CHAIR: ALESSANDRO BONANNO (soc_aab@shsu.edu)
FACULTY: Bailey, Bates, Bennett, Constance, Denq, Ardovini-Brooker
Objectives: The Department of Sociology at Sam Houston State University is committed to high quality instruction and research in sociology. Students who enter the program will receive competent and updated instruction in classical and contemporary sociological theory, qualitative and quantitative techniques of sociological investigation, and major substantive areas in the field. The primary objective of the Department is to provide students with the scientific tools to understand the functioning of society and its fundamental components, operate analytically in the study of social phenomena, and acquire the necessary skills to successfully enter the global labor market. Through a variety of stimulating and interesting courses, students will be exposed to analytical views of the most significant aspects of society, its groups, institutions and people. In particular, the Department focuses on the study of the Globalization of the Economy and Society. Currently, a number of faculty members are involved in research in this area. Students are encouraged to participate in these projects. Additionally, students will be able to participate in a variety of extra-curricular activities designed and directed by faculty members to foster critical sociological thinking and knowledge of today's world.
Specializations: Students majoring and minoring in Sociology will acquire significant knowledge of the methodological and theoretical skills necessary for the accurate understanding of society and its components. Rigorous training in the fundamentals of sociology, its major theoretical paradigms, and investigative methodologies will allow students to be prepared to enter the labor markets with outstanding qualifications. The program is also designed to prepare students for advanced education at the graduate level. Instruction in the general aspects of sociology is complemented by specialization in three substantive areas. Students can select to concentrate their undergraduate curriculum in Change, Economy and Society; Culture and Social Institutions; and Inequality and Society. The first substantive area of concentration is formed by courses which explore the relationships between society and the economy, patterns of change in the global society, the environment, social movements, and the organization of urban and rural societies. The second area -- Culture and Social Institutions -- consists of courses which focus on culture, social institutions such as the family, religion and complex organizations and courses which analyze the most relevant social problems in today's society. The third and final area of concentration consists of courses in social inequality, gender and inequality, age and inequality and race and ethnic inequality.
Degrees: The Department offers the Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Sciences degrees in Sociology. Students interested in secondary certification in Sociology under these degree programs must incorporate the State Provisional Secondary Certification Requirements as set forth in the Teacher Certification section of this catalogue.
General Education Requirements for the SHSU Core Curriculum: Students majoring and minoring in Sociology must fulfill the general requirements established for undergraduate degrees at Sam Houston State University. For general requirements for the baccalaureate degree, refer to the general information section of this catalogue.
Departmental Requirements:
Bachelor of Arts Degree
Sociology Major
Bachelor of Science Degree
Sociology Major
Bachelor of Arts Degree or Bachelor of Science Degree
Sociology Minor
| Core Courses | Change, Economy and Society |
|---|---|
| SOC 261 Principles of Sociology | SOC 336 Social Change and Development |
| SOC 366 Research Method in Sociology | SOC 337 Environment and Society |
| SOC 383 Social Statistics | SOC 376 Rural and Urban Sociology |
| SOC 386 Sociological Theory | SOC 384 Economy and Society |
| SOC 499 Senior Seminar in Sociology | SOC 392 Social Movements |
| Culture and Social Institutions | Inequality and Society |
| SOC 264 Social Problems | SOC 168 Introduction to Ethnic Studies |
| SOC 266 Sociology of Sport | SOC 333 Age and Inequality |
| SOC 365 Sociology of Health and Illness | SOC 335 Gender and Inequality |
| SOC 378 Socialization and Social Control | SOC 364 Social Inequality |
| SOC 381 Cultural Anthropology | SOC 465 Race/Ethnic Inequality |
| SOC 462 Marriage and the Family | |
| SOC 468 Sociology of Religion | |
| SOC 477 Complex Organization |
| First Year | Credit | Second Year | Credit |
|---|---|---|---|
| SOC | 3 | SOC | 6 |
| ENG 164, 165 | 6 | Minor | 3 |
| HIS 163, 164 | 6 | ENG 265, 266, or 267 | 3 |
| MTH (164 or approved substitute) | 3 | FL 263, 264 | 6 |
| MTH (excluding MTH 031D, 032D), CS, statistics, or PHL 262 or 362 | 3 | BIO, CHM, GEL/GEO 131/111, or PHY (from two different departments) | 8 |
| FL 141, 142 | 8 | POL 261, POL elective | 6 |
| KIN 215 or accepted substitute | 1 | 32 | |
| KIN activity or accepted substitute | 1-3 | ||
| 31-33 | |||
| Third Year | Credit | Fourth Year | Credit |
| SOC | 9 | SOC | 12 |
| Minor | 9 | Minor | |
| ENG (200 level or higher) or SCM | 3 | Electives (Criterion VI or General) | 14 |
| PHL 261 | 3 | 32 | |
| ART, DNC, MUS, THR, or PHL 366 | 6 | ||
| Elective (Criterion VI or General) | 3 | ||
| 33 | |||
| First Year | Credit | Second Year | Credit |
|---|---|---|---|
| SOC | 3 | SOC | 6 |
| ENG 164, 165 | 6 | Minor | 3 |
| HIS 163, 164 | 6 | ENG 265, 266, or 267 | 3 |
| MTH from 163, 164, 170, 142, 199 | 6 | BIO, CHM, GEL, or PHY (one field) | 8 |
| BIO, CHM, GEL, or PHY (one field) | 8 | ART, DNC, MUS, or THR | 3 |
| KIN 215 or accepted substitute | 1 | Elective (Criterion VI or General) | 3 |
| KIN activity or accepted substitute | 1-3 | POL 261, POL elective | 6 |
| 31-33 | 32 | ||
| Third Year | Credit | Fourth Year | Credit |
| SOC | 12 | SOC | 15 |
| Minor | 9 | Minor | 6 |
| ENG (200 level or higher) or SCM | 3 | Electives (Criterion VI or General) | 9-11 |
| MTH (excluding MTH 031D, 032D), or laboratory science electives (BIO, CHM, CS, GEL, GEO 131/111, or PHY and excluding the two fields of science in which 8 hours each have been completed) | 6-8 | 30-32 | |
| Elective (Criterion VI or General | 3 | ||
| 33-35 | |||
| First Year | Credit | Second Year | Credit |
|---|---|---|---|
| SOC | 3 | SOC | 9 |
| ENG 164, 165 | 6 | ENG 265, 266, or 267 | 3 |
| HIS 163, 164 | 6 | BIO, CHM, GEL, or PHY (one field) | 8 |
| MTH 163, 164, 170, 142, 199 | 6 | ART, DNC, MUS, or THR | 3 |
| BIO, CHM, GEL, or PHY (one field) | 8 | CS elective | 3 |
| KIN 215 or accepted substitute | 1 | POL 261 and 285 or 379 | 6 |
| KIN activity or accepted substitute | 1-3 | 32 | |
| 31-33 | |||
| Third Year | Credit | Fourth Year | Credit |
| SOC | 12 | SOC 464 or 477, 494 or 499, | 15 |
| Minor | 9 | Minor | 9 |
| SCM | 3 | Criterion VI and/or concentration | |
| MTH, science, or CS electives | 3-4 | options | 8 |
| Criterion VI and/or concentration | 32 | ||
| electives | 6 | ||
| 33-34 | |||
SOC 168 INTRODUCTION TO ETHNIC STUDIES. A survey of the field and problems of Ethnic Studies as an area of knowledge and investigation. The instruction is to be interdisciplinary in nature. Major considerations of the entire Ethnic Studies field will be defined and analyzed. Although the course is not prerequisite to any of the others, students are strongly urged to take it before attempting other Ethnic Studies courses. Credit 3.
SOC 261 PRINCIPLES OF SOCIOLOGY. Introduction to the discipline with a focus on concepts and principles used in the study of group life, social institutions and social processes. This course is a prerequisite to many other courses taught in the department. It is required of all Sociology majors and minors. Credit 3.
SOC 264 SOCIAL PROBLEMS. Application of sociological principles to the major problems of contemporary society. Special attention is given to mental disorders, use and abuse of drugs and alcohol, sexual deviance and crime and delinquency; problems of youth and the family in contemporary society; institutionalized aspects of inequality, prejudice and discrimination; and population and environmental concerns. Credit 3.
*SOC 266 SOCIOLOGY OF SPORT. This course utilizes the application of the social science mode of inquiry to the study of the sociocultural characteristics of sport. These include examinations of the cultural, economic, political and structural factors (i.e., gender, race, etc.) which form salient aspects of today's sport activities at various levels. Focus is placed on the characteristics of sports and how these characteristics both reflect and have impact upon the social climate of a given society. Credit 3.
SOC 333 AGE AND INEQUALITY. This course underscores the influence of age on income and wealth, status and power. It includes an examination of institutional discrimination against the young and the old, as well as individual discrimination, such as child and elder abuse. It studies the relationship between life-cycle changes and changes in placement in the class, status and power stratification system. Prerequisite: SOC 261 or consent of instructor. Credit 3.
SOC 335 GENDER AND INEQUALITY. This course studies the influence of gender on socialization and placement in class, status and power stratification systems. It includes an analysis of institutional discrimination against women in major social institutions such as religion, education, family, heath care and work, and an examination of the feminization of poverty. Prerequisite: SOC 261 or consent of instructor. Credit 3.
SOC 336 SOCIAL CHANGE AND DEVELOPMENT. An analysis of world population growth and the associated problems of social development: urbanization, unemployment, secularization, hunger, and war. Prerequisite: SOC 261 and upper division standing. Credit 3.
SOC 337 ENVIRONMENT AND SOCIETY. The purpose of this course is to examine the "environment" as a social and cultural issue. Topics discussed include an overview of the field of environmental sociology, traditional sociological perspectives on environmental issues, paradigmatic implications of environmental sociology, the development of environmental movement, the rise of environmental deterioration, public attitudes toward environmental issues, national environmental policies, and social impact assessment. Prerequisite: SOC 261 and upper division standing. Credit 3.
SOC 364 SOCIAL INEQUALITY. This survey course studies the distribution of three primary resources: class, status and power. Special attention is given to the way birth-ascribed statuses such as age, sex and race interact with class, status and power stratification systems. Special attention is also given to the popular and scientific explanations of inequality, especially with respect to the high and low ends of the distribution of income and wealth. Prerequisite: SOC 261 or consent of instructor. Credit 3.
SOC 365 SOCIOLOGY OF HEALTH AND ILLNESS. Processes by which persons assume, act, and relinquish the sick role; interrelationships between patient and family, doctors, and hospital; quality and quantity of health services distributed by class and race. Problems posed by "mental illness": diagnosis, treatment, and involuntary commitment. Credit 3. Prerequisite: SOC 261 or consent of instructor.
SOC 366 RESEARCH METHODS IN SOCIOLOGY. This course is designed to introduce the student to the logic and character of scientific and alternative means of social inquiry. Examines the function of observation, concept formation, proposition arrangement and testing of theory as components of the scientific process in sociology. Prerequisite: SOC 261. Credit 3.
SOC 376 RURAL AND URBAN SOCIOLOGY. Examines the human community in its ecological, cultural, and associational aspects. The folk, rural, and urban community considered from the standpoint of various sociological perspectives. Special attention is given to social change, including decision-making as it affects local life. Prerequisite: SOC 261. Credit 3.
*SOC 378 SOCIALIZATION, SOCIAL CONTROL AND DEVIANT SOCIAL BEHAVIOR. Examines structures and processes through which social systems (e.g., groups, institutions, organizations, and societies) secure and maintain order and social control. Sociological concepts, principles and theories used to explain sanctioning in various social systems whereby people are socialized to want to act the way they have to act for social order to prevail. Prerequisite: SOC 261. Credit 3.
SOC 381 CULTURAL ANTHROPOLOGY. Cultural and social organization among primitive or preliterate societies; marriage, property, religion, magic and tribal control. Significance of the study of primitive cultures for understanding of urban industrial civilizations. Prerequisite: SOC 261 or consent of instructor. Credit 3.
SOC 383 SOCIAL STATISTICS. Examination of basic concepts, techniques and data necessary for an adequate understanding of social structure and change: observational, experimental, sample survey, and demographic. It includes an introduction to computers, computer software, and social statistics. Prerequisite: SOC 261. Credit 3.
SOC 384 ECONOMY AND SOCIETY. Changing employment opportunities for college graduates; blue collar, white collar, and professional lifestyles; origins of industrial society and effects on social stratification, minorities, and the family. Issues such as workers' control of industry, relationships between industry and government. Sociology of labor relations and personnel management. Prerequisite: SOC 261. Credit 3.
SOC 386 SOCIOLOGICAL THEORY. A historical survey of the development of sociological thought. Emphasis is placed upon the growth of Sociology as a discipline, major areas of interest and major contributors. Prerequisite: SOC 261. Credit 3.
SOC 392 SOCIAL MOVEMENTS. Examines the characteristics of social movements useful to the sociological study and interpretations of major social trends involving both social and cultural change in community and society. Theoretical frameworks for understanding and the causes, types, and theories of change in contemporary society are given special attention. Prerequisite: SOC 261. Credit 3.
SOC 462 MARRIAGE AND THE FAMILY. A sociological examination of marriage and family life. Problems of courtship, mate selection, and marriage adjustment in modern American society. Prerequisite: SOC 261 or consent of instructor. Credit 3.
SOC 465 RACE/ETHNIC INEQUALITY. This course examines ethnic stratification, i.e., placement in the class, status and power stratification systems on the basis of birth ascribed and socially defined race/ethnicity, and of the ideologies which serve to rationalize these inequalities. The course includes study of institutional discrimination ó ethnic stratification in major social institutions such as education, health care, religion and work. Broadly defined, ethnic stratification includes inequality based on other birth ascribed statuses, such as age and gender. Prerequisite: SOC 261 or consent of instructor. Credit 3.
SOC 468 SOCIOLOGY OF RELIGION. Identity and comparative understanding of religious beliefs and practices of peoples of the world. Attention is given to particular archaeological and ethnographic problems in the study of religion. Special emphasis is given to the functional perspective in examining the relation between religious beliefs and other institutions in selective social systems. Prerequisite: SOC 261 or consent of instructor. Credit 3.
SOC 475 READINGS IN SOCIOLOGY. Designed for advanced students in the behavioral sciences who are capable of independent study. Registration upon written approval of the chair of the department and of the instructor directing the course. Credit 3.
SOC 477 COMPLEX ORGANIZATIONS. Examines the structure and functioning of large-scale organizations and bureaucratic social systems in various institutional settings (e.g., business or industry, health, education, religion, military, prison and political). Attention is given to personal and social consequences of organizational involvement. Prerequisite: SOC 261. Credit 3.
SOC 499 SENIOR SEMINAR IN SOCIOLOGY. The content of this seminar will have alternate emphasis placed, at the discretion of the instructor, on special areas or issues of Sociology meeting the career needs of Sociology majors, minors, and/or prospective teachers of Sociology. Prerequisite: Advanced standing in Sociology. Credit 3.
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