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UGRD > SOCIOL
Sociology
SOCIOL 101 Introduction to Sociology
Description:
The structure of society, cultural patterns, and group life. The individual and socialization, groups, institutions, social systems, and social change. More Info
Offered in:SOCIOL 104L Introduction to Systems of Criminal Justice
Description:
The goals of the course are to give students a theoretical and empirical foundation of the criminal justice system. Topics will also include the nature of victimization, the inner workings of the criminal justice system and the outcomes for offenders leaving the system. The student will be exposed to the critical issues in justice, be involved in discussions of their impact on American society, and be asked to consider alternative approaches to addressing these issues. In addition, during the discussion of each segment of the American system of justice, comparisons will be made with other developed and developing nations' justice systems. CRMJUS 104L and SOCIOL 104L are the same course. More Info
Offered in:SOCIOL 110G Insiders/Outsiders
Description:
This course examines issues of identity that prevent people from being part of communities and that interfere with those communities' abilities to embrace all of their potential members. Issues of class, race, ethnicity, sex, gender, and sexuality are examined in the context of power and inequality. Readings include autobiographical materials, scholarly articles in sociology and other fields, and analytical essays. More Info
Offered in:SOCIOL 112G Children & Human Rights
Description:
This course addresses children's rights in international perspective. We will look at difficult situations faced by children in several countries and assess the success or failure of the application of various laws/standards, especially the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. Poverty, war, racism, ethnic conflict, and gender inequality will be addressed as causes of child labor, juvenile delinquency, trafficking in children, children in combat and sexual slavery and abuse. More Info
Offered in:- TBA
SOCIOL 120G The Sociology of Popular Culture
Description:
This course critically examines popular culture, including a look at sociocultural, structural, and economic aspects of entertainment and the media. Focus varies each semester and may include topics such as: Disney theme parks; MTV; the Internet; Hollywood; Bollywood; sports culture; zines; and other alternative media. More Info
Offered in:SOCIOL 160 Social Problems
Description:
A course concentrating on institutional formation and change. Specifically, it covers the definition and explanation of social problems, individual, group and governmental responses to them, implications of social policy, in-depth case studies, and discussion of contemporary social problems. More Info
Offered in:SOCIOL 184 Battered Women
Description:
This course focuses on legal, social, and emotional issues. Discussions examine such topics as the politics of battering and the thinking behind it; the practical problems faced by battered women; the social and legal remedies presently available and why their effectiveness is so limited; how the issue of violence against women finally came to the public's attention; how society has perpetuated the myths behind battering; how the processes that perpetuate the violence might be reversed. The course also considers shelters, direct action, and legal and legislative reform in this area, including controversial self-defense cases involving battered women who have killed abusive spouses or lovers. More Info
Offered in:- TBA
SOCIOL 201 Youth & Society
Description:
An examination of theories and research on youth and society. Present day patterns of youth development are contrasted to other types-born in Western history and in other cultures. The relationship of youth to major institutions (educational, legal, occupational) are examined in detail. More Info
Offered in:SOCIOL 211G Race and Power in the US
Description:
The focus of this course is a comparative look at three reparations movements: Japanese-American, African-American, and Native American. It addresses such issues as legislative and judicial strategies; and the historical and contemporary situations of these racial/ethnic groups in the context of race and power in US society. The course may be counted toward the major or minor in sociology. Capabilities addressed: Critical reading, critical thinking, clear writing, collaborative learning, information technology. Diversity Area: United States. More Info
Offered in:SOCIOL 223L Asians in the United States
Description:
This multidisciplinary course examines the social, historical, and structural contexts defining the Asian American experience from 1850 to the present. Topics include immigration, labor, community settlement, ethnicity, stereotypes, and race relations. AMST 223L and ASAMST 223L and SOCIOL 223L are the same course. More Info
Offered in:SOCIOL 225L Southeast Asians in the United States
Description:
This course examines issues arising from the resettlement of one million Vietnamese, Cambodian, and Laotian refugees in the US since 1975. Topics include resettlement policies, adjustment and acculturation, changing roles of women and family, and the continuing impact of international politics. Media presentations and lectures by local Southeast Asian community leaders highlight the course. AMST 225L and ASAMST 225L and SOCIOL 225L are the same course. More Info
Offered in:SOCIOL 228L Asian Women in the United States
Description:
Drawing on women's voices in literature, sociocultural research, and historical analysis, this course examines the experience of Asian women in the United States from 1850 to the present. Topics include the transformation of Asian women's traditional roles as part of the acculturation process; exclusion; changing roles within the Asian American family; resistance to oppression as defined by race, gender, class; and the continuing impact of international politics. AMST 228L and ASAMST 228L and SOCIOL 228L are the same course. More Info
Offered in:SOCIOL 231 Social Class and Inequality
Description:
Social classes in traditional and industrial societies; classes, castes, and mobility. Theories of class relationships and conflicts. More Info
Offered in:- TBA
SOCIOL 232 The Sociology of Work
Description:
Deals with a variety of social issues associated with the division of labor: the structure of occupations and their impact upon workers, sources of satisfaction in work, experiments in redesigning work, and models of workers' participation in the work place. More Info
Offered in:SOCIOL 242 The Family
Description:
A comparative and historical analysis of family systems. Emphasis on the development and the future prospects of the nuclear family in middle-class industrial society. More Info
Offered in:SOCIOL 261 Social Deviance and Control
Description:
This course examines the conditions and processes underlying social conformity and deviance. Discussion topics include social definitions of deviance, societal reactions to deviant behavior, deviant subcultures, and social control processes. More Info
Offered in:SOCIOL 262L Criminology
Description:
A general survey and analysis of adult crime. Attention to historical development of criminological thought, societal reaction to crime, and behavioral systems. Emphasis on theories of criminality and issues in the administration of justice by police and courts. CRMJUS 262L and SOCIOL 262L are the same course. More Info
Offered in:SOCIOL 268 Religion in Contemp Society
Description:
Belief systems and social structures of religious groups. Impact of religious systems on familial, economic, political, and other institutions. More Info
Offered in:- TBA
SOCIOL 281 Society and the Individual
Description:
Basic survey of the social environment of individuals and its impact on psychological processes. More Info
Offered in:SOCIOL 290 Environmental Justice & Human Disasters
Description:
This course will examine and define environmental justice with special emphasis on human or man-made disasters. Sociological concepts such as race, class and gender, social capital, social stratification, collective efficacy, and community will be defined and used to frame issues and topics. Social science methods will be employed to examine the unequal distribution of environmental risks and benefits across various socially structured hierarchies and contexts. More Info
Offered in:- TBA
SOCIOL 300 The Sociology of Media and Mass Communication
Description:
This course is concerned with the relationship between mass media and society. It provides an introduction to concepts and issues in the field while examining a variety of media institutions and their products. The course will address media and visual literacy and will involve analysis of visual media in the form of documentary and feature films, television programs and commercials, plus print media. More Info
Offered in:SOCIOL 305 Sociology of Culture
Description:
This course will focus on developing sensitivities to culture, its importance in sociological understanding and analysis and its relevance for the complexities and challenges that face individuals and societies. Course treats culture whether defined as practices, signs, symbols, discourses, languages, forms of knowledge or systems of meaning at multiple levels of analysis. Students will gain an appreciation of the influence of culture in shaping world-views, life-worlds and identity, the significance of culture in everyday life as well as the importance of culture of more macro levels. More Info
Offered in:- TBA
SOCIOL 310 Socialization
Description:
Theories and research on socialization from a sociological-social psychological perspective. Emphasis on socialization during childhood, and on continuities and discontinuities between child and adult socialization. More Info
Offered in:- TBA
SOCIOL 311 Urban Sociology
Description:
The development of the city as a complex form of the human community. History and growth of urbanism in industrial societies and developing nations. Urban change and the problem of planning. More Info
Offered in:SOCIOL 316 Family Violence
Description:
This course seeks to help participants develop a critical understanding of force and violence within the family structure. Emphasis is on violence between spouses, and between children and parents; and on the prevalence, the character, and the causes of such violence. Topics also include society''s reaction to family violence, and its policies of control and treatment; and the sexual abuse and exploitation of children and women. More Info
Offered in:SOCIOL 321L Racial and Ethnic Relations
Description:
An examination of racial and ethnic relations in contemporary society, including the history and sociology of the immigration experience, bilingual education, the nature and character of discrimination, neighborhood change, and racial and ethnic conflict. CRMJUS 321L and SOCIOL 321L are the same course. More Info
Offered in:SOCIOL 322 Latino Boston
Description:
Concepts in the sociology of immigrant community formation are presented through the lens of the formation of Bostons Latino community. Themes include the role of immigrant networks in early community formation; the processes of social and economic incorporation of immigrants; the role of geographic concentration of urban space; the role of community organizations; and racial/ethnic identity formation. More Info
Offered in:SOCIOL 323L Race, Incarceration and Deportation
SOCIOL 331 The Sociology of Social Movements
Description:
Analysis of general characteristics of social movements as vehicles of social change, with a focus on selected historical social movements. More Info
Offered in:- TBA
SOCIOL 332 The Sociology of Recession and Economic Crisis
Description:
This course provides a sociological assessment of both the origins and consequences of the 2007-09 recession and its aftermath. Extreme economic events can both exacerbate and highlight the deep economic, social, or political inequalities that permeate our society. One goal of this course is to provide an empirically accurate understanding of the proximate and distal origins of the 2008 financial crisis and the ensuing recession. The policy response to the recession and many of the consequences of the downturn for racial/ethical, gender, and class inequality in the United States are also examined. In addition, the course provides perspective on the impacts and manifestations of the recession overseas. More Info
Offered in:- TBA
SOCIOL 335 Political Sociology
SOCIOL 336 The Sociology of Education
Description:
The educational systems of various types of Western and non-Western societies and the changes in Western systems in modern history, with particular reference to the U.S. The structural features of types of American schools and colleges and the relevance of these features to the economy and to the ideologies of education. More Info
Offered in:- TBA
SOCIOL 341 Elements of Sociological Theory
Description:
Reading and discussion of basic sociological works in theory. Relevance of earlier and contemporary sociological interests and research. More Info
Offered in:SOCIOL 342 Aging and Society
Description:
An examination of theories and research on aging and society. The course is organized into two sections. The first explores the general relationship of the aging process and the aged to the social, economic, and political systems in a youth-oriented and work-oriented society. The second draws upon cross-national and cross-cultural material. More Info
Offered in:SOCIOL 350 Elements of Social Statistics
Description:
Fundamentals of social statistics; special emphasis on probability, tests of significance, and measures of association. Students who receive credit for Sociology 352 Crime Data Analysis may not receive credit for this course. More Info
Offered in:SOCIOL 351L Methods of Sociological Research
Description:
Design of sociological research and methods of inquiry. Organization and analysis of data, development of research projects. CRMJUS 351L and SOCIOL 351L are the same course. More Info
Offered in:SOCIOL 352 Criminological Statistics and Data Analysis
Description:
This course introduces students to common sources of data in criminological research and to methods of data analysis. The purpose of the course is to teach student show to analyze social scientific data, using crime and the criminal justice system as the substantive focus. In addition to basic statistical techniques, the course will introduce mapping and qualitative data analysis, and discuss their application to criminological research. Students who receive credit for Sociology 350 may not receive credit for this course. More Info
Offered in:SOCIOL 355L Gender,Development & Globilization
Description:
This course examines the gender dynamics of social change and industrial development in contemporary developing countries. Topics include the changing division of labor in rural areas, the employment of women in multinational corporations, women in the informal sector, changing family structures, poverty and female-headed families, anti-colonial and transnational struggles. The course also considers the complexities of women's organizing for economic development and for social and political change. SOCIOL 355L and WOST 355L are the same course. More Info
Offered in:- TBA
SOCIOL 360 Social Policy
Description:
This course selects several important areas and issues within which to examine the development of social policy. Social policy perspectives on crime, housing, health, unemployment, and race and ethnic issues are among those considered. Central to this examination is how social problems are defined, and the implications of those definitions for the direction of social policy. More Info
Offered in:- TBA
SOCIOL 362 Juvenile Delinquency
Description:
The nature and extent of delinquency. Consideration of theories, delinquent subculture, and programs for control and prevention. More Info
Offered in:SOCIOL 363L Corrections
Description:
Prisons, jails, parole, and probation. Attention to inmate social structure, and philosophy underlying the correctional system and modern treatment approaches. CRMJUS 363L and SOCIOL 363L are the same course. More Info
Offered in:SOCIOL 364 Internet, Society, and Cyber Crime
Description:
Examination of the characteristics and impact of cyber crime with a focus on implications for social control. More Info
Offered in:- TBA
SOCIOL 365L Victimology
Description:
This course explores theories explaining victimization, the measurement and scope of victimization, fear of crime, the experience of victimization, and victims' interaction with the criminal justice and other systems that have direct contact with victims. CRMJUS 365L and SOCIOL 365L are the same course. More Info
Offered in:SOCIOL 366 White Collar and Corporate Crime
Description:
This course will begin with a consideration of the question "what is white collar crime?" and of the organizational environments in which white-collar crime occurs. Various forms of white-collar crime will be examined and illustrated through case studies. Current theories of white collar crime will be addressed. Ethical issues, including questions of individual and corporate liability and civil vs. criminal penalties, will be reviewed and discussed. More Info
Offered in:- TBA
SOCIOL 367L Drugs and Society
Description:
This course examines the social origins and consequences of the use and abuse of consciousness-altering substances (including alcohol). It considers how society defines and deals with drug use and assesses social harm, including such issues as addictions and health effects, drugs and crime, the legislation debate, and drug policy and enforcement. CRMJUS 367L and SOCIOL 367L are the same course. More Info
Offered in:SOCIOL 368L Alcoholism: Etiology and Epidemiology
Description:
An in-depth interdisciplinary analysis of the nature, causes and extent of alcoholism and problem drinking. Analysis of drinking patterns and drinking problems cross-culturally and among subgroups in the population such as women, prison inmates, the elderly, and homeless people. CRMJUS 368L and SOCIOL 368L are the same course. More Info
Offered in:SOCIOL 369L Alcoholism and Substance Abuse: Treatment and Prevention
Description:
An intensive examination of theories and research on the etiology of alcohol and other drug abuse, with special emphasis on their implications for treatment, prevention, and education programs; sociological factors influencing diagnosis and treatment outcomes; legal coercion treatment programs; behavioral, family therapy, and community reinforcement approaches; audio-visual media in alcohol and drug education. Special attention to self-help groups. CRMJUS 369L and SOCIOL 369l are the same course. More Info
Offered in:- TBA
SOCIOL 372 Globalization and Social Change
Description:
Social and economic aspects of development and modernization. More Info
Offered in:- TBA
SOCIOL 375L Indian Cinema
Description:
This course will provide an introduction to Indian cinema and to Indian culture and society through the study of films. The Indian film industry is the largest producer of feature films in the world. In this class we will examine the films as entertainment as well as cultural narratives and commentaries on society, exploring themes such as social change, the family and gender. The course will combine content analysis of film texts with study of the public culture of film reception. ASAMST 375L and COMSTU 375L and SOCIOL 375L are the same course. More Info
Offered in:SOCIOL 382 The Sociology of Gender
Description:
This course analyzes the sociological determinants and consequences of gender-that is, how societies assign specific expectations, advantages, and disadvantages to people on the basis of the biological fact of their sex. It examines the inequality between men and women that is a feature of the structure of many societies, as well as the social-psychological dimensions influencing individual behavior. More Info
Offered in:SOCIOL 383L Men's Lives in the US
Description:
An investigation in the contemporary U.S. of the experiences of men and the social construction of masculinities, as they emerge in various realms of experience (family, work, college, sexuality, war, imprisonment) and in conjunction with other constructed identities (social class, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation). We will consult various theories on gender and examine a range of perspectives on "men's issues." AMST 383L and SOCIOL 383L are the same course. More Info
Offered in:SOCIOL 384 Sociology of Health, Illness, and Health Care
Description:
The course focuses on the contribution of the social sciences to the field of medical care. This is done along two dimensions: (1) Illness and treatment are defined from a sociocultural, biological perspective; (2) sociological theories and studies are then brought to bear on the problems of definitions of illness, illness behavior and the use of medical services, the organization of medical services and the future frontiers of social science in medicine. More Info
Offered in:- TBA
SOCIOL 386L The Sociology of Mental Health and Illness
Description:
The sociological study of mental disorder and well-being in American society. The course emphasizes the study of the prevalence and the incidence of disorder, and theories of its causation. Attention is also given to family and societal reactions to the impaired, and how these responses and definitions influence legal processes, treatment, and illness severity. Social policy is discussed. CRMJUS 386L and SOCIOL 386L are the same course. More Info
Offered in:SOCIOL 423L Boston's Asian American Communities
Description:
This advanced research seminar examines the dynamics of ethnicity and community change in Asian American communities. Using theories of community development and methods of community research, students analyze Boston's Asian American communities as case studies of complex social systems. The course also looks at current research on immigrant acculturation, ethnic enclave economies, and the community control movement. ASAMST 423L and SOCIOL 423L are the same course. More Info
Offered in:- TBA
SOCIOL 444 Cooperative Education Field Experience in Sociology
Description:
Field placements accompanied by a weekly seminar; the application of sociological concepts to field settings. More Info
Offered in:SOCIOL 460 Internship in Urban Social Service
SOCIOL 461L Internship in Law and Criminal Justice
Description:
This course provides an historical and sociological analysis of our state and federal court systems, and considers such issues as the rights of indigent defendants, the bail system, right to counsel, and the adversary nature of some proceedings. In addition to classroom work, students undertake supervised field placements in probation offices, parole boards, district attorneys' offices, and correctional programs. CRMJUS 461L and SOCIOL 461L are the same course. More Info
Offered in:SOCIOL 462L Internship in Law and Juvenile Justice
Description:
This course provides an historical and sociological introduction to our juvenile justice system, and considers such issues as children's rights and the role of the family versus the role of various judicial institutions. In addition to classroom work, students undertake supervised field placements in juvenile courts, probation offices, and youth rehabilitation programs. CRMJUS 462L and SOCIOL 462L are the same course. More Info
Offered in:SOCIOL 465L The Police in Society
Description:
An examination of police as a system of social control; a survey of major studies of police by sociologists and government commissions. Emphasis placed on police organization, patterns and consequences of police training, historical and cross-cultural perspectives of police systems and studies of police discretion and police-citizen interaction. CRMJUS 465L and SOCIOL 465L are the same course. More Info
Offered in:SOCIOL 467L The Sociology of Law
Description:
A general analysis of the social origins and consequences of law and legal process; special emphasis on law as a method of conflict resolution and as a social control structure, and on law and social change. Attention also given to law in other societies, including non-literate societies, to the evolution and development of legal structures, and to patterns of due process and criminal law. CRMJUS 467L and SOCIOL 467L are the same course. More Info
Offered in:SOCIOL 470 Senior Seminar
Description:
This course examines diverse and often conflictin approaches in the study of specific social problems. Such problems may include welfare, crime, domestic violence, alcolholism, and homelessness. More Info
Offered in:SOCIOL 472 Media and Violence
Description:
This course will analyze the cultural aspects of violence in U.S. society. We will first analyze the different ways social scientists have strived to understand mass culture, mass media, and consumption in the past. Then we will discuss case studies and contemporary theories of media violence, keeping in mind that we are engaged in theorizing about things that are part of the every-day lives of not only ourselves but of most people in all regions of the world. More Info
Offered in:- TBA
SOCIOL 473 Senior Seminar: Diversity and Social Change
Description:
The course will introduce students to different theoretical perspectives on diversity and several present-day debates over the meaning of diversity (touching on gender, religion, race/ethnicity, political-value diversity and social class). More Info
Offered in:- TBA
SOCIOL 478 Directed Study in Sociology
SOCIOL 479 Directed Study in Sociology
Description:
Students invited by the department to conduct independent research during the senior year. Periodic consultation and guidance provided by the staff. More Info
Offered in:SOCIOL 480 Special Topics
Description:
Intensive study of special topics varying each year according to instructor. More Info
Offered in:
