Sociology (SOCG)

Courses

SOCG 1301 General Sociology: 3 semester hours.

Introduction to the discipline. Focus on why and how sociologists study social and cultural phenomena such as inequality, race and ethnicity, gender, populations, family, political behavior, deviance, and social change.

SOCG 1306 Social Problems: 3 semester hours.

Application of sociological principles to major social issues and problems in contemporary and global society with particular emphasis on the United States.

SOCG 2301 Sociology of Marriage and Family: 3 semester hours.

Study of families as social institutions. Focus on social facts and theories of the size, composition, and life cycle of families, family violence, family diversity, family change, and myths about the family.

SOCG 2302 Black Families: 3 semester hours.

Students will be introduced to the diverse institutional, cultural, and historical issues relating to the past and present life circumstances of Black American families. Some comparisons will be made with families in Africa and the Diaspora.

SOCG 2305 Social Deviance: 3 semester hours.

This course examines human behavior that violates social norms, the theoretical explainations of deviance, changing definitions of deviant behavior and issues of social conformity, societal sanctions and social control.

SOCG 2306 Sociology of Gender: 3 semester hours.

An exploration of how socializing agents such as the family, media, sports, school, work and religion aid in the development of gender roles, gender identity and gender inequality.

SOCG 2319 Sociology of Minorities: 3 semester hours.

Sociological study of traditional minorities (race, ethnicity, and religion) and new minorities (gender, sexual orientation and disability).

SOCG 2326 Social Psychology: 3 semester hours.

Uses major social psychological perspectives to analyze human behavior and the importance of others in determining self-perception, attitudes, motivation, conformity, communication, altruism, and aggression.

SOCG 3301 Urban Sociology: 3 semester hours.

Study of human settlement patterns, including the origin and development of cities, types of cities, urban political economy, spatial distribution of lifestyles, urban problems and recent trends in urbanization. Examines globalization and the rise of mega-cities and homelessness.

SOCG 3302 Correctional Treatment and Public Policy: 3 semester hours.

Sociological analysis of the historical development and current policies of the correctional system. Analysis of the justice process from crime to conviction: correctional systems (including jails), detention facilities to include local, state, federal and private penal systems.

SOCG 3303 Social Inequality: 3 semester hours.

A consideration of the research findings describing the American class structure. Special attention is given to the various strata, the determinants of membership in these strata, lifestyles and life changes associated with social position and with changes in position.

SOCG 3304 Juvenile Delinquency: 3 semester hours.

Sociological approaches to the nature and extent of juvenile delinquency; historical reasons for considering juvenile delinquency from adult crime perspective; influence of environments that support delinquency such as subcultures, peer groups, and gangs. Examines current societal measures used to address juvenile delinquency.

SOCG 3305 Addiction and Substance Abuse: 3 semester hours.

This course examines the biological, psychological and social forces as causal factors of addiction and examines various types of addictive behavior such as: drugs, alcohol, food, love/sex, gambling and technology.

SOCG 3306 Sociology of Drug Use and Abuse: 3 semester hours.

Historical and contemporary analysis of patterns of use and abuse of legal and non-legal drugs in the U.S. and other parts of the world. Social-psychological impact of abuse, dependence, and addiction. Evaluation of consequences and treatment.

SOCG 3308 Sociology of Probation and Parole: 3 semester hours.

Examines the organization and administration of probation and parole services, including pre-sentence investigation, probation hearings, conditions of probation, and community supervision. Examines parole administration, including operation of Parole Boards, the selection process for parole, boot camp, shock incarceration and emerging issues in probation and parole.

SOCG 3315 African American Urban Life: 3 semester hours.

This course examines African Americans as agents in shaping the urban experience in the United States. Examples will be drawn from communities such as Harlem, NY, the Central Avenue districts of Los Angeles, Chicago’s south Side and the Auburn Avenue districts of Atlanta, as well as others.
Prerequisites: SOCG 1013 or SOCG 1301.

SOCG 3322 Political Sociology: 3 semester hours.

Comparative analysis of political development and political participation including voting behavior, public opinion, political parties and elites; political power and resource distribution in groups, organizations, institutions, communities, and societies.

SOCG 4301 Religions in the African Diaspora: 3 semester hours.

Examines the historical progression of traditional African spirituality and cultures across various regions beyond Africa; and historical trends that have shaped the repression of African Diasporic religious life within its social context. Topics within the course will include the following: religious syncretism, black theology, black secularism, freedom movements, repatriation and the role of religious institutions in containing civil society.

SOCG 4302 Special Topics in Sociology: 3 semester hours.

Intensive study of specialized topics in sociology and contemporary social issues. May be repeated for credit when topics vary.

SOCG 4304 Collective Behavior and Social Change: 3 semester hours.

Examines the spontaneous behavior of impermanent, unstructured collections of people, including crowds, disaster, revolutions and social movements.

SOCG 4305 Social Statistics: 3 semester hours.

Presentation of sociological data and introduction to descriptive and inferential statistics for social science majors. Includes computer applications.
Prerequisites: MATH 1314 or MATH 1113.

SOCG 4306 Demography: 3 semester hours.

Study of size, composition, growth and distribution of populations; social causes and consequences of population change; and collection and interpretation of vital statistics and census data.

SOCG 4307 Global Sociology: 3 semester hours.

Study of the interaction of culture, technology and environment in the evolution of social life from hunting and gathering bands to global society. Explores recent theories of global society in the post-cold war world.

SOCG 4314 Environmental Sociology: 3 semester hours.

Examines the relationship between humans and the natural world from a historical and cultural perspective exploring the issues of human progress and development, cross-cultural comparisons, the relationship between humans, animals, the land and raw materials, and current environmental problems and potential solutions.

SOCG 4363 Cultural Sociology: 3 semester hours.

Study of culture including cultural universals, cultural conflicts, and cultural pluralism from a global perspective. Explores the effect of technology on cultural transmission and cultural change.

SOCG 4372 Sociological Research Methods: 3 semester hours.

Introduction to methods of sociological research including experiments, survey research, secondary analysis, and observation. Includes computer applications.

SOCG 4373 Sociological Theory: 3 semester hours.

Critical survey of major sociological theories from classical to contemporary schools of thought.

SOCG 4376 Sociology Internship: 3 semester hours.

Placement in governmental agency, nonprofit organization or business for supervised experience in applied sociology. May require health examination or security clearance.

SOCG 4378 Senior Seminar in Sociology: 3 semester hours.

Final integration of the major works of theory and research in sociology including subfields. Comprehensive exam and major paper required. Restricted to majors and must be taken the semester prior to graduation.

SOCG 4399 Independent Study: 3 semester hours.

Readings, research, and/or field work on selected topics.

SOCG 5312 Social Statistics: 3 semester hours.

This course is designed to enhance students' statistical knowledge of measurement of central tendency, z-test, t-tests, and analysis of variance, correlation techniques and regression analysis.

SOCG 5321 Classical Sociological Theory: 3 semester hours.

Major sociological contributions of the classical theorists including but not limited to Thomas Hobbes, Auguste Comte, Alexis de Tocqueville, Karl Marx, Emile Durkheim, Max Weber, Harriet Martineau, W.E.B. DuBois, and Jane Addams, providing the foundation for contemporary theory.

SOCG 5322 Research Methods: 3 semester hours.

Advanced instruction in sociological research requiring a detailed treatment of qualitative and quantitative techniques of data collection and analysis. Written paper based on original research required.

SOCG 5324 Urban Sociology: 3 semester hours.

Examines the social structure of cities and the adjustment people make to urban conditions. Urban neighborhoods, population groupings, social processes, trends and problems are treated in the light of historical, ecological and social factors. A review of selected problems including urban tensions and the persistence of local ties such as family and ethnicity are explored.

SOCG 5326 Sociology of Education: 3 semester hours.

Exploration of knowledge in society and its relationship to the social structure and individual consciousness; how the social attributes of groups as well as individuals affect the production, ordering, and presentation of information as well as the form knowledge takes in a particular society.

SOCG 5328 Aspects Of Poverty: 3 semester hours.

Presentation of several theoretical perspectives on poverty in American society. Past, current, and proposed solutions of poverty are discussed.

SOCG 5333 Crime and Society: 3 semester hours.

A survey of the historical and contemporary explanations of phenomena of crime and criminal behavior from the perspective of contemporary theories and the analysis of evidence supportive of various theoretical positions. Crime measurement and crime statistics are also discussed, as are the techniques for crime analysis.

SOCG 5335 Seminar in Race Relations: 3 semester hours.

Wide range exploration of the dynamics of inter-group relations including historical and sociological factors in race and ethnic relations. An examination of politico-economic and societal development processes that serve to maintain social positions in contemporary society.

SOCG 5341 Contemporary Sociological Theory: 3 semester hours.

Basic ideas of contemporary sociological theory: structuralism, functionalism, conflict, symbolic interaction, exchange; includes but not limited to the works of Parsons, Merton, Mead, Cooley, Goffinan, Coser, Dahrendorf, Marcuse and Habermas and their application to current research.
Prerequisites: SOCG 5321 or SOCG 5213.

SOCG 5342 Social Inequality: 3 semester hours.

Analysis of the nature of social stratification and its relation to other aspects of society: distribution of influence and wealth occupational structural, family relations, religious and educational institutions, minority problems, and cultural patterns. Comparison between open class, caste and other arrangements. Sources of mobility and change in stratification systems. Also addresses the impact of different forms of ranking and the consequent inequalities that arise.

SOCG 5344 Social Movements: 3 semester hours.

Examination of theories and research on social movement and social change; historical and contemporary social movements in the United States and elsewhere; collective violence and protest; terrorism and social and political revolutions.

SOCG 5345 Complex Organizations: 3 semester hours.

Introduces students to the critical examination of modern organizations, the nature of bureaucracy and its effect on personality, social relations, group dynamics and social change. Examines bureaucratic arrangements and processes in a variety of organizational context such as corporations, universities, unions, professionals associations, government bureaus and religious institutions. The role of power in bureaucratic settings and exchanges is explored.

SOCG 5346 Special Topics: 3 semester hours.

Seminar on specialized topics in sociology. Subject matter may vary by semester. May be repeated for credit when topics vary.

SOCG 5352 Black Family: 3 semester hours.

This course is designed to explore the Black family from a number of different perspectives. We will research and discuss how institutions affect family structure, relationships, socioeconomic conditions, health and other factors. Different theoretical frameworks will be used to explain the historical and contemporary status and experiences of Black families in the United States.

SOCG 5355 Sociology of Gender and Sex Roles: 3 semester hours.

Analyzes the social significance of gender through the exploration of the theoretical nature of women's oppression and inequalities between women and men. A cross-cultural analysis of the development of gender roles and an examination of contemporary gender inequality in terms of gendered work patterns, labor force participation, and occupational mobility as well as alternatives to conventional division of labor by sex in society.

SOCG 5361 Thesis: 3 semester hours.

A candidate for the Master of Sociology is required to prepare a thesis under the direction of a faculty thesis committee. The thesis must be orally defended and approved by all members of the faculty thesis committee before the degree is conferred. The student must register for thesis each semester until satisfactorily completed.

SOCG 5362 Thesis: 3 semester hours.

A candidate for the Master of Sociology is required to prepare a thesis under the direction of a faculty thesis committee. The thesis must be orally defended and approved by all members of the faculty thesis committee before the degree is conferred. The student must register for thesis each semester until satisfactorily completed.
Prerequisites: SOCG 5321 or SOCG 5213.

SOCG 5372 Black Sociology: 3 semester hours.

Examines the contributions of black sociological theorists, public intellectuals, and methodologists including but not limited to selected topics such as Black Marxism, the Atlanta Laboratory School, Postcolonial Studies, Black Feminism, and Critical Race Theory providing the foundation for contemporary theory.

SOCG 5382 Graduate Capstone: 3 semester hours.

Serves as the culminating experience for non-thesis MA students. This course will allow graduate students to develop writing and presentation skills, and integrate past learning.

SOCG 5383 Media Studies: 3 semester hours.

Explores how various avenues of the media impact human behavior with a focus on theory and themes such as: race, gender, class, culture, technology and globalization.

SOCG 5384 Urban Field Research: 3 semester hours.

The course is designed to provide theoretical foundations for and guided practical experience in conducting field research in urban settings.

SOCG 5399 Independent Study: 3 semester hours.

Readings, research, and/or field work on selected topics.