Additional information about senior education here.
SOCI 1101. Introduction to Sociology (3-0-3)
A scientific examination of human social behavior and institutions. Basic concepts, theoretical approaches, and methods of sociology, with an emphasis on culture, socialization, social organizations, and major institutions (e.g., family, education, religion, the political order, and the economy). (Course fee required).
SOCI 1168. Social Problems (3-0-3)
A study of modern U.S. social problems related to benefits, transformations, environmental threats and uneven development deriving from late industrial capitalism in the 21st century. Special attention will be paid to the nature of industrial capitalism as a basis for contemporary social structure, social problems, the rise of an integrated global economy, poverty and uneven development in the U.S. Problems treated will include ethnic, gender and class conflict, as well as the conditions related to criminality, poor health came, drug abuse, environmental deterioration, and lack of educational opportunities.
SOCI 2126. Introduction to Social Work and Welfare (3-0-3)
Prerequisite: SOCI 1101 with a grade of “C” or better. Scope, purposes, philosophy, and problems of social welfare services and the community.
SOCI 3103. Sociological Theory (3-0-3)
Prerequisite: SOCI 1101 with grade of C or higher. This course gives a broad overview of sociological theory that includes both the founders of sociology in the 19th and early 20th centuries and to the theoretical problems with which they struggled. Contemporary theorists will be presented who continue to develop answers to classical problems and who address new and perplexing issues of postmodernism such as radical relativism, queer theory, feminism and multiculturalism. It describes some of the classic concepts and debates in the field including sociocultural system, social structure, function, and conflict; stratification, class, social interaction, individual action, freedom, and determinism; institutions, bureaucracy, values and social change. It includes illustrations of how earlier theorists influence contemporary theories of ethnicity, gender, postmodernism and multiculturalism.
SOCI 3105. Social Psychology (3-0-3)
Prerequisite: SOCI 1101 with a grade of “C” or better. Required for Sociology Majors. Emphasis on the interaction between the individual and the situation. Topics include conformity and non-conformity, cognitive and moral development, the role of language, and the development of the social self.
SOCI 3106. Sociology of Occupations and Professions (3-0-3)
Prerequisite: SOCI 1101 with grade of “C” or better. The psychological and social implications to the individual of participation in a given occupation, the means by which occupations and professions affect societal stability and change, and the significance of professional versus nonprofessional status.
SOCI 3107. African Women and Development (3-0-3)
Prerequisite: SOCI 1101 with a grade of C or higher. Explore theoretical questions and methodological concerns about modernization and the phenomena of industrial development, the social implications of development on the status of women in African societies, and the significance of women’s grassroots organizations versus government organizations.
SOCI 3109. Sociology of Deviance (3-0-3)
Prerequisite: SOCI 1101 with a grade of “C” or better. Focuses on the individual who violates social and legal norms and the consequences for both the individual and the society.
SOCI 3111. Social Research Methods (3-2-4)
Prerequisite: SOCI 1101 with a grade of C or higher. The scientific method and the role of theory as applicable to sociological research; quantitative methods; qualitative methods; SPSS and other appropriate data analysis tools; research design, measurement, sampling, and research ethics; research report writing.
SOCI 3117. Race and Ethnic Relations (3-0-3)
Prerequisite: SOCI 1101 with a grade of C or higher and any Area E Social Science course. Ways in which race and ethnic factors such as religion and national origin relate to family, education, and power.
SOCI 3122. Social Welfare Policy (3-0-3)
Prerequisite: SOCI 1101 and SOCI 2126 with a grade of “C” or better. This course surveys the history of social welfare policy, services, and the social work profession while also exploring current issues in the field. Social welfare policy is analyzed in its ability to successfully serve diverse groups in need. Specific issues covered include the social welfare system in relation to race, age, gender, family structure, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, and marital status.
SOCI 3123. Social Work Ethics (3-0-3)
Prerequisite: SOCI 1101 and SOCI 2126 with a grade of “C” or better. Social workers constantly face ethical issues and dilemmas requiring ethical decision- making. This course will help students acquire the knowledge base required to identify those ethical issues and the skills necessary to resolve them.
SOCI 3128. Drugs and Society (3-0-3)
Prerequisite: SOCI 1101 with a grade of “C” or better. An examination of the social, psychological, and biological aspects of psychotropic drug use and abuse, with emphasis on the sociological aspects. Social aspects related to drug types and their addictive properties are also discussed. Addiction, addiction treatment, drug use prevention and various arguments related to legalization and criminal penalties are addressed.
SOCI 3129. Sociology of Gender (3-0-3)
Prerequisite: SOCI 1101 with a grade of “C” or better. This course will explore the core ideas and socially constructed concepts that create male and female gender-roles in our culture. Examines how behavior associated with gender-roles have come to be defined by the influence of social institutions. Examines the biological differences and similarities between the sexes that have helped perpetuate gender-roles.
SOCI 3135. Sociology of Development (3-0-3)
Prerequisite: SOCI 1101 with a minimum grade of C. This course draws on various theories of development and social change to explain and critically analyze the structure and dynamics of socio-economic development of Third World societies in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. The first part of the course examines the major perspectives of development such as modernization, dependency, Marxist and world system perspectives. The second part considers major development strategies and policies as well as pertinent case studies.
SOCI 3138. Sociology of Domestic Abuse (3-0-3)
Prerequisite: SOCI 1101 or CRJU 1105 with a grade of “C” or better. This course will examine the various types of domestic abuse within a sociological framework. Types of interpersonal abuse presented will include child abuse (e.g., physical abuse, verbal/psychological abuse, sexual abuse, etc.), spouse abuse (e.g., physical abuse, verbal/psychological abuse, and including spousal rape), elder abuse (e.g., physical abuse, verbal/psychological abuse, exploitation and financial abuse, etc.), and rape (including date rape). Students will explore interpersonal abuse while learning about the social and cultural forces that perpetuate the abuse (e.g., cultures of violence, gender roles, rape-prone cultures and climates, etc.). Finally, students will be exposed to social policy as it relates to interpersonal abuse and a topical view of various intervention techniques being employed to reduce incidents of interpersonal abuse.
SOCI 3145. Violence and Society (3-0-3)
Prerequisite: SOCI 1101 with a grade of C or better. This course will investigate the many causes, consequences, and interpersonal and structural characteristics of violence and hate. Students will study not only individual acts of violence and hate, but also inter-group conflict. Topics covered include hate crimes, prejudice, serial and mass murder, genocide, mass media violence, school massacres, and international conflict. Finally, students will explore the effectiveness of individual and group interventions.
SOCI 3146. Sociology of the Family (3-0-3)
Prerequisite: SOCI 1101 with a grade of C or better. Analysis of family life and kinship structures in the U.S. and cross-culturally; marriage, husband/wife and parent/child relations; transformations of family and kinship in industrial societies.
SOCI 3147. Sociology of Pop Culture (3-0-3)
Prerequisite: SOCI 1101 with a grade of C or better. Recent trends in American culture, focusing on traditions, practices, and products, including books, music, and film.
SOCI 3148. Introduction to Interviewing: Advanced Qualitative Methods (3-0-3)
Prerequisite: SOCI 1101 and 3111 with a minimum grade of C. This course will provide students with the opportunity to explore and apply, strategies in creating an interview guide, conducting an in-depth interview, running focus groups, and managing materials and information garnered in large scale research projects that utilize interviewing as the primary mode of acquiring data. Students will get the chance to practice their techniques in two major interviewing projects.
SOCI 3149. Applied Social Psychology (3-0-3)
Prerequisite: SOCI 1101 and SOCI 3105 with a minimum grade of C. This course focuses on the various social and organizational systems that social psychology can address and provide problem-solving strategies. Examples include studying social change within small groups to larger societies, providing strategies that improve social diversity, helping society see diversity as a societal strength and not a weakness, and understanding the dynamics of small groups and effecting change using social psychological concepts and principles.
SOCI 3155. Sociology of the Life Course (3-0-3)
Prerequisite: SOCI 1101 with a minimum grade of C. This course introduces students to the theories, methods, and important topics present in detail as to what is referred to as the life course paradigm. The general themes of this perspective center on the historical context, societal forces, “life domains,” and the “time dimension.”
SOCI 3156. Sociology of Aging (3-0-3)
Prerequisite: SOCI 1101 with a minimum grade of C. The examination of age as a social construct and aging as a social process. We will also explore the effects of societal norms and social institutions on the aging experiences of individuals. Major sociological theories of aging will be examined. We will also discuss issues of age-related inequality related to social class, race, and gender inequalities. Finally, stereotypes associated with the aging process will be examined.
SOCI 3157. Sociology of Religion (3-0-3)
Prerequisite: SOCI 1101 with a minimum grade of C. Religion is a social institution responsible for socialization, a secondary source of social control, a moral guide to some, and a source for social change. In this course, we will review the history of major world religions. We will also investigate the major sociological theories associated with religion and their assumptions about religion’s use and value to society.
SOCI 3158. Sociology of Formal Organizations (3-0-3)
Prerequisite: SOCI 1101 with a minimum grade of C. From the time we are born, until we die, we enter, negotiate with, and interact with formal organizations. But what do we know about these influential forces? How do organizations come about, maintain, and change? Using our sociological imagination, this course aims to provide students with the basic concepts, structures, and practices of formal organizations and bureaucracies. Students will have the opportunity to perform an in-depth case study on an organization.
SOCI 3508. Selected Topics in Sociology ({1-3}-0-{1-3})
Prerequisite: SOCI 1101 with a grade of “C” or better. Various topics. May be repeated for credit with consent of the instructor and if not the same topic.
SOCI 3899. Independent Reading in Sociology (3-0-3)
Prerequisites: SOCI 1101, 12 additional credits in sociology, junior or senior class standing, and approval of the department. All students must have a contractual agreement with a specific departmental instructor to supervise project. Students will be expected to select a specific topic title that will be posted to their transcript. Extensive independent reading on a selected experimental, theoretical, or applied problem under the direction of a faculty member. Students will be expected to submit a formal proposal outlining (a) the general topic on which they wish to do extensive reading, (b) their reasons for selecting this topic as worthy of independent work, (c) either a list of readings already compiled or a detailed plan on how they intend to find scientific and scholarly reading material relevant to their topic, and (d) a statement clearly identifying expected learning outcomes. Once approved, students will be expected to meet weekly or biweekly with the supervising faculty member. Students will be expected to demonstrate their knowledge of the topic by means established by the supervising faculty member (e.g., the completion of a substantial paper, written exam, oral exam, or some combination of the aforementioned). Finally, students will be expected to share what they have learned with other students by means of either (a) delivering a guest lecture in an appropriate class taught by the supervising faculty member, or (b) presenting a paper at a regional student conference. (Course fee required.)
SOCI 4108. Clinical Sociology (3-0-3)
Prerequisite: SOCI 1101 with minimum grade of C. Clinical sociology is defined as a multidisciplinary specialization that seeks to improve the quality of people’s lives by combining perspectives, knowledge, theory, and methods of sociology with active intervention and problem-solving techniques. The course gives students opportunity to integrate their educational experiences with community-based social issues through service learning.
SOCI 4113. Social Services and Mental Health (3-0-3)
Prerequisite: SOCI 1101 and SOCI 2126 with grade of C or higher. This course aims to develop the student’s knowledge and skills to enhance the student’s ability to engage in clinical social work practice with individuals who have moderate to severe mental illness, their families, and other systems with which they are involved. It will contribute to the student’s knowledge of the historical background, legislation, and policies that inform practice in today’s mental health/behavioral health environment and describe theories, the process of biopsychosocial assessment, and methods of practice. Cultural competence, gender issues and needs of aging adults will be emphasized throughout the course.
SOCI 4114. Social Work Practice (3-0-3)
Prerequisite: SOCI 1101 and SOCI 2126 with grade of C or higher. Students will learn a variety of direct practice skills in this course. Some of these skills include: basic interviewing skills, listening skills, rapport building, learning to engage individuals, families and groups at different stages and levels of intervention. In addition, students will learn skills to develop appropriate goals for interventions and be able to differentiate between behavioral, psychological and environmental goals.
SOCI 4405. Sociology Practicum (3-1-4)
Prerequisites: SOCI 1101 with a grade of “C” or better, senior standing, sociology major, 3.0 GPA in SOCI courses, and approval of the department. Provides sociology majors who plan to attend graduate school an opportunity to lead discussion groups with Introductory Sociology students. In addition, attending the Introductory Sociology course again will serve as a capstone course, Experience with leading discussion groups will be beneficial to them in graduate school.(Course fee required.)
SOCI 4698. Sociology Internship (0-0-{3-6})
Prerequisites: Admission to B.S in Sociology, G.P.A. of 2.75, Senior standing, and department approval. Practical, supervised experience in the field with an approved agency or company and selected seminars in the student’s area of interest. Sociology majors may earn up to 6 credit hours. (Course fee required.)
SOCI 4712. Seminar in Social Psychology (3-0-3)
Prerequisites: Junior standing. Special topics in social psychology for advanced undergraduates.
SOCI 4796. Sociology Capstone (3-0-3)
Prerequisites: Senior status and department approval. This course represents the culmination of your sociological learning experience at Columbus State University. Participation in this course will enhance your knowledge of sociological concepts and terms as well as the sociological research process while allowing you to put those learned skills and knowledge into practice. Students will also be required to take the ETS subject exam in Sociology (i.e., exit exam) which serves as an assessment tool for the sociology program. (S/U grading).
SOCI 4899. Independent Study (0-0-{1-6})
Prerequisite: Department Approval. Guidance of the student through the complete research process, from formulation of a topic to data collection and analysis, to completion of a final report. (Course fee re