College of Arts and Sciences

Sociology

Chairman John Stone

Associate Chairman Daniel Monti

Director, Undergraduate Studies Daniel Monti

University Professor Greenfeld (Political Science)

Professors Ammerman (Theology), Connor (Political Science), Coulter, Eckstein, H. Levine (Religion), Monti, Stone

Associate Professors Kalberg, Kibria, Yeager

Assistant Professors Barman, Go, Guseva, Smith-Doerr, Swartz

Adjunct Professors Markson, Rieker

Professors Emeriti B. Berger, P. Berger, Cassidy, Cromwell, Field, Melbin, Miller, Psathas, Sanders, Teele, Verdet

Sociology is the study of interpersonal and group aspects of human behavior. Its subject matter ranges from the family to the state, from crime to religion, from work to health, from the divisions of race and social class to the shared beliefs of a common culture, and from stability to change in whole societies.

Coursework in sociology offers strong preparation in analytic skills and broad knowledge of human relations and social systems. As such, the discipline provides useful tools for a variety of careers, including those in law, business, education, journalism, social work, criminal justice, and policy impact analysis. For example, prelaw students may wish to take courses in the sociology of law, criminology and criminal justice, and deviance and social control. Students pursuing careers in business may wish to take courses in the sociology of work, business and society, formal organizations, technology, law, and economic sociology. Premed students can take courses in sociology of healthcare, medical sociology, and epidemiology.

Concentration in Sociology (2208)

All courses taken to fulfill sociology requirements must be taken within CAS (unless transfer-of-credit courses, pending department approval; for other exceptions, see sections on Metropolitan College and College of General Studies below). The concentration requirements comprise ten sociology courses and a statistics course, as described below. All courses for the major must be completed with grades of C or higher. All courses taken to fulfill sociology requirements must be taken within CAS with the exception of transfer-of-credit courses, based on department approval. Metropolitan College classes are treated as transfer-of-credit courses, and no more than two will be counted toward the major concentration. College of General Studies students who completed CGS SS 101 and CGS SS 102, each with a grade of C or higher, will receive credit for SO 100 (see "Course Credits for Students Admitted from the College of General Studies" section below).

The sociology concentration is as follows:

Required Courses One introductory sociology course from CAS SO 100–115; also CAS SO 201, SO 203, and SO 303, all of which must be taken within CAS. Students are expected to take CAS SO 201 and CAS SO 203 in their sophomore year or the first semester after declaring the major. It is recommended that CAS SO 303 be taken in the semester following completion of CAS SO 203.

Principal Courses Six additional sociology courses at the 200 level or above; at least four of the six must be at the 300 level or above.

Of these six courses, at least two must be seminars. A seminar typically enrolls no more than 20 students, who participate in the instruction by presenting original research in class. Seminars must be taken in CAS.

Statistics Requirement Students must take one course in statistical analysis from CAS MA 113, 115, or 213.

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Minor Concentration in Sociology (2208)

The minor concentration in sociology is designed for students from other disciplines who are interested in the theoretical ideas and research methods used by sociologists in their study of society. Students have the opportunity to take a wide range of courses, many of which may deal with their own discipline, for example, law and criminology for prelaw students. These courses provide individuals with an alternative and valuable perspective for understanding the social issues many will have to deal with in their own professions. All minor concentrators develop their programs in consultation with the departmental minor concentration advisor. Students must earn a minimum grade of C in courses taken toward the minor concentration. Requirements for the minor concentration follow.

Requirements Students must complete the basic method and theory requirement by taking CAS SO 201 and 203. In addition, they must take two sociology courses at the 200 level or above (one 100-level course can be substituted here), and two sociology courses at the 300 level or above. All courses for the minor concentration must be taken within CAS with the exception of transfer-of-credit courses, based on departmental approval. MET classes are treated as transfer-of-credit courses. No more than one will be accepted toward minor concentration requirements. CGS students who completed CGS SS 101 and CGS SS 102, each with a grade of C or higher, will receive credit for SO 100 (see Course Credits for Students Admitted from the College of General Studies section below).

Course Credits for Students Admitted from the College of General Studies

Sociology concentrators (including minor concentrators) admitted to CAS from the College of General Studies will receive credit for completing the introductory sociology course (for having completed CGS SS 101 and SS 102 each with a grade of C or higher).

Concentration and Minor Concentration Credits for Core Curriculum Courses

Students who have completed the two social science courses in the core curriculum (with grades of C or higher) will receive concentration credit (for either the major or minor) for the introductory sociology course.

Diedre H. Symington Scholarship

This scholarship is awarded annually to one or several juniors or seniors concentrating in sociology. The recipients are nominated by the faculty of the department on the basis of academic accomplishments and financial need.

Honor Society in Sociology

Majors who meet specified scholastic standards may be inducted into the Boston University chapter of Alpha Kappa Delta, the international sociology honor society. For more information, see the Undergraduate Studies director in the department; also see Honor Societies on this site.

Independent Work for Distinction in Sociology

The department encourages interested and qualified students in the senior year to pursue a special course of independent work in sociology aimed toward graduation with distinction in the concentration. Interested students are encouraged to discuss the independent project with their advisors before the end of the junior year, when applications for such work must be filed. For more information, see the Independent Work for Distinction on this site and obtain a copy of the department's Undergraduate Honors Thesis Guidelines.

Undergraduate Sociology Association

Students are encouraged to join this independent organization, which provides a number of services and programs for students, including working with faculty committees that do program planning in the department.

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Courses

Courses marked with a (†) satisfy divisional studies requirements.

Introductory Courses in Sociology Concentrators must complete one course from CAS SO 100 through 115, unless exempted by the department. Students may receive concentration credit for only one of these courses. Nonconcentrators are advised to take only one of the introductory courses and then move on to 200- and 300-level courses. The series of introductory courses is designed to bring to concentrators and nonconcentrators important sociological insights and concepts, to introduce them to sociology as a craft, and to develop their critical thinking when facing facts, figures, opinions, and theories. Descriptions are listed below.

†CAS SO 100 Principles in Sociology

An introduction to the major theories and basic principles of sociological analysis. Subjects include methods of social research and investigation; role of individuals in groups, organizations, and society; socialization and education; stratification; race and ethnicity; science, culture, and religion; formal and informal organization; and economic and political systems. Coulter, Monti, Stone. 4 cr, either sem. (SS)

†CAS SO 115 Introduction to Sociology: Law and Society

Not offered 2007/2008

CAS SO 201 Sociological Methods

Required of concentrators and minor concentrators. Prereq: one introductory course or consent of instructor. Scientific method, measurement, experimentation, survey research, observational methods, projective techniques, and content analysis. Barman, Olafsdottir. 4 cr, either sem.

CAS SO 203 Introduction to Sociological Theories

Required of concentrators and minor concentrators. Prereq: one introductory course or consent of instructor. Theoretical problems in sociology. Historical background of theories and methods of sociology; characteristics of most significant sociological systems. Coulter, Go, Kalberg. 4 cr, either sem.

†CAS SO 205 The American Family

Nature of the American family and its ethnic and class variants. Social changes affecting courtship, mate selection, sexual behavior, reproduction, marital stability, and divorce through the life cycle. Social policies affecting family life. Interrelations of family with economy, state, religion, and other institutions Kibria, Markson. 4 cr, either sem.

CAS SO 207 Introduction to Ethnic, Race, and Minority Relations

Social definition of race and ethnicity. The adjustment of different ethnic groups and their impact upon U.S. social life. How prejudice and discrimination create class identities and how caste relations have affected patterns of integration during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Monti. 4 cr, 1st sem.

CAS SO 209 HP Crime and Delinquency

Prereq: one introductory course or consent of instructor. (Registration limited in 2007/2008 to students in the College Honors Program.) Analysis of criminal and delinquent behavior. Evaluation of current theories and research into causes and sociological implications of these behavior patterns. Examination of criminal justice systems, including police, courts, and corrections. Yeager. 4 cr, 1st sem.

CAS SO 215 Health and Society

Social, cultural, and intercultural factors in health and illness. Training and socialization of medical professionals, roots of medical power and authority, organization and operation of health-care facilities. U.S. health-care system and its main problems. Comparison of health-care systems in the U.S. and in other countries. Guseva, Olafsdottir. 4 cr, either sem.

CAS SO 238 Sociology of Aging

Aging in U.S. society is explored through lectures, films, and discussions. Focus on such topics as age stratification, role changes, work and retirement, interpersonal networks, health and health care, and social policies. Markson. 4 cr, 1st sem.

†CAS SO 242 Sociology of Developing Countries

Problems faced by developing countries in attempting to modernize and improve their living standards. Social, economic, political, and cultural aspects of underdevelopment discussed, including impact of multinational corporations, foreign dependence, agrarian social structure, urbanization, and military and revolutionary movements. Eckstein. 4 cr, either sem. (SS)

CAS SO 244 Urban Sociology

An analysis of cities and urban phenomena in preindustrial, industrial, and postindustrial societies with an emphasis on European and U.S. urbanization. A comparison of social scientific "theories" used to explain these same phenomena. Monti. 4 cr, 1st sem.

CAS SO 246 Sociology of Market Transitions

Focus on East-Central Europe, the former Soviet Union, and China in the context of post-communist economic and political reforms and globalization. Topics include privatization, entrepreneurship, banking, and corruption. Effects on health care, education, social inequality, family and household dynamics. Guseva. 4 cr, 1st sem.

CAS SO 256 Contemporary American Society

Not offered 2007/2008

CAS SO 277 Technology and Society

Not offered 2007/2008

CAS SO 302 Social Networks

Not offered 2007/2008

CAS SO 303 Substantive Themes in Sociological Theory

Prereq: CAS SO 203. Critique and application of major sociological theories to key themes and topics. Connections between classical and modern arguments, syntheses of alternative perspectives, and gaps between various perspectives. Themes include the maintenance of social order, power and authority, conflict and change, and sources of alienation. Coulter. 4 cr, either sem.

CAS SO 304 Formal Organizations

Not offered 2007/2008

CAS SO 306 Boston's People and Neighborhoods

Not offered 2007/2008

CAS SO 313 Economic Sociology

Prereq: CAS SO 100 or consent of instructor. Presents the sociological approach to the study of production, distribution, consumption and markets, emphasizing the impact of norms, power, social structure, and institutions on the economy. Compares classic and contemporary approaches to the economy by the social science disciplines. Guseva. 4 cr, 2nd sem.

CAS SO 318 Sociology of Childhood and Youth

Prereq: CAS SO 205. Explores the "social construction" of childhood and youth, and examines ways in which social institutions (family, schools, media, and law) influence children's lives in different social settings. Also examined are social and policy issues surrounding childhood in the U.S. today. Kibria. 4 cr, 2nd sem.

CAS SO 320 Political Sociology

Prereq: CAS SO 201 and 203 or consent of instructor. Exploration of various relationships of the state to other social institutions. Emphasis on classical, political, and sociological thinking; secondary emphasis on beginning a research project. Olafsdottir. 4 cr, 2nd sem.

CAS SO 324 Soviet and Post-Soviet Society

Not offered 2007/2008

CAS SO 328 Contemporary South Asian Societies

A broad introduction to contemporary South Asian societies. With a focus on the conceptual themes of modernity and identity, selected topics are explored, including South Asian ethnic and political conflicts, women's movements, popular culture, and diaspora communities. Kibria. 4 cr, 2nd sem.

CAS SO 330 Criminology and Criminal Justice

Sociological aspects of selected problems, programs, and issues in criminology. Subjects of crime as related to social systems; changing concepts of crime; and the relation of criminal law to other devices of social control. Yeager. 4 cr, 2nd sem.

CAS SO 333 The Workplace

Not offered 2007/2008

CAS SO 334 Sociology of Mental Illness

Prereq: CAS SO 201 and CAS SO 203 or consent of instructor. An evaluation of current theories and research on the social sources and consequences of mental illness. Featured topics for discussion include social-psychological perspectives on the definition, diagnosis, etiology, and treatment of mental disorders. Coulter. 4 cr, 1st sem.

CAS SO 401, 402 Senior Independent Work

Prereq: approval of the Departmental Honors Committee. 4 cr each, 1st & 2nd sem.

CAS SO 403 Seminar: Gender Stratification

Not offered 2007/2008

CAS SO 404 Seminar: The Family

Not offered 2007/2008

CAS SO 408 Seminar: Ethnic, Race, and Minority Relations

Not offered 2007/2008

CAS SO 410 Seminar: Formal Organizations

Prereq: CAS SO 203 or consent of instructor. Formal organizations as social systems. Theory of bureaucracy and administrative functions. The bases of authority, communication systems, and formal and nonformal structures. Organizational development, trends, and relations with the social environment. TBA. 4 cr, 1st sem.

CAS SO 411 Seminar: Sociology of the Nonprofit Sector

Prereq: CAS SO 201 and 203 or consent of instructor. Introduction to sociological research on that part of society known as the nonprofit sector, including nonprofit organizations, community-based organizations, voluntary associations, and social movements. Focus on some of the literature's major themes: civil society, social capital, and nongovernmental organizations. Barman. 4 cr, 2nd sem.

CAS SO 415 Seminar: Sociology of Law

Not offered 2007/2008

CAS SO 417 Seminar: Community Sociology

The study of communities in different settings; their organization and contribution to building a social and moral order in urban areas. The historical development of communities and the way persons adapt to urban life through communities are also considered. Monti. 4 cr, 2nd sem.

CAS SO 418 Seminar: Sociology of Medicine

Focuses on the medical profession, sources of its power and authority, the effects of recent changes in financing and delivery of health care. Medical training and decision-making analyzed. Doctor-patient interaction and the use of alternative treatments. Guseva. 4 cr, 2nd sem.

CAS SO 420 Seminar: Women and Social Change in the Developing World

Studies women in nonindustrial countries of Asia, Africa, and Latin America, stressing empirical research, theory, and methodology. Comparisons between regions and with industrial countries. Focus on sex segregation, female labor force participation, migration, fertility, family roles, and women and political power. Eckstein. 4 cr, either sem.

CAS SO 437 Seminar: Sociology of Culture

Prereq: junior or senior standing and at least two 300-level sociology courses or consent of instructor. Examines the mutual interdependence between social structure and culture, focusing on the ways in which belief, faith, knowledge, symbol, ritual, and the like both produce and are products of social organization. Greenfeld. 4 cr, 1st sem.

CAS SO 438 Seminar on International Migration

Prereq: consent of instructor. Explores the social dynamics of contemporary international migration, ranging from the development of transnational migrant communities to the impact of state policies that strive to regulate migrant labor flows. Kibria. 4 cr, 1st sem.

CAS SO 440 Seminar: Political Sociology

Not offered 2007/2008

CAS SO 444 Seminar: Sociology of Education

Explores how learning is executed in different settings and persons are selected to fit in various parts of our culture and how the institution of education contributes to social stability and change. Contemporary educational reforms are reviewed and their effects are analyzed. Swartz. 4 cr, 2nd sem.

CAS SO 450 Seminar: Sociology of Technology

Not offered 2007/2008

CAS SO 462 Seminar: Great Theorists

Prereq: CAS SO 203. Explores works of major theorists and addresses central issues in sociological theory. Works of Bourdieu are compared with those of Weber, Durkheim, and contemporary theorists. Issues of power, stratification, structure, agency, and modes of research are considered. Swartz. 4 cr, 1st sem.

CAS SO 491, 492 Directed Study

Prereq: approval of CAS Room 105, junior or senior standing, and consent of instructor. Individual instruction and supervised study project in sociology for concentrators and nonconcentrators. Variable cr, 1st & 2nd sem.

CAS SO 521 Epidemiology

Theoretical and empirical examination of the social determinants (e.g., community, race, class, gender, ethnicity) of population health, and of the challenges posed to human capacity and hope by the biological facts of disease and the social processes of illness, including health care, policy, and research. Rieker. 4 cr, 2nd sem.

CAS SO 534 Seminar: Modernity and Social Change

Evaluation of globalization. Themes include historical bases of globalization in colonialism and imperialism; increasing global interconnectedness; work pattern shifts; power of transnational and financial institutions; social movements against globalization; possible replacement of globalization with the "new imperialism." Go. 4 cr, 1st sem.

CAS SO 541, 543 Modernity Seminars I and II

These seminars look at the phenomenon of modernity from a multidisciplinary point of view. Discussed are the cultural foundations of modernity, specifically and primarily nationalism but also Romanticism, science, and major political ideologies. Also analyzed are modernization and development as studied by the social sciences, modernism, and postmodernism in literary and cultural studies; and the nature of man and society in the perspectives of modern philosophy. May be taken either or both semesters. Greenfeld. 4 cr, 1st & 2nd sem.

CAS SO 559 Seminar: Deviance and Social Control

Focus on major institutional methods for responding to deviant behavior and the resultant organizational structures that are created. The various methods of control and their implications for social policy. Yeager. 4 cr, 2nd sem.

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22 October 2007
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