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Below is a list of all courses with an
SOC prefix as found in the
Manchester College Catalog.
Included with descriptions are credit hours, prerequisites, concurrent
requirements, general education categories, and terms in which the
course is offered.
Click on a button to view the syllabus
(.pdf) for a specific course. In some cases, more than
one syllabus is available, since it is possible to take that course
from different professors. Other courses are redesigned around
different topics each time they are offered, so no syllabus may be
available.
SOC 101: Introduction to
Sociology (3 hours / GE-K4 / Fall, Spring)
Sociology as a way of knowing and a body of knowledge. Special
attention to socialization, inequality in American society, and the
institutions of family, religion, politics, and economy.
SOC 220: Social Gerontology
(3 hours / Fall)
An introductory course in the field of aging. Study areas
include perspectives on aging, social roles, family, retirement,
living environments, minority and cross cultural experiences,
political and economic implications of aging. Also included is a
study of the social institutional response to the needs and problems
of older adults in the form of policies, programs, and services.
Prerequisite: SOC 101 or permission of instructor
SOC 222: Social Research
Methods (3 hours / Fall)
The methodological framework for planning and implementing qualitative
and quantitative social research including the process of developing
research designs, the selection of samples, the construction and use
of research instruments, and methods of analyzing and interpreting
data. Ethical issues and the relevance of empirical research
for building knowledge and evaluating service delivery in helping
professions are considered. Students are encouraged to satisfy
the General Education requirement in mathematics before
enrolling in the course.
Prerequisite: SOC 101
SOC 223: Deviance and Social
Control (3 hours / Fall, even years)
The study of how societies come to define certain attributes and
behaviors as deviations from social norms and how societies attempt to
suppress or regulate them. Topics include alcohol and drug use,
crime and elite deviance, sexual assault and family violence, mental
disorder, homosexuality, and prostitution.
SOC 228: Racial, Ethnic, and
Gender Group Relations (3 hours / GE-M1 / Fall, Spring)
A sociology approach to the dynamics of racial, ethnic, and gender
group relations using relevant theories, concepts, and empirical
studies. Patterns of differential power and intergroup conflict
in U.S. society will be examined using examples from several groups.
SOC 230: Aspects of Popular
Culture (3 hours)
The study of a particular aspect of American popular culture using
sociological concepts, theories, and methods for the analysis of
culture. Topics may include: Disney and American Culture,
American Culture and Politics through Film, The Golden Age of Radio,
The Malling of America. This course may include field trips or
off-campus study as appropriate. Course may be repeated once for
credit on different topics. Only three hours may be applied to
meet requirements for the major.
SOC 233: Social Welfare as
an Institution (3 hours / Fall)
An historical and analytical assessment of social welfare as an
institution, using a framework of problem/need definition, policy
goals, program design, and service delivery. Evolution of social
welfare and social work in the United States. Functions of social work
as a profession in programs concerning income security, family and
children's services, aging, criminal justice, mental health,
developmental disabilities, aging, and others. The impact of
conflicting values, inequality and oppression on social welfare.
Prerequisite: SOC 101 or permission of instructor
SOC 240: Sociological Theory
(3 hours / Fall)
Survey of sociological theories from the classical founders (Marx,
Durkheim, Weber, and Simmel) to modern schools of thought (such as
functionalism, conflict theory, symbolic interactionism, dramaturgy,
ethnomethodology, interpretive theory, feminist theory, and
postmodernism). Emphasis on enduring theoretical contributions
as well as their application to contemporary social issues.
Prerequisite: SOC 101
SOC 244: Criminal Behavior
and the Criminal Justice System (3 hours / Fall)
The study of theories about crime and delinquency, and an overview of
all major elements of the criminal justice system. Examination
of the use of the criminal sanction in the U.S., through major
statutory, case, and Constitutional law.
Prerequisite: SOC 101 or permission of instructor
SOC 275: Practicum in
Sociology (3 hours / Fall, Jan, Spring)
Observation and participation in any of a wide range of human
experiences and social systems. May be repeated for a total of
six credit hours, three credit hours of which may be used to meet
requirements in the major.
Prerequisite: consent of the instructor
SOC 305: Self and Society
(3 hours / Spring, even years)
Social psychology from a sociological perspective, examining the
interaction between individual lives and social structure: how
humans are created by their social order and how humans create social
orders. Major topics include socialization and the development
of the self, language and the social construction of reality, and the
social construction of gender.
Prerequisites: PSYC 101, SOSC 102, or SOC 101
SOC 311: Cultural
Anthropology (3 hours / GE-M2)
Provides a theoretical framework and methods for the study of
cultures. Questions related to the unity of humankind and the
diversity of human custom are central concerns. Study of several
related non-Western cultures enables students to consider the
relationship among the individual, culture, and society and encourages
them to develop respect for other cultures and a better understanding
of their own.
SOC 328: Social Movements
(3 hours / Spring, even years)
Examines the importance of social movements as a force for social
change; why social movements emerge and develop; why people join them;
strategies and tactics used; and factors influencing success or
failure. Focus is on social movements in U.S. society.
Prerequisite: SOC 101 or permission of instructor
SOC 333: Sexuality and
Gender in Society (3 hours / Spring)
Human sexuality as a social interaction and a social-cultural
construction. Topics include sexuality in historical-cultural
context, psychosexual development and socialization, love and sex,
sexual attitudes and behaviors, contraception, sexual coercion, and
commercial sex, with special emphases on sexual identity, sexual
orientation, and gender. A focus on empirical knowledge with
attention to ethical and affective concerns.
Prerequisite: SOC 101 or permission of instructor
SOC 335: Sociology of Family
(3 hours / Fall)
Primary emphasis on development and maintenance of intimate
relationships in the United States; theoretical and empirical
materials on family life cycle, dating, sexual behavior, readiness for
marriage, sexual behavior, social change, and emerging family styles.
Prerequisite: SOC 101 or permission of instructor
SOC 340: Youth and the
Juvenile Justice System (3 hours / Spring)
Examination of the problem/need-definition process with youth and
young offenders, including the ambiguity of social policies and
adolescent roles in the United States. Adolescent needs and
need-meeting structures. Historic landmarks in juvenile justice,
including major movements and court decisions. Elements of
current U.S. youth justice systems, and examination of policy and
program alternatives for intervention.
Prerequisite: SOC 101 or permission of instructor
SOC 345: Class, Status, and Power (3 hours / Spring)
Classical and modern theories of class structure and mobility used to
analyze the forms and conditions of social inequality, primarily in
U.S. society. Relationships of class position to behavior in
family, religion, politics, and education are included.
Prerequisite: SOC 101 or permission of instructor
SOC 347: Sociology of
Religion (3 hours / Spring, even years)
Religion from the sociological perspective: theoretical
approaches, individual religiosity, social organization of religion,
contemporary trends, and religion in interaction with family,
politics, economy, class, and race.
Prerequisite: SOC 101 or permission of instructor
SOC 350:
Health, Medical Care, and Society (3 hours / GE-L)
An examination of health, illness, and medical care from a
sociological perspective. Topics include social epidemiology,
the social psychology of illness, the recruitment and socialization
of health professionals, patient/physician relationships, and the
organization of health and medical care. Policy considerations
are emphasized and the concerns of women, minorities, and the
disadvantaged receive special attention.
Prerequisites: SOC 101 or permission of instructor and junior
standing or above.
SOC 371: Advanced Studies in
Gerontology (3 hours / Spring)
In-depth study and analysis of aging, including the following areas:
developmental changes, life circumstances, social policies, service
programs, and research approaches and findings. Course goals
also include development or refinement of specific skills and
techniques for studying or working with older adults.
Prerequisites: SOC 220 and PSYC 331
SOC 372: Sociological
Research Practicum (2 hours / Fall, Jan, Spring)
Experience in the process of using existing research findings for a
better understanding of community problems, client needs, service
programs, etc. The student is assigned to a setting where a
realistic application of research knowledge is done under the
direction of both a setting supervisor and the College instructor.
Concurrent with SOC 222
SOC 440: Senior Seminar
(3 hours / W)
A capstone course for sociology majors to integrate the diverse
elements of their coursework into a coherent and mature conception of
sociology as an approach to inquiry and to life.
Prerequisites: SOC 101, 222, and 240
SOC 380 or 480: Special
Problems (1-4 hours)
A student who has demonstrated ability to work independently may
propose a course and pursue it with a qualified and willing professor.
The department chair and the vice president and dean for academic
affairs must also approve. A set of guidelines can be secured
from the Office of
the Registrar.
SOC 385 or 485: Seminar
(1-4 hours)
An in-depth consideration of a significant scholarly problem or issue.
Students pursue a supervised, independent inquiry on an aspect of the
topic and exchange results through reports and discussions.
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