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The listing of a course description here does not guarantee a course’s being offered in a particular term. Please refer to the published schedule of classes on the MyBU Student Portal for confirmation a class is actually being taught and for specific course meeting dates and times.

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  • CAS SO 215: Sociology of Health Care
    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. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Social Inquiry I, Ethical Reasoning.
    • Ethical Reasoning
    • Social Inquiry I
  • CAS SO 225: Law and Society
    The development and impact of law as an institution. Analysis of the social and political foundations of law, the legal profession and the legal system in the U.S. context. Examination of law in everyday life and in social change. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Social Inquiry I, The Individual in Community, Critical Thinking.
    • Critical Thinking
    • The Individual in Community
    • Social Inquiry I
  • CAS SO 230: Crime and Justice
    Examines sociological research on the social context of crime and justice in the US. Considers how research can inform policy reform. Introduces students to data science and real-world datasets on criminal justice. Key topics: policing, racial disparities, incarceration, and abolition. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Social Inquiry II, Research and Information Literacy.
    • Research and Information Literacy
    • Social Inquiry II
  • CAS SO 238: Sociology of Aging and the Life Course
    Examines the social, psychological, and biological factors that shape aging and human development. Considers how childhood conditions affect later-life experiences. Reviews life course theories and research methods. Explores the importance of race, gender, and social class in shaping human experiences. Effective Spring 2022, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Quantitative Reasoning I, Social Inquiry I, Critical Thinking.
    • Critical Thinking
    • Quantitative Reasoning I
    • Social Inquiry I
  • CAS SO 240: Sexuality and Social Life
    Introduction to sociological perspectives on sexuality. Historical and comparative analysis of sexuality, with a focus on the social and cultural institutions that shape sexuality in the contemporary U.S. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Social Inquiry I, Critical Thinking. Effective Fall 2021, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Social Inquiry I, Critical Thinking, Digital/Multimedia Expression.
    • Critical Thinking
    • Digital/Multimedia Expression
    • Social Inquiry I
  • CAS SO 241: Sociology of Gender
    An introduction to the social construction of sex and gender with a focus on the economic, political, social, and cultural forces that shape gender relations. Examines gender as a social structure that patterns institutional inequalities and everyday interactions on society. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Social Inquiry II, The Individual in Community, Teamwork/Collaboration.
    • The Individual in Community
    • Social Inquiry II
    • Teamwork/Collaboration
  • CAS SO 242: Globalization and World Poverty
    Addresses enduring global poverty and race, ethnic, gender, and class inequalities, especially in Latin America, Africa, and Asia. Focuses on colonialism and post-colonialism, strategies of development, urbanization, immigration, religion, politics, women, drugs, social justice, and health issues. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Social Inquiry I, Ethical Reasoning.
    • Ethical Reasoning
    • Social Inquiry I
  • CAS SO 244: Urban Sociology
    Explores urban growth and dynamics, delving into how cities reproduce inequalities, and foster culture. Additional topics include public space, crime and policing, gentrification, segregation, housing, and climate change. Students will collect original data and explore policy solutions for urban issues. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: The Individual in Community, Critical Thinking, Social Inquiry I.
    • Critical Thinking
    • The Individual in Community
    • Social Inquiry I
  • CAS SO 250: Introduction to the Sociology of Religion
    Explores the role of religion in the organization of meaning within human societies and its contribution to the construction, maintenance, and transformation of the social order. Ways in which religion provides specific sets of solutions to the problems of social order are also explored. Effective Fall 2021, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: The Individual in Community, Social Inquiry I, Critical Thinking.
    • Critical Thinking
    • The Individual in Community
    • Social Inquiry I
  • CAS SO 253: Sociology of Popular Culture
    Sociological perspectives on popular culture and mass media, with a focus on the consumption and production of cultural goods; the effects of popular culture on politics and inequalities; and the mutual interdependence of consumer identities and cultural fields. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: The Individual in Community, Social Inquiry I.
    • The Individual in Community
    • Social Inquiry I
  • CAS SO 280: Global Urban Studies
    Looks at theoretical and methodological debates concerning the nature of global urbanization and global urbanism. It looks at cities globally, both historically and contemporary, and investigates the economic, political, spatial, and cultural processes involved in their making. Effective Fall 2025 fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Critical Thinking, Global Citizenship, The Individual in Community.
    • Critical Thinking
    • Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy
    • The Individual in Community
  • CAS SO 302: Social Networks
    Explores the mainstream theories in the field of social networks by sampling from empirical work across diverse fields such as social structure, culture, the economy, social media, and others. The course also focuses on the "how" of doing social network analysis including analyzing and interpreting properties of social networks quantitatively and learning to use software tools for analyzing social networks. Effective Spring 2022, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Quantitative Reasoning I, Social Inquiry II, Research and Information Literacy.
    • Quantitative Reasoning I
    • Research and Information Literacy
    • Social Inquiry II
  • CAS SO 303: Substantive Themes in Sociological Theory
    Undergraduate Prerequisites: (CASSO203) or consent of instructor. - 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. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Historical Consciousness, The Individual in Community.
    • Historical Consciousness
    • The Individual in Community
  • CAS SO 306: Boston's People and Neighborhoods
    Undergraduate Prerequisites: (CASSO244) or consent of instructor. - Via readings, field trips and documentaries, the course explores Boston neighborhoods, tracing their history and dynamics. We identify forces that shape Boston, garner insight into how different groups experience the city, and grapple with the challenges that Boston faces. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Social Inquiry II, The Individual in Community, Teamwork/Collaboration.
    • The Individual in Community
    • Social Inquiry II
    • Teamwork/Collaboration
  • CAS SO 313: Economic Sociology
    Undergraduate Prerequisites: at least one previous Sociology course 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. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Social Inquiry II, Ethical Reasoning, Research and Information Literacy.
    • Ethical Reasoning
    • Research and Information Literacy
    • Social Inquiry II
  • CAS SO 314: Social Problems and Social Change
    Examines how certain issues come to be seen as social problems and the role of memory, identity, knowledge, and power in social change. Explores how individuals, organizations, and institutions respond to social problems and what produces meaningful change. We also consider the role of social science in creating a better world. Effective Fall 2024, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Critical Thinking, Ethical Reasoning, Writing Intensive.
    • Critical Thinking
    • Ethical Reasoning
    • Writing-Intensive Course
  • CAS SO 315: Technology and Society
    Undergraduate Prerequisites: First-Year Writing Seminar (e.g., WR120). An introduction to Sociology would be beneficial, although not absolutely necessary, for the course. - A sociological exploration of the complex relationship between society and technology. Examines technologies' explicit and hidden costs and their potential to improve the human condition as well as the evolution of the relationship between technology and society over time. Effective Fall 2024, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas Social Inquiry I, Writing-Intensive Course.
    • Social Inquiry I
    • Writing-Intensive Course
  • CAS SO 317: Gender and Crime
    Examines social forces shaping gender discrepancies in crime. Using a feminist lens, students explore how cultural ideologies about masculinity and femininity shape criminalization, victimization, and offending. Topics include the gendered contexts of crime and punishment, gender-based violence, and intimate labor. Effective Spring 2023 this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Oral and/or Signed Communication, The Individual in Community, Teamwork/Collaboration.
    • The Individual in Community
    • Oral and/or Signed Communication
    • Teamwork/Collaboration
  • CAS SO 318: Sociology of Childhood and Youth
    Undergraduate Prerequisites: at least one previous Sociology course or consent of instructor. - Uses in-depth studies centered on children and youth to examine the socially stratified and fragmented experiences of young people historically and contemporarily. This course focuses on the social construction of youth and the cultural and institutional forces that shape the social experiences of youth and our knowledge of them. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in the following BU Hub areas: Social Inquiry II, Research and Information Literacy.
    • Research and Information Literacy
    • Social Inquiry II
  • CAS SO 320: Political Sociology
    Undergraduate Prerequisites: at least one previous Sociology course or consent of instructor. - Traces the sociology of politics from ancient times to modern era. Analyzes U.S. & global political shifts. Topics include: political cultures, constitutions and laws; political authority; political parties; revolutions and war; mass media, and politics of violence. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Historical Consciousness, Social Inquiry II, Research and Information Literacy.
    • Historical Consciousness
    • Research and Information Literacy
    • Social Inquiry II

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