of social research, research design, sampling and measurement, quantitative and qualitative research methods, and data analysis.

Prerequisite: Sociology 101.

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Sociology 305: Environmental Sociology

Examination of humans and the environment from an ecological perspective. Focus on industrial and economic growth, natural resources development, environmental values and movements, resource management, and comparative perspective on people's relationship to the environment. Prerequisite: Sociology 101.

Section	Days & Time	Instructor
001	M/W 4:00 PM - 5:15 PM	S. Daniel Schwartz

 

Sociology 308: Sociology of Gender

How and why societies create gender categories.  How do definitions of "masculinity" and "femininity" vary? What are the costs and benefits of being male or female in contemporary American society?

Prerequisite: Sociology 101.

Sociology 310: Sociology of Aging and the Aged

Descriptive and theoretical study of the social situation of older person in contemporary industrial societies; the impact on societal institutions of an increasing percentage of older citizens.

Prerequisite: Sociology 101.

Section	Days & Time	Instructor
001	MWF 10:00 PM - 10:50 PM	Diana Torrez

 

 

Sociology 312: Causes of Crime and Delinquency

A survey of criminological theories exploring why some people are more likely to engage in crime than others and why crime rates vary over time and space and across social groups. Attendant policy issues will also be discussed.

Prerequisites: Sociology 205 OR Sociology 213.

Correspondence section available; call 277-1604 for details

Sociology 313: Social Control

The study of informal and formal social control strategies for guiding and monitoring individual behavior and social interaction.  Discussion of key social control agents and institutions, including the family, schools, peers, media, religion and the criminal justice system.

Prerequisites: Sociology 205 OR Sociology 213.

Sociology 326: Sociology of New Mexico

New Mexico as a social system: the infrastructure of communities and ethnic groups, stratification, major social institutions, deviance and inter-group relations.

Prerequisite: Sociology 101.

Sociology 331: Collective Behavior

The study of riots, disturbances, social movements and other forms of contentious collective behavior. Strategies of conflict and conflict resolution are considered.

Prerequisite: Sociology 101.

Sociology 340: Sociology of Medical Practice 

An introduction to the delivery of health care in the U.S. and selected other countries is pursued with an emphasis on the interaction of patients, professionals and health care institutions.

Sociology 351: The Urban Community 

The forms and development of urban community; demographic, spatial, functional and temporal patterns; metropolitan development and city-hinterland relations.

Prerequisite: Sociology 101.

Correspondence section available; call 277-1604 for details

Sociology 371: Classical Social Theory

The study of nineteenth century sociological theory, with particular emphasis on Marx, Durkheim, and Weber.

Prerequisite: Sociology 101.

Sociology 381: Social Data Analysis

An introduction to the basic statistics (both descriptive and inferential) employed in the analysis of quantitative sociological data.

Prerequisites: Sociology 280.

Sociology 398: Special Topics in Sociology: Introduction to Latin American Society I

This course will place Latin American societies in their historical and social scientific contexts by examining: (i) Spanish, Portuguese, and United States colonialism and their various legacies; (ii) peasants, landlords, and agrarian transformation in the post-colonial era; (iii) the origins and consequences of urbanization; (iv) the demographic transition; (v) gender, family, and kinship relations; (vi) race and ethnicity; (vii) clientellism and corruption; (viii) democracy, human rights, and authoritarian rule; (ix) mercantilism, populism, and liberalism; (x) informality, poverty, and inequality; (xi) drugs, crime and violence; (xii) health, education, and human development; and (xiii) social movements and popular protest.  Students will be asked to read and engage scholarly works drawn from the disciplines of anthropology, economics, geography, political science, psychology, sociology, and urban planning; to contribute to class discussion; to pass two examinations; and to write an original research paper on a topic chosen by the instructor.

Prerequisite: Sociology 101.

Offered with LTAM 400-001.

Sociology 398: Special Topics in Sociology: Women & Cultural Violence

No course description available at this time.

Prerequisite: Sociology 101.

Offered with ANTH 340-001 & WMST 339.001.

Sociology 398: Special Topics in Sociology: Race Class & Feminism

No course description available at this time.

Prerequisite: Sociology 101.

Offered with AFST 393-003, AMST 350-003, POLS 300-008, & WMST 325-003.

Sociology 398: Special Topics in Sociology: Race and the Law

“Race and the Law” is a seminar that will evaluate the legal regulation of race in the United States. The object of the course is to examine the connection between law and the construction of race as a concept and position of identity. To this end, students will examine the legal ordering of individuals as members of racial groups and their treatment under the law across various time frames. The course will examine the use of the law both to perpetuate and eradicate racial injustice in the United States from the inception and rise of slavery during the colonial period through the racial desegregation decision of the United States Supreme Court in Brown v. Board of Education in 1954 to the present. The goals of the course are to achieve an understanding of the role of law in its social context, especially with regard to the use of legal institutions and law in the creation and maintenance of systems of racial injustice; and, as a corollary, to examine the potential and limits of the use of law (especially litigation) as a tool for social change. The course will begin with an examination of the analytical framework for the study of race and the law.

Prerequisite: Sociology 101.

Offered with AFST 397-004, AMST 350-004, & POLS 300-004.

Sociology 398: Special Topics in Sociology: Globalization, Identities & Politics

No course description available at this time.

Prerequisite: Sociology 101.

Offered with AMST 310-005, CRP 470-001, ECON 395-001, POLS 300-001, WMST 379-001 & WMST 579-001.

Sociology 398: Special Topics in Sociology: Politics of Religious Fundamentalism

This course introduces you to the origins and nature of religious fundamentalism. The Content of the course is directed toward understanding the relationship among society, politics and fundamentalist trends in some major world religions. Given the variety of religious expressions of fundamentalism and the limited amount of reading possible in a short semester, the discussion of all religious traditions is implausible. Rather, the focus will be on Christianity, Islam, Judaism, and Hinduism. In this respect, the concept of fundamentalism and its application to the above religions will be discussed. Students must have taken basic courses in religion, sociology, or political science to be eligible for this course.

Prerequisite: Sociology 101.

Offered with POLS 300-009 and RELG 347-006.

Sociology 398: Special Topics in Sociology: Sociology of Sport

The significance and impacts of sport including major issues and controversies (e.g., gender and racial inequality, commercialization and exploitation) are critically examined through an interdisciplinary social science perspective.

Prerequisite: Sociology 101.

Sociology 398: Special Topics in Sociology: Race Equality Health Care

No course description available at this time.

Prerequisite: Sociology 101.

Offered with AFST 397-001.

Sociology 398: Special Topics in Sociology: Black Woman

No This survey course reviews the contributions of black women to American history.  This course will study the managerial role black women provided during the slavery era; the foundational unsung heroine role black women performed during the Civil Rights Era; the internal struggle black women faced during the Women’s Rights Movement; and the modern black women’s challenges and successes in crafting modern American society.  An additional focus of the readings, discussions, films, and student assignments will be to understand the life cycles and multiple roles black women occupy as mothers, daughters, helpmates, workers, and social change agents and how that has or has not evolved throughout the American story.  This course will also discuss where black female stereotypes originated and how they are being dispelled in modern culture.  This course will expound on the part black women play in creating modern American cultural standards such as cuisine, music, beauty, and “sistahood”.course description available at this time.

Prerequisite: Sociology 101.

Offered with AFST 250-001, AMST 350-006, HIST 220-001, and WMST 250-001.

Sociology 398: Special Topics in Sociology: Military Sociology

This course will survey the broad field of military sociology.  Drawing upon classical and contemporary sociological theories and research, we will examine the relationship between the military and society in both the contemporary U.S. and international comparative contexts.

Prerequisite: Sociology 101.

Sociology 398: Special Topics in Sociology: Nonviolent Alternatives

This course studies the dynamics of violence and nonviolence at the interpersonal, institutional, cultural, and global level. We will consider evidence and theory from a variety of disciplines including neuroscience, cognitive psychology, anthropology, sociology, communications and criminology.  We will pay particular attention to traumatic effects of violence on individuals, collectives, and generations and consider various alternative strategies for conflict resolution and healing.  This course will consider the ways that media and gender roles influence the symbolic creation and reproduction of nonviolent and violent cultural norms, individual behaviors, and societal actions.  This interdisciplinary course satisfies and Seminar requirement for the Peace Studies Minor in the College of Arts & Sciences.

Prerequisite: Sociology 101.

Offered with ANTH 340-011, PSY 450-011 and WMST 379-011.

Sociology 398: Special Topics in Sociology: Race, Sport, & Media

This course will examine how race, sport, and the media converge in influence the way the public views different members of different cultures, ethnic groups and gender. At the end of this course you will have a better knowledge and understanding of media's effect on sport culture.

Prerequisite: Sociology 101.

Offered with AFST 297-001, AMST 200-001, and CJ 293-001.

Sociology 398: Special Topics in Sociology: WMD & Non Proliferation

This course presents an interdisciplinary introduction to the nonproliferation regime, the US and international agencies responsible for development and implementation of nonproliferation policies, and the social and political dynamics underlying the development of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) in selected countries.  The course will review the current nonproliferation treaties and discuss the technological approaches available for verification and implementation of these policies and treaties. The concept of non-proliferation policy and its application extending from major powers such as the United States, Russia, to European countries and regional powers, especially countries in the Middle East, will be discussed.  Lectures and discussions will focus on various spheres: from international relations and domestic security concerns, to political economy at local, regional, and global levels.  The course will take a comparative approach to specify technical, structural, and institutional configurations favorable and unfavorable to the adoption of nonproliferation policies by regional powers.  The course will examine conceptual understandings of the relationship between technology and policy, measures of conflict prevention and management; and the question of terrorist use of WMD and related prevention strategies.  The course is a senior level class and designed to benefit students of social sciences, engineering, and physical sciences who are interested in pursuing a career in the nonproliferation field.

Prerequisite: Sociology 101.

Offered with CHNE 499-001, CHNE 515-001 and POLS 400-013.

Sociology 398: Special Topics in Sociology: History of African American Education

This course will examine the historical role of education in the production and amelioration of social inequality for African Americans in the United States. Readings and dialogue will support students understanding of non-traditional and traditional educational institutions (plantation, church, community/freedom schools and secondary and higher education) and the role that race, identity, sexism, family, and community plays in the training of African American students. In the end, students will acquire knowledge of the historical trends and an understanding of racial differences in opportunity and achievement.

Prerequisite: Sociology 101.

Offered with AFST 397-039 and LLSS 393-039.

Sociology 399: Advanced Undergraduate Workshop in Sociology

First of a six-credit Sociology Honors Thesis Program; students develop skills to write an honors thesis written on Sociology 499.

Prerequisite: Sociology 280. Restricted to permission of Department's Honors Coordinator, Dr. Jane Hood (jhood@unm.edu).

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Sociology 400: The Welfare State

Social, economic, and political aspects of programs and policies of the modern welfare state, from Europe to other industrialized nations; the future of the welfare state related to economic, political, and demographic changes.

Prerequisite: Sociology 200.

Sociology 414: Sociology of Corrections

Study of the relationship between society and law enforcement agencies, including the societal context of policing and how law enforcement impacts society.  Discussion of law enforcement practices, training and management; the interface of police and communities; historical and contemporary models of policing; and efforts at police reform.

Prerequisites: Sociology 312 AND Sociology 313.

Sociology 416: Sociology of Law 

Social science perspectives of the law, legal institutions, and the impact of law on behavior. Topics include theories of law and legality; comparative legal systems; lawyers, judges and juries; and the use of social science in the courts.

Prerequisites: Sociology 312 AND Sociology 313.

Sociology 420: Race & Cultural Relations
Comparative and structural analysis of intergroup relations in the United States and/or other countries and regions.
Prerequisites: Sociology 101 AND Sociology 216.

Sociology 422: Sociology of Religion

Study of belief, commitment, and practice within religious and spiritual traditions and institutions, with a focus on contemporary United States, Latin America, and the Middle East.

Prerequisite: Sociology 101 or RELG 107 or RELG 263 or RELG 264.

Offered with RELG 422.

Correspondence section available; call 277-1604 for details

Sociology 424: Race, Class, & Crime

This class will examine the relationships between race, ethnicity, socio-economic status and involvement in criminal behavior, focusing on the influence of structural, cultural and historical influences.  We will also explore contemporary criminal justice issues pertaining to race and class.

Prerequisite: Sociology 312 AND Sociology 313.

Sociology 425: From Youthful Misbehavior to Adult Crime

Causes and consequences of offending at various stages in the life course, focusing on the ways in which adolescent and adult roles, responsibilities and opportunities shape aggregate and individual level patterns of involvement in juvenile delinquency and adult criminality.

Prerequisite: Sociology 312 AND Sociology 313.

Sociology 426: Drugs Crime & Social Control

Study of the development of social policies concerning illicit substance use; its impact on social behavior; strategies for prevention and supervision of drug offenders; and the relationship between criminal justice, education, public health and government policies.  Note: Students that have previously taken "Drugs & Society" (Soc 398) should NOT enroll in this course.

Prerequisite: Sociology 312 AND Sociology 313.

Sociology 445: Sociology of Work

Overview of the field of sociology of work (historical, classical, and contemporary theoretical perspectives), and empirical studies of different kinds of work and workplaces (technology/work, family/work, gender/race segregation, the corporation and globalization).

Prerequisite: Sociology 101.

Sociology 461: Global Change

A sociological perspective on economic, political and social trends worldwide. Implications of global change for individuals, organizations and societies.

 

Sociology 471: Contemporary Social Theory

Comparative analysis of major contributions to sociological theory in the 20th century.  Functionalism, Phenomenology, French Structuralism, Analytical Marxism.

Prerequisite: Sociology 101.

 

Sociology 481: Research Methods in Sociology

This course is intended to provide students with a working knowledge of the major strategies and essential tools used in organizing and analyzing sociological data.  Use of computer as a tool of social research; utilization of data archives; problems of research design, instrumentation and analysis of empirical data.  The course builds upon topics covered in the three prerequisites, Soc. 101 (Introduction to Sociology), Soc. 280 (Introduction to Research Methods) and Soc. 381 (Sociological Data Analysis--"Social Statistics"); students lacking these prerequisites will NOT be allowed to enroll in this course.  Students must enroll in one of the appropriate 481L lab sections to obtain full credit for the course.

Sociology 481: Research Methods in Sociology Lab

Use of the computer as a tool of social research; utilization of data archives; problems of research design, instrumentation, and analysis of empirical data. Students must be registered for 481. Prerequisites: Sociology 280 and 381.  Students must enroll in the appropriate 481 lecture section to obtain full credit for the lab.  Students must first enroll in the lecture section of 481, then call the department at 277-2501 to get cleared for the lab.

 

Sociology 488: Field Observation and Experience

A field placement arrangement for students in the criminology, Peace Studies, and social welfare concentrations.  Participant observation in local agencies and sociological analysis of this experience.  Prerequisites include core courses in deviance/criminology, Peace Studies, or social welfare and permission of instructor.

 

Sociology 490: Directed Study

Tutorial arrangement with a member of the sociology faculty. Specific arrangements must be made with a member of the sociology faculty responsible for supervising the work.  These arrangements are normally made at least one semester in advance.  Restricted to students with substantial background in sociology. May be taken for departmental honors with prior approval of chairperson. Not to be taken for criminology credit.

 

 

Sociology 491: Directed Study in Criminology

Tutorial arrangement for investigation of selected issues in criminology. Specific arrangements must be made with a member of the sociology faculty responsible for supervising the work.  These arrangements are normally made at least one semester in advance.

 

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SOCIOLOGY GRADUATE COURSES

Sociology 509: Gender & International Development

Focus on women in Africa, Asia, and Latin America, exploring their historical and current circumstances in light of the changing global political-economy.

 

Section	Days & Time	Instructor
001	Wednesdays 4:00 PM - 6:30 PM	Susan Tiano

Sociology 513: Constructing and Analyzing Contemporary Sociological Theory

Survey of contemporary theory, with a focus on constructing theory. Includes analysis of functional, interactionist, institutional and world-systems theory.

Sociology 520: Racial and Ethnic Relations

Historical and comparative analysis of race and ethnic relations in the U.S., with comparative reference to Western Europe, Latin America, and Asia. Origins and maintenance of slavery, minority community development; causes and consequences of prejudice.

Sociology 581: Advances Social Statistics I

Examines theory (assumptions, properties of estimators) and application of multiple regression.  Introduces matrix notation and generalized least squares.

Prerequisite: Sociology 481(L).

Sociology 583: Topics in Advanced Social Statistics

Analytical examination of traditional methodological issues including measurement, experimental design, sampling, theory construction, role of statistics and nature of probability.

Prerequisite: Sociology 582.

Sociology 595: Topics: Professional Writing Seminar

This seminar will focus on various aspects of professional sociological writing and publishing. We will begin by studying distinct approaches to composition and evaluating different sociological writing styles. We will also explore and practice various editing and revising techniques. Additionally, seminar participants will learn about key aspects of the publishing process including: how to put together a competitive grant proposal; how to present works-in-progress at a professional conference; the rules and protocol of submitting an article to a journal; how to write a good peer review when you are asked to serve as an external reviewer; how to create a book proposal, contact presses, and secure book contracts. This seminar is pertinent to graduate students at any stage – from first year students to those who are completing a dissertation. Each participant is expected to bring to the course at least one manuscript (e.g. a seminar paper, master’s thesis, dissertation proposal, grant proposal, etc.) that they will revise during the course, making it suitable for submission.

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Last updated: 11/09/2009