SOCI - Sociology (SOCI)

SOCI 203 U.S.-Mexico Border

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Understanding of the U.S.-Mexico border from different theoretical perspectives, including structural violence, identity, power and demography.

SOCI 205 Introduction to Sociology

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. (SOCI 1301) Introduction to Sociology. Sociological perspectives including concepts and methods; social class and social status, the family, minorities, crime, religion, power, urbanization and population; also taught at Galveston campus.

SOCI 206 Global Social Trends

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Long-term trends in world societies from ancient times to the present and to the foreseeable future; emphasis on contemporary international issues and problems, techniques of analysis and future projections.

SOCI 207/WGST 207 Introduction to Gender and Society

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Similarities and differences between females and males in a number of cultures throughout the world; sociological analysis of gender in relation to social structure. Cross Listing: WGST 207/SOCI 207.

SOCI 210 Sociology of Technology and Science

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Examination of technology and science from a variety of theoretical perspectives; process by which engineered products are influenced by social factors as well as how they in turn, impact society; exploration and critique of classic and contemporary theories of technological development.

SOCI 211 Sociology of Deviance

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Perspectives on non-normative behavior; theories of deviance.

SOCI 212 Sociology of Popular Culture

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Examination of the classic and contemporary social scientific definitions and theories of culture, and popular versus “high” or elite culture(s), various forms and arenas of popular culture, such as television, film, and music, institutions and popular culture, identity (race, class, gender and sexuality) and popular culture.

SOCI 213/WGST 213 Gender and Health

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. An examination of social and historical context of health in the U.S., including inequities in health by gender, race, class and gendered issues in health professions. Cross Listing: WGST 213/SOCI 213.

SOCI 214 Social Problems

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Survey and exploration of causes and consequences of major social problems in American society such as poverty, unemployment, energy, alcohol, other drugs and sexual abuse.

SOCI 217 Introduction to Race and Ethnicity

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Introduction to the sociological examination of race and ethnicity in U.S. society; overview of theories and methods in the study of race and ethnicity, an understanding of how they function as individual and group-level identities, and organizing principles in social institutions.

SOCI 220 Methods of Social Research

Credits 3. 2 Lecture Hours. 2 Lab Hours. Relationships between sociological theory, research, qualitative evaluation of data; construction and use of analytical procedures and research techniques, and participant observation.

SOCI 229 Qualitative Methods

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Methodologies in social research with emphasis on qualitative dimensions of inquiry; topics include in-depth interviewing, observation, unobtrusive measures, analysis of documents, fieldwork issues, ethics, note-taking, preliminary data analysis, and an overview of writing research reports based on qualitative research.

SOCI 230 Classical Sociological Theory

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Role of theory in sociological study; the development of classical theoretical perspectives providing the foundation for contemporary theory.

SOCI 240 Tourism, Culture and Place

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Analysis of tourist encounters; marketing and displaying culture to tourists; implications of tourism for urban economies and landscapes; interactions between tourists and locals; Galveston campus.

SOCI 285 Directed Studies

Credits 0 to 3. 0 to 3 Other Hours. Special problems not covered by other courses. Course depends upon needs and interest of the student and upon the number of credit hours. Prerequisite: Sophomore classification in sociology.

SOCI 289 Special Topics in...

Credits 1 to 4. 1 to 4 Lecture Hours. 0 to 4 Lab Hours. Selected topics in an identified area of sociology. May be repeated for credit. Prerequisite: Approval of instructor; also taught at Galveston campus.

SOCI 291 Research

Credits 0 to 3. 0 to 3 Other Hours. Research conducted under the direction of a chosen faculty member in sociology. May be taken for a maximum of three hours total credit. Prerequisites: Freshman or sophomore classification and approval of instructor.

SOCI 304 Criminology

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Criminal law and crime rates; explanations of criminal behavior; criminal careers, police, adult courts and prisons. Prerequisite: Junior or senior classification.

SOCI 311 Social Change

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Survey of major changes in American and Western society, the forces underlying change and tensions caused by social change. Prerequisite: Junior or senior classification or approval of instructor.

SOCI 312 Population and Society

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. The causes and implications of major population trends; also taught at Galveston campus.

SOCI 315/WGST 315 The Marriage Institution

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Courtship, engagement, marriage, family formation, personal adjustment, conflict, financing and child rearing. Cross Listing: WGST 315/SOCI 315.

SOCI 316/WGST 316 Sociology of Gender

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Sociological explanations of status differences between men and women; cross-cultural comparisons; gender role socialization, cultural stereotypes, discrimination; gender roles and status in the family, economy, religion, science, other social institutions; deviance, victimization and gender; recent social changes. Cross Listing: WGST 316/SOCI 316.

SOCI 317/AFST 317 Racial and Ethnic Relations

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Status of racial and ethnic groups such as Native Americans, African Americans, Latino Americans, Asian Americans, European Americans, and other groups in the political, economic, legal and social systems of the United States. Cross Listing: AFST 317/SOCI 317.

SOCI 319/SPMT 319 Sociology of Sport

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Social institution of sport and its consequences for American society; social organization from play to professional sport; violence, discrimination, women in sport; socialization implications from participation in sports. Prerequisite: Junior or senior classification. Cross Listing: SPMT 319/SOCI 319.

SOCI 320 Demographic Methods

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Procedures and techniques of demographic analysis; examination of demographic data; calculation of rates; construction of life tables; population estimates and projections. Prerequisite: Junior or senior classification or approval of instructor; also taught at Galveston campus.

SOCI 323/AFST 323 Sociology of African Americans

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Major elements of the Afro-American subculture in relation to white American society and its major social institutions. Prerequisite: SOCI 205. Cross Listing: AFST 323/SOCI 323.

SOCI 326/RELS 326 Sociology of Religion

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Institution of religion and religious-related behavior; relationship between dynamic and structural religion and contemporary society. Prerequisite: SOCI 205. Cross Listing: RELS 326/SOCI 326.

SOCI 328 Environmental Sociology

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. A comprehensive overview of environmental sociology, including major sociological theories, concepts and policy issues affecting our understanding of environmental changes; emphasizes social factors that impact environmental quality. Prerequisite: SOCI 205 or approval of instructor; also taught at Galveston campus.

SOCI 330 Sociology of Nutrition

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Social factors affecting the kind and amount of food consumed around the world; social consequences of nutritional status for family functioning and for international development.

SOCI 335 Sociology of Organizations

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. How people act in organizations; structures in organizations; the relationship between organizations and their environments.

SOCI 337 International Migration

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Survey of theories and trends in international migration. Prerequisite: Junior or senior classification, or approval of instructor.

SOCI 338 Latino Immigration

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Theoretical and empirical examinations of the causes, processes, and impacts of Latin American immigration to the U.S.; Latino/a immigrant experience in the U.S.; effects of immigration on sending and receiving communities. Prerequisite: Junior or senior classification or approval of the instructor.

SOCI 376/MGMT 376 Entrepreneurial Perspectives

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Entrepreneurship as a career choice and its impact on society and economy; definitions of entrepreneurship; discovery of entrepreneurial opportunities and start-up funding; innovation and entrepreneurship theories for analyzing and predicting success of start-up and established entrepreneurial organizations. Prerequisite: Admission to upper division in Mays Business School. Cross Listing: MGMT 376/SOCI 376.

SOCI 377 Entrepreneurial Thought Leaders Seminar

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Origins of entrepreneurial cognition and motivation; entrepreneurial thought leaders share lessons from real world experiences in non-profit, profit-making enterprise, government, public policy, and social mission domains; reflection on thought leaders experience in innovation and entrepreneurship; build exposure to entrepreneurial thinking, role modeling, mentoring, social capital.

SOCI 403 Sociology of Latinos

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Exploration of social characteristics and acculturation problems of Mexican Americans in the United States; styles of life and cultural variability, social mobility, the struggle for advancement and identity through social movements.

SOCI 404/RPTS 404 Sociology of the Community

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Organization of American communities examining the bases of community, types of communities and the changes faced by communities. Prerequisite: SOCI 205; SOCI-404 also taught at Galveston campus. Cross Listing: RPTS 404/SOCI 404.

SOCI 408 Death and Dying

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Exploration of interdisciplinary social issues surrounding death and dying: the interactions among professionals, families, and dying individuals; the development and functioning of death norms and institutions (e.g., hospitals, funeral homes, hospice, capital punishment); the critical analysis of social/cultural inequalities affecting when and how we die. Prerequisite: Junior of senior classification or approval of instructor.

SOCI 410/WGST 410 Reproduction, Birth and Power

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. 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: SOCI 205; junior or senior classification. Cross Listing: WGST 410/SOCI 410.

SOCI 411 Social Psychology

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Effects of social experience and groups on the development of personality, attitudes, values and behavior. Prerequisite: 3 hours of sociology or psychology.

SOCI 412 Political Sociology

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Survey of social bases of power; state formation in advanced industrial societies; origins of welfare state; interrelation of nationalism; culture and class formation. Prerequisite: Junior or senior classification or approval of instructor.

SOCI 413 Social Movements

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Survey of social movements; emphasis on social movement participation, emergence and outcomes; analysis of revolutions and movements in the developing world; theory and methods of social movement research. Prerequisite: Junior or senior classification or approval of instructor.

SOCI 415 Sociology of Education

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Relationship of social structure and change to education; social background and student performance; teachers and their careers; bureaucracy and change in education. Prerequisite: SOCI 205.

SOCI 419 Social Class in Contemporary Society

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Composition and consequences of social class structure; social class explanations for lifestyle patterns, educational and occupational achievements. Prerequisite: SOCI 205.

SOCI 420 Advanced Methods of Social Research

Credits 3. 2 Lecture Hours. 2 Lab Hours. Philosophy and methods of social research, including research design; methods of observation; questionnaires, interviews and other sources of social data; qualitative and quantitative techniques of inference, analysis and research report writing. Prerequisite: SOCI 220.

SOCI 421/WGST 421 Gender & Crime

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Gender & Crime. Gender disparities in contemporary patterns of crime, victimization and incarceration; key concepts, major theories and empirical research studies around gender and crime. Prerequisite: Grade of C or better in SOCI 207/WGST 207, SOCI 211, SOCI 304, SOCI 316/WGST 316, WGST 200, WGST 207/SOCI 207, or WGST 316/SOCI 316. Cross Listing: WGST 421/SOCI 421.

SOCI 422 Race, Ethnicity, Crime and Justice

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Racial/ethnic disparities in criminal offending and victimization, as well as different experiences with law enforcement, judicial, and correctional agencies. Prerequisites: SOCI 220 or equivalent. Cross Listing: AFST 422 and LMAS 422.

SOCI 425 Medical Sociology

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Organization, value systems and practice of medicine and the provision of health care in the U.S.; role of physicians, health occupations and patients; marginal and folk medicine. Prerequisite: SOCI 205.

SOCI 430 Contemporary Sociological Theory

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Basic ideas of contemporary sociological theory: structuralism, functionalism, conflict, symbolic interaction, exchange and their application to current research. Prerequisite: SOCI 230.

SOCI 432/MGMT 479 Technology Commercialization

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Examination of the process of introducing to the marketplace new products or services based upon scientific and technological innovations; practical skills for assessing the technology, identifying potential products and services, and quantifying market demand; focuses on value creation, financing, intellectual property law, regulatory, and socio-economic drivers. Prerequisite: Junior or senior classification or admission to upper division in Mays Business School; SOCI 376/MGMT 376 or MGMT 376/SOCI 376 and SOCI 476/MGMT 476 or MGMT 476/SOCI 476 recommended. Cross Listing: MGMT 479/SOCI 432.

SOCI 445 Sociology of Law

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Introduction to the sociology of law; the relation of law to general social control and to organizational dynamics.

SOCI 446 Sociology of War Crimes

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Sociological and cultural perspectives on war crimes; topics of responsibility, command responsibility, court-martial, and interrogation techniques; theories and concepts from forensic sociology applied to case studies. Prerequisites: Junior or senior classification.

SOCI 450/MGMT 478 Social Entrepreneurship

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Applying business principles and practices to solve social, economic and environmental problems; social entrepreneurship concepts and issues in scaling social enterprise ventures including management tools, organization structures, funding sources, impact measurement; experience in opportunity recognition, designing, planning, pitching social mission ventures; build social capital with social enterprise founders. Cross Listing: MGMT 478/SOCI 450.

SOCI 463 Gender in Asia

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Gender dynamics in Asia; changes in gender roles; women's movements; women and the economy; women and politics; men's and women's private lives. Prerequisite: Junior or senior classification or approval of instructor. Cross Listing: ASIA 463 and WGST 463.

SOCI 476/MGMT 476 Entrepreneurship Practice

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Practical skills for creating new businesses; evaluating, planning and operational strategy, including assessing the technology; product and service markets, value creation model; financing strategies; legal, regulatory, socio-economic drivers, risks; leadership to develop management team, advisory board; go-to-market strategy; develop own entrepreneurial opportunities or those of faculty and entrepreneurs. Cross Listing: MGMT 476/SOCI 476.

SOCI 478 Professional Development in Sociology I

Credit 1. 1 Lecture Hour. Career fields available to sociology majors, including the nature of the work, professional expectations, and the credentials for entry in the fields. Prerequisite: Sociology major; junior or senior classification.

SOCI 479 Professional Development in Sociology II

Credits 2. 2 Lecture Hours. Preparation for careers in sociology-related professionals by in-depth research of prospective career fields, development of oral, written, and media skills, formation of professional networks, and training in professional ethics, cultural diversity, and leadership. Prerequisite: Sociology major; junior or senior classification.

SOCI 484 Field Practicum

Credits 0 to 4. 0 to 4 Other Hours. Field Experiences. Participation in an approved agency. Field experience will be supervised by selected agency personnel and appropriate faculty. Experiences and requirements will vary slightly according to placement and student interests. Prerequisites: Major in sociology; 12 hours of sociology; approval of undergraduate advisor; also taught at Galveston campus.

SOCI 485 Directed Studies

SOCI 489 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. Prerequisite: Approval of instructor.

SOCI 491 Research

Credits 0 to 3. 0 to 3 Other Hours. Research conducted under the direction of a chosen faculty member in sociology. May be taken four times for credit. Prerequisites: Junior or senior classification and approval of instructor.