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Spring 2018

Course Code

Title

Instructor

Description

ANTH 1000 
Intro to Anthropology
Introduction to the four subdisciplines within Anthropology: Biological and cultural anthropology, archaeology, and linguistics. The course is designed for non-anthropology majors.

ANTH 1010
Culture and the Human Experience
STAFF
Introduction to the concept of culture as a framework for understanding similarities and differences in behavior and values in human societies.
 
ANTH 1020
Human Origins: Evolution and Diversity
Introduction to biological anthropology; surveys of hominid fossils, primate biology and behavior, human biological variation, ecology and adaptation, and evolutionary theory.

ANTH 1030
World Prehistory: An Introduction
STAFF
Introduction to the two-million-year-old archaeological record of human prehistory.

 

ANTH 1050
The Evolution of Human Nature
An overview of the broad patterns of temporal and spatial variation in morphology and behavior among humans and our nearest relatives. Basic concepts and models in human evolutionary ecology are introduced.

 

ANTH 2330
Great Discoveries in Archaeology
This introductory class presents a range of well-known archaeological discoveries and explores their changing interpretations, the methods of archaeological science, and what their interpretations tell us about the unique human experience. By focusing on familiar sites and discoveries feature in popular media, this class provides students with an in-depth look behind the headlines, widely accepted generalizations, and fantastical claims of famous hoaxes. The class addresses findings that are crucial to understanding fossils of human ancestors, examples of well known past civilizations, the development of writing systems, what we can learn from mummies, recent historical archaeology, and how archaeology contributes knowledge relevant to our current concerns with the environment and human use of resources.

 

ANTH 3211
Biology of Native Americans
Meets with ANTH 5211. Origin, population history, child growth, health, anthropometry, demography, and genetics of North and South American Indians. Biological variation and adaptation of Native American groups in the pre-contact era, biological effects of European contact, and subsequent biological responses to modernization.

 

ANTH 5211
Biology of Native Americans
Meets with ANTH 3211. Origin, population history, child growth, health, anthropometry, demography, and genetics of North and South American Indians. Biological variation and adaptation of Native American groups in the pre-contact era, biological effects of European contact, and subsequent biological responses to modernization.

Course Code

Title

Instructor

Description

ECON 1740

US Economic History

Historical foundations of American economic growth and development from the colonial period to the present. Institutional and structural change and processes of growth.

 

ECON 2010

Principles of Microeconomics

Issues related to the production of goods and services. Questions addressed include what gets produced, how does production take place, and who gets the output. Micro theory helps answer these questions by analyzing markets and how consumers and producers make decisions.

 

ECON 2020

Principles of Macroeconomics

National and international economic issues relating to government policy, institutional structure, and economic stability. Basic models of growth, stability in employment and inflation, and government spending and monetary policy are developed and presented in historical context.

 

ECON 3100

Labor Economics

Labor-market economics, wage theory, labor mobility, human-resource development, unionism, collective bargaining, employment, and public policy.

 

ECON 3500

International Economics

History, institutions, and theory of international economic relations. Alternative theories relating to the pattern of international trade, commercial policy, relationships between national income and international trade and payments, balance-of-payments adjustment, international monetary arrangements, and foreign investment.

 

ECON 3620

Mathematics for Economists

The use of mathematical language and techniques to formulate and solve problems in economics. Topics include linear algebra, differential and integral calculus, and constrained optimization.

 

ECON 3640

Probability and Statistical Inference for Economists

Frequency distributions, moments, sample spaces, random variables, probability distributions, sampling theory, estimators, confidence intervals, hypothesis testing, two-variable regression models. Applications of computer software packages.

 

ECON 3700

Sports Economics

A variety of economic methods can be applied to sports. The class begins with a market analysis of the professional sports industry, including cost accounting, marketing strategies and profitability in the design of sporting venues. Regional analysis is used to understand the economic effect of building a new stadium. Econometric methods are used to relate sports performance statistics to athlete salaries and team profits. Professional teams have a natural tendency to become monopolies. The history of antitrust law has guaranteed market power for professional teams, but competition, other sports and other entertainment options limits that power. The wages and work of athletes are studied from the viewpoint of labor economics. Racial and gender discrimination is discussed as a historically important aspect of the professional athletic labor market. The economics of player's unions, league monopolies and contract negotiation is analyzed in terms of the theory of games. In many cases the analysis is extended to a discussion of reforms that are fairer and more efficient.

 

ECON 4010

Intermediate Microeconomic Analysis

Neoclassical principles of resource allocation. Topics include choice theory, theory of the firm, introduction to general equilibrium and welfare economics, and theory of market structures policy application and formal techniques.

 

ECON 4020

Intermediate Macroeconomic Analysis

Macroeconomic theories, models, and analysis focused on national income determination, unemployment, inflation, and public policy.

 

ECON 4650

Principles of Econometrics

The study of regression models in economics. Topics include data analysis, statistical estimation, inference, and forecasting.

 

ECON 5380

Law and Economics

This course meets with ECON 6380. Graduate students should register for ECON 6380 and will be held to higher standards and/or additional work. Use of economics in the analysis of law, including the economics of contracts, torts, property, and criminal law. Some aspects of economic consulting for lawyers will be addressed. This course is recommended for economics majors who are planning to go to law school or intend to pursue a career in the legal field.

 

 

ECON 6380 Law and Economics GLICK, M. Meets with ECON 5380. Graduate students should register for ECON 6380 and will be held to higher standards and/or additional work. Use of economics in the analysis of law, including the economics of contracts, torts, property, and criminal law areas. Some aspects of economic consulting for lawyers will be addressed. This course is recommended for economics majors who are planning to go to law school or intend to pursue a career in the legal field.

Course Code

Title

Instructor

Description

ENVST 2050
Introduction to Environmental and Sustainability Science
The goal for this class is to have students versed in the topics of: 1) Ecology and Sustainability, 2) Biodiversity, and 3) Earth Resources and Environmental Quality. The course consists of lectures, participation exercises, which will require critical thinking and data analysis, and the laboratory assignments (at-home and field based). The materials have been designed to step you through the topics and if you already have some science background this class will help you make connections among scientific disciplines and ESS.

 

ENVST 2100
Introduction to Environment and Sustainability
Course consists of a series of lectures from University of Utah faculty on a wide variety of research focuses on the environment and sustainability. The course professor will provide continuity and develop an integrated framework for understanding and analyzing the material. The course will expose students to a diverse range of research viewpoints and approaches to studying issues surrounding the environment and sustainability.

 

ENVST 3365
Environmental Justice
Meets with ENVST 5365. Environmental Justice is concerned with the potential for the disproportionate impact of environmental harm on communities of color and the poor. This could include, for example, the citing of toxic waste-producing facilities in poor or minority communities, the impact of high energy prices on low-income people, the confiscation of land and water from native communities, the concentration of air and water pollution in communities that lack the political access and funding to fight them, the role of racism as a factor in determining who should bear the brunt of negative environmental externalities, and an overall concern that all policies affecting the environment be formulated and implemented in a manner that does not victimize people because of their race, ethnic heritage or income. This course will explore the theories and concepts of environmental justice, assess the empirical research on the subject, and examine specific case studies. And finally, the course will explore ways to achieve environmental justice for all people regardless of race, gender, ethnic heritage, and income level. The overall objective of the course is to understand how a multi-cultural democratic society can achieve environmental sustainability within a framework of justice and equality for all.

Course Code

Title

Instructor

Description

FCS 1500
Lifespan Human Development
A survey examining development through the prenatal period and all stages of life. Consideration of physical, intellectual, and social development, with emphasis upon the influence of various contexts (e.g. family, culture, community, school).

 

FCS 2180
Family, School and Community Connections
Family/home learning environment, school environments and Family/School/Community partnerships as they impact student academic achievement.

 

FCS 2400
Modern Family: A Life Course Perspective
Provides an overview to family studies, including theory and research on family demography, union formation, marriage, parenting, post-parental families, non-traditional families, and family problems.

 

FCS 2570
Middle Childhood: The School Years
This course will focus on the physical, social, emotional, cognitive and linguistic development characteristics of children and young adolescents (ages 5-13). Students will relate the major concepts, theories, and research associated with development of children and young adolescents.

 

FCS 2600
Introduction to Early Childhood Education
This course focuses on child development and childcare during the early years.

 

FCS 3010
Introduction to FCS and Career Development
The goals of this course are to introduce students to: 1) department faculty 2) careers available to them and 3) to recruit and retain students through increased integration of departmental resources available.

 

FCS 3200
Research Methods in Family and Consumer Studies
STAFF
Basic research designs, measurement techniques, and methods of data collection used in social and behavioral science research, with special attention to fields relevant to FCS. Students analyze research reports and journal articles.

 

FCS 3210
Statistics in Family and Consumer Studies
STAFF
How to present and analyze data relevant to Family and Consumer Studies. Topics include means, standard deviations, T-tests, chi-square, ANOVA, regression analysis, correlations, and computer assignments.

 

FCS 3215
Beginnings: Development During Infancy & Childhood
In-depth examination of development through the prenatal period, infancy, and childhood. Consideration of physical, intellectual, and social development, with emphasis upon the child in various contexts (e.g. family, culture, school, community).

 

FCS 3380
Social Science and Health Care
This course will explore the ways in which social behavioral factors influence health. It is essential that future health care providers consider how the family structure, culture, and environment positively and negatively impacts the type of care a patient receives over the life course. The objectives for this course were developed in collaboration with faculty members from the College of Social and Behavior Science and faculty members from the School of Medicine. This course was co designed by the Department of Family and Consumer Studies & the School of Medicine.

 

FCS 3420
Housing Policy and Issues
This course examines national and local programs that enhance affordability; economic and demographic trends that predict the future of housing; social and psychological aspects of housing that promote well-being, and design ideas that make housing and neighborhoods safe, attractive, healthy and convenient. Both web-based and on-site explorations enrich the understanding of housing challenges. The course is relevant to renters and home owners, planners and advocates, government officials, and residential designers, builders, and financiers.

 

FCS 3450
Family Economic Issues Across the Life Course
Introduction of the economic approach to family-decision making across the life course. Topics include consumption, saving, time allocation, human capital investment, housing, marriage, divorce, fertility, and retirement.

 

FCS 3500
Financial Skills for Life
Financial planning is the lifelong process by which individuals and households determine, pursue, and achieve financial goals. The principal mechanisms of personal financial planning include: responsible use of credit, investing and asset allocation, risk management, tax planning, retirement planning, and real estate planning. The course serves booth s an all-in-one primer in financial literacy and as a foundation for further course work for students who wish to become financial planning professionals.

 

FCS 3600
Introduction to Consumer and Community Policy
Study of national and local public policies that affect consumer well-being and shape communities. Examples of topic areas covered are transportation, urban/suburban growth, housing, credit markets, energy use, retail marketing, and privacy.

 

FCS 5230
Adolescence
This course examines the physical, cognitive, and socioemotional development of adolescents in key life contexts (e.g., family, school, community, culture).

 

FCS 5390
Gender and Minorities Across the Lifespan
The primary objective of this class is to analyze the distinctive ways women and minorities experience major life events across the lifespan. The course has three sections: 1) child development as related to gender socialization and racial identity; 2) adolescence and its connection with teen pregnancy, racial attitudes among minority youths, and biculturalism and acculturation among minority adolescents; and 3) adult development and aging among women and elderly of color. Literatures are drawn from psychology, sociology, gender studies, race relations, and ethnic studies.

 

FCS 5430
Families, Consumers, and Health
Covers two broad areas: the interplay among health care delivery, government policy, and consumers, and the role families play in affecting the health of family members. Content emphasis will vary according to the instructor.

 

FCS 5530
Income Tax Planning for Families
The course focuses on principles and current law and practice of income taxation and its impact on financial planning for individuals, couples and families in their roles as investors, employees, and business owners.

 

FCS 5540
Protecting Family Wealth: Insurance and Estate Planning
The course in estate planning focuses on the efficient conservation and transfer of wealth, consistent with the client's goals. It is a study of the legal, tax, financial, and non-financial aspects of this process, covering topics such as trusts, wills, probate, advanced directives, charitable giving, wealth transfers and related taxes.

 

Course Code

Title

Instructor

Description

GEOG 1000
Earth Environments and Global Change
"Earth Environments and Global Change" explores the four interconnected spheres of the Earth, the atmosphere, hydrosphere, lithosphere and biosphere. The course examines the theories, research methods and types of data that are fundamental to a responsible appreciation of the geographic and historical variation of Earth's environments. Case studies provide the opportunity for students to investigate 'hot' topics in Earth system science, including melting ice caps, the overkill hypothesis, ozone depletion, the origins of life, increasing greenhouse effects and others.

 

GEOG 1300
World Regional Geography
Study of major world regions emphasizes current activities and problems. Cultural, economic, political, and environmental considerations.

 

GEOG 1400
Human Geography
The world is becoming more volatile and uncertain. Critical questions facing the world in the 21st century include food security, rapid population change, human disease, energy use/environmental pollution, continuing disparities between rich and poor regions, sustainable transportation/urban development, and geopolitical fragmentation. Human geography, as the study of the interrelationships between people, the places they inhabit and the spaces that comprise the global environments, provides a powerful lens for examining these critical issues. This course examines the relationships between humans and the Earth, including topics in environment and humanity, agriculture in a growing world, population dynamics, the geography of culture, cities and urbanization, patterns of economic development and geopolitical conflict.

 

GEOG 3140
Introduction to Geographic Information Systems (GIS)
A recent increase in the use of digital geographic information in many fields has created the need for experts with the knowledge to use this information to society's benefit. Geographers, engineers, environmental scientists, planners, social scientists, computer scientists and many other professionals will encounter digital geographic information in some form in their future careers. This course introduces students to issues that arise in using this information in scientific and decision-making arenas. Topics include: applications of geographic information; modeling geographic reality; spatial data collection; geographic analysis; accuracy and uncertainty; visualization; and legal, economic, and ethical issues associated with the use of geographic information.

 

GEOG 3600
Geography of Utah
Geography of Utah explores human and physical phenomena that make Utah distinctive. Lectures and labs examine webs of relationships among Utah's people, places, and environments. Students examine Utah's contrasting physical and social environments. They explore what is meant by a sense of place.

 

GEOG 3670
Geography of Latin America
An exploration of modern Latin America's development, problems, and issues in a physical, human, historic, economic, and political context. The place of Latin America in today's global economic and geopolitical system is also examined; that is to say, Latin America's relationships with North America and Europe as well as its association with the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund, and other economic organizations.

 

GEOG 6139
GIS Fundamentals and Applications
Meets with GEOG 3140. A recent increase in the use of digital geographic information in many fields has created the need for experts with the knowledge to use this information to society's benefit. Geographers, engineers, environmental scientists, planners, social scientists, computer scientists and many other professionals will encounter digital geographic information in some form in their future careers. This course introduces students to issues that arise in using this information in scientific and decision-making arenas. Topics include: applications of geographic information; modeling geographic reality; spatial data collection; geographic analysis; accuracy and uncertainty; visualization; and legal, economic, and ethical issues associate with the use of geographic information.

Course Code

Title

Instructor

Description

POLS 1100-090
U.S. National Government
Required of all majors; should be taken during first year. Constitutional basis of American government; public opinion, political participation, media, parties, interest groups; governmental decision makers (Congress, presidency, bureaucracy, courts)

 

POLS 1100-091
U.S. National Government
Required of all majors; should be taken during first year. Constitutional basis of American government; public opinion, political participation, media, parties, interest groups; governmental decision makers (Congress, presidency, bureaucracy, courts)

 

POLS 2200
Introduction to Comparative Politics
Political institutions and practices in various countries. Basic introduction to upper-division courses in comparative politics.

 

POLS 3001
Political Analysis
Introduction of research techniques for the empirical study of politics including elements of research design and statistics.

 

POLS 3300
Introduction to Public Administration
Introductory public administration course broadly focused to introduce concepts of administrative theory, practice, political aspects of administration, policy making, fiscal management, public human resource management, etc.

 

POLS 5323
Policy Analysis
Meets with PADMN 6323 and POLS 6323. Course addresses both the theoretical and practical aspects of performing policy analysis. Students will examine current policy issues from the perspective of federal, state, and local governments, as well as from those of non-governmental and advocacy organizations. Students will be introduced to repositories of data, information and analysis available on policy topics, and will conduct research using both primary and secondary data.

 

Course Code

Title

Instructor

Description

PSY 1010
General Psychology
The scientific study of human and animal behavior: rationale, methods of inference, selected findings, and some applications.

 

PSY 2010
Orientation to Psychology as a Science and Profession
Examines critical thinking, writing skills, and career options in psychology. Course is designed to expose students to basic research issues and critical analysis of psychological science, and to prompt students to consider major requirements in terms of longer-term career goals. psychological science is a broad discipline involving basic research on behavior, emotion, cognition, and neurophysiology; research on the application of psychology to domains such as education, business, policy, human factors and engineering as well as clinical practice and outcomes. Topics include information gathering in psychological science, basic APA format for writing and references, and course & career options for those pursuing psychology training. Students will be asked to write short reports (1-2 pages), take exams, and participate in collaborative learning by working in small groups. The class is designed for psychology majors and minors, but would be useful for those in related social science fields.

 

PSY 2120
Memory and Cognition in Everyday Life
Have you ever wondered why we remember some events vividly and completely forget others? Or why we sometimes notice tiny details but can also miss things that are very obvious in hindsight? We have an extraordinary array of mental abilities that allow us to learn, remember, and perceive things that we encounter in everyday life. This course is designed to investigate these abilities, how they operate in everyday life, and why they sometimes don't work. To better illustrate how cognition operates in in everyday life, the course includes vivid demonstrations and examples of these abilities.

 

PSY 2800
Psychology of Love
STAFF
This course presents an overview of psychological theory and research on romantic relationships. Key questions to be addressed: Why do people fall in love? How is romantic love similar to and different from other types of love? What gets and keeps couples together? How do individual and cultural differences influence relationships?

 

PSY 3000
Statistical Methods in Psychology
Applying statistical methods to psychological research, including basic descriptive statistics, hypothesis testing, and correlation. Includes laboratory.

 

PSY 3010-090
Research Methods in Psychology
Provides students with concepts and skills for conducing psychological research, analyzing data, and reporting the results using discipline-specific formats for written reports. A variety of methods including case study, correlational, quasi-experimental, and experimental research methods are covered. Includes laboratory component.

 

PSY 3010-091
Research Methods in Psychology
Provides students with concepts and skills for conducing psychological research, analyzing data, and reporting the results using discipline-specific formats for written reports. A variety of methods including case study, correlational, quasi-experimental, and experimental research methods are covered. Includes laboratory component.

 

PSY 3040
Psychology of Gender
STAFF
Developmental investigation of psychological character of women and men. Childhood, adolescence, relationship formation, middle years, and old age from the perspectives of female and male psychological experiences.

 

PSY 3120
Cognitive Psychology
Introduction to an information-processing analysis of cognition. Perception, attention, and memory.

 

PSY 3150
Sensation and Perception
Sensory systems and perceptual processes with respect to vision, audition, and other sense modalities. How we see, hear, feel pain and temperature, and in general receive information from the environment; how our perceptions are affected by expectancy, knowledge, and higher-level organizational factors.

 

PSY 3215
Development in Infancy
In-depth examination of development through the prenatal period, infancy, and early childhood. Consideration of physical, intellectual, and social development, with emphasis upon the child in various contexts (e.g. family, culture, school, community).

 

PSY 3250
Abnormal Child Psychology
Issues in the diagnosis and cures of psychological disorders that occur during childhood and adolescence. Emphasis on etiological processes from a developmental perspective.

 

PSY 3330
Stress Management
This course provides an overview of stress psychophysiology, sources of stress, and stress management intervention. In addition to lecture material, students will engage in a variety of experiential activities involving self-monitoring of stressors and stress responses, as well as learning stress management techniques such as stress exposures reduction, relaxation training, assertiveness, time management, and health behavior change.

 

PSY 3400
Psychology of Abnormal Behavior
Issues in diagnosis, etiology, and course of deviant behavior. Review of theoretical and research approaches, clinical and experimental; methodology and data, and social-cultural implications.

 

PSY 3410
Social Psychology
The psychology of everyday social interaction. This course examines questions such as: how do we think about other people? How do we persuade and influence one another? What leads to acts of aggression or altruism? What are the causes of stigmatization and discrimination? Why do we fall in love? Topics may include the self, attitudes, impression formation, judgments and decision making, emotions, group dynamics and intergroup relations, and close relationships.

 

PSY 3440
Personality Theories
Work of the major personality theorists with emphasis on supporting research.

 

PSY 3460
Health Psychology
Social and psychological variables influencing health and coping with illness. Stress reactions, risk factors in chronic disease, coronary-prone behavior, prevention of disease.

 

PSY 5250
Applied Statistics
Meets with PSY 6250. An advanced undergraduate-level examination of statistical procedures commonly used in the health, social and behavioral sciences. Topics include: Sampling distributions, probability, confidence intervals, t tests, ANOVA, correlation, regression, nonparametric statistics, data transformation, and the logic of null hypothesis significance testing.

 

PSY 6250
Applied Statistics
Meets with PSY 5250. A graduate-level examination of statistical procedures commonly used in the health, social and behavioral sciences. Topics include: Sampling distributions, probability, confidence intervals, t tests, ANOVA, correlation, regression, nonparametric statistics, data transformation, and the logic of null hypothesis significance testing.

 

Course Code

Title

Instructor

Description

SBS 2700
Career Exploration
This course is designed for majors in the College of Social & Behavioral Science who are ready for hands-on career exploration and implementation. Students will engage via multi-media with a range of professionals working currently in a variety of relevant social and behavioral science fields, while gaining practical skills in personal branding, resume and cover letter writing, interviewing and researching available jobs. Students in this course will develop and refine job search documents, connect with professionals in their prospective fields, create a professional online presence, and develop an individualized job search strategy.

 

Course Code

Title

Instructor

Description

SOC 1010
Introduction to Sociology
An introduction to the basic nature of society and the relationship between society and the individual. This course focuses on how society functions and is organized, and how society impacts and influences individual motivation, understanding, action, and well-being. Basic sociological ideas regarding social relations, social interaction, social structure, and social change are examined. Students are introduced to key issues addressed by contemporary sociologists; class, race, gender, sexuality, religion, globalization, education, health care, crime, the media, and the environment. The knowledge gained in these course will aid students in future studies within a variety of fields and careers, and encourage the development of critical thinking about important issues.

 

SOC 1020
Current Social Problems in America
A course designed to prepare students to think critically and participate intelligently in public debates on contemporary social problems. Topics may include the causes and consequences of structural inequality, institutional and financial crises, sexual harassment and rape, illicit drug use, racism and hate crimes, unplanned population growth, terrorism, homelessness, residential and educational segregation, and environmental degradation.

 

SOC 2015
Doing Sociology: An Introduction to Social Research
An introduction to basic concepts and tools central to social scientific data analysis, including: basic forms of presentation (e.g., tables, charts, trendlines, scatterplots); basic tools of analysis (e.g., cross-tabulations, correlation, regression, statistical significance); and fundamental concepts of research design (e.g; sampling, causation, independent and dependent variables). This course provides a foundation for subsequent courses throughout the Sociology major. It is organized around online exercises addressing basic issues of sociological interest and teaches students to explore patterns in data, to conduct analyses, and to interpret findings.

 

SOC 3042
Sociology of Film
STAFF
The primary goal of this course is to use movies, documentaries, and docudramas to illuminate sociological phenomena and events in terms of sociological theory, concepts, and research, and thus help students to understand and apply core sociological concepts and theories and apply them to a number of movies watched in class and outside of class. Students will also evaluate movies in terms of the extent to which they uncritically transmit bias, stereotypes, ideology, and misinformation regarding gender, race ethnicity, poverty, and important social problems. The films addressed in the course will include dramas, comedies, foreign films, musicals, contemporary Hollywood films, older films, classics, foreign films, documentaries, silent films, animated films, and docudramas. In their analysis and criticism of movies, students will be encouraged to utilize what C. Wright Mills described as "The Sociological Imagination," to more deeply understand the relationship between individual well-being and the nature and structure of society.

 

SOC 3111
Research Methods
This course introduces students to systematic methods that organize the research process and the multiple forms of research that it includes. The course explains the logic of research design, explores some common forms of data-gathering (such as interviews, surveys, observation, etc.), and links them to issues of data reporting. The course provides basic research skills for use to students as either original producers or critical consumers of social research.

 

SOC 3112
Social Statistics
The goal of this course is to enable students to both calculate and interpret statistical analyses within the context of social science research. The course introduces basic concepts of statistical analysis, both in theory (lectures) and practice (labs). The course begins with a discussion of descriptive statistics, including frequency distributions, graphs, and measures of central tendency and variability. Next, the course examines relationships between variables and measures of association, including bivariate regression and correlations. The course concludes with an introduction to inferential statistics, including t-tests, ANOVA, and chi-square.

 

SOC 3140
Introduction to Sociological Theory
This course provides students with a specific background to a wide variety of perspectives and theories inherent to sociology as a discipline, and identifies different points of view that provides multiple interpretations of major global and national social changes and their impact on social structure, cultures, and social institutions.

 

SOC 3337
Sociology of Gender and Sexuality
Through readings, lectures, discussions, and film, students explore theories and research on sex and gender differences, gender inequality, and sexuality across societies. Using a sociological lens, students examine how gender and gender inequality shape, and are shaped by, a variety of institutions, such as families, schools, and the workplace. The course also addresses how gender is implicated in cultural definitions of work, violence, intimacy, sexuality, physical attractiveness, and other social phenomena.

 

SOC 3480
Environmental Sociology
In this course we will take a social scientific approach to critically discuss and evaluate societal changes and their impact on local environmental conditions as well as the global ecosystem. We will primarily (but not exclusively) focus on structural issues in macro-comparative context since these are the professor's areas of expertise. Environmental sociology is a relatively diverse area that crosses trivial disciplinary boundaries-it would be impossible to introduce all its key theoretical perspectives and research agendas in one quarter. Thus, we will address some of the most salient macro-level human/environment topics in contemporary environmental degradation, contemporary theories in environmental sociology, systemic causes and social consequences of environmental disruption, collective responses to environmental disruption, global challenges to climate change policy, and the effects of globalization on environmental degradation (e.g. greenhouse gas emissions, deforestation, water pollution) and human well being (malnutrition, hunger, infant mortality). Indeed, we will see that the structural causes of environmental degradation and human suffering are often not mutually exclusive.

 

SOC 3561
Criminology
Who are you more likely to be victimized by-a stranger or someone known to you? How realistic are TV crime shows? These and other questions regarding crime, its context, and its causes will be answered in this class. Four major areas of criminology are explored: the history of criminology, theory of crime causation, typologies of crime, and crime prevention efforts. Specifically, students will be introduced to the nature and extent of crime, the criminal justice system, various theories explaining why crime occurs, different types of crimes, and recent efforts to deal with and prevent crime.

 

SOC 3566
Society and the Criminal Mind
Interested in profiling? This course explores the etiology, development, and current practice of the criminal thinking approach. The course begins with a brief overview of sociological and criminological theory as it relates to the criminal thinking perspective. The origin of this approach will be trace through the works of early contributors to the criminal thinking perspective. Specific criminal thinking patterns and errors will be discussed. Specific topics covered include: the criminal thinking perspective, the criminal personality, behavioral thought patterns, psychopathic and sociopathic behavior, criminal profiling, and crime and the life course.

 

SOC 3569
Terrorism, Violence, and Aggression
As citizens of an increasingly complex and often terrifying world, we live with daily threats of terrorism, violence, and aggression to greater or lesser degrees. Students of sociology and criminology have long been concerned with these uneasy topics, and continue to pursue some understanding of perpetrators, conditions, societal structures, and political regimes that may encourage such hostility toward one's fellowman. This course will explore various aspects of these subjects as they relate primarily to contemporary life and society.

 

SOC 3570
Gangs and Gang Violence in the U.S.
This course will examine the history and development of gang culture in America. From the beginnings of immigrant gangs in the 1800's to present day gang activity, classified as "organized crime" by many in law enforcement, we will examine the development of modern gang activity and violence in contemporary society. We will explore the effects of race/ethnicity, socioeconomic status, gender, and family structure on the growth affiliation and activity. Sociological theory will used to gain an understanding of gangs and gang activity historically and in contemporary society.

 

SOC 3650
Population and Society
Not only is the overall world population growing, the composition of the earth's population is constantly changing. These changes exert powerful influences on society, impacting the well-being of people in many ways. For example, population growth and population change influence economic development, the natural environment, health care, and other important social phenomenon. This creates a need for studying and understanding population dynamics. This course is devoted to the study of demographic processes, their causes, and their consequences. We will review population trends across time and across cultures, learn how to empirically measure changes in the population, and discuss how these trends impact society, policy, and culture.
Last Updated: 3/12/21