Sociology
www.sociology.vt.edu
John Ryan, Chair
Professors: O. Agozino; D. Brunsma; T. M. Calasanti; E. R. Fuhrman;
T. D. Fuller; J. Hawdon; L. Gillman; M. Hughes; J. Ryan; W. Reed;
D. J. Shoemaker; B. E. Smith
Associate Professors: C. A. Bailey; S. R. Cook; K. Harrison; K.J. Kiecolt;
N. M. King; P. Polanah; A. Vogt Yuan; D. W. Wimberley
Assistant Professors: N. Copeland; M. Kim; C. Labuski; S. Ovink; A. Peguero; P. Rivera-Rideau; S. Samanta; P. Seniors; H. Zhu
Visiting Assistant Professors: M. Sharma
Adjunct Professors: R. Blieszner; D. Breslau; G. L. Downey; N. McGehee; P. D. Metz; K. Moore; J. M. Shepard
Advanced Instructor: E.T. Graves
Instructors: D. Sedgwick
Career Advisor: D. Sedgwick
Academic Advisor: B. Husser
Distinguished Professor Emeritus: W. E. Snizek
Emeritus Professors: J. A. Ballweg; A. Bayer; C. Burger; C. J. Dudley;
J. N. Edwards; B. R. Hertel; J. W. Michaels
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Overview
The Department of Sociology offers a B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. Sociology is the home to the programs in Women’s and Gender Studies (WGS), Africana Studies (AFST), American Indian Studies (AINS), and the Center for Peace Studies and Violence Prevention (CPSVP). The department provides courses open to students in all colleges of the university.
Majors are required to take 31 hours in sociology, including 15 hours of sociology electives, with no more than six hours at the 1000-2000 level and a minimum of six hours at the 4000 level. In addition, students must take six hours in Women’s and Gender Studies, Africana Studies, and/or American Indian Studies, three hours of approved transferrable skills, and Statistics for the Social Sciences (STAT 3604). Students must also complete the Curriculum for Liberal Education.
The required courses in sociology are Introductory Sociology (SOC 1004), Social Inequality (SOC 3004), Social Theory (3104), Social Research Methods (SOC 3204), and Senior Seminar (4194).
Majors graduating in 2014 and beyond can have options in Africana Studies, Women’s and Gender Studies, crime and deviance, research methods, and social inequality. Each option has it own set of course requirements. Please request additional information and course lists from the department office.
Minors in sociology are required to complete 18 hours in sociology including Introduction to Sociology (SOC 1004). No more than nine hours at the 1000-2000 level shall count toward the 18-hour requirement for a minor. A minimum GPA of 2.0 for courses in the minor is required. Women’s and Gender Studies, Africana Studies, and American Indian Studies also have minors. See the listing of the programs in the catalog for further information.
Satisfactory Progress
To be considered as making satisfactory progress, majors must complete Introductory Sociology (SOC 1004), Social Research Methods (SOC 3204), Sociological Theory (SOC 3104), and an additional nine credits of sociology prior to attempting 72 credits (including transfer, advanced placement, advanced standing, and credit by examination). Upon having attempted 60 credits, students must have an in-major GPA of 2.0 and an in-major GPA of 2.0 thereafter to be considered as making satisfactory progress toward the degree. Otherwise, procedures will be followed as required by the academic eligibility policy. All courses with the SOC prefix are included in the calculation of the in-major GPA.
Africana Studies Program
- Ellington Graves, Director
Professors: O. Agozino (Africana Studies); W. Reed (Africana Studies)
Gloria Smith Endowed Professor: Hayward “Woody” Farrar (History)
Associate Professors: K. Harrison (Africana Studies/Sociology); P. Polanah (Africana Studies)
Assistant Professors: P. Rivera-Rideau; P. Seniors (Africana Studies)
Affiliated Faculty: N. Giovanni (English); R. Graham (Art); L. Roy (English); V. Fowler (English); H. Farrar (History); B. Bunch-Lyons (History); E. Graves (Sociology); M. Herndon (Distance Learning); B. Shadle (History); V. White (School of Visual Arts)
Africana Studies is an interdisciplinary field of study that uses concepts and methodologies of the Social Sciences and the Humanities, centering on the study of peoples of African descent. The program cooperates with faculty from across the university, whose teaching and research is concerned with Africa and the African diaspora. Africana Studies supports the university’s objective to increase the numbers of students and faculty of color. It also engages with other programs and organizations in community awareness activities that celebrate the richness and diversity of African diasporic cultures and traditions. An Africana Studies minor is open to all students who are interested in learning about the issues covered in the AFST program.
The Africana Studies program offers a minor in Africana Studies. The minor allows the student to focus their study on African Americans or continental Africa.
Africana Studies Minor. The Africana Studies minor requires successful completion of at least 18 semester hours from the following:
| REQUIRED COURSES: |
AFST 1714
or
AFST 1814
|
Introduction to African American Studies
or
Introduction to African Studies |
| AFST 4354 |
Issues in Africana Studies |
Electives:
Choose 12 credits from the list below of which at least 6 credits must be at the 3000 level or above. |
| AFST/REL 2144 |
African Religions |
| AFST 2354 |
The Civil Rights Movement |
| AFST 2454 |
Race and Racism |
| AFST/REL/WGS 2734 |
The Black Woman in the US |
| AFST/REL 2744 |
The Black Church in America |
| AFST 2754 |
Sports and The Afro-American Experience |
| AFST 2774 |
Black Aesthetics |
| AFST/HIST 3175 |
Afro-American History |
| AFST/HIST 3176 |
Afro-American History |
| AFST 3454 |
African American Leadership |
| AFST/ENGL 3634 |
African American Literature |
| HIST 2304 |
Africa in the Modern World |
American Indian Studies: A Holistic Approach
Samuel R. Cook, Director
Associate Professor: S. Cook
Instructor: H. Dyer
A program in the Department of Sociology, we offer several courses and a minor in American Indian Studies.
We believe that any successful American Indian Studies program must do more than simply educate a general student body on American Indian cultures and issues in a sensitive way. We believe that our curricula must exist in conjunction with all university programs pertinent to American Indians, and must depend on the impetus of indigenous peoples working within and beyond the university.
In keeping with Virginia Tech's status and mission as a land grant institution, we strive to serve our indigenous constituency, both as educators and as partners. Accordingly, our program serves as a vital conduit for university-tribal relations, the recruitment and retention of American Indian students and faculty, and Service-Learning initiatives in indigenous communities. Although our program has a regional focus, we offer a wide spectrum of courses--ranging from American Indian Literatures, American Indian Spirituality, and American Indian Arts, to native Peoples of the Southeast, American Indians in Film, and Global indigenous Rights--reflecting the impressive and diverse expertise of our faculty.
In short, we embrace a holistic, collaborative approach to American Indian Studies in which university faculty and students develop and maintain meaningful partnerships. Accordingly, we maintain a tribal advisory board consisting of elders and leaders from all of Virginia's eight Indian Nations. We regard these representatives, and ultimately, all indigenous peoples as our colleagues.
Women's and Gender Studies Program
Katrina Powell, Director
Professors: B. E. Smith, A. Kilkelly, L. Gillman
Associate Professors: N. M. King; K. Powell
Assistant Professors: M. Kim; C. Labuski; S. Samanta
Visiting Assistant Professor: M. Shama
Affiliated Faculty:
Professors: O. Agozino (Africana Studies); K. Allen (Human Development); R. Blieszner (Human Development); C. Burch-Brown (Art); T. Calasanti (Sociology); E. Creamer (Educational Leadership and Policy Studies); K. DePauw (Graduate School, Sociology, Human Nutrition, Foods, and Exercise); G. Downey (Science and Technology in Society); E. Ewing (History); E. Fine (Interdisciplinary Studies); V. Fowler (English); B. Hausman (English); A. Kilkelly (Theater Arts); I. Luciak (Political Science); P. Meszaros (Human Development); E. Plummer (Office of Provost); J. Rothschild (Government and International Affairs); L. Roy (English); S. Ott Rowlands (CLAHS); K. Singh (Education); D. Stoudt (CLAHS); A. Zvonkovich (Human Development)
Associate Professors: K. Belanger (English); S. Carter-Tod (English); C. Dannenberg (English); W. Dunaway (Government and International Affairs); April Few-Demo (Human Development); S. Fowler (Graduate Education Development Initiative, English); S. Halfon (Science & Technology Studies); S. Johnson (Foreign Languages and Literatures); K. Jones (History); S. Knapp (English); M. Mollin (History); K. Powell (English); E. Satterwhite (Religion & Culture); B. Shadle (History); R. Shingles (Political Science); D. Tatar (Computer Science); G. Tilley-Lubbs (ESL & Multicultural Education); J. Watson (Foreign Languages and Literatures)
Assistant Professors: E. Bauer (Foreign Language & Literatures); D. Cline (History); E. Grafsky (Human Development); P. Hoon (Politicial Science); C. Kaestle (Human Development); C. Lavin (ASPECT); E. Mazzolini (English); S. Ovink (Sociology); S. Paterson (Art and Art History); P. Rivera-Rideau (Sociology); P. Seniors (Africana Studies); R. Scott (Religion & Culture); A. Sharma ( Industrial Design); V. Venhatesh (Foreign Language & Literatures); N. Zhange (Foreign Language and Literatures)
Professional Faculty: E. Chancey (Religion & Culture); M. E. Christie (Women in International Development); S. Elber (Science & Technology); J. Henderson (Religion & Culture); M. James-Deramo (Service Learning); K. Precoda (Theatre & Cinema); L. Pendleton (Electrical and Computer Engineering); L. Wheeler (Psychology)
The field of Women's and Gender Studies (WGS) transforms traditional disciplines through new methods and theories generated by feminist scholarship. The Women's and Gender Studies Program is housed in the Department of Sociology and includes teaching faculty and affiliates from across the entire campus. WGS affiliated faculty contribute to the program through their research, student advising, participation in governance, and teaching.
Women's and Gender Studies offers courses for all students in the university, including four in Area 2 of the Curriculum for Liberal Education (WGS 1824, WGS 2224, WGS 2244, and WGS 2254), one in Area 3 (WGS 2264), and one in Area 7 (WGS 3214). Students interested in WGS may select from two minors, Women's and Gender Studies, and Gender, Science, and Technology. The degree option and minors are interdisciplinary, cross-cultural programs of study in which students cultivate an understanding of the complex ways that gender is defined and contested in social structures, history, culture, and technology. They offer students new ways of thinking about how gender, race/ethnicity, class, and sexuality shape social institutions and cultural beliefs as well as personal experiences and perceptions. Central to the mission of the Women's and Gender Studies Program is the empowerment of a diverse population of women within local, regional, national, and global contexts.
Students interested in learning more about the Women’s & Gender Studies program should contact the program director, Katrina Powell at wgs@vt.edu
A graduate certificate in Women’s and Gender Studies is also available. See the Graduate Catalog.
Center For Peace Studies and Violence Prevention
James Hawdon, Director
The Center for Peace Studies and Violence Prevention is a student-center, multi-disciplinary undertaking to promote research, education and outreach in the area of peace studies and violence prevention. Since its inception in 2008, the Center has adopted three thematic areas:
- The prevention of violence
- Peace studies
- The development of new leaders for this century
The Center is a hub for research and pedagogy on peace studies and violence prevention. Our multidisciplinary approach allows students, faculty, and a variety of off-campus constituents to address peace building and violence prevention in a holistic manner.
Center for Race & Social Policy
Wornie Reed, Director
The Center for Race and Social Policy (RSP), presently a College Center, was formed in April 2001 as a University Center to fulfill two primary goals: (1) to conduct and disseminate original research in the area of public policy with a direct emphasis on race and ethnicity; and (2) to prepare promising graduate students to think and speak critically, plan quality research, and contribute to public-policy discussions related to race and ethnicity.
The Center promotes a broad and inclusive concept of race and ethnicity, which includes African Americans, American Indians, Asian Americans, European Americans, Latinos, and bi-racial and multi-racial identities. RSP research projects involve the development and evaluation of public policy across different racial and ethnic contexts and within myriad public policy venues, including welfare, employment, education, and health as well as community outreach.
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Undergraduate Course Descriptions (AFST)
1714: INTRODUCTION TO AFRICAN AMERICAN STUDIES
Introduction to the interdisciplinary field of Africana Studies. Organized around central themes and forces that have shaped and been shaped by the life experience of people of African descent. (3H,3C)
1814: INTRODUCTION TO AFRICAN STUDIES
Introduces students to the study of sub-Saharan Africa -- history, politics, economics, arts, and culture -- and to Africa's place in the world. Required first course in the African (Area) Studies concentration. (3H,3C)
2144 (REL 2144): AFRICAN RELIGIONS
The role of religious (or belief) systems in African society, especially the three predominantly religious traditions in Africa: the so-called African traditional religions, Islam, & Christianity; the universe of religious systems and religious experiences and processes of Africa, in particular Sub-Saharan Africa; critical examination of the mythic stature of Africa's "religions" within Western cultural (and scholarly) world views and institutions. (3H,3C)
2354: THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT
Examines the Civil Rights Movement in the U.S. Both non-violent and violent resistance will be examined, as well as strategies used in organizing mass boycotts, sit-ins, and marches. Special attention will be paid to how the movement shaped civil rights legislation on the federal level. The course also examines how the Movement influenced student protest on college campuses. (3H,3C)
2454: RACE AND RACISM
Examines theories of race and racism specifically as they relate to African Americans. We will explain conservative, neo-conservative, liberal, and progressive ideologies concerning race in past and recent United States contexts and how such theories emerged and continue to emerge in recent times. Though the majority of the course focuses on race and racism within the U.S., comparative analyses will be made with Brazil and South Africa. (3H,3C)
2734 (WGS 2734): THE BLACK WOMAN IN THE U.S.
The emerging womanist perspective of "interstructured oppression," (i.e., the simultaneous effects of racism, sexism, and classism) as relevant to the contributions of Black women in the U.S.; views of Black women from African backgrounds, the Atlantic slave trade, and the progressive rise of womanist/feminist liberation movements in Black culture; contributions of Black women in the U.S. and globally. (3H,3C)
2744 (REL 2744): THE BLACK CHURCH IN AMERICA
An inspection of the history and culture of the Black American Church. The course focuses upon the African origin and African-American development of religions and sects. The course will emphasize broad themes, historical patterns, and similarities as well as differences in the Afrocentric and Eurocentric methods of worshipping. (3H,3C)
2754: SPORTS AND THE AFRO-AMERICAN EXPERIENCE
Sports as a paradigm of the African-American experience. The forms of racism and the periodic significant social advances of the African-American community in the U.S. will be examined from the vantage point of African-American sports. Attention will also be paid to the continuing impact of sports on African-American culture. Sports heroes, successful teams and annual sporting events will be noted and analyzed. (3H,3C)
2774: BLACK AESTHETICS
A definition of those qualities of black American arts which distinguish it from traditional U.S. arts through an analysis of theme, form, and technique as they appear in a representative sample of works by black creative artists. (3H,3C)
2974: INDEPENDENT STUDY
Variable credit course.
2984: SPECIAL STUDY
Variable credit course.
3174 (HIST 3174): AFRICAN AMERICAN MEN IN UNITED STATES HISTORY
Chronological and thematic examination of significant historical moments in black men's lives. Examination of the social, cultural, and political forces contributing to a uniquely African American male experience in the United States. Survey of events in America's collective past such as wars, depressions, and protest movements. (3H,3C)
3175,3176 (HIST 3175, 3176): AFRO-AMERICAN HISTORY
The Afro-American experience in the United States from 1619 to the present. Emphasis upon slavery and the strategies of economic and social survival in the twentieth century. 3175: 1619-1877 3176: 1877-present (3H,3C)
3454: AFRICAN AMERICAN LEADERSHIP FOR SOCIAL CHANGE
This course will utilize the three major paradigmatic assumptions in Black Studies (centeredness, critical analysis, and empowerment) to examine historical and contemporary African American leadership concepts and styles and their impact on social change. (3H,3C)
3634 (ENGL 3634): AFRICAN AMERICAN LITERATURE
Afro-American writings from Phyllis Wheatley through the slave narratives of the nineteenth century to such modern figures as Wright, Hughes, Baldwin, and Morrison. (3H,3C)
3984: SPECIAL STUDY
Variable credit course.
4354: ISSUES IN AFRICANA STUDIES
A variable topics course in which students will use the Africana Studies paradigm to take a centered, critical, and empowering look at various topics regarding people of African descent.
(3H,3C)
4704: HISTORY OF AFRICAN-AMERICAN THEATRE
An in-depth study of Black Theatre in America. It will explore the history and development of Black Theatre – both commercial and non-commercial. The course will also stimulate critical thinking pertaining to racial issues, differences in aesthetics and cultures. Pre: 1715. (3H,3C)
4754: INTERNSHIP
Variable credit course.
4774: BLACKS IN THE PERFORMING ARTS
An examination of the performing arts as a paradigm of the African-American experience. Forms of U.S. racism and the periodic significant social advances of the U.S.'s African-American community will be examined in this course from the vantage points of blacks in theatre, film, dance, and music. Emphasis will be placed on the continuing impact of performing arts on African-American culture. Performers, heroes, historical works and performing arts events will be analyzed. Pre: 1714. (3H,3C)
4974: INDEPENDENT STUDY
Variable credit course.
4984: SPECIAL STUDY
Variable credit course.
4994: UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH
Variable credit course.
Undergraduate Course Descriptions (AINS)
1104: INTRODUCTION TO AMERICAN INDIAN STUDIES
Introduces students to the richness and complexity of American Indian societies past and present. The course begins by considering the critical question of what it means to be "American Indian" or "Native American," comparing externally produced stereotypes with a wide variety of indigenous discourses and narratives. Through a special focus on specific indigenous groups and regions, the course examines American Indian experiences with and reactions to colonial confrontations, government policies, and cultural interchanges with non-Indians. (3H,3C)
2104 (COMM 2104) (HUM 2104): ORAL TRADITIONS AND CULTURE
Examination of the world's great oral traditions, both ancient and contemporary. Emphasis on performance contexts, relationships among multicultural traditions, including American Indian oral traditions, and the relationships among orality, literacy, technology, media, and culture. (3H,3C)
2804 (ENGL 2804): CONTEMPORARY NATIVE AMERICAN LITERATURES
This course offers a sampling of fiction, poetry, and non-fiction by the most influential American Indian writers since 1970, authors such as Momaday, Silko, Deloria, Welch, Harjo, and Alexie. Students will also learn about those aspects of cosmology and storytelling traditionally shared by all American Indian Nations, as well as about those aspects specific to the individual tribal traditions from which the authors and their characters come. Pre: ENGL 1106 or ENGL H1204 or COMM 1016. (3H,3C)
2974: INDEPENDENT STUDY
Variable credit course.
3304 (ENGL 3304): THE LANGUAGES OF NATIVE AMERICA
Study of the structures of the native languages of the Americas; their interrelationships; their use in individual speech communities; contact with other languages; the interrelationships of linguistic structure, culture, and thought; their future survival. Pre: ENGL 1106 or ENGL H1204 or COMM 1016. (3H,3C)
3684 (PSCI 3684): INDIGENOUS PEOPLES AND WORLD POLITICS
A survey of the historical and contemporary struggles of indigenous peoples throughout the world. Examines the dynamics of colonialism (internal and external), identity construction, gender, cultural integrity, and the ongoing global indigenous rights discourse. In addition to covering broad global processes/theoretical approaches, comparative case studies of particular indigenous groups, such as the Maasai (Kenya, Tanzania) and Mayans (Mexico, Guatemala, Belize), are used to highlight the global, regional, and intra-community diversity among contemporary indigenous peoples. (3H,3C)
4004: TOPICS IN AMERICAN INDIAN STUDIES
A variable topics course in which students will engage an interdisciplinary methodology to pursue a critical and in-depth examination of various topics concerning and pertinent to American indigenous peoples. This course is repeatable for up to 6 hours credit with different topics. Must meet prerequisite or have permission of the instructor. Pre: 1104. (3H,3C)
4754: INTERNSHIP
Variable credit course.
4974: INDEPENDENT STUDY
Variable credit course.
4984: SPECIAL STUDY
Variable credit course.
4994: UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH
Variable credit course.
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Undergraduate Course Descriptions (PSVP)
2004: PEACE AND VIOLENCE AS CRITICAL INCIDENTS
Introduces major theories and empirical tests of the major theories in the interdisciplinary fields of peace studies and critical incident analysis. Discusses the events that led to several critical incidents and how these events contributed to current local, national, and global conditions with respect to issues of peace and violence. Particular attention given to the root causes of personal and structural violence and various proposals to promote world peace. (3H,3C)
4104: GLOBAL SOCIETY, VIOLENCE AND THE PROSPECTS FOR PEACE
Examines major theories in the interdisciplinary field of peace studies. Includes current, historical, and global causes, patterns and types of conflict, and methods of conflict resolution. Particular attention given to the philosophical and sociological discussions of the causes of violence and the possibilities for peace. Pre: 2004. (3H,3C)
4444 (SOC 4444): SCHOOLS, VIOLENCE, AND JUSTICE
Focuses on the nature, extent, causes, and consequences of widely recognized forms of violence within schools, such as bullying, fighting, sexual assaults, harassment, dating violence, and shootings. Examines the effectiveness of violence prevention programs. Includes sociological theories of violence within schools. Explores the social debate over balancing the collective public safety obligations of schools with individual students' rights/responsibilities. Pre: SOC 3414. (3H,3C)
4974: INDEPENDENT STUDY
Variable credit course.
4984: SPECIAL STUDY
Variable credit course.
4994: UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH
Variable credit course.
Undergraduate Course Descriptions (SOC)
1004: INTRODUCTORY SOCIOLOGY
Social bases of human behavior, including an introduction to basic theories, research methods, social institutions, complex organizations, and human groups. Social and social psychological antecedents for politics, family, work, science, education, and religion. (3H,3C)
1014: INTRODUCTION TO SOCIAL ANTHROPOLOGY
Introduction to basic concepts in social anthropology related to the study of the evolution, social organization, and major institutions of traditional societies with emphasis on non-western cultures. (3H,3C)
2004: SOCIAL ORGANIZATION AND SOCIAL PROBLEMS
Examines the nature, extent, and causes of social problems in the United States and around the globe from multiple perspectives. Emphasizes the role of conflicting economics, racial, ethnic, national, and gender interests in the creation and perpetuation of social problems. (3H,3C)
2014: DATING, MARRIAGE AND DIVORCE
Description and analysis of dating and marital relationships in contemporary society, with additional attention given to factors associated with divorce. (3H,3C)
2024: MINORITY GROUP RELATIONS
Reasons for existence of minority groups and consequences of being subordinate. Focus on racial, ethnic, gender, and age differences. Employment, family relations, health, and general quality of life. Includes cross-national comparisons. Core Curriculum approved for Area II only when taken only in combination with AFST 1714. (3H,3C)
2034: DIVERSITY AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
Examines how understanding the patterns, meanings, and value of human diversity can improve social interactions within a diverse, global society. Focuses on issues of social justice, community, power, and privilege, using comparative, interdisciplinary, cross-cultural, and sociological perspectives. Explores social and cultural influences on people's identities and the implications for social relationships. With a collective responsibility to serve and improve the lives of others in a diverse society, students participate in community engagement projects. (3H,3C)
2304: INDIVIDUAL IN SOCIETY
Development of the self through social interaction. Factors affecting individual and collective perceptions, attitudes, and behavior in social contexts. (3H,3C)
2404: DEVIANT BEHAVIOR
Examines behaviors considered deviant in the United States. Explores major types of deviant behavior, such as corporate crimes, extremist groups, sexual deviance, violence, suicide, alcoholism and other drug addictions, and cyber deviance. Includes sociological theories that explain them. (3H,3C)
2964: FIELD STUDY
Variable credit course.
2974: INDEPENDENT STUDY
Variable credit course.
2974H: INDEPENDENT STUDY
Variable credit course.
2984: SPECIAL STUDY
Variable credit course.
3004: SOCIAL INEQUALITY
Class, status, and power in society. Theories and empirical research findings on vertical and horizontal stratification in society. Class differences in behavior, values, and avenues and extent of social mobility. Cross cultural comparisons. Pre: 1004. (3H,3C)
3014: GENDER RELATIONS
Focus on the social construction of gender relations. Examines how gender relations vary cross-culturally, historically, and for different categories of men and women. Explores the causes and consequences of inequality and privilege. Attention paid to the ways race, ethnicity, class, age, and sexualities shape and are shaped by gender and the relationship of gender to social institutions. Pre: 1004. (3H,3C)
3104: SOCIOLOGICAL THEORY
Focus on the development and contemporary state of sociological theory. Primary concern is with those theorists who have had significant impact on our thinking about the relationships among man, society, and nature. Pre: 1004. (3H,3C)
3204: SOCIAL RESEARCH METHODS
Techniques of data collection and analysis employed in the social sciences with emphasis on survey research methods including questionnaire construction, sampling, and analysis of both self-collected and national data; logic behind application of these techniques. Pre: 1004. (4H,4C)
3303: SOCIAL MOVEMENTS
Examines the definitions, emergence, operations, and impact of social movements. Focuses on key social movements such as the civil rights, women's, peace and human rights, labor, and global justice movements. Pre: 1004. (3H,3C)
3304: COLLECTIVE ACTION
How people organize to influence institutional arrangements in society. Panic behavior, riots, protest movements, strikes, coalitions, and revolutions. Theories and issues related to collective action. Pre: 1004. (3H,3C)
3414: CRIMINOLOGY
Principles of criminology and contemporary theories of criminal behavior, focusing on the extent and distribution of crime in the United States. Pre: 1004. (3H,3C)
3424: JUVENILE DELINQUENCY
Examination of juvenile delinquency in the United States including theories and explanations of delinquency, the juvenile justice system, and treatment and prevention of delinquency. Pre: 1004. (3H,3C)
3464 (AHRM 3464) (APS 3464) (EDHL 3464) (GEOG 3464) (HD 3464) (HUM 3464) (UAP 3464): APPALACHIAN COMMUNITIES
The concept of community in Appalachia using an interdisciplinary approach and experiential learning. Interrelationships among geographically, culturally, and socially constituted communities, public policy, and human development. Pre: Junior standing. (3H,3C)
3504: POPULATION TRENDS AND ISSUES
Contemporary American and global population trends in historical and comparative perspective. Discussion of the impact of population change on individual and society. Relevant public policy questions examined. Pre: 1004. (3H,3C)
3604: WORK IN MODERN SOCIETY
Emphasis on the analysis of work, industrial work organizations, and trade unions. International comparisons on the nature of work and related developments in post industrial societies. Pre: 1004. (3H,3C)
3614: GENDER AND WORK IN THE U.S.
Examination of the role that gender plays in shaping the experience of work, focusing especially on the persistence of occupational segregation by sex, its causes and implications. Also, the interaction of work and family life, including the allocation of household work and control of resources. Social policies affecting gender relations in work organizations will be analyzed. Pre: 1004. (3H,3C)
3714: SOCIOLOGY OF AGING
Emergence of old age as a social problem. Social aspects of aging in America, including the minority experience and with some cross-cultural comparisons. Social and demographic characteristics of the aged, location of aged in the social structure, and current and future social problems of old age. Pre: 1004. (3H,3C)
3854: GLOBALIZATION: SOCIOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVES
Distinguishes global from international. Examines social globalization and cultural globalization and what forms they take. Explores changes in the role of nation-states and the implications of global changes in the division of labor for economic, gender, and racial/ethnic inequalities. Discusses how globalization is linked with peace, violence, and human rights. Considers alternative and more equitable forms of globalizations and how social movements might lead to such alternatives. Pre: 1004. (3H,3C)
3954: STUDY ABROAD
Variable credit course. X-grade allowed.
4014: SOCIOLOGY OF THE FAMILY
The family as a basic social institution: similarities and variations in family systems, their interrelationships with other social institutions, and patterns of continuity and change. Taught alternate years. Pre: 2014. (3H,3C)
4024: SOCIOLOGY OF RELIGION
Religion as a social structure as well as an institution; with special attention to the functions of religion for individuals, groups and societies, social organization; and the interplay between religion and other social institutions including economics and polity. Taught alternate years. Pre: 1004. (3H,3C)
4034: SOCIOLOGY OF EDUCATION
Analysis of the structure, functions, and consequences of schooling in America, the social processes affecting academic achievement, and the implications of current knowledge for educational reform. Taught alternate years. Pre: 1004. (3H,3C)
4044: MILITARY SOCIOLOGY
The military institution and its relationship to society. Emphasis on the role of the military and its social organization; recruitment, socialization, career, combat, deviant behavior, changes in the military, and future trends. Taught alternate years. Junior standing. Pre: 1004. (3H,3C)
4054 (APS 4034): APPALACHIAN LANG & CULTURES
An empirical examination of how Appalachian speech both reflects and constitutes regional cultures. Emphasis is on applying sociological and anthropological methods and theories to the study of language in use. (3H,3C)
4094 (APS 4094): APPALACHIAN COMMUNITY RESEARCH
Undergraduate participatory community research as applied to issues of cultural heritage, sustainability, and identity. Students engage in projects defined by community groups and organizations as being critical to their well-being, continuity, or growth. Emphasis is on developing concepts of civic professionalism and developmental democracy. (3H,3C)
4114: THE SOCIOLOGY OF POPULAR MUSIC
Examine the social context(s) of popular music, including the social, economic, and political factors that influence the development of different popular music forms; authenticity within popular music genres; popular music's impact on social activity and identity; the institutions that connect popular music producers with consumers. Pre: 1004, 1014 or AFST 1714. (3H,3C)
4194: SENIOR SEMINAR
Required seminar for majors. Integration and application of prior coursework, including reviews of theory and research methods. Application of sociological knowledge toward an actual needs assessment in a work setting, completion of a social policy analysis, and a written critique of a sociological publication. Course serves as a bridge to graduate study, prepares students for application of sociological knowledge, and provides overall career guidance. Senior standing and sociology majors only. Pre: 3104, 3204. (3H,3C)
4204: APPLIED RESEARCH
Stresses differences between applied research and other methodologies. Examines the topics, purposes, problems, theories, and methods appropriate for applied research. Explores ethical and political issues prevalent in applied settings. Includes qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methodologies. Emphasis on survey construction and administration, experimental designs, evaluation research, and participatory action research as used by applied researchers. Includes data analysis and issues of presenting applied research to lay audiences. Pre: 3204, STAT 3604. (3H,3C)
4294: CAPSTONE: DIVERSITY ENGAGEMENT
In-depth examination of core themes of diversity. Explains patterns and relational/intersectional aspects of diversity, including the history and legacies of inclusion and exclusion, from a variety of perspectives. Synthesizes diverse writings on issues of social justice and community, power and privilege. Uses social science theories and concepts of diversity to examine contemporary issues of diversity and to facilitate and interpret community engagement projects based in students' major fields of study. Focuses on collective responsibility to eliminate bias and discrimination through students' community-based project outcomes. This course is restricted to students who have enrolled in the Diversity and Community Engagement Minor. Pre: 2034. (3H,3C)
4304: RESEARCH METHODS TOPICS
Variable topics course that focuses on different research methodologies. Includes topics such as feminist research, qualitative methodologies, survey design, evaluation research, and anthropological methods. Can be taken multiple times if different topic. Pre: 3204, STAT 3604. (3H,3C)
4404: SOCIOLOGY OF LAW
The functions of law as a form of social control. The social forces in the creation, enforcement, and change of the law. The nature of law as a force in social change. Taught alternate years. Pre: 1004. (3H,3C)
4414: DRUGS AND SOCIETY
Examines the use of drugs, including legal and illegal drugs, from a sociological perspective. Cross-cultural and historical patterns of use are discussed and explained. Particular attention is given to drug use within the context of various social institutions. Junior standing. Pre: 1004. (3H,3C)
4424: JUVENILE DELINQUENCY
Examination of juvenile delinquency. Includes methods of data collection and the extent and distribution of delinquency. Detailed coverage of theories of delinquent behavior. Examines the juvenile justice system and treatment and prevention of delinquency. Utilizes current empirical research on delinquency in the U.S. and internationally. Pre: 3414. (3H,3C)
4434: ADVANCED TOPICS IN CRIMINOLOGY
A variable topics course that focuses on topics related to criminology. In-depth examination of topics such as the death penalty, racial profiling, terrorism, white collar crime, law enforcement, international gangs, political crime, the prison system, cyber crime, and rape. No limit on the number of times taken if different topics. Pre: 3414. (3H,3C)
4444 (PSVP 4444): SCHOOLS, VIOLENCE, AND JUSTICE
Focuses on the nature, extent, causes, and consequences of widely recognized forms of violence within schools, such as bullying, fighting, sexual assaults, harassment, dating violence, and shootings. Examines the effectiveness of violence prevention programs. Includes sociological theories of violence within schools. Explores the social debate over balancing the collective public safety obligations of schools with individual students' rights/responsibilities. Pre: 3414. (3H,3C)
4704: MEDICAL SOCIOLOGY
Social and cultural response to illness and infirmity. Emphasis on the sick role, patient role, practitioner role, organization and politics of health care delivery, stratification, professionalism, and socialization of health practitioners. Taught alternate years. Junior Standing. Pre: 1004. (3H,3C)
4714: SOCIOLOGY OF MENTAL ILLNESS
Mental illness and social systems, historically and in contemporary society. Distribution of mental illness with special reference to stratification, role, and deviance theories. Mental health occupations and organization of treatment. Implications for social policy. Taught alternate years. Junior standing. Pre: 1004. (3H,3C)
4754: INTERNSHIP
Placement and sociologically relevant work in one of a variety of human service settings, combined with relevant readings, discussion and written work coordinated jointly by a faculty member and the setting supervisor. Placement settings include human resource agencies, corrections facilities, extension offices, and law agencies. Sociology major or minor required. Junior or Senior standing required. Consent of internship coordinator required. Coursework relevant to placement setting. Variable credit course.
4764 (GEOG 4764) (UAP 4764): INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT POLICY AND PLANNING
Examination of major development theories and contemporary issues and characteristics of low-income societies (industrialization, urbanization, migration, rural poverty, hunger, foreign trade, and debt) that establish contexts for development planning and policy-making. Junior standing required. (3H,3C)
4804: SOCIOLOGY OF SCIENCE
Focus on the institution of science and its systems: normative, reward, and stratification. Concentrates on the interaction between science and other basic social institutions: political, economic, and religious. Taught alternate years. Junior standing. Pre: 1004. (3H,3C)
4964: FIELD STUDY
Pass/Fail only. Variable credit course.
4974: INDEPENDENT STUDY
Variable credit course.
4974H: INDEPENDENT STUDY
Variable credit course.
4984: SPECIAL STUDY
Variable credit course. X-grade allowed.
4994: UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH
Variable credit course.
4994H: UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH
Variable credit course.
Undergraduate Courses - Women's and Gender Studies (WGS)
1824: INTRODUCTION TO WOMEN'S STUDIES
This interdisciplinary introduction to Women's and Gender Studies examines interrelations between men and women as social groups in the contexts of race, class and other systems of inequality. It places special focus on the diverse experiences of women and feminist struggles for social change. (3H,3C)
2114: FEMINIST THEORY
Examination of diverse theoretical perspectives on women and gender, including their historical origins and political implications. Special emphasis on integrative perspectives that also address race, class, and other dimensions of inequality. Pre: 1824. (3H,3C)
2224: WOMEN AND CREATIVITY
A study of the philosophical, artistic, and biographical dimensions of women's creativity in a wide variety of fields. Pre: 1824. (3H,3C)
2234 (REL 2234): WOMEN, ETHICS, AND RELIGION
Women's religious ethical formation; the roles and understandings of women in traditional and major modern religious traditions; authoritative writings and practices of various traditions as they focus on issues of sex and gender; gynocentric methods of study of women, ethics, and religion; feminist and womanist approaches to liberation and social change. (3H,3C)
2244: WOMEN AND SCIENCE
Uses research from the disciplines of science, women's studies, history, sociology, and philosophy to examine women's roles in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Starting with historical figures, students will follow the progress women have made in entering and succeeding in science careers. Pre: 1824. (3H,3C)
2254: FEMINIST ACTIVISM
Explores the history of individual and collective action geared toward gaining women's rights and improving women's positions in society. Course covers tensions and shifts in feminist movements, as well as the perspectives, agendas, and actions of specific subgroups of women whose perspectives sometimes conflict. Service-learning is a required component of the course. Pre: 1824. (3H,3C)
2264: RACE, CLASS, AND GENDER
This course focuses on the interrelationships of race, class, and gender in the context of women's studies scholarship, and explores how these interrelationships have influenced the experiences of all people in the U.S. Students will learn to conceptualize these categories as interactive systems, not just as separate features of experience. Emphasis will be put on how race, class, and gender shape all social institutions and systems of meaning. Must have prerequisite or instructor's consent. Pre: 1824. (3H,3C)
2274: WOMEN IN THE MILITARY
This course covers historical and global perspectives on the experiences women have had in and with the military. This course introduces students to issues concerning women fighters and military families, as well as to debates over women in combat positions, military policies, and globalization. (3H,3C)
2284: LESBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL, TRANSGENDER AND QUEER ISSUES
Introduces students to Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer (LGBTQ) Studies. Focuses on sexuality and gender as historical and cultural constructs. Examines the experiences of individuals who do not conform to binary sex-gender systems and the development of diverse identities and LGBTQ communities. Introduces feminist and queer theories that address LGBTQ issues within social, political, legal, and cultural institutions. Examines the institutional oppression of sexual minorities and implications of the intersectionalities of such systems of inequality as gender, race, ethnicity, class, age, and (dis)ability. Pre: 1824 or permission of instructor. Pre: 1824. (3H,3C)
2734 (AFST 2734) (REL 2734): THE BLACK WOMAN IN THE U.S.
The emerging womanist perspective of "interstructured oppression" (i.e., the simultaneous effects of racism, sexism, and classism) as relevant to the contributions of Black women in the United States of America; views of Black women from African backgrounds, the Atlantic slave trade, and the progressive rise of womanist/feminist liberation movements in Black culture; contributions of Black women in the U.S. and globally. (3H,3C)
2974: INDEPENDENT STUDY
Variable credit course.
2984: SPECIAL STUDY
Variable credit course.
3004: TOPICS IN FEMINISM
A variable topics course that addresses how the social construction of gender shapes social, cultural, political, economic, and institutional structures as well as individual experiences and perceptions. The course stresses interdisciplinary approaches to topics of emerging interest in feminist scholarship. Can be taken up to three times for credit with varying topic. In addition to WS 1824, must have taken a 2000-level Women's Studies course, or have instructor's consent. Pre: 1824. (3H,3C)
3014 (REL 3014): WOMEN AND GENDER IN ISLAM
An examination of women and gender in Islam from a variety of perspectives including Muslim women in Islamic history, normative constructions of the roles of women in Islam, and women's role in contemporary Muslim societies. Understanding of women in classical Islam; feminist and reformist approaches; and Western constructions of the "rights of women in Islam." Pre: 2324. (3H,3C)
3214: GLOBAL FEMINISMS
An introduction to the gendered analysis of global women's issues with a special focus on women of color. Examines the multiple and diverse sites of feminist struggle within the third world, and between first and third worlds both in the U.S. and internationally. Studies the impact on women of political movements such as nationalism, colonialism, revolution, authoritarianism and democracy. Compares theories originating with women of color in the U.S. with those from international third worlds. Pre: 2264. (3H,3C)
3324 (STS 3324): PERSPECTIVES ON THE BIOLOGY OF WOMEN
Examines historical, social, and cultural views of women's biology and how those views have impacted women's physical and mental health. Special attention is paid to the influence of cultural traditions and beliefs on scientific perspectives. Pre: 1824. (3H,3C)
3984: SPECIAL STUDY
Variable credit course.
4214 (GEOG 4214) (UAP 4214): WOMEN, ENVIRONMENT AND DEVELOPMENT IN A GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE
Explores intersecting roles of gender, culture, and socio-economic status in people's use of nature, management of environmental resources, and experiences of environmental change. Examines debates on environmental and development initiatives, environmental ethics, and environmental social movements from feminist perspectives. Pre: UAP 3344 or UAP 3354. (3H,3C)
4224: WOMEN'S STUDIES SEMINAR
This multi-disciplinary, multi-cultural course examines a significant topic in Women's Studies, utilizing the perspectives of history, biology, psychology, political science, sociology, and the arts. Variable topics. Pre: 1824, (2224). (3H,3C)
4704 (STS 4704): GENDER AND SCIENCE
Investigates the gender dimensions of science in both historical and contemporary perspectives. Discusses feminist studies of science, exploring strengths and limitations. Assesses implications of cultural assumptions about gender for practicing scientists. A 3000 level course in science or engineering may satisfy prerequisite. Pre: 2244 or HST 1504. (3H,3C)
4754: INTERNSHIP
Qualified students will be placed with a community agency or on-campus office which addresses contemporary issues of gender, class, and/or race, and will meet periodically with an appropriate faculty member to discuss assigned readings that will provide a context for the work experience. Students will also be expected to keep a journal and to write up a final evaluation of the experience. Variable credit: may be taken for up to 6 elective credits in the Women's Studies concentration. Junior standing, screening interviews with Tech faculty and with the service agency and consent required. Variable credit course. Pre: 1824.
4974: INDEPENDENT STUDY
Variable credit course.
4984: SPECIAL STUDY
Variable credit course.
4994: UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH
Variable credit course.
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