http://www.uvm.edu/cas/sociology
Sociology is the systematic study of how groups of people relate to one another in contemporary society. For many sociologists, this means a focus on the social forces that create unequal outcomes on the basis of gender, race, and socioeconomic class. Social change, especially how it can contribute to a better distribution of opportunities, is also a major theme in sociological research. A degree in sociology will give students the methodological tools and theoretical perspectives that lay the groundwork for a solid, data-based understanding of pressing contemporary issues. UVM sociology courses address some of the most critical themes of the day, including criminal justice, environmental issues, gender and sexuality, health care, disaster response, and immigration.
Courses
SOC 1010. Topics In: First-Year Seminar. 3 Credits.
Intensive first-year seminar focused on specific themes and/or disciplinary perspectives. Emphasis on developing critical reading and writing skills, substantive revision, information literacy, and analytical thinking. First-year seminars are frequently organized to meet one of the disciplinary Catamount Core requirements. Topics vary by offering; periodic offering at intervals that may exceed four years. Catamount Core: S1, WIL1.
SOC 1020. Topics In: LASP Writing. 3 Credits.
Intensive course in a broad disciplinary area (humanities, social sciences, arts, or natural sciences). Part of an integrated first-year experience in which students take 2-4 classes exploring aesthetic, humanistic, social, linguistic, environmental, or scientific issues. May repeat for credit with different content. Topics vary by offering; periodic offering at intervals that may exceed four years. Co-requisite: Enrollment in the appropriate Liberal Arts Scholars Program. Catamount Core: D1, S1.
SOC 1025. Topics In: LASP Seminar. 3 Credits.
Intensive course in a broad disciplinary area (humanities, social sciences, arts, or natural sciences). Part of an integrated first-year experience in which students take 2-4 classes exploring aesthetic, humanistic, social, linguistic, environmental, or scientific issues. May repeat for credit with different content. Topics vary by offering; periodic offering at intervals that may exceed four years. Co-requisite: Enrollment in the appropriate Liberal Arts Scholars Program. Catamount Core: S1.
SOC 1100. Social Problems. 3 Credits.
Sociological analysis of social problems as they occur in American society and around the globe, and how they are defined as problems in the first place. Focus on issues such as migration, the opioid epidemic, climate change, and social inequality. Catamount Core: S1.
SOC 1210. Deviance & Social Control. 3 Credits.
Analysis of the causes and consequences of social behavior that violates norms. Examines patterns of deviant socialization and social organization and forms of deviance control. Catamount Core: S1.
SOC 1260. Drugs & Society. 3 Credits.
Patterns of illicit drug distribution, use, abuse, and control in contemporary society. Examines the interaction of cultural, social, psychological, and physiological factors in prohibited drug-taking. Catamount Core: S1.
SOC 1300. Health Care in America. 3 Credits.
Examination of the organization and financing of the U.S. health care system. Focus on health disparities, health care policy, and cross-national comparisons. Cross-listed with: HSOC 1600. Catamount Core: S1.
SOC 1320. Aging: Change & Adaptation. 3 Credits.
Individual and social meanings of aging and old age; physical, physiological, psychological, and sociological changes accompanying aging; individual, family, community, and societal adaptations to aging. Cross-listed with: HDF 1200.
SOC 1330. Sociology of Sexualities. 3 Credits.
Examination of the social construction of sexuality with emphasis on theories, concepts, and cultural ramifications of a range of sexual practices and identities. Cross-listed with: GSWS 1785. Catamount Core: S1.
SOC 1370. Race Relations in the US. 3 Credits.
Introduction to the sociological analysis of race and ethnicity, with a focus on the histories of racial and ethnic groups in the United States. Credit not awarded for both SOC 1370 and SOC 1372 or CRES 1883. Cross-listed with: CRES 1881. Catamount Core: D1, S1.
SOC 1372. Topics in Sociology of Race. 3 Credits.
Overview of diverse institutional, cultural, and socio-historical issues relating to U.S. ethnoracial minority groups. Credit not awarded for both SOC 1372 and SOC 1370 or CRES 1883. May be repeated for credit with different content. Topics vary by offering; periodic offering at intervals that may exceed four years. Cross-listed with: CRES 1883. Catamount Core: D1.
SOC 1375. Asian-American Experiences. 3 Credits.
An overview of the socio-historical conditions of people of Asian descent in the United States, along with an examination of contemporary issues. Cross-listed with: CRES 1885. Catamount Core: D1.
SOC 1400. Social Inequality. 3 Credits.
Introduction to structured class inequality in the United States, causes and consequences. Focus on wealth, prestige, and power. Inequalities of age, gender, and ethnicity also examined. Credit not awarded for both SOC 1400 and versions of the course offered as SOC 1010 to 1029.
SOC 1500. Introduction to Sociology. 3 Credits.
Fundamental principles and problems in the sociological analysis of the structure and dynamics of modern society. Catamount Core: S1, SU.
SOC 1990. Special Topics. 1-18 Credits.
See Schedule of Courses for specific titles.
SOC 2100. Self and Society. 3 Credits.
Analysis of the roles of sociocultural and situational factors in individual behavior and experience and the social genesis, development, and functioning of human personality. Prerequisite: Three hours of Sociology.
SOC 2210. Global Deviance. 3 Credits.
Studies different theoretical approaches to deviance and social control, empirical patterns of deviant behaviors, and temporal, spatial, and cultural variations in these patterns, in a global context. Prerequisite: Three hours of Sociology or Global and Regional Studies. Catamount Core: D2, GC1, S1.
SOC 2220. Sociology of the Holocaust. 3 Credits.
Examination of the Holocaust using a sociological lens and discussion of its relevance for current social developments and events. Prerequisites: Three hours of Sociology or three hours of Jewish Studies or HST 1715 or HST 2760 or HST 2790. Catamount Core: S1.
SOC 2230. Crime. 3 Credits.
Analysis of the nature and types of behavior that violates law, the mechanisms for defining such behaviors as criminal, and their causes and consequences. Prerequisite: Three hours of Sociology.
SOC 2260. Crim Justice & Public Health. 3 Credits.
Examination of the public health consequences and interventions in the criminal justice system, starting with problems that occur within policing, courts (including treatment courts), and corrections' systems. In the process, analyzes the social determinants of health within the justice system, and how such systems manage and approach health (including behavioral health). Prerequisites: SOC 1500 and 3 additional hours in Sociology; minimum Sophomore standing.
SOC 2300. Population Health Research. 3 Credits.
Overview of research methods used to examine population health dynamics. Topics include measuring health outcomes such as life expectancy and morbidity and examining the impact of sociological variables such as race and gender on health using domestic and international data. Prerequisite: Three hours of Sociology. Catamount Core: QR.
SOC 2320. Sociology of Death & Dying. 3 Credits.
Comparative examination of sociocultural adaptations to mortality with special attention to family, medical, legal, religious, and economic responses to fatal illness and death in contemporary society. Prerequisite: Three hours of Sociology.
SOC 2335. Gender, Sexualities & Medicine. 3 Credits.
Examines medicine through a sociocultural lens, drawing on sociological, historical, anthropological, philosophical, feminist, queer, and critical race studies perspectives in order to explore the intersections of sex, gender, sexuality, and medicine. Prerequisites: Three hours of Sociology, GSWS 1500, GSWS 1010, or Health & Society major or minor. Cross-listed with: GSWS 2785.
SOC 2370. Racial Inequality in the US. 3 Credits.
A critical analysis of racial inequality and stratification in the United States. Prerequisite: Three hours of Sociology or Critical Race & Ethnic Studies. Cross-listed with: CRES 2881. Catamount Core: D1, S1.
SOC 2400. Affluence & Poverty in Mod Soc. 3 Credits.
Examination of structured social inequality in contemporary American society with special attention to the distribution of wealth and its relationship to power, prestige, and opportunity. Prerequisite: Three hours of Sociology.
SOC 2405. Our Consuming Society. 3 Credits.
A critical look at the things we buy and our motivations for buying them, and a consideration of collective action solutions to over-consumption. Prerequisite: Three hours of Sociology.
SOC 2450. Population, Environment & Soc. 3 Credits.
Analysis of the causes and consequences of varying relationships among population size, distribution and composition, social organization, technology, and resource base. Prerequisite: Three hours of Sociology.
SOC 2460. Sociology of Disaster. 3 Credits.
Examination of disasters using a sociological, critical lens. Analysis of research, theories, and current debates in the field of disaster sociology. Prerequisite: Three hours of Sociology. Catamount Core: S1, SU.
SOC 2500. Social Research Methods. 4 Credits.
Introduction to research methods in social science. Includes examination of research design, measurement, data collection, data analysis, and the presentation and theoretical interpretation of research findings. Prerequisites: STAT 1050, STAT 1110, STAT 1410, or higher; three hours of Sociology or Political Science; minimum Sophomore standing. Cross-listed with: POLS 2800. Catamount Core: QD.
SOC 2550. Social Theory. 3 Credits.
Classical sociological theory including Marx, Weber, Durkheim, and Mead, as well as DuBois and early female theorists such as Martineau. Reading and writing intensive. Prerequisites: SOC 1500; three additional hours of Sociology; minimum Sophomore standing. Catamount Core: S1.
SOC 2990. Special Topics. 1-18 Credits.
See Schedule of Courses for specific titles. Prerequisite: Three hours of Sociology.
SOC 2994. Teaching Assistantship. 1-3 Credits.
Undergraduate student service as a teaching assistant, usually in an introductory level course in the discipline, for which credit is awarded. Offered at department discretion. Prerequisites: Three hours of Sociology; Instructor permission.
SOC 3140. Sociology of African Societies. 3 Credits.
Current social, cultural, political, and economic changes occurring in African societies, including issues of development, the state and civil society, social class, ethnonationalism, and democratization. Prerequisites: SOC 1500; SOC 2500 or SOC 2550; minimum Junior standing. Catamount Core: D2.
SOC 3230. Criminal Justice. 3 Credits.
Analysis of social structures and processes in criminal justice arenas, the labeling of criminal offenders, and other issues related to crime, punishment, and justice. Prerequisites: SOC 1500; SOC 2500 or SOC 2550; minimum Junior standing. Declared Law & Society minors may substitute SOC 1210 for other prerequisite coursework in Sociology.
SOC 3235. Corrections. 3 Credits.
Analysis of the social structures and processes involved with individuals designated as offenders of criminal law: probation, prison, parole, and programs of prevention and rehabilitation. Declared Law & Society minors may substitute SOC 1210 for other prerequisite coursework in Sociology. Prerequisites: SOC 1500; SOC 2500 or SOC 2550; minimum Junior standing.
SOC 3240. Sociology of Law. 3 Credits.
Analysis of sociocultural structure of the legal institution and its relationships to other institutions: the social organization of the legal profession, lawmaking, and the courts. Prerequisites: SOC 1500; SOC 2500 or SOC 2550; minimum Junior standing. Declared Law & Society minors may substitute SOC 1210 for other prerequisite coursework in Sociology.
SOC 3300. Health: Race, Class, & Gender. 3 Credits.
Rarely considered simultaneously in health research, intersections of race, class, and gender are crucial in health. This course examines political and historical conceptions of race, class, and gender and their intersections in relation to health, learning from key scholars in sociology, science studies, political philosophy, and population health. Prerequisites: SOC 1500; SOC 2500 or SOC 2550; minimum Junior standing.
SOC 3332. Transgender Studies. 3 Credits.
Introduction to the interdisciplinary field of transgender studies. Exploration of trans studies in the social sciences and gender and queer studies and examination of the field's contributions to shifting understandings of sex, gender, identify, and the body. Prerequisites: SOC 1500, GSWS 1010, or GSWS 1500; SOC 2500, SOC 2550, GSWS 2050, or GSWS 2070; minimum Junior standing.
SOC 3335. Sociology of Reproduction. 3 Credits.
Examines reproduction of cultural values in relation to social conduct of reproduction of human life (childbearing) under advanced capitalism. Prerequisites: SOC 1500; SOC 2500 or SOC 2550; minimum Junior standing.
SOC 3350. Family as Social Institution. 3 Credits.
Examination of the institution of the American family in cross-cultural and historical perspective. Theories and research on family continuity, change, and institutional relationships explored. Prerequisites: SOC 1500; SOC 2500 or SOC 2550; minimum Junior standing.
SOC 3370. Comparative Race & Ethnicity. 3 Credits.
A comparative analysis of racial and ethnic contact in the United States, Brazil, Canada, Germany, and Australia. Prerequisites: SOC 1500, and SOC 2500 or SOC 2550; or six hours in CRES; minimum Junior standing. Catamount Core: D1.
SOC 3375. Topics in Race. 3 Credits.
Covers topics related to racial identity, racial justice, or racial inequity, through an intersectional lens. The primary geographic focus is on the United States. May be repeated for credit with different content. Topics vary by offering; periodic offering at intervals that may exceed four years. Prerequisites: SOC 1500; SOC 2500 or SOC 2550; minimum Junior standing.
SOC 3380. Int'l Migration & US Society. 3 Credits.
A comparative approach to the migration of people from the rest of the world to the United States with an emphasis on Mexican immigration. Prerequisites: SOC 1500; SOC 2500 or SOC 2550; minimum Junior standing. Catamount Core: D2.
SOC 3450. Adv Environmental Sociology. 3 Credits.
Examination of theoretical interpretations of environmental problems, sources, and solutions, focusing on the social conditions under which problems arise. Emphasis on writing and individual research projects. Prerequisites: SOC 1500; SOC 2500 or SOC 2550; minimum Junior standing.
SOC 3550. Topics in Social Theory. 3 Credits.
Exploration of topics in social theory. May repeat for credit with different content. Topics vary by offering; periodic offering at intervals that may exceed four years. Prerequisites: SOC 1500; SOC 2500 or SOC 2550; minimum Junior standing.
SOC 3990. Special Topics. 1-18 Credits.
See Schedule of Courses for specific titles. Prerequisites: SOC 1500; SOC 2500 or SOC 2550; minimum Junior standing.
SOC 3991. Internship Seminar in SOC. 1-18 Credits.
On-site supervised work experience combined with a structured academic learning plan directed by a faculty member or a faculty-staff team in which a faculty member is the instructor of record, for which academic credit is awarded. Offered at department discretion. Prerequisites: SOC 1500; SOC 2500 or SOC 2550; Junior standing.
SOC 3993. Independent Study. 1-18 Credits.
A course which is tailored to fit the interests of a specific student, which occurs outside the traditional classroom/laboratory setting under the supervision of a faculty member, for which credit is awarded. Offered at department discretion. Prerequisite: SOC 1500; SOC 2500 or SOC 2550; minimum Junior standing; Instructor permission.
SOC 3995. Undergraduate Research. 1-18 Credits.
Undergraduate student work on individual or small team research projects under the supervision of a faculty member, for which credit is awarded. Offered at department discretion. Prerequisite: SOC 1500; SOC 2500 or SOC 2550; minimum Junior standing; Instructor permission.
SOC 4990. Special Topics. 1-18 Credits.
See Schedule of Courses for specific titles. Prerequisites: SOC 1500; SOC 2500 or SOC 2550; minimum Junior standing.
SOC 4996. Honors. 1-6 Credits.
College honors thesis or other department/program honors, under the supervision of a faculty member. Offered at department discretion.