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Sociology Courses

125 Sociology of Social Problems (3)
Sociological perspectives on selected contemporary social problems such as crime, poverty, hunger, racial and sexual discrimination, alcohol and drug abuse, the threat of war; examination of theories and research on social problems; analysis of possible solutions. Every second semester.
151 Introduction to Sociology (3)
Scientific study of human society, of how individuals and groups adjust to each other and to their social environment; examination of varying research approaches; consideration of basic concepts, theories, and principles of explanation used by sociologists. Every semester.
199r Special Projects (1-4)
Individual Or group projects. On demand.
209 Population and Society (3)
The study of population growth and decline, composition and distribution, and the interrelated effects of economics, social structures, and environment resources. Special emphasis is placed on problems of urbanization and population policies. Every third semester.
215 The Sociology of the Family (3)
The study of modern marriage and family institutions from sociological and social psychological perspectives; the social factors of mate selection, kinship relationships and sexual behavior; evaluations of research findings and emerging trends. Every semester.
219 Deviance and Conformity (3)
A social and social psychological introduction to the nature and consequences of "normal" and "deviant" behavior. Theories of deviance with particular attention to role theory and labeling theory in the areas of crime and mental illness. Every third semester.
220 Small Group Behavior (3)
Social relationships and interaction within small groups in various contexts; review of major field and laboratory studies on leadership, communication, problem-solving, and personal satisfactions; experiences in techniques of observation, role playing, and sociometric research. Every fourth semester.
250 Social Statistics (3)
Basic statistical techniques such as frequency distributions and graphs, the normal curve, tests of significance. correlation, simple analysis of variance, and applications to socio-cultural data and their interpretation. Prerequisite: Two years of high school algebra and UTC Math placement level 20 or Math 106 with minimum grade of C. Credit not allowed in 250 after any other statistics course.
300 Urban Sociology (3)
Analysis of how urban areas grow and are spatially organized. Examination of the cultures, social stratification systems, and modes of governance in contemporary American cities. Emphasis on urban problems. Prerequisite: any general education Category C course or approval of instructor.
305 Minorities in American Life (3)
Character and role of racial, religious, and ethnic minorities in the U.S.; the interplay of historical and current sociocultural processes on attitudes and behavior for both dominant and minority groups; minority-related social problems and their possibilities of solution. Spring semester. Prerequisite: any Behavioral and Social Science course or approval of instructor.
307 Gender and Society (3)
Analysis of how ideas about gender are socially constructed and the importance of women-centered theories on this approach;  the interplay of gender and various social structures including education, religion, politics, family, health, work and sexuality.  Credit not allowed in both Sociology and Women's Studies 307.
310 Sociology of Religion (3)
Social and cultural interpretations of religious institutions and the relation of religion to the social order; major emphasis upon theory and research in the context of Western Christian civilization. Every fourth semester. Prerequisite: 3 hours of Category C, philosophy or religion, or approval of instructor.
312 Classical Social Theory (3)
A systematic examination of the important classical social theorists.  Those theorists who have had enduring historical and/or theorietical importance will be emphasized.  Topics include: Auguste Comte, Herbert Spencer, Karl Marx, Max Weber, Emile Durkheim, George Simmel, George Herbert Mead, Alfred Schutz and Karl Mannheim.  Every fall semester. Prerequisites: Sociology 151.
313 Modern Social Theory (3)
A systematic examination of the important theoretical schools of thought.  Ideas that have important implications for the modern world will be emphasized.  Topics include:  structural functionalism, conflict theory, symbolic interactionism, the critical school, neo-Marxian theory, feminist theory, identity theory, queer theory, postmodern theory, and metatheory.  Every spring semester.  Prerequisite: Sociology 312.
314 Research Methods (3)
The nature of the scientific method and research as applied to the collection, analysis, and interpretation of social and cultural data. An introduction to selected basic techniques in research and the preparation of research proposals. Fall semester. Prerequisites: A statistics course (Sociology 250 recommended); Sociology 151, or Anthropology 152 or 208, or approval of instructor. May be registered as Anth 314.  Credit not allowed in both Sociology 314 and Anthropology 314.
317 Organizational Behavior (3)
Structure of social relationships in organizational life: common patterns in development and operation of bureaucratic systems and their effect upon personal values and individual behavior applications in modern education, industry, government, and institutional life. Every third semester. Prerequisite: any general education Behavioral and Social Science course or approval of instructor.
318 Industrial Sociology (3)
Social organization and process within the formal and informal structure of the industrial unit, evolution of stratification systems, the Industrial Revolution, bureaucratization and the individual, the implications of industrialization and urbanization for human relations in the work process. Every fourth semester. Prerequisite: any general education Behavioral and Social Science course or approval of instructor.
319 Work and Society (3)
In this course, students will gain a critical understanding of one of the most dominant spheres in society by examining the world of work.  Prerequisite: Any general education Behavioral or Social Science course, or approval of instructor.
321 Criminology (3)
The nature of crime, criminal statistics, causal factors, theories and procedures in prevention and treatment. Every third semester. Prerequisite: any general education Behavioral and Social Science course or approval of instructor.
322 Juvenile Delinquency (3)
The nature of juvenile delinquency; factors contributing to delinquency; methods of diagnosis and treatment of delinquent behavior; prevention of delinquency. Spring semester. Prerequisite: any general education Behavioral and Social Science course or approval of instructor.
323 Sociology of Corrections (3)
Historical and cross-cultural study of adult detention, punishment, and rehabilitation systems. Examination of political and social values as they relate to corrections. Every fourth semester. Prerequisite: any general education Behavioral and Social Science course or approval of instructor.
331 Social Psychology (3)
Survey of the general concepts and research areas in social psychology. Emphasis upon the interactions between the individual and society with consideration of such topics as attitudes, prejudices, conformity, deviance, socialization, and interpersonal attraction. May be registered for as Psychology 331. Every semester. Prerequisite: 6 hours of sociology or psychology. Credit not alllowed in both Sociology 331 and Psychology 331.
335 History of Social Thought (3)
Trends in beliefs and values regarding human society and social interaction from acient times through the mid-19th Century. Emphasis on the interrelationship between social thought and social context. Every fourth semester. Prerequisite: 3 hours of Sociology or approval of instructor.
340 Collective Behavior (3)
Analysis of the varieties of collective phenomena such as crowds, social movements, public opinion, fads and fashion; examination of theories and research on the social context of this behavior and the social and psychological processes within such groups; case studies and examples from contemporary life. Every fourth semester. Prerequisite: any general education Category C course or approval of instructor.
345 Social Inequality (3)
Examination of the causes and consequences of inequality including the distribution of resources and opportunities, both comparatively and historically; the systematic disadvantages associated with race, gender, wealth and income; and the major theoretical perspectives addressing inequality in society.  Every other semester. Prerequisite: any general education Behavioral and Social Science course or approval of instructor.
355 Social Change and Globalization (3)
Examination of social change and globalization utilizing sociological insights to understand the impact of rapid changes on human cultures and social institutions through the world.  Prerequisite:  two Behavioral and Social Science courses or approval of instructor.
360 Sociology of Aging (3)
A basic course in social gerontology. The process of aging and the problems of the aged. Changing values and institutional responses to the aged. Every fourth semester. Prerequisite: any general education Behavioral and Social Science course or approval of instructor.
365 Medicine and Disease: a cross-cultural perspective (3)
Cross-cultural study of medicine and disease; the relationship between the development of medicines and medical care, including non-western medical systems and cultural beliefs, social systems, ecological adaptations, and cultural changes of human groups. Every third semester. May be registered as Anthropology 365. Credit not allowed in both Anthropology 365 and Sociology 365.
414 Research Seminar (Sociology or Anthropology Emphasis) (3)
The use of social research techniques to report on social and cultural phenomena; data collection and analysis, writing of a research report. Research project required of all students. Spring semester. Prerequisites: Sociology 314 or Anthropology 314. Credit not allowed in both Sociology 414 and Anthropology 414.
415 Urban Geography (3)
History of urbanism, study of patterns of cities, spatial distribution of cities, and social and physical structure of cities of the Western world. Every third semester. Prerequisite: Sociology 151 or Geography 104. May be registered as Geography 415. Credit not allowed in both Sociology 415 and Geography 415.
424 Applied Social Research (3)
Examination of the various issues faced by applied social researchers when developing a framework for conducting the research and when determining which data collection and analysis methods are most suitable given the research objectives and needs of the client.  Focus on both quantitative and qualitative methods, but with special emphasis on the latter.  Every second semester.  Prerequisite:  Sociology 314 or Psychology 202 or Political Science 200 or other approved course in social research.
425 Advanced Sociology of the Family (3)
Examination of selected topics in the sociology of the family. Emphasis on the interaction between the family and the society. Special attention given to power relationships and gender roles in marriage and the family. Every fourth semester. Prerequisite: 215, or Human Ecology 205 or 340, or Social Work 210, or approval of instructor.
430 Intergroup Dynamics (3)
Social and psychological aspects of prejudice, discrimination, and minority relations; effects of shifting social, economic, and power relationships; and examinations of varying strategies aimed at change, and their consequences. Every fourth semester. Prerequisite: Sociology 305 or approval of instructor.
431 Advanced Social Psychology (3)
Intensive treatment of selected research areas in social psychology. Emphasis upon the interrelationship between current theoretical perspectives and appropriate methodological procedures. Spring semester. Prerequisite: Sociology 331 or Psychology 331 or equivalent. May be registered for as Psychology 431. Credit not allowed for both Sociology 331 and Psychology 331.
440 Social and Cultural Change (3)
How cultures develop, mature, and face disruption or decline, stability, and change; special attention to technological change, "cultural lag," and problems of developing nations and peasant societies. Every fourth semester. Prerequisite: 3 hours of Sociology or Anthropology or approval of instructor. May be registered for as Anthropology 440. Credit not allowed in both Sociology 440 and Anthropology 440.
470r Special Studies and Problems (1-3)
Investigation and reporting on specialized topics in research or theory under faculty direction. Primarily for seniors. On demand. Prerequisite: permission of instructor. Maximum credit 6 hours.
494 Sociology Internship (3-6)
Intended to provide majors an opportunity to experience "hands on" activities in a human services setting, learn the operation and policies of an agency, integrate classroom theory with practice, and develop the requisite competencies necessary for a sociological/anthropological practitioner. Prerequisites: Sociology 151 and 312 or Anthropology 152 and 302, junior standing, completed at least one semester at UTC, minimum cumulative GPA of 2.75, completion of additional Sociology/Anthropology courses relevant to the internship and approval of the internship coordinator.
495r Departmental Honors (1-3 hours per term, 4 hours for the two terms)
Every semester. See "Departmental Honors," page 26 of UTC Catalog.
497r Research (1-4)
On demand.
498r Individual Studies (1-4)
Every semester.
499 Group Studies (1-4)
On demand.