Sociology & Anthropology (SOAN)
SOAN 040 COMMUNITY SERVICE (1 credit)
Community service activity, helping with such social services as nursing home care, tutoring, family recreation programs, juvenile corrections, special day schools. Requires 40 hours of service. May be repeated for credit.
Prerequisites: Consent of instructor.
(EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING)
SOAN 085 EXPLORING SOCIOLOGY AND ANTHROPOLOGY (2 credits)
Paracurricular course designed for newly declared sociology and anthropology majors. Discussion of opportunities available to students, career options, meetings with SOAN faculty and senior majors, and completion of 30 hours of community service activities outside of class. Course taken during first fall semester after declaring the major (preferably in the sophomore year).
Prerequisites: Declared major in sociology or anthropology; consent of instructor.
(EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING)
SOAN 198 SPECIAL TOPICS: JAN TRM TRAVEL (4 credits)
Topics vary according to faculty availability and interest. Past topics have included Down and Out in America; Prehistory and History of Ireland; Tradition and Change in Romania; Nepal - Sustainable Development and Social Change; City and Countryside in Transition - Nicaragua; Strangers in Strange Lands; City and Countryside in Transition - India; How Children Learn: Scandinavian Schools, Society, and Culture. Offered only as student interest and university resources permit. May be repeated for credit with different topics.
Prerequisites: IDST 098 previous fall.
Typically offered: January Term
SOAN 205 GENDER AND SOCIETY (ALSO LISTED AS GENS 205) (4 credits)
Comparison of historically and culturally situated conceptualizations of gender, gender identity, and gender inequality. Significance of gendered meanings and their symbolic representation in society and social institutions regarding distributions of social, economic, and political power.
(INDIVID/SYSTEMS/SOCIETIES, U.S. PLURALISM)
SOAN 210 SPORT, PHILOSOPHY AND SOCIETY (ALSO LISTED AS PHIL 210) (4 credits)
Role of sport in contemporary political, economic, and social issues; sport as cultural representation; sport and deviance; sport and socialization; sport and the reproduction of social inequality (race, class, gender, and sexual orientation); sport and imperialism.
(ULTIMATE QUESTIONS)
SOAN 221 RELIGION, SOCIETY AND CULTURE (4 credits)
Examines religion and religious belief as a social phenomenon. Focuses on the relationship between society and religion, and the role that religion plays in individuals' lives, with special emphasis on the larger social and cultural context of religious belief and expression in the United States. Topics to be considered include: belief and its institutionalization, religion as a social form, forms of religious organization, religion and social change, politics and religion, fundamentalism, religion in popular culture, secularization, and the shifting boundaries of religious and non-religious activity.
(INDIVID/SYSTEMS/SOCIETIES, ULTIMATE QUESTIONS)
SOAN 222 MEXICO, CENTRAL AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN: SOCIETIES AND CULTURES (4 credits)
Social organizations and cultures of Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean. Patterns of economic, political, and social organization, including ethnicity, gender, race, class, and other social cleavages. Migration to the United States and effects on U.S. society, including Latinas and Latinos, Rastafarian influences, and U.S. migration policy.
(GLOBAL PLURALISM, INDIVID/SYSTEMS/SOCIETIES)
SOAN 223 CULTURAL ENVIRONMENT OF HEALTH (3 credits)
The relation of health to cultural background, cultural setting, and cultural adaptation. Anthropological knowledge, theory, and observational methods as the means of understanding health behavior and sharpening cognitive and practical skills.
SOAN 224 DEATH IN SOCIETY AND CULTURE (4 credits)
Introduction to how culture shapes our ideas about death and dying. Cross-cultural comparison of grieving, funerary and mortuary rituals. Examination of the effects of colonialism and globalization on practices and beliefs surrounding death, and the ways in which social, medical, political and commercial systems intersect at the end of life.
(GLOBAL PLURALISM, INDIVID/SYSTEMS/SOCIETIES)
SOAN 225 PEOPLES AND CULTURES OF NORTH AMERICA: THE NATIVE AMERICANS (4 credits)
Indigenous people of North America: prehistory and patterns of adaptation, culture areas and the diversity of cultural configurations prior to European colonization, history of Indian-white relations, Native Americans today.
(VITAL PAST)
SOAN 226 SOUTH AMERICA: PEOPLES AND CULTURES OF THE LEAST KNOWN CONTINENT (4 credits)
Social organization, cultures, and histories of the diverse peoples of South America. Current patterns of economic, political, and social organization, including countryside and cities; ethnic, class, and other social cleavages; local, national, and international levels of integration.
(GLOBAL PLURALISM, INDIVID/SYSTEMS/SOCIETIES)
SOAN 229 CONTEMPORARY CHINESE SOCIETY (4 credits)
Overview of Chinese society, drawing on insights from anthropology, sociology, history, political science, religion, gender studies, and economics. Continuity and change in Chinese cultural traditions and the unity and diversity of Chinese culture both within Chinese national borders and with overseas Chinese. Orientalism, religion, marriage, kinship, gender, ethnicity, traditional medicine, understandings of the body, the usefulness of a "timeless Chinese" concept, and the possibility of a "Chinese sense of self."
Total Course fees: $40.00
(GLOBAL PLURALISM, INDIVID/SYSTEMS/SOCIETIES)
SOAN 232 MEDICINE AND CULTURE (4 credits)
Cultural bases of illness and curing; ethnographic examination of how non-Western societies perceive and treat illness and how knowledge of non-Western practices can be used to critique and inform the management of our own health problems. Meanings of sickness, nature of relationships between patients and healers, and effects of culture on health.
(GLOBAL PLURALISM, INDIVID/SYSTEMS/SOCIETIES)
SOAN 235 EDUCATION AND SOCIETY (4 credits)
Introductory-level course focusing on theoretical approaches to education, educational inequality (class, race/ethnicity, and gender), adolescent behavior and subcultures, the relationship between education and other institutions, and educational reform.
(INDIVID/SYSTEMS/SOCIETIES, U.S. PLURALISM)
SOAN 240 UTOPIAS AND DYSTOPIAS: SOCIOLOGY OF SCIENCE FICTION (4 credits)
Exploration of theory of utopic and dystopic thought, social theory and their representation in works of science fiction. Specific areas of focus include gender and sex, sexual orientation, race, societal structure, war, terrorism, peace, inequality and political theory.
(INDIVID/SYSTEMS/SOCIETIES, ULTIMATE QUESTIONS)
SOAN 244 THE OTHER EUROPE (4 credits)
Marginalized populations of the European subcontinent and their cultures in historical anthropological perspective: East Europeans, Basques, Roma, Jews, Irish, recent Asian and African immigrants, and European underclasses. Views of pre-modern and modern European Civilization from core and periphery. Other Europeans and the U.S.
(GLOBAL PLURALISM, INDIVID/SYSTEMS/SOCIETIES)
SOAN 250 ENVIRONMENT, SOCIETY, AND CULTURE (ALSO LISTED AS ENVS 250) (4 credits)
Relationship between social groups and natural and human-built environment, human-induced environmental decline, sustainable alternatives, environmentalism as social movement, public environmental opinion, environmental racism and classism. Social dimensions of built environment including urban sprawl, development, place, space, community, and urban design.
(INDIVID/SYSTEMS/SOCIETIES)
SOAN 251 MUSIC SUBCULTURES, SCENES, AND COMMUNITIES (4 credits)
Sociological and anthropological investigation of music subcultures in modern society. Focus on the social and cultural significance of popular and folk music genres with a particular emphasis on sociological theories of representation, identity, community, subculture, tradition, authenticity, and social change. Emphasis on social institutions, social interaction, and their interrelationship.
(CREATIVE STUDIES)
SOAN 265 RACE & ETHNICITY (4 credits)
Racial and ethnic minorities in the United States. Historical knowledge of role of race in formation of U.S.; current state of dominant-minority relations.
(INDIVID/SYSTEMS/SOCIETIES, U.S. PLURALISM)
SOAN 270 LATINAS AND LATINOS IN THE UNITED STATES (4 credits)
Examination of major Latina/o subpopulations, including immigration history, population trends, general socio-cultural tendencies. Specific topics of migration and border studies, gender and family, labor and gender, Latina/o politics and policy, poverty, identity and citizenship issues arising among various Latina/o subgroups as they experience and affect U.S. society and culture.
(INDIVID/SYSTEMS/SOCIETIES, U.S. PLURALISM)
SOAN 280 FAMILIES IN COMPARATIVE PERSPECTIVE (ALSO LISTED AS GENS 280) (4 credits)
Examines the family as a social institution, both domestically and globally. Addresses historical and cultural perspectives, with emphasis on family diversity, variations in family form and life style, and the interdependence between family and other institutions. Analysis of major family issues, as well as forces for change in the family.
(INDIVID/SYSTEMS/SOCIETIES, U.S. PLURALISM)
SOAN 287 CAREER EXPLORATION INTERNSHIP (2-5 credits)
Internship specifically devoted to career exploration in the areas of sociology, criminal justice, social work, or anthropology. Supplemented with appropriate readings and reports. May be repeated for credit.
Prerequisites: Approval of departmental internship supervisor.
(EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING)
SOAN 298 SPECIAL TOPICS: JAN TRM TRAVEL (4 credits)
Topics vary according to faculty availability and interest. Past topics have included Down and Out in America; Prehistory and History of Ireland; Tradition and Change in Romania; Nepal - Sustainable Development and Social Change; City and Countryside in Transition - Nicaragua; Strangers in Strange Lands; City and Countryside in Transition - India; How Children Learn: Scandinavian Schools, Society, and Culture. Offered only as student interest and university resources permit. May be repeated for credit with different topics.
Prerequisites: IDST 098 previous fall.
Typically offered: January Term
SOAN 304 SOCIAL MOVEMENTS, CITIZENSHIP & DISSENT (4 credits)
Social movements in cross-cultural perspective ranging from microsociological to macrosociological. Political, economic, gender, religious, racial, and lifestyle issues that have been a focus of collective activity in promoting or resisting change on a sociocultural level. Resource mobilization, the J-curve theory of revolution, class conflict, urban social movements, identity construction, new social movements, and issues of citizenship and dissent.
SOAN 307 SOCIAL RESEARCH METHODS (4 credits)
For future researchers and consumers of research. Designs for research on social behavior, data collection, and analysis; reporting results; funding of research; uses of research in social work, government, and management. Four hours of lecture and three hours of lab each week.
Prerequisites: SOCL 101 or ANTH 111.
(QUANTITATIVE REASONING)
SOAN 330 COMMUNITY AND SOCIETY (4 credits)
Examines the social science concept of community and its context in rural life. Focus on the intersection of rural and urban cultures. Issues covered include racial and cultural diversity, globalization and rural communities, urban-rural migration, community identity and change, community building, and community survival. Experiential component focusing on local region.
Prerequisites: SOCL 101 or ANTH 111.
(INDIVID/SYSTEMS/SOCIETIES)
SOAN 354 SYMBOLS IN SOCIETY AND CULTURE (4 credits)
Study of world cultures as systems of symbols and the process by which people give meaning to their world and their action in it. Critical examination of theoretical models used in the analysis of a variety of semantic domains: ritual, myth, media, popular culture, folklore, politics, and the self.
SOAN 360 CONTEMPORARY CULTURE (4 credits)
Major perspectives in the study of culture: culturalism, structuralism, post-structuralism, Marxism, feminism, postmodernism; theoretical and empirical scholarship of contemporary culture with emphasis on the U.S.; methodological issues for studying culture.
Prerequisites: SOCL 101 or ANTH 111.
(INDIVID/SYSTEMS/SOCIETIES, U.S. PLURALISM)
SOAN 361 GENDER, SEXUALITY AND THE BODY (ALSO LISTED AS GENS 361) (4 credits)
Gender, sexuality, and the body as focus for both independent and interrelated areas of scholarship using several theoretical perspectives; examination of ethnographic materials from a wide variety of cultural contexts.
SOAN 370 SOCIETY, STATE & SOCIAL POLICY (4 credits)
Analysis of the complexities of social policy in the U.S. Strategies for examining social policy; role of government and outside forces in forming policy. Several current policies discussed.
Prerequisites: SOCL 101 or ANTH 111.
(INDIVID/SYSTEMS/SOCIETIES, U.S. PLURALISM)
SOAN 385 SEMINAR: SOCIAL THEORY (4 credits)
Junior-level seminar focusing on the major intellectual currents leading to the development of the sciences of culture, society, and human social behavior. Four hours of lecture and two hours of lab each week.
SOAN 398 SPECIAL TOPICS: JAN TERM TRAVEL (4 credits)
Topics vary according to faculty availability and interest. Past topics have included Down and Out in America; Prehistory and History of Ireland; Tradition and Change in Romania; Nepal - Sustainable Development and Social Change; City and Countryside in Transition - Nicaragua; Strangers in Strange Lands; City and Countryside in Transition - India; How Children Learn: Scandinavian Schools, Society, and Culture. Offered only as student interest and university resources permit. May be repeated for credit with different topics.
Prerequisites: IDST 098 previous fall.
Typically offered: January Term
SOAN 439 PEER INSTRUCTION (2-4 credits)
Opportunity for outstanding students to assist faculty in the classroom and laboratory. May not be repeated for credit.(S/U)
Prerequisites: Application and consent of instructor.
(EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING)
SOAN 480 INDEPENDENT STUDY (1-5 credits)
Study of special topics not available as courses; requires approval of a supervising instructor and the department chairperson. For advanced students.
Prerequisites: Approval of supervising instructor and department chair.
SOAN 487 INTERNSHIP/APPLIED CAPSTONE SEMINAR (2-10 credits)
Participation in applied project or internship in career fields in or related to sociology, criminal justice, social work, or anthropology. Upon completion, students will submit reports and make public presentations. Weekly meetings to monitor progress, discuss career goals, and prepare professional portfolio, including resume. Required spring of senior year.
Prerequisites: Junior or senior standing or consent of instructor.
(EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING)
SOAN 490 RESEARCH/THESIS (4 credits)
SOAN 490 Research/Thesis - Intensive research on a topic of special interest to the student, leading to a thesis.
Prerequisites: SOCL 101 or ANTH 111, SOAN 307, and SOAN 385.
(MAJOR WRITING INTENSIVE)
SOAN 491 HONORS THESIS (2-5 credits)
Continuation of SOAN 490 for students invited to write an honors thesis.
Prerequisites: SOAN 490; senior standing; and instructor approval.
Typically offered: Spring Semester, Annually
SOAN 498 SPECIAL TOPICS: JAN TRM TRAVEL (4 credits)
Topics vary according to faculty availability and interest. Past topics have included Down and Out in America; Prehistory and History of Ireland; Tradition and Change in Romania; Nepal - Sustainable Development and Social Change; City and Countryside in Transition - Nicaragua; Strangers in Strange Lands; City and Countryside in Transition - India; How Children Learn: Scandinavian Schools, Society, and Culture. Offered only as student interest and university resources permit. May be repeated for credit with different topics.
Prerequisites: IDST 098 previous fall.
Typically offered: January Term