SOCS 1010 - General Sociology
(3 Credits)
Sociology is the systematic study of individual and group behavior. Sociologists study patterns that emerge when people interact with one another. This course examines where these patterns come from, why they have come to exist, and how they are maintained or changed. Students will learn theories and concepts that are used to understand issues of group dynamics, social institutions, and social inequality.
Lecture: 3 hours
Course completes the following requirements:
Gen.Ed. Ability 2B
Gen.Ed. Ability 4A
Social Sciences Requirement
URI/RIC Transfer General Education Transfer Opportunity: Yes
SOCS 2020 - Marriage and Family
(3 Credits)
In this class, we critically explore how social, cultural, and economic forces influence family forms and experiences. You will be encouraged to examine your own family experiences to see how forces shape them and how your experiences are similar to and different from the experiences of others. As a class, we explore questions about family and household life, such as: What is a family? What purpose does the family serve? What are modern American families really like? Who gets married? Why do people get married? How do social factors influence who marries, when, and whom? Why do some marriages end in divorce? Why do people have children? Who takes care of them? Who does the housework? How do they decide?
Lecture: 3 hours
Course completes the following requirements:
Gen.Ed. Ability 2A
Gen.Ed. Ability 4A
Social Sciences Requirement
URI/RIC Transfer General Education Transfer Opportunity: Yes
SOCS 2030 - Urban Sociology
(3 Credits)
This course analyzes the influences of urban interaction on group relationships. Consideration is given to multi-factors inherent in problems pertaining to urban population movements, economic dislocations, minority-majority cultural conflicts and pluralistic power patterns. The role of public media and pressure groups also is studied as integral to contemporary urban group relationships.
Lecture: 3 hours
SOCS 2040 - Race and Ethnic Relations
(3 Credits)
This is a survey of the sociological aspects of intergroup relations as they pertain to race and ethnicity. Emphasis is placed on the socio-historical conceptualization and construction of race and ethnicity, classical and contemporary sociological theories (e.g., assimilation, racialization, and typologies of racism) regarding race and ethnicity. Majority-minority relations in the U.S. are also examined.
Lecture: 3 hours
Course completes the following requirements:
Gen.Ed. Ability 2A
Gen.Ed. Ability 4A
Social Sciences Requirement
URI/RIC Transfer General Education Transfer Opportunity: Yes
SOCS 2050 - Social Problems
(3 Credits)
This is a survey of the sociological aspects of major contemporary social problems in the United States. Emphasis is placed on personal pathologies (e.g., alcoholism, drug addiction, sexual pathology, suicide) population problems, educational problems, racism, sexism, ethnic problems, family problems and crime.
Lecture: 3 hours
SOCS 2110 - Introduction to Anthropology
(3 Credits)
This course is an introduction to the basic principles and methods of cultural anthropology. Emphasis is placed on the concept of culture as a way of explaining human behavior, with illustrations from selected preliterate societies. The biocultural evolution of mankind is covered.
Lecture: 3 hours
SOCS 2120 - Sociology of Work in Formal Organizations
(3 Credits)
Students learn to think critically and develop skills for teamwork in the context of large organizations, based on sociological principles of bureaucracy, group dynamics, leadership and authority. A solid grasp of the concepts in this course enables students to analyze and articulate the basic components of large organizations, the purpose of teamwork, and the kind of skills needed to succeed as a member of a team.
Lecture: 3 hours
SOCS 2300 - Criminology
(3 Credits)
It is only within the last few hundred years that societies have attempted to apply the social sciences to the study of criminogenic conditions, victimology, and the structural influences on laws and criminalized behaviors. In this course, we will be examining the process through which the scientific study of crime has developed, the evolution of the theories the field relies upon, and some of the most current knowledge that the field has to offer us.
Lecture: 3 hours
Course completes the following requirements:
Gen.Ed. Ability 2A
Gen.Ed. Ability 2B
Social Sciences Requirement
URI/RIC Transfer General Education Transfer Opportunity: Yes
SOCS 2350 - Social Deviance
(3 Credits)
This survey course is designed to introduce students to the basic theories, practices, and concepts central to the sociological study of deviance. Deviance is an important feature of social life, but it is usually taken for granted. Every social group has ideas, behaviors, and characteristics that they consider deviant. Deviance, and the most common stereotypes we hold about it and those who commit it, often serve to assure us that we are normal. When we apply sociology to the study of deviance it enables us to critically question conventional stereotypes about deviance and deviants, investigate who has the power to label things as deviant or redefine them as non-deviant, and assess the social significance of deviance for both people identified as deviant and those who identify them.
Lecture: 3 hours, Lab: 0 hours, Other: 0 hours
Course completes the following requirements:
Gen.Ed. Ability 2A
Gen.Ed. Ability 4A
Social Sciences Requirement
URI/RIC Transfer General Education Transfer Opportunity: Yes
