Minor in Sociology

Students are taught how to investigate social issues as sociologists do-by tracing the troubles of men and women back to broader social forces and problems. The relevance of sociology is demonstrated through examples of applied sociology and through the students' use of social theory and methods to address social problems.

This course will introduce students to current and historical issues and controversies of human rights and social justice through case studies, lectures, and group work.

The aim of this course is for students to develop an understanding of the nature, causes, and consequences of poverty and socioeconomic inequality in contemporary United States. These problems are examined from theoretical, descriptive, historical, and comparative perspectives. The intersection of the problems of poverty and inequality with gender, race, ethnicity, and political power are also examined. Students will have an opportunity to examine critically current public policies designed to deal with the problems of poverty and inequality in American society.

This course addresses societal conflict and change through the study of contemporary social problems.

Emphasis is on human diversity. This course is designed to give students an understanding of the conditions that lead to minority emergence and the consequence of minority status; it fosters acceptance of diversity, cultural pluralism, and social change.

In this course students will be introduced to the various sociological perspectives and theoretical frameworks used to understand racial and ethnic relations in the United States. Racial and ethnic identities remain an important aspect of how people view themselves and others. In this course, we will discuss the dynamics of individual racial and ethnic groups including African Americans, Hispanic Americans, Native Americans, Asian Americans, and white Americans. We will also examine what the concepts of race and ethnicity mean and how they affect various aspects of American society.

This course provides an introduction to the sociological study of gender by exploring gender as something that is individual, interactional, and institutional. This course elaborates specifically on how gender is a central component of inequality and oppression and the intersections of gender, race, class, and sexuality.