UOnline
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.