Concentrations in Sociology
Students majoring in Sociology must select one of six concentrations. Each of the six concentrations has requirements in addition to the six required courses for the major.
The General Sociology concentration provides students with an opportunity to explore a wide range of subfields within the discipline. The other five concentrations offer students a focus on a specific subfield in Sociology or Anthropology. The cohesive sequence of courses in these subfields enables students to strengthen their knowledge. This knowledge will prove useful either for immediate employment opportunities upon graduation or for advanced post-graduate training.
The six concentrations from which Sociology majors may choose are:
General Sociology
Anthropology
Business and Society
Deviance and Social Control
Human Services
Social Justice
General Sociology (SOG)
The General Sociology concentration is designed for students who wish to gain a broad overview of the discipline. In addition to completing the six core requirements, students select eight Sociology electives. A minimum of two of these electives must be at the 300-level or higher.
Anthropology (SOA)
The Anthropology concentration focuses on the understanding of culture, the various adaptive styles human beings have devised and the ways in which they have become diversified. It is designed to prepare students for careers involving interaction and cooperation with people from diverse cultural, religious, and ethnic groups. Some examples are government; international development; foundation administration; business enterprises, especially those with overseas interests; non-profit organizations, especially non-governmental organizations (NGO’s) with global interests; human ecology and environmental consulting. In addition, this concentration prepares students for graduate study in anthropology, sociology, and international relations.
In addition to completing the six core requirements for the major, students select the following courses:
Eight sociology electives, at least two of which are at the 300-level or higher:
Concentration core (three courses):
52.172 Interpreting the Past: Archaeological Perspectives
52.253 Gender Across Cultures
52.360 Language and Culture
Choose at least two of the remaining five elective concentration courses from the following list:
52.243 Native American Cultures
52.248 Critical Approaches to Men and Masculinities
52.370 Psychological Anthropology
Note: Substitutions may be made with permission of the Chair of the Sociology department.
Business and Society (SOB)
This concentration is for students interested in professional and business careers. The focus is on various models of work systems in American enterprise, social regulation of business, the character of the global economy, and markets as systems of social exchange relating to families, work organizations, and the state. Fieldwork is encouraged for students through our field experience course.
In addition to completing the six core requirements for the major, students select the following courses:
Eight sociology electives, at least two of which must be at the 300-level or higher:
Concentration core (two courses):
52.340 Sociology of Work
52.342 People and Organizations
Choose at least two of the remaining six elective concentration courses from the following list:
52.230 Law and Society
52.280 Aging in Society
52.282 Society, Technology, and the Future
52.308 Political Sociology
52.315 Social Class
Note: Substitutions may be made with permission of the Chair of the Sociology department.
Deviance and Social Control (SOD)
A focus on deviance and social control implies taking a careful look at how forms of social and personal behavior which violate mainstream norms arise, and at how mainstreamers and mainstream social institutions regard and respond to such behavior. We will be looking at behavioral styles called "crime", "delinquency", "immorality", "non-conformity", and so forth. How do such modes of behavior arise and how do they become labeled as deviant styles by the society and its mainstream enforcers? How do deviants assess their own behavior and how is it viewed by others? How does it affect their relationships with others? What do "insider- outsider" relations consist of? What does the society as a whole define as order? How do various social institutions and groupings (the legal and medical establishments, the upholders of public morality, etc.) respond to what they view to be disorder? How does society punish transgressors and enforce rules and impose sanctions? This concentration is particularly suitable for those interested in the practice of law and law enforcement, politics, public administration, mental health, and social work.
In addition to completing the six (6) core requirements for the major, students select the following courses:
Eight sociology electives, at least two of which must be at the 300-level or higher:
Concentration core (three courses):
52.121 Criminology
52.230 Law and Society
52.270 Social Deviance
Choose at least two of the remaining five elective concentration courses from the following list:
52.212 Sociology of the Family
52.267 Sociology of Subcultures
52.312 Sociology of Childhood and Adolescence
52.325 Health and Illness
52.333 Society and the Mentally Ill
Note: Substitutions may be made with permission of the Sociology Department Chair.
Human Services (SOS)
This concentration is designed for students interested in careers in human services, such as non-profit agency administration, social work, counseling, community organizing, health care policy analysis, and health care administration. Additionally, this concentration offers preparation for graduate study in social work, health care administration, law, sociology, psychology, education, and human resource management. The Human Service concentration provides an in-depth examination of the impact of social forces on human behavior.
In addition to completing the six (6) core requirements for the major, students select the following courses:
Eight sociology electives, at least two of which are at the 300-level or higher:
Concentration core (two courses):
52.245 Race and Ethnic Relations
52.315 Social Class
Choose at least three of the remaining six elective concentration courses from the following list:
52.212 Sociology of the Family
52.248 Social Structure and the Self
52.280 Aging in Society
52.312 Sociology of Childhood and Adolescence
52.325 Health and Illness
52.333 Society and the Mentally Ill
52.366 Death and Dying
Note: Substitutions may be made with permission of the Sociology Department Chair.
Social Justice (SOJ)
A focus on the study of social inequalities and the struggle to achieve a more equitable society and world. The concentration examines class, race, ethnic, national, and gender divisions and their connections to major social and political problems. It also considers possible solutions and related strategies of social change. This concentration is suitable for students interested in political activism, government service, social work, teaching, law, and graduate work in the social sciences.
In addition to completing the six (6) core requirements for the major, students select the following courses:
Eight sociology electives, at least two of which are at the 300-level or higher:
Concentration core (three courses):
52.225 Genocide and Violence
52.263 Social Inequality
52.308 Political Sociology
Choose at least two of the remaining five concentration electives from the following list:
52.245 Race and Ethnic Relations
52.253 Gender Across Cultures
52.415 Social Class
