Sociology (SOC)

SOC 400 - Introductory Sociology

Credits: 4

Overview of sociology as the scientific study of human social and cultural relationships. Social theory, methods and techniques of research, and current research findings on a wide range of social issues.

Attributes: Social Science (Discovery)

Equivalent(s): SOC 400H, SOC 400W

Grade Mode: Letter Grading

SOC 402 - Statistics

Credits: 4

Elementary applied statistical techniques; tables, graphs, cross-clarifications; central tendency and dispersion; correlation and linear regression; confidence intervals and hypothesis testing. Other statistical classes including ADM 430, BIOL 528, ADMN 420, EREC 525, HHS #540, MATH 439, MATH 539, PHIL 412, MATH 644, PSYC 402 cannot be used to satisfy the major requirement. This is, all majors must take SOC 402 even if they have taken an introductory statistics course in another department. A student can, however, petition to receive eight credits for two introductory statistics courses, if and only if, SOC 402 is taken after the student became a sociology major and took their first statistics course prior to declaring SOC as their major. Majors cannot receive credit for statistics courses taken after they have declared SOC.

Attributes: Quantitative Reasoning(Disc)

Equivalent(s): SOC #402H, SOC 502, SOC 502H

Mutual Exclusion: No credit for students who have taken ADM 430, ADMN 420, ADMN 510, BIOL 528, EREC 525, HHS 540, MATH 439, MATH 539, MATH 644, PSYC 402, PSYC 402H.

Grade Mode: Letter Grading

SOC #402H - Honors/Statistics

Credits: 4

Elementary applied statistical techniques; tables, graphs, cross-classifications; central tendency and dispersion; correlation and linear regression; confidence intervals and hypothesis testing. No credit for students who have completed ADMN 430, BIOL 528, ADMN 420, EREC 525, HHS #540, MATH 439, MATH 539, MATH 644, PSYC 402, but petitions for acceptance of such courses to fulfill the sociology major requirement in statistics will be entertained.

Attributes: Honors course; Quantitative Reasoning(Disc)

Equivalent(s): SOC 402, SOC 502, SOC 502H

Mutual Exclusion: No credit for students who have taken ADM 430, ADMN 420, ADMN 510, BIOL 528, EREC 525, HHS 540, MATH 439, MATH 539, MATH 644, PSYC 402, PSYC 402H.

Grade Mode: Letter Grading

SOC #440A - Honors/Drug Addiction in American Society

Credits: 4

This course will introduce students to interdisciplinary topics in the study of drug addiction, drug panics, and the U.S. war on drugs. It will draw on scholarly and journalistic research to consider sociological theories, methods, and data gathering techniques in the study of addiction, and it will explore ways in which individuals create, interact with, and are shaped by social groups and institutions, including those associated with politics, health, economics, family, and the legal system.

Attributes: Honors course; Social Science (Discovery)

Grade Mode: Letter Grading

SOC 444A - Honors/Society in the Arctic

Credits: 4

Introduction to societies of the far North today, from Alaska and Canada through Greenland, Iceland, northern Scandinavia and Russia. Reviews interconnected issues of social change, environment, sustainable development, local control, and modernization vs. traditions. Arctic dilemmas highlight some basic questions facing all societies in the 21st century. Writing intensive.

Attributes: Environment,TechSociety(Disc); Honors course; Inquiry (Discovery); Writing Intensive Course

Grade Mode: Letter Grading

SOC 450 - Contemporary Social Problems

Credits: 4

This course introduces students to the study of major social problems in contemporary society, including poverty, discrimination, inequality, crime, violence, and environmental degradation. Explores how and why people come to view certain social conditions as problematic. Also explores the consequences of and possible solutions to contemporary social problems.

Attributes: Social Science (Discovery)

Equivalent(s): SOC 540

Grade Mode: Letter Grading

SOC 515 - Introductory Criminology

Credits: 4

Introduces the scientific study of crime. Reviews the different forms of criminal behavior, theories of crime, and strategies of crime control.

Grade Mode: Letter Grading

SOC 520 - Family

Credits: 4

Sociological study of marriage and the family in American society. Following a life-cycle approach, topics include gender roles, communication and conflict, dating and mate selection, work and family economics, the transition to parenthood, middle- and late-life family, divorce, and remarriage.

Equivalent(s): SOC 520H

Grade Mode: Letter Grading

SOC 525 - Juvenile Crime and Delinquency

Credits: 4

Crime, violence, and the criminal justice system as it affects children and youth in the role of both perpetrators and victims.

Grade Mode: Letter Grading

SOC 530 - Race and Racism

Credits: 4

This course scientifically examines the system of race as it evolved in the United States and its resulting impacts. By the end of the course, students should have: an in-depth understanding of the origins of race and racism; be able to identify; explain, and apply various sociological concepts and theories pertaining to race, ethnicity, and racial oppression; and be able to conceptualize, operationalize, and test a line of scientific inquiry about race.

Grade Mode: Letter Grading

SOC 535 - Homicide

Credits: 4

An introduction to theory and research in homicide studies, including a review of the origins of and social responses to homicide.

Grade Mode: Letter Grading

SOC 565 - Environment and Society

Credits: 4

Environment and Society focuses on the complex interactions between human communities and the natural world. The course considers the interconnected ways that social systems, the built environment, and related technologies produce environmental changes, and in turn how shifts in resources, air, water quality, climate, biodiversity, and ecosystems force societies to adapt. This course fulfills in the Environment, Technology, and Society category of UNH's Discovery Program.

Attributes: Environment,TechSociety(Disc)

Grade Mode: Letter Grading

SOC 570 - Sexual Behavior

Credits: 4

This course approaches sexuality as a social phenomenon. We examine variability in sexual practices, sexual identities, and sexual behaviors throughout history, across cultures, and throughout the life course of individuals. Particularly, we focus on the social control of sexuality and the extent to which sexualities are socially constructed. We consider the media and other cultural influences on a diverse range of sexual experiences and take a straightforward, non-stigmatizing approach to tackling controversial issues.

Grade Mode: Letter Grading

SOC #590 - Global Social Conflict

Credits: 4

This course examines the causes and consequences of worldwide economic, cultural, and political conflict in the age of globalization. Issues covered include: economic inequality, gender, race, health, environmental sustainability, and violent extremism throughout the modern world.

Grade Mode: Letter Grading

SOC 595 - Independent Reading and Research

Credits: 2-8

Independent study of advanced or specialized topics in sociology requiring extensive reading and writing. Before registering, students must develop a project in consultation with a faculty supervisor and submit a proposal to the undergraduate committee. Prereq: 12 sociology credits and permission.

Grade Mode: Letter Grading

SOC 597 - Special Topics

Credits: 4

Occasional or experimental offerings. May be repeated baring duplication of subject.

Repeat Rule: May be repeated up to unlimited times.

Grade Mode: Letter Grading

SOC 599 - Sociological Analysis

Credits: 4

Basic skills essential to sociological study, including: development of critical reading skills; evaluation of theory construction and evidence; analysis of classic and contemporary works, research, writing, and use of library resources. To be taken by sociology majors no later than the junior year. Writing intensive.

Attributes: Inquiry (Discovery); Writing Intensive Course

Equivalent(s): SOC 599W

Grade Mode: Letter Grading

SOC 601 - Methods of Social Research

Credits: 4

Overview of major research methods: survey analysis, personal interview, participant observation, content analysis, and experimental design. Each student designs and completes a research project. Prereq: SOC 402 or SOC 502 or equivalent; juniors and seniors only.

Attributes: Writing Intensive Course

Equivalent(s): PSYC 502, SW 601, SW 601W

Grade Mode: Letter Grading

SOC 611 - Sociological Theory

Credits: 4

Analysis of the origins and development of sociological theory. Includes the classical works of Marx, Weber, and Durkheim and their connections to the major strands of present day research. Writing intensive.

Attributes: Writing Intensive Course

Grade Mode: Letter Grading

SOC 620 - Drugs and Society

Credits: 4

Provides students with an overview of drug using behavior as viewed from a sociological perspective. Highlights historical and current drug use trends, examines the social correlates of drug use, considers societal responses to drug use including treatment, prevention, and policy, and engages students in key controversial debates confronting U.S. citizens and policymakers. Provides a foundation for understanding of drugs and society.

Grade Mode: Letter Grading

SOC 625 - Mental Health and Society

Credits: 4

This course introduces students to sociological approaches for studying and understanding mental health and illness in society. With an emphasis on the importance of social stress, we examine the distribution of mental illness in the United States and identify the factors that help to explain mental health differences across social roles and statuses.

Grade Mode: Letter Grading

SOC 627 - Sociology of Fashion

Credits: 4

This course explores how clothing, accessories, and bodily adomment are socially constructed processes. We apply a sociological lens to uncover how fashion intersects with: social identities and aspirations; fads and trends; historical forces; how we modify our bodies; production and consumption of clothing and shoes; race, class, and gender; labor and human rights; globalization and trade; technology, and environmental issues in clothing production. Cannot earn credit if previously earned credit for SOC 697 "Special Topics Sociology of Fashion".

Grade Mode: Letter Grading

SOC 635W - Medical Sociology

Credits: 4

Health and Illness are considered as a sociocultural phenomenon. Meanings are attached to health and illness as they are influenced by our social values and our cultural beliefs, which to a large degree are influenced by available medical technologies. People's experiences of health and illness are shaped by a range of social factors (e.g., race, class, gender) and follow clear patterns of social inequality. A critical approach is taken to examine topics such as the social determinants of health, illness and healthcare; the social construction of illness; the medicalization of society; and the social organization of health care. Writing intensive.

Attributes: Writing Intensive Course

Equivalent(s): SOC 635

Grade Mode: Letter Grading

SOC #640 - Religion

Credits: 4

The continuing significance of religion in society is a central area of sociological inquiry. Examines the historical and cultural explanations for the persistence of religion and apply diverse sociological perspectives to explaining the personal, institutional, and cultural relevance of religion with a focus on contemporary American society. Topics studied include religious authority, identity, violence, and the impact of religion on various domains of social life including gender relations, family, politics, and economy. Writing intensive.

Attributes: Writing Intensive Course

Grade Mode: Letter Grading

SOC 645 - Class, Status and Power

Credits: 4

Focuses on the major dimensions of inequality, including class, gender, and race, by exploring the distribution of economic, political, and social resources within contemporary societies.

Equivalent(s): SOC 645W

Grade Mode: Letter Grading

SOC 647 - Sociology of Work and Well-Being

Credits: 4

What constitutes a 'good job' or a 'bad job'? What characteristics of jobs are harmful, and which job conditions protect worker health and wellbeing? In this course, we focus heavily on the nature of job stress, where it comes from, and why some people experience more of it than others. Topics will include socioeconomic disparities in stress exposure, gender and racial discrimination in the workplace, gig work and online platforms, social protection policies, and COVID-19. Cannot earn credit if already taken SOC 697 under the special topic "Work and Well-Being".

Grade Mode: Letter Grading

SOC #655 - Sociology of Law and Justice

Credits: 4

Systematic study of how social factors, such as inequality, differentiation, culture, and organization, influence the justice process. Historical and cross-cultural focus on the behavior of the police, courts, and other legal institutions. Prereq: SOC 515 or permission; juniors and seniors only.

Grade Mode: Letter Grading

SOC #656 - Terrorism

Credits: 4

This course provides a global assessment of the definition and nature of terrorism, trends in terrorism over the course of the past several decades, perspectives concerning the degree to which cultural, economic, and political conflict contribute to terrorism, and alternative means for dealing with terrorism in the age of globalization.

Grade Mode: Letter Grading

SOC 660 - Urban Sociology

Credits: 4

Urban Sociology focuses on urban communities, urbanization, and urban social issues. Covers the historical development of cities; the difference between urban, suburban, and rural communities; urban life styles; and the significance of poverty and race for understanding contemporary American cities. Emphasizes American cities, with some consideration to world patterns of urbanization and the growth, development, and role of global cities.

Attributes: Writing Intensive Course

Grade Mode: Letter Grading

SOC 665 - Environmental Sociology

Credits: 4

Interactions between society and the physical environment, including environmental constraints, population and economic growth, social impacts of resource development, large-scale environmental change, and the social bases of environmental attitudes, behavior, and politics. Writing intensive.

Attributes: Writing Intensive Course

Equivalent(s): SOC 665W

Grade Mode: Letter Grading

SOC 693 - Global Social Change

Credits: 4

This course explores the causes and consequences of social change in societies around the world. Case studies of important social trends such as the diffusion of culture, international migration, health pandemics, changing status of women, environmental degradation, and promoting more equitable development enable investigation of the broad social implications of the process of globalization. Writing intensive.

Attributes: Writing Intensive Course

Grade Mode: Letter Grading

SOC 697 - Special Topics

Credits: 4

Occasional or experimental offerings. May be repeated for different topics.

Attributes: Writing Intensive Course

Repeat Rule: May be repeated up to 2 times.

Grade Mode: Letter Grading

SOC #715 - Criminological Theory

Credits: 4

Introduces graduate students and advanced undergraduates to the major theoretical literature in crime and delinquency. Covers both classical and contemporary theory, with empirical assessments of theories, including macro- and micro-level control, strain, and learning theories, as well as recent developments in biosocial, deterrence, labeling, and critical/feminist theories. Permission required.

Grade Mode: Letter Grading

SOC 720 - Sociology of Drug Use

Credits: 4

Examines licit and illicit drug use from a sociological perspective. Draws primarily from the sociology of mental health and criminology to explore a variety of drug-related topics including historical and current U.S. drug trends, dominant theoretical approaches about the initiation into, and continued use of drugs, drug-related crime, therapeutic use of drugs, prevention and treatment of drug problems, and drug-related policies. Permission required.

Grade Mode: Letter Grading

SOC 725 - Social Demography

Credits: 4

Social demography examines the linkages between changes in the size, composition and distribution of the population and changes in social, environmental, economic and political factors. The course examines demographic methods and the materials and the analytical techniques used by demographers to analyze population redistribution, fertility, work, marriage, migration and mortality. The policy implications of demographic change will be examined with attention to the U.S. as well as the developed and developing world. Permission required.

Grade Mode: Letter Grading

SOC 730 - Communities and the Environment

Credits: 4

People and the natural environments in which they live fundamentally structure communities around the globe. Economic change, expanding development , and human migration are transforming social and environmental conditions in both rural and urban settings, altering the identities of many communities as well as their relationships with the natural world. The importance of these emerging social and environmental issues has made them a focus for social science inquiry. This course exposes students to a range of sociological concepts, theories, and research approaches related to the study of communities and environmental issues. Some of the substantive themes that are covered include: population dynamics and environmental change; social capital and social networks; political economy and community development; collective action and social movements; science, technology, and environmental risks; and environmental racism and justice. The principal assignment for the course will be a research project where students investigate a community or environmental issue of their own interest. Permission required.

Attributes: Writing Intensive Course

Grade Mode: Letter Grading

SOC 740 - Sociology of Mental Health

Credits: 4

Introduces students to different sociological approaches for studying and understanding mental health and illness. Students examine the social distribution of mental illness in the United States and the social-structural factors that help to explain mental health variations. Also addresses issues surrounding mental health treatment, systems, and policies for the mentally ill. Permission required.

Grade Mode: Letter Grading

SOC 745 - Race, Ethnicity, and Inequality

Credits: 4

Sociological perspectives on race and ethnic relations for graduate and advanced undergraduate students. Topics include the creation of racial and ethnic identities, the nature and extent of segregation, education, employment, and wealth inequalities, and the effects of state policy. The course emphasizes both theoretical and empirical assessments. Permission required.

Grade Mode: Letter Grading

SOC 773 - Childhood and Social Policy

Credits: 4

Exposes students to a variety of sociological perspectives about childhood in American society. Stimulates analysis about how social institutions, like the modern family, school, economic system, justice system and communications media affect children. Assumes prior understanding of important sociological concepts, critical thinking skills and social science writing ability. Permission required. Writing intensive.

Attributes: Writing Intensive Course

Grade Mode: Letter Grading

SOC 788 - Advanced Medical Sociology

Credits: 4

This course is intended to provide an in-depth introduction to the major theoretical frameworks of medical sociology and empirical research examining social factors that influence individual's health and illness. We will take a critical approach in our examination of: the distribution of health and illness (by socioeconomic status, sex/gender, and race/ethnicity); medicalization and social control; and the social construction of health and illness. Most of the learning in this course will take place through shared facilitation of class discussions based on the reading. Writing intensive.

Attributes: Writing Intensive Course

Grade Mode: Letter Grading

SOC 792 - Internship Independent Study

Credits: 2-8

Provides upper level sociology majors with an opportunity to apply what they have learned in the classroom to the real world. This will provide the opportunity for students to work individually with a faculty member on an Internship with the option of variable credit. There is no formal class time required. Students will arrange meetings with supervising faculty to plan assigned readings, update internship progress and complete semester projects. Project ideas are developed with faculty and internship site supervisor. Permission required.

Repeat Rule: May be repeated for a maximum of 8 credits.

Grade Mode: Letter Grading

SOC 797 - Special Topics

Credits: 4

Occasional or experimental offerings. May be repeated for different topics. Permission required. Writing intensive.

Attributes: Writing Intensive Course

Equivalent(s): SOC 797W

Grade Mode: Letter Grading

SOC 799 - Senior Thesis

Credits: 4 or 8

Independent work in the library or field culminating in a written senior thesis. Recommended for, but not confined to, majors intending to pursue graduate studies. Students must arrange for supervision from two faculty members and submit a proposal to the Undergraduate Committee before registering. May be completed in one or two successive semesters during the senior year. Permission required.

Repeat Rule: May be repeated for a maximum of 8 credits.

Equivalent(s): SOC 699

Grade Mode: Letter Grading

SOC 799H - Senior Honors Thesis

Credits: 4 or 8

Independent work in the library or field culminating in a written senior honors thesis and a formal research presentation. Recommended for, but to confined to, majors intending to pursue graduate studies. Required for students participating in the departmental honors program as part of their 16 honors credits. Students must arrange for supervision from two faculty members and submit a proposal to the Undergraduate Committee before registering. May be completed in one or two successive semesters during the senior year. Permission required.

Attributes: Honors course

Repeat Rule: May be repeated for a maximum of 8 credits.

Equivalent(s): SOC 699H

Grade Mode: Letter Grading