Graduate Course Descriptions
SOCI 6010. Sociological Approaches to Culture. 3 hours.
Oasis Title: SOC OF CULTURE.
Case studies of art, music, literature, rituals and ceremony, food, dress, and other cultural objects. Topics include the dimensions of cultural objects; structuralist, postmodern, functionalist and semiotic perspectives; and basic issues such as consensus and diversity, ideology, collective memory and tradition, religion, social solidarity, conflict, and change.
Offered every even-numbered year.
SOCI 6060. Sociology of Education. 3 hours.
Oasis Title: SOC OF EDUCATION.
Mainstream and critical theories of how society shapes the purposes, processes, and organization of schools; current policy issues and sources of national education data, with primary focus on United States elementary and secondary schools.
Offered every year.
SOCI 6090. Social Change. 3 hours.
Oasis Title: SOCIAL CHANGE.
The causes, nature, and consequences of changes in social structure and institutions.
Not offered on a regular basis.
SOCI 6150. Criminal Punishment and Society. 3 hours.
Oasis Title: PUNISHMENT AND SOC.
The relationship between contemporary American punishment and social organization and processes. Topics include historical features of, and justifications for, punishment; the death penalty debate; prisoner rights; and prison conditions.
Offered every even-numbered year.
SOCI 6160. Sociology of Development. 3 hours.
Oasis Title: SOC OF DEVELOPMENT.
The political economy of global development and its impact on class, gender, race, and ethnicity; the application and relevance of theoretical and methodological paradigms. Topics include agriculture, urbanization, environment, education, health, migration, economic restructuring, and political and collective strategies.
Offered every even-numbered year.
SOCI 6190. Proseminar in Sociology. 1 hour. Repeatable for maximum 2 hours credit.
Oasis Title: PROSEMINAR.
Prerequisite: Permission of department.
An introduction to the profession of sociology. Faculty members describe their intellectual work and discuss issues of professionalization, including selecting a major professor, preparing for comprehensive exams, writing for publication, and preparing for the job market.
Non-traditional format: The course will consist of weekly one-hour meetings spread out over two semesters.
Offered fall and spring semesters every year.
SOCI 6220. Development of Sociological Theory. 3 hours.
Oasis Title: DEV OF SOC THEORY.
Pivotal theories from classic theorists such as Marx, Weber, and Durkheim to the present.
Offered every year.
SOCI 6230. Sociological Theory: The German Tradition. 3 hours.
Oasis Title: GERMAN SOCL THEORY.
The German theoretical tradition, beginning with Marx and continuing with Wilhelmine-era sociologists, particularly Simmel and Weber; the Weimar and Nazi periods; and postwar critical theorists, notably Habermas.
Not offered on a regular basis.
SOCI 6270. Personality and Social Structure. 3 hours.
Oasis Title: PERS & SOCL STRUCT.
The social factors that shape behavior and self-concept; theories such as behaviorism, symbolic interactionism, Freudian psychology, cognitive social psychology, and critical approaches. Topics include emotions, human development, and authenticity and sincerity in the postmodern age.
Offered every year.
SOCI 6280. Sociology of Gender. 3 hours.
Oasis Title: SOC OF GENDER.
Feminist theories and methodologies on gender, with an emphasis on contemporary American society and the intersection of gender, race, and class. Topics include socialization, sexual orientation, reproduction, violence, family and household, work and global restructuring, and politics.
Offered every even-numbered year.
SOCI(AFAM) 6370. Sociology of Race and Ethnicity. 3 hours.
Oasis Title: SOC OF RACE/ETHNCTY.
The relationships of racial and ethnic groups with each other and with social institutions and processes.
Offered every year.
SOCI 6410. Current Trends in Sociological Theory. 3 hours.
Oasis Title: CURRENT SOC THEORY.
The concepts of community, authority, rank, the sacred, and alienation to examine conflict and consensus, modernity and postmodernity, classical theory, and the problem of meaning. The role of ideas in social integration and change, the problem of legitimation, civil religion in politics, "postmodern" society, and symbolism and moral order.
Offered every year.
SOCI 6420. Structured Inequality. 3 hours.
Oasis Title: STRUCTRD INEQUALITY.
Social stratification in the United States. The perception of class distinctions; prestige and power; the criteria of status evaluation; and the consequences of class for social relationships, lifestyles, and personality development.
Offered every year.
SOCI(ANTH) 6450. Sociopolitical Ecology. 3 hours.
Oasis Title: SOCIOPOL ECOLOGY.
The relationship between humans and the environment; ecological and social theories about environmental policies and problems.
Offered fall semester every year.
SOCI 6470. Deviance and Social Control. 3 hours.
Oasis Title: DEV & SOCL CONTROL.
Theories and research on the nature of deviant behavior and its control by social institutions, agencies, and groups.
Offered every even-numbered year.
SOCI 6490. Studies in Microsociology. 3 hours.
Oasis Title: MICROSOCIOLOGY.
Research and theoretical perspectives on how humans are affected by social structures and how they create the structures that shape and direct behavior. Particular emphasis on symbolic interactionism. Perception, identity, socialization, deviance and social control, power and inequality, and the linkage between microscopic and macroscopic levels of analysis.
Offered every year.
SOCI 6500. Sociology of the Political Economy. 3 hours.
Oasis Title: SOC OF POL ECONOMY.
The balance of political power between classes, races, and nations, as it shapes the economic forces that determine social order and the success or failure of social change.
Not offered on a regular basis.
SOCI 6600. Research Methods. 3 hours.
Oasis Title: RESEARCH METHODS.
Sociological research methods. Topics include conceptions of research, the philosophy of science, formal and grounded theory construction, and qualitative and quantitative approaches to research design.
Offered fall semester every year.
SOCI 6610. The Family. 3 hours.
Oasis Title: THE FAMILY.
This course is designed to acquaint students with the
predominant issues and theoretical perspectives within
the sociology of the family. The course will employ
a critical focus, analyzing the assumptions and empirical
adequacy of the various perspectives and theories extant
in the field. Topics include dating and sexual behavior,
cohabitation, marital interaction, parenting and child
adjustment, divorce, and intimate partner violence.
Offered spring semester every year.
SOCI 6620.
Analysis and Interpretation of Sociological Data I.
3 hours.
Oasis Title: ANALYSIS SOC DATA I.
Univariate, bivariate, and multivariate analyses
of non-experimental quantitative evidence. Topics
include frequency distributions, central tendency
and dispersion, cross tabulation, mean difference
analyses, statistical inference, regression, and
the use of microcomputers and statistical software
to conduct quantitative data analysis.
Offered spring semester every year.
SOCI 6630. Analysis and Interpretation of Sociological Data II. 3 hours.
Oasis Title: ANALY SOC DATA II.
Prerequisite: SOCI 6620 or permission of department.
Multivariate data analysis; the design and execution of an independent research project using such techniques.
Offered fall semester every year.
SOCI 6700. Survey Research Methods. 3 hours.
Oasis Title: SURVEY RES METHODS.
The procedures, methods, and problems of survey data collection. Topics include the historical development of survey research; sources of error in surveys; sampling; formatting questionnaires and interviews; and interviewing techniques.
Offered every odd-numbered year.
SOCI 6750. Qualitative Methods of Social Research. 3 hours.
Oasis Title: QUALITATIVE METHODS.
Prerequisite: SOCI 6600 or permission of department.
Qualitative approaches to research, with an emphasis on participant observation, intensive interviews, and analysis of text. Students must complete a major fieldwork project.
Offered every even-numbered year.
SOCI 6800. Sociology of Work and Industry. 3 hours.
Oasis Title: WORK & INDUSTRY.
Theories and research on work, industry, and organizations. Topics include the impact of organizations and workplaces on employees; models of management and control; and recent transformations in work and work organizations.
Offered every even-numbered year.
SOCI 6810. Sociology of Crime. 3 hours.
Oasis Title: SOC OF CRIME.
The nature, extent, and correlates of crime; theories of criminal behavior and victimization.
Offered every even-numbered year.
SOCI 6830. Sociology of Law. 3 hours.
Oasis Title: SOCIOLOGY OF LAW.
The nature of law, and the ways the legal system reflects its broader social context.
Offered every year.
SOCI 6850. Sociology of Occupations. 3 hours.
Oasis Title: SOC OF OCCUPATIONS.
Occupational choice, socialization, careers, and professionalization; contemporary issues concerning women and work, minorities and work, the consequences of bureaucratic and technological changes, and the impact of work on non-work behavior.
Offered every odd-numbered year.
SOCI 6900. Demographic Techniques. 3 hours.
Oasis Title: DEM TECH.
Prerequisite: SOCI 6620 or permission of department.
Introduction to the mathematical techniques commonly used to measure population characteristics and changes in fertility, mortality, and migration.
Offered every even-numbered year.
SOCI 6950. Sociology of Organizations. 3 hours.
Oasis Title: SOC OF ORGANIZATNS.
The impact of organizational structure on the lives and attitudes of employees; centralization, control, power, and accountability in workplaces; the role of gender in organizations.
Offered every even-numbered year.
SOCI 7000. Master's Research. 1-9 hours. Repeatable for maximum 45 hours credit.
Oasis Title: MASTER'S RESEARCH.
Prerequisite: Permission of department.
Research while enrolled for a master's degree under the direction of faculty members.
Non-traditional format: Independent research under the direction of a faculty member.
Offered fall, spring, and summer semesters every year.
SOCI 7005. Graduate Student Seminar. 3 hours. Repeatable for maximum 45 hours credit.
Oasis Title: GRAD STUDENT SEM.
Advanced supervised experience in an applied setting. This course may not be used to satisfy a student's approved program of study.
Non-traditional format: Seminar.
Offered fall, spring, and summer semesters every year.
SOCI 7300. Master's Thesis. 1-9 hours. Repeatable for maximum 45 hours credit.
Oasis Title: MASTER'S THESIS.
Prerequisite: Permission of department.
Thesis writing under the direction of the major professor.
Non-traditional format: Independent research and thesis preparation.
Offered fall, spring, and summer semesters every year.
SOCI 8000. Special Topics in Sociology. 3 hours. Repeatable for maximum 9 hours credit.
Oasis Title: SPECIAL SOC TOPICS.
Prerequisite: Permission of department.
Theory and research on advanced topics selected by the student.
Non-traditional format: Directed study.
Offered fall and spring semesters every year.
SOCI 8010. Seminar in Culture. 3 hours.
Oasis Title: SEMINAR IN CULTURE.
Approaches to culture, including the critical traditions of Frankfurt and Birmingham; the Durkheimian tradition of collective memory and social integration; and interactionist emphases on cultural products and structuration.
Offered every odd-numbered year.
SOCI 8030. Sociology of Religion. 3 hours.
Oasis Title: SOC OF RELIGION.
Contemporary social scientific approaches to the analysis of religion. Classic perspectives on religion and secularization contrasted to varied attempts to move beyond secularization theory in response to religious resurgence around the world. Other topics include attempts to reconceptualize the relationship between religion and politics in (post-)modernity.
SOCI 8200. Seminar in Sociological Theory and Research. 1-3 hours. Repeatable for maximum 9 hours credit.
Oasis Title: SEMNR IN THEORY/RES.
Selected topics on theory and research.
Not offered on a regular basis.
SOCI 8230. Seminar in Critical Theory. 3 hours.
Oasis Title: CRITICAL THEORY.
Critical social theory from its origins in Germany in the 1920s to its present development in Europe and the United States. Includes Frankfurt theorists such as Horkheimer, Marcuse, and Adorno; second-generation Frankfurters, especially Habermas; and contemporary critical theories of identity, culture, justice, and politics.
Offered every even-numbered year.
SOCI 8250. Seminar on Social Movements. 3 hours.
Oasis Title: SOCIAL MOVEMENTS.
Analysis of methodologies and theories used in the study of social movements. Case studies may include local, national, (United States and other) and transnational movements.
Non-traditional format: Seminar.
SOCI 8280. Seminar in Gender Stratification. 3 hours.
Oasis Title: SEMNR GENDER STRAT.
Prerequisite: SOCI 6280 or WMST 7010 or permission of department.
Research and theories of gender equality and inequality in America and other cultures. Topics include gender stratification in public and private domains, and the intersection of gender with race, ethnicity, social class, and sexual orientation.
Offered every even-numbered year.
SOCI 8290. Seminar in Global Perspectives on Gender. 3 hours.
Oasis Title: GLOBAL GENDER.
Analysis of diverse social and cultural manifestations of gender and its relationship to social, economic, political, and ideological spheres. Case studies may be drawn from Latin America, Caribbean, Asia, Africa, and the Middle East.
SOCI 8500. Seminar in Political Sociology. 3 hours.
Oasis Title: SEMINAR IN POL SOC.
Issues of class, gender, and race. Topics include power and state formation; competing paradigms of state action; the relationship between the state and economy; collective action; democratization, legitimacy and revolution.
Not offered on a regular basis.
SOCI 8510. Seminar in Organizations and Social Control. 3 hours.
Oasis Title: ORGS & SOCL CONTROL.
Prerequisite: SOCI 6470 or SOCI 6800 or SOCI 6950.
Organizational processes that control behavior, including work performance, career development, and off-job attitudes, orientations, and behaviors.
Offered every odd-numbered year.
SOCI 8630. Empirical Model-Building in Social Research. 3 hours.
Oasis Title: SOC MODEL BUILDING.
Prerequisite: SOCI 6630 or STAT 6220 or permission of department.
Simultaneous equations and confirmatory factor methods to evaluate structural and measurement models. Emphasis on the interplay between theory and the construction and evaluation of empirical models.
Offered every even-numbered year.
SOCI 8730. Theories of Social Psychology. 3 hours.
Oasis Title: SOCL PSYCH THEORIES.
Major classic and contemporary theories, including Freudian theory, exchange theory, dramaturgy, phenomenology, and ethnomethodology.
Offered every even-numbered year.
SOCI 8820. Communities and Crime. 3 hours.
Oasis Title: COMMUNITIES & CRIME.
Urban crime and spatial variation in crime rates. The impact of crime on the structure of communities and its role in neighborhood decline.
Not offered on a regular basis.
SOCI 8830. Violence and Society. 3 hours.
Oasis Title: VIOLENCE & SOCIETY.
Theory and research on the relationship between criminal violence and social structures and processes.
Offered every odd-numbered year.
SOCI 9000. Doctoral Research. 1-9 hours. Repeatable for maximum 45 hours credit.
Oasis Title: DOCTORAL RESEARCH.
Prerequisite: Permission of department.
Research while enrolled for a doctoral degree under the direction of faculty members.
Non-traditional format: Independent research under the direction of a faculty member.
Offered fall, spring, and summer semesters every year.
SOCI 9005. Doctoral Graduate Student Seminar. 3 hours. Repeatable for maximum 45 hours credit.
Oasis Title: DOC GRAD STU SEM.
Advanced supervised experience in an applied setting. This course may not be used to satisfy a student's approved program of study.
Non-traditional format: Seminar.
Offered fall, spring, and summer semesters every year.
SOCI 9300. Doctoral Dissertation. 1-9 hours. Repeatable for maximum 45 hours credit.
Oasis Title: DOCT DISSERTATION.
Prerequisite: Permission of department.
Dissertation writing under the direction of the major professor.
Non-traditional format: Independent research and preparation of the doctoral dissertation.
Offered fall, spring, and summer semesters every year.
