Sociology Course Outcomes

SOCS 1010: General Sociology

Sociology is the systematic study of individual and group behavior. Sociologists study patterns that emerge when people interact with one another.  This course examines where these patterns come from, why they have come to exist, and how they are maintained or changed. Students will learn theories and concepts that are used to understand issues of group dynamics, social institutions, and social inequality.

Student Learning Outcomes

Students successfully completing any section of SOCS 1010 will be able to:

1. Develop and use a sociological imagination as a perspective based in systematic study rather than social myth or common sense and one that is distinct from the perspectives used by other social science disciplines, the physical sciences, and the humanities;
2. Identify core sociological theories, such as structural functionalism, conflict, and symbolic interactionism and be able to apply these theories to understand social phenomena;
3. Gain familiarity with sociological research methods, such as surveys, experiments, and participant observation;
4. Elaborate on the core components of culture, including norms, values, and beliefs, and describe how culture shapes our perceptions of the social world;
5. Explain the process of socialization and the agents of socialization;
6. Describe the roles people perform and the groups and organizations that they form;
7. Discuss the sociological perspective on deviance and social control; and
8. Demonstrate familiarity with the social sources of inequality and stratification, including gender, race/ethnicity, social class, and global development.

SOCS 2020: Marriage and Family

In this class, we will critically explore how social, cultural, and economic forces influence family forms and experiences. You will be encouraged to examine your own family experiences to see how forces shape them and how your experiences are similar to and different from the experiences of others. As a class, we will explore questions about family and household life, such as: What is a family? What purpose does the family serve? What are modern American families really like? Who gets married? Why do people get married? How do social factors influence who marries, when, and whom? Why do some marriages end in divorce? Why do people have children? Who takes care of them? Who does the housework? How do they decide?

Student Learning Outcomes

Students successfully completing any section of SOCS 2020 will be able to:

1. Describe the key roles the family plays in society;
2. Demonstrate understanding of the historical evolution of the family;
3. Articulate the significance of family diversity, particularly the ways in which social factors like race, class gender identity, and sexual orientation impact families;
4. Analyze the impact of gender on family dynamics; and
5. Demonstrate awareness of trends in childbearing, cohabitation, marriage, parenthood, divorce, and remarriage.

SOCS 2040: Race and Ethnic Relations

This is a survey of the sociological aspects of intergroup relations as they pertain to race and ethnicity.  Emphasis is placed on the socio-historical conceptualization and construction of race and ethnicity, classical and contemporary sociological theories (e.g., assimilation, racialization, and typologies of racism) regarding race and ethnicity.  Majority-minority relations in the U.S. are also examined.

Student Learning Outcomes

Students successfully completing any section of SOCS 2040 will be able to:

1. Understand and describe how race and ethnicity are social constructed institutionally and symbolically;
2. Apply sociological concepts and theories of race and ethnicity to everyday life;
3. Use a socio-historical perspective to understand and explain racial inequality and its persistence;
4. Analyze the consequences of racist historical practices on all racial/ethnic groups and society as a whole; and
5. Explain specific forms of racial inequality (e.g., education, employment, crime, immigration) with sociological sophistication.

SOCS 2300: Criminology

It is only within the last few hundred years that societies have attempted to apply the social sciences to the study of criminogenic conditions, victimology, and the structural influences on laws and criminalized behaviors. In this course, we will be examining the process through which the scientific study of crime has developed, the evolution of the theories the field relies upon, and some of the most current knowledge that the field has to offer us.

Student Learning Outcomes

Students successfully completing any section of SOCS 2300 will be able to:

1. Select and apply different sociological approaches to the complex relationships between individuals, culture, crime, criminal justice systems, and society;
2. Use theories about crime and society that range from rational choice theory and classical criminology to critical and intersectional theories to analyze the inequalities present in criminal justice outcomes;
3. Explain deviance and crime using theoretically informed arguments and evidence appropriate for the questions being answered; and;
4. Apply knowledge and analytical skills outside of the classroom to everyday life as students, friends, consumers, employees, and citizens.