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Courses

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 RN 468: Symbol, Myth, and Rite
    Historical overview of ritual behavior, the role of symbolism in the study of culture, and the narrative quality of worldview and belief. Emphasis on verbal performance and public display events in specific cultural contexts. Effective Spring 2024, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Social Inquiry II, Research and Information Literacy.
    • Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy
    • Research and Information Literacy
    • Social Inquiry II
  • CAS RN 470: Topics in Medieval Religious Culture
    Undergraduate Prerequisites: junior standing or consent of instructor. First Year Writing Seminar ( e.g., CASWR 100 or WR 120). - Topic for Spring 2025: Marriage, Sex, and Ritual. Explores the ritualized nature of marriage and sex among Christians, Jews, and others. Topics include betrothals and weddings, religious authority and marriage, ritual power and sex, procreative `magic,¿ and objects used by people to ritualize their marital and sexual lives. Effective Spring 2021, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Writing-Intensive Course, Historical Consciousness, Research and Information Literacy.
    • Historical Consciousness
    • Research and Information Literacy
    • Writing-Intensive Course
  • CAS RN 492: Directed Study in Religion
    A directed study in a topic in religion.
  • CAS RN 494: Magical Texts: Literature & Practice
    Undergraduate Prerequisites: prior coursework in theory of religion (e.g., RN 200 or 242), ancient religions, or anthropology of religion recommended. - An advanced course in the interpretation of ancient magical texts that emphasizes the use of theoretical models (Malinowski, Levi-Strauss, Tambiah, J.Z. Smith, et al.) for understanding the complementary uses of sound and symbol, myth and nonsense, and forms of verbal/scribal efficacy in magic, all with attention to social context. Texts include a selection of ritual manuals, amulets, binding tablets, and mystical ascent texts from Greco-Roman, Jewish, and Christian antiquity. Effective Spring 2023, 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 100: Principles in Sociology
    An introduction to the major theories and basic principles of sociological analysis. Explores culture, media, socialization, race and ethnicity, globalization, capitalism, gender and sexuality, inequality and poverty, power in American society, and health and medicine from a sociological perspective. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Social Inquiry I, Critical Thinking. 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 201: Sociological Methods
    Undergraduate Prerequisites: one introductory course or consent of instructor. - Required of sociology majors and minors. Students learn to evaluate and practice social science research: survey, interview, ethnography, and experiments. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Social Inquiry I, Research and Information Literacy.
    • Research and Information Literacy
    • Social Inquiry I
  • CAS SO 203: Introduction to Sociological Theories
    Undergraduate Prerequisites: one introductory course or consent of instructor. - Required of sociology majors and minors. The works of major theorists of the discipline are the focus: W.E.B. Du Bois, Karl Marx, Max Weber, and Emile Durkheim. In-depth comparisons and contrasts in respect to themes and approaches are offered.
  • CAS SO 205: American Families
    Examines the family as a historically and geographically contingent social construction. How families in the U.S. are organized. Considers diverse family formations and intersections of race, class, gender, and sexuality in the operation of family dynamics and politics. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Social Inquiry I, Critical Thinking.
    • Critical Thinking
    • Social Inquiry I
  • CAS SO 206: Introduction to the Sociology of Globalization
    A sociological introduction to globalization. Explores the roles of technology, transnational corporations, and the state. Considers globalization's impacts on the workplace, the environment, and other institutions as well as the emergence of global social movements. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Social Inquiry I, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy.
    • Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy
    • Social Inquiry I
  • CAS SO 207: Sociology of Race and Ethnicity
    Examines the fundamental theoretical and empirical approaches regarding race/ethnicity and the current state of race relations in the U.S. that explore both contemporary social problems. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Historical Consciousness, The Individual in Community, Research and Information Literacy.
    • Historical Consciousness
    • The Individual in Community
    • Research and Information Literacy
  • CAS SO 208: Sociological Approaches to Current Issues
    Topic for Spring 2025: Latinx Sociology. The diverse histories of the Latinx population in the United States and the issues that shape their political, social and cultural practices and experiences. Topics discussed include: race and ethnicity, colonialism, migration, class and wealth, language, gender and sexuality, media representation, and social movements and resistance.
  • 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

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