Department of Sociology
Interim Department Head: K. Barge
Graduate Advisors: N. Plankey-Videla and R. Durán
The Department of Sociology offers graduate study leading to a Doctor of Philosophy. The Doctor of Philosophy degree prepares students for careers of teaching and research in higher education and for careers of research in the private and public sector.
Research and teaching in the department cover all major areas in sociology. The curriculum is constructed especially to support specialized training in the areas of culture; organizational, political and economic sociology; demography; crime, law and deviance; race, class and gender; and social psychology. The department helps students participate actively in these areas of scholarship by providing excellent research facilities and access to data, opportunities to collaborate in faculty research projects, and aid in seeking grants and fellowships to support their own work.
Latino/Mexican American Studies
LMAS 685 Directed Studies
Credits 0 to 4.
0 to 4 Other Hours.
Directed individual study of selected problem in field of Latino/a, Mexican-American studies. May be repeated for credit. Prerequisite: Approval of instructor.
LMAS 689 Special Topics in...
Credits 1 to 4.
1 to 4 Other Hours.
Selected topics in an identified area of Latino/a, Mexican-American studies. May be repeated for credit. Prerequisite: Approval of Instructor.
LMAS 691 Research
Credits 1 to 15.
1 to 15 Other Hours.
Research toward thesis or dissertation. May be repeated for credit. Must be taken on a satisfactory/unsatisfactory basis. Prerequisite: Approval of Instructor.
Sociology
SOCI 600 Introduction to Sociological Data Analysis
Credits 3.
3 Lecture Hours.
Methods of social research to critically analyze sociological data.
SOCI 603/WGST 603 The Contemporary Family
Credits 3.
3 Lecture Hours.
Review and criticism of theories developed for study of the family; family formation, dynamics, conflicts, power, dissolution; subcultural family forms and responses to social change. Cross Listing: WGST 603/SOCI 603.
SOCI 604 Comparative Historical Methods
Credits 3.
3 Lecture Hours.
Surveys key methodological issues, including the logic of comparative design and analysis of primary and secondary sources. Exemplars of important comparative historical research-both classics and more recent publications-will be reviewed. Prerequisite: Graduate classification.
SOCI 605 Social Movements
Credits 3.
3 Lecture Hours.
Surveys the literature on social movements including the topics of movement emergence, movement outcomes, state repression, and revolutions; reviews contemporary debates in the theories of social movement and new developments in research. Prerequisite: Graduate classification.
SOCI 607 Seminar in Social Organizations
Credits 3.
3 Lecture Hours.
Relevant conceptual and empirical approaches to the study of selected aspects of social organization. May be taken up to two times for credit as content varies. Prerequisite: Graduate classification.
SOCI 608 Social Organization
Credits 3.
3 Lecture Hours.
Theoretical and conceptual bases of patterned human behavior; structural, processual and functional aspects of human groups from simplest informal to the most complex formal types: small groups, associations, institutions, complex organizations, bureaucracies, societies.
SOCI 610/WGST 610 Reproduction, Birth, and Power
Credits 3.
3 Lecture Hours.
An examination of topics related to reproductive practices, experiences, and ideologies and of the constructed and contested meanings surrounding womanhood, motherhood, sexuality, reproductive freedom, and eugenics. Prerequisites: Graduate classification. Cross Listing: WGST 610/SOCI 610.
SOCI 611 Classical Sociological Theory
Credits 3.
3 Lecture Hours.
Critical analysis of the writings of the principal founders of modern sociology; Marx, Durkheim and Weber and their influence on current theoretical issues. Prerequisite: SOCI 430 or equivalent or approval of instructor.
SOCI 615 Contemporary Sociological Theory
Credits 3.
3 Lecture Hours.
Critical analysis of current sociological perspectives, their logic of inquiry, substantive claims and application to empirical research. Prerequisite: SOCI 611.
SOCI 616 Political Sociology
Credits 3.
3 Lecture Hours.
Survey of the principal social and organizational bases of politics; the institutionalization of political power; explanation of political change and movements of social protest. Prerequisite: Graduate classification or approval of instructor.
SOCI 617 Comparative Racial-Ethnic Relations
Credits 3.
3 Lecture Hours.
Cross-cultural variations in racial-ethnic relations and structures of inequality; assessment of systems and power-conflict frameworks in diverse settings such as South America, Mexico, South Africa, Caribbean Regions and United States. Prerequisite: Approval of instructor.
SOCI 618 Sociology of Education
Credits 3.
3 Lecture Hours.
The school system and the democratic way of life; relationship of education to social organization, social change and social control. Role of education in society. Prerequisite: SOCI 205.
SOCI 619 Social Stratification
Credits 3.
3 Lecture Hours.
Examination of concepts, methods, theories and empirical research concerning the differential distribution of social rewards; analysis of patterns and trends in class, race, and gender inequality in the contemporary United States policy implications of theories and findings. Prerequisites: Graduate classification or approval of the instructor.
SOCI 621 Social Psychology
Credits 3.
3 Lecture Hours.
Personality, social and cultural systems; development and interrelationships; cognitive activities, motivational determinants and selectivity; goals, structures, coordination and related factors influencing complex social groupings. Prerequisites: SOCI 205; 12 additional hours of social science.
SOCI 622 Social Demography
Credits 3.
3 Lecture Hours.
Survey of methods, theories and problems of contemporary demographic phenomena. Prerequisite: Graduate classification.
SOCI 623 Measurement of Sociological Parameters
Credits 3.
3 Lecture Hours.
Sociological research including scaling, scale analysis and experimental design. Prerequisites: Graduate classification; three hours of statistics.
SOCI 624 Qualitative Methodology
Credits 3.
3 Lecture Hours.
Exposure to and critical assessment of qualitative approaches to data gathering in social science; topics include naturalistic observation, field research skills, unobtrusive measures and grounded theory construction.
SOCI 627 Seminar in Law, Deviance and Social Control
Credits 3.
3 Lecture Hours.
Relevant literature and research in selected aspects of law, deviance and social control. May be taken up to three times for credit as content varies. Prerequisite: Graduate classification.
SOCI 628 Deviant Behavior
Credits 3.
3 Lecture Hours.
Contemporary sociological approaches to deviance; theoretical and empirical studies of major types of deviant behavior.
SOCI 629 Sociology of Law
Credits 3.
3 Lecture Hours.
Critical survey of the social sources of law, the role of law in social organizations and problems of law enforcement. Prerequisite: Graduate classification.
SOCI 631 Seminar in Sociological Research
Credits 3.
3 Other Hours.
Critical analysis of research procedures used by sociologists. Prerequisite: SOCI 623.
SOCI 632 Migration
Credits 3.
3 Lecture Hours.
Causes and effects of international and internal migration; migration models and theories; data sources and methods of measurement; and policy implications of migration. Prerequisites: Graduate classification.
SOCI 633 Demographic Methods
Credits 3.
3 Lecture Hours.
Procedures and techniques for the collection, evaluation and analysis of demographic data; measures of population growth, composition, fertility, mortality and migration. Prerequisite: Graduate classification.
SOCI 634 Sociology of Community
Credits 3.
3 Lecture Hours.
Examination of the bases of community, types of communities and the changes faced by communities. Prerequisites: Graduate classification; approval of instructor.
SOCI 635 Sociology of Complex Organizations
Credits 3.
3 Lecture Hours.
Comparative structures; contingency models; micro- and macro-theoretical perspectives.
SOCI 640 Sociology of Development
Credits 3.
3 Lecture Hours.
Survey of sociology of development; review of major classical and contemporary approaches to development including but not limited to modernization theory, world systems theory, comparative nationalism, demographic theories, feminist approaches; contradictions of development including K-Cycles, social movements and ecological constraints. Prerequisite: Graduate classification or approval of instructor.
SOCI 642 Fertility and Mortality
Credits 3.
3 Lecture Hours.
Demographic and sociocultural causes and effects of fertility and mortality changes; models and theories of fertility and mortality with a demographic and sociological approach; demographic data sources and methods of measurement; and socioeconomic policy implications of fertility and mortality. Prerequisites: Graduate classification.
SOCI 647 Seminar in Demography and Human Ecology
Credits 3.
3 Lecture Hours.
Relevant literature and research problems of a selected aspect of demography and human ecology, such as fertility and mortality, migration, international demography. May be taken up to three times for credit as content varies. Prerequisite: Graduate classification.
SOCI 650 Applied Sociological Research and Evaluation
Credits 3.
3 Lecture Hours.
Instruction in assessment, research and evaluation in the field of applied sociology.
SOCI 651 Sociology of Culture
Credits 3.
3 Lecture Hours.
Theoretical developments and methodological issues relevant to studying culture through classical, modern and postmodern sociological perspectives; includes background concerning the conditions under which theories develop and discussion of controversies in the definition of and research agendas within the sociology of culture. Prerequisite: Graduate classification.
SOCI 657 Seminar in Culture
Credits 3.
3 Lecture Hours.
Relevant literature and research in selected aspects of culture and cultural processes. May be taken up to three times for credit as content varies. Prerequisite: Approval of instructor.
SOCI 660 Theories of Race and Ethnic Group Relations
Credits 3.
3 Lecture Hours.
Sociological theories of intergroup assimilation, conflict and adaptation; includes examination and analysis of three major contemporary perspectives; assimilation and social fusion theory, conflict models and models of ethnic pluralism; theories of melioration of social discrimination also examined. Prerequisite: Graduate classification.
SOCI 661/WGST 661 Sociology of Gender
Credits 3.
3 Lecture Hours.
Overview of the Sociology of Gender; historical development, primary concepts, contemporary issues, theory, methods, and applications. Prerequisite: Graduate classification. Cross Listing: WGST 661/SOCI 661.
SOCI 662 Racism and Anti-Racism
Credits 3.
3 Lecture Hours.
This seminar focuses on racism and anti-racism issues, including social science research on slavery, anti-Black discrimination and Black resistance, anti-Asian discrimination and Asian American resistance, anti-Latino discrimination and Latino resistance, and white anti-racist groups. We assess empirical research on these topics and explore important theoretical frameworks. Prerequisite: Graduate classification.
SOCI 663 Black and Latino Americans
Credits 3.
3 Lecture Hours.
This seminar focuses social science theory and research about African Americans and Latinos. We will emphasize historical backgrounds, social science theories applied to these groups, patterns of immigration, cognitive framing, patterns of racial-ethnic discrimination, and racial/class/gender intersections. We will review critically important research books dealing with these and related U.S. racial-ethnic issues. Prerequisite: Graduate classification.
SOCI 664 Racial and Ethnic Identity and Identification Seminar
Credits 3.
3 Other Hours.
Seminar exploring social science research on racial and ethnic identification and identities; includes the construction of racial and ethnic identities, identity development, the measurement of racial and ethnic identities and identification, intersecting identities, debates about the future of racial and ethnic identities and categories. Prerequisite: Graduate classification or approval of instructor.
SOCI 666 Black Feminist Theory and Intersectionality
Credits 3.
3 Lecture Hours.
Historical overview of development of Black Feminist Theory and the Intersectional approach to understanding race, class and gender as a social matrix; exploration of interactive approach to social structure and social identity. Prerequisite: Graduate classification or approval of instructor.
SOCI 667 Seminar in Race and Ethnic Relations
Credits 3.
3 Lecture Hours.
Origins, extent, consequences of racial and ethnic differences on key demographic variables such as fertility, mortality, migration and population size, growth, distribution and composition; how demographic variables affect and are affected by racial and ethnic differences in family structure, social mobility and socioeconomic stratification. May be taken up to three times for credit as content varies. Prerequisite: Graduate classification.
SOCI 676 Theory Construction
Credits 3.
3 Lecture Hours.
Examination of issues on the philosophy of science and their relationship to the development of social science theory, particularly in sociology; students develop and apply theory construction principles to their own research agendas. Prerequisite: Graduate classification.
SOCI 677 Seminar in Social Psychology
Credits 3.
3 Lecture Hours.
Relevant literature and research problems of a selected aspect of social psychology. May be taken for credit up to three times as content varies. Prerequisite: Graduate classification.
SOCI 680 Teaching Undergraduate Sociology: Overview of Principles and Practices
Credit 1.
1 Lecture Hour.
Basic understanding of the principles and practices of effective undergraduate teaching and learning, skills enhanced by experience and collaboration; preparation for teaching and documenting teaching philosophy, skills and experience in the form of a teaching portfolio. Prerequisite: Graduate classification.
SOCI 681 Professional Seminar in Sociology
Credits 0-1.
0-1 Other Hours.
Provides socialization to the profession of sociology; focuses on the role of the graduate student in sociology departments and other areas of professionalization; systematically introduces students to faculty members and their work; and provides instruction on how to write and publish research. Repeatable to 6 hours total.
SOCI 682 Grant Writing for the Social Sciences
Credits 3.
3 Lecture Hours.
Professional proposal and grant writing; best writing practices, writing and developing competitive grant and fellowship proposals, and peer reviewing and editing; production of a well-written, competitive grant or fellowship proposal for submission. Prerequisite: Graduate classification or approval of instructor.
SOCI 683 Professional Writing and Publication
Credits 3.
3 Lecture Hours.
Instruction in professional writing skills, socialization in academic publishing and peer review. Must have a completed paper ready to be work-shopped and revised. Prerequisite: Graduate classification in Sociology.
SOCI 685 Directed Studies
Credits 1 to 4.
1 to 4 Other Hours.
Directed individual study of selected problem in field of sociology. Prerequisite: Approval of instructor.
SOCI 689 Special Topics in...
Credits 1 to 4.
1 to 4 Lecture Hours.
Selected topics in an identified area of sociology. May be repeated for credit.
SOCI 691 Research
Credits 1 to 23.
1 to 23 Other Hours.
Initiation and completion of research project of approved scope for an advanced degree. Prerequisite: Approval of instructor.
Women's and Gender Studies
WGST 601 Feminist Theory
Credits 3.
3 Lecture Hours.
Inquiry-based examination of contemporary feminist theory from an interdisciplinary perspective; topics may include intersectionality, LGBTQ+ issues, reproductive health and rights, sexuality and identity, economics and labor, legal and political issues facing women and LGBTQ+ communities, debates about priorities for feminist theory and activism, popular feminism, and feminism and ethics. Prerequisites: Graduate classification.
WGST 603/SOCI 603 The Contemporary Family
Credits 3.
3 Lecture Hours.
Review and criticism of theories developed for study of the family; family formation, dynamics, conflicts, power, dissolution; subcultural family forms and responses to social change. Prerequisite: Graduate classification or approval of instructor. Cross Listing: SOCI 603/WGST 603.
WGST 610/SOCI 610 Reproduction, Birth, and Power
Credits 3.
3 Lecture Hours.
An examination of topics related to reproductive practices, experiences, and ideologies and of the constructed and contested meanings surrounding womanhood, motherhood, sexuality, reproductive freedom, and eugenics. Prerequisites: Graduate classification. Cross Listing: SOCI 610/WGST 610.
WGST 634 Introduction to Gender and Education
Credits 3.
3 Lecture Hours.
Major discussions and debates in the area of gender and education, with particular attention to the role that feminism and feminist theory have played on the intersections of gender, race, class, ethnicity, and sexuality. Prerequisite: Graduate classification.
WGST 643/FILM 643 Sex, Gender and Cinema
Credits 3.
3 Lecture Hours.
Exploration of a significant topic at the intersection of women's and gender studies and film, such as cinema and sexuality studies, cinema and women, and cinema and masculinity; may include discussion of production, film content, and reception. Prerequisites: Graduate classification. Cross Listing: FILM 643/WGST 643.
WGST 645/PERF 645 Queer Theory
Credits 3.
3 Lecture Hours.
Examination of the origins of theories of gender and sexual diversity and their intersections with feminist theories; study of foundational and contemporary texts that address queer theory with a particular emphasis on how its utilizations within performance studies. Prerequisite: Graduate classification. Cross Listing: PERF 645/WGST 645.
WGST 649/EHRD 649 Feminist Pedagogy
Credits 3.
3 Lecture Hours.
Explores how educational systems and institutions have regarded women historically and contemporarily; considers practical and theoretical writings on feminist pedagogy. Prerequisite: Graduate classification. Cross Listing: EHRD 649/WGST 649.
WGST 650 Gender and International Education
Credits 3.
3 Lecture Hours.
Explores the intersection of formal and informal education and understandings of gender in countries beyond the United States. Prerequisites: WGST 634.
WGST 652/COMM 656 Feminism and Rhetoric
Credits 3.
3 Lecture Hours.
Historical development of the ideology, theory and rhetorical practices of U.S. feminism; criticism of significant artifacts of women orators and writers from the 19th century to contemporary times. Cross Listing: COMM 656/WGST 652.
WGST 661/SOCI 661 Sociology of Gender
Credits 3.
3 Lecture Hours.
Overview of the Sociology of Gender, historical development, primary concepts, contemporary issues. Theory, methods, and applications. Prerequisite: Graduate classification. Cross Listing: SOCI 661/WGST 661.
WGST 680/ENGL 680 Theories of Gender
Credits 3.
3 Lecture Hours.
Theories of gender, sexualities, feminism, embodiment, and difference with particular focus on their relationship to literary and cultural studies; emphasis on contemporary theoretical positions, discourses, and debates. Prerequisite: Graduate classification. Cross Listing: ENGL 680/WGST 680.
WGST 681 Seminar in Women's and Gender Studies
Credits 3.
3 Other Hours.
Intensive investigation on selected research areas in Women’s and Gender Studies; exploration of the intersection of gender, queer and feminist scholarship in various disciplines and areas of study. Prerequisites: Graduate classification.
WGST 685 Directed Studies
Credits 1 to 4.
1 to 4 Other Hours.
Directed individual study of selected problems in the field of women's and gender studies. Prerequisite: Approval of instructor.
WGST 689 Special Topics in...
Credits 1 to 4.
1 to 4 Lecture Hours.
0 to 4 Lab Hours.
Selected topics in an identified area of women's and gender studies. May be repeated for credit. Prerequisite: Approval of instructor.
WGST 691 Research
Credits 1 to 15.
1 to 15 Other Hours.
Research toward thesis or dissertation. May be repeated for credit. Must be taken on a satisfactory/unsatisfactory basis. Prerequisite: Approval of Instructor.
WGST 694/FILM 694 Gender and Genre
Credits 3.
3 Lecture Hours.
Exploration and analysis of the ways in which a single literary and/or film genre resonates with gendered perspectives and sexual subjectivity. May be taken two times for credit. Prerequisite: Graduate classification. Cross Listing: FILM 694/WGST 694.
Abel, Richard, Lecturer
Sociology
PHD, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 2020
Campbell, Mary E, Professor
Sociology
PHD, University of Wisconsin, Madison, 2004
De Lima Amaral, Ernesto F, Associate Professor
Sociology
PHD, The University of Texas at Austin, 2007
Dietrich, Katheryn A, Instructional Professor
Sociology
PHD, Texas A&M University, 1994
Duran, Robert, Associate Professor
Sociology
PHD, University of Colorado Boulder, 2006
Feagin, Joe R, University Distinguished Professor
Sociology
PHD, Harvard University, 1966
Fossett, Mark A, Professor
Sociology
PHD, The University of Texas at Austin, 1983
Foster, Holly A, Professor
Sociology
PHD, University of Toronto, 2001
Gatson, Sarah N, Associate Professor
Sociology
PHD, Northwestern University, 1999
Goldsmith, Patrick A, Professor
Sociology
PHD, University of Arizona, 1999
Harden, Troy, Professor Of The Practice
Sociology
PHD, De Paul University, 2020
Hernandez, Alexander A, Instructional Associate Professor
Sociology
PHD, Boston College, 2014
Lakkimsetti, Chaitanya, Associate Professor
Sociology
PHD, University of Wisconsin, 2010
Mackin, Robert S, Instructional Professor
Sociology
PHD, University of Wisconsin, Madison, 1998
Mestrovic, Stjepan G, Professor
Sociology
PHD, Syracuse University, 1982
Moore, Wendy A, Associate Professor
Sociology
PHD, University of Minnesota, 2005
Morris, Theresa M, Professor
Sociology
PHD, Texas A&M University, 2000
Over, Defne, Assistant Professor
Sociology
PHD, Cornell University, 2017
Pals, Heili, Associate Professor
Sociology
PHD, Stanford University, 2006
Plankey Videla, Nancy B, Associate Professor
Sociology
PHD, University of Wisconsin, Madison, 1998
Prechel, Harland N, Professor
Sociology
PHD, University of Kansas, 1986
Santana, Emilce, Assistant Professor
Sociology
PHD, Princeton University, 2019
Smith, Kirstie,
Sociology
PHD, Texas A&M University, 2021
Suzuki, Kazuko, Associate Professor
Sociology
PHD, Princeton University, 2003
Thornton, Patricia H, Professor
Sociology
PHD, Stanford University, 1993
Waren, Warren P, Instructional Associate Professor
Sociology
PHD, Texas A&M University, 2008
Wolf, Joan, Associate Professor
Sociology
PHD, University of Chicago, 1997
Woods, Timothy S, Instructional Professor
Sociology
PHD, Texas A&M University, 2000