Sociology

Sociology 1176/1196 (formerly C050/X050): Introduction to Sociology
3 credit hours

An introduction to the systematic analysis of societies. How societies evolve and change, what we can learn from comparing them, how they make us into the kinds of people we are, and which facts either sustain or shatter everyday life. What deviance, bureaucracy, racial discrimination, inequality, sexual, and social conflict have in common. Students learn about themselves by exploring the hidden roots of the world around them, including institutions such as the family, religion, politics, the economy, law, and education. Course work will include quizzes, tests, and a research project involving a written report. The research will be outside, in the real world, rather than from library sources.

• Back to index

Sociology 1376 (formerly C059/R059): The Sociology of Race and Racism
3 credit hours

An examination of the patterns of race and racism, with an emphasis on the United States. Topics include the meaning of race and racism; the origins of U.S. racial dynamics; the experiences of various racial minorities; race, class, and gender; race and ethnicity; movements for racial equality; current issues; affirmative action and reverse discrimination and the underclass; Eurocentrism in U.S. culture; and patterns of immigration to the United States.

• Back to index

Sociology 2103 (formerly 0103): Deviance and Society
3 credit hours

An examination of how behavior or people become defined as deviant in society. It also explores who is likely to be so defined and how society reacts to people it defines as deviant. Behaviors such as mental illness, alcoholism, and sexual deviance will be used to illustrate the various processes. Note, this course is not open to those who have taken Sociology 0203.

• Back to index

Sociology 0138: Crime in Film
3 credit hours

An examination of a number of films to determine how they portray public perceptions of criminality. We emphasize the sociological dimensions of such films and the often unforeseen effects of the products. Each film will require a student essay along highly specified lines that examines the film's relation to sociological theories on crime and deviance. Areas to be analyzed include the generality of deviance (House of Games), urban gangs (Boys in the Hood), organized crime (A Taxing Woman), institutional corruption (The Thin Blue Line), and the psychotic (political) assassin (Taxi Driver).

• Back to index

Sociology 3200 (formerly 0204): Applications of Sociological Knowledge
3 credit hours

(Cross-Listings: Asian Studies 2000)

An examination of the spectrum of methodologies used in researching social problems, from statistical analysis to direct observation. What is the best way of analyzing different sociological issues? What are the strengths and weaknesses of different approaches? In addition, the course will analyze studies that tackle the same sociological issue using different methodologies. These include Japanese corporations, the role of women and migrant workers in Japanese society, and Japan's seething underworld. Through these topics, the course will illustrate how Japan's institutions help stratify society as well as reflect and shape Japan's dominant cultural values. Finally, the course will require students to use sociological methodologies to examine a specific social problem afflicting Japan today, with group projects to be presented at the end of the course. In addition to lectures, the course will include field trips and guest presentations and interaction with NGOs whose issues relate to course topics.

• Back to index

Sociology 3240 (formerly 0232): Selected Topics in Sociology
3 credit hours

A special-topics course used for presenting material and approaches to sociology that are either experimental in nature or not yet a regular part of the curriculum.

• Back to index

Sociology 3240 (formerly 0232): Selected Topics in Sociology: Gender, Girls, and Culture in Contemporary Japan
3 credit hours

(Cross-Listings: Asian Studies 2000 & Women's Studies 3000)

An examination of the actual and metaphorical role of girls in contemporary culture and society. Both the commercial and subcultural aspects of girls' culture, from the 1970s to the present, will be discussed. Topics covered include gender and the theories of feminine sexuality and consciousness; Anglo-American militarism and Asian women; the idea of an Oriental femininity; childishness; cuteness and cultural resistance; girls and homoerotica; assertiveness and the girls' magazine industry; Lolita complex culture (or men who idolize girls); high school girl subculture; and the interaction of girls' culture with racial imagery. This course will help you to develop an understanding of the growth, the themes, and the role of girls' culture and even girl power in contemporary Japanese society.

• Back to index

Sociology 3245 (formerly 0245): Comparative Family Studies
3 credit hours

An introduction to family studies from sociological and social-psychological perspectives. Using a comparative approach, the impact of social class, ethnicity, culture, and other social structural factors on the family and related issues will be examined. The focus will be on a comparative analysis of the United States and Japan and on group variations within each country. A number of contemporary changes and trends taking place in major developed nations also will be discussed.

• Back to index

Sociology 3247 (formerly 0297): Ideology and Social Change in Japan
3 credit hours

(Cross-Listings: Asian Studies 3247)

A course covering a broad range of topics concerning Japanese society and its people, with an emphasis on contemporary changes they are experiencing. The course examines various Japanese social institutions (law, economy, education, religion, family) and belief systems, values, norms, and personalities. Comparison with the United States and other countries will be made as necessary.

• Back to index

Sociology 0315: Women and Society in Japan
3 credit hours

An analysis of the changing position and the characteristics of women in Japanese society from ancient times to the present. Different types of Japanese women and their lifestyles will be compared. Through lectures, discussion and audiovisual material, we will explore the issues and problems Japanese women are facing today in the family, work, community, and society.

• Back to index