Increase your theoretical and practical understanding of sociology in the modern world with these undergraduate courses. In your classes, you will explore the development, functions, and challenges facing social institutions, understand how the field of policy studies and politics has evolved over recent decades, and evaluate the application of social justice principles toward building a just society. These courses comprise the University of Arizona Global Campus's Bachelor of Arts in Sociology program, and include a capstone in which you will demonstrate your mastery of both theoretical analysis and interpersonal, experiential reflection. These courses also appear in a number of other degree programs.
This introductory course presents basic concepts, theories, and research in sociology. Group organization, sex and gender, marriage and the family, sports as a social institution, and collective behavior are among the topics considered.
This course introduces the basic ethical concepts and explores philosophic perspectives for understanding the meaning of social responsibility. Topics include ethical theories, the role of government, the role of corporations, environmental issues, and ethical integrity.
Drugs, poverty, illiteracy, homelessness, AIDS, undocumented aliens, single-parent families, urban and farm crises, and racial and environmental issues are examined. Possible causes and remedies are scrutinized.
Social theory refers to efforts to understand and illuminate the nature of social life. As such, social theory is not only the domain of sociologists. Contributors to social theory include economists, philosophers, psychologists, historians, activists, dramatists, essayists, poets, and novelists. Moreover, ordinary folks like us also theorize about social life. Social theories are crucial for helping us as individuals make sense of our daily lives, and they are essential to understanding new research, social practices and institutions. With the long-term aim of helping us better understand our lives and the world we live in, we will study what sociological theorists, have to say about the social world. The course covers key theorists such as Marx, Durkheim, Weber, Bourdieu and Foucault, Du Bois, Butler and Bauman and their seminal works, as well as the key social thought movements of Capitalism, Modernity, Alternative Knowledge, Self and Society.
The course considers issues of identity, social inequality, and discrimination in society. The focus is on identities such as race and ethnicity, sex and gender, social class, culture, age, and ability, as well as the intersection between them. The focus is on these social categories as both elements of personal identity and sources of social inequality.
This course examines the major theoretical and conceptual explanations for social problems in modern society. Students will be introduced to a variety of current social problems in the United States and around the world, and will consider and suggest potential social action through the use of foundational sociological tools such as research, social theory and understanding of inequality and identity groups. The focus of the course is twofold: the critical analysis of the causes and consequences of these social problems from a sociological framework; and the considered social action through community action, using sociological tools.
The course focuses on social stereotypes and prejudice against the aged, discrimination, friends and family, care giving, living environments, demography, senior political power, legislation, elder abuse, and death and dying.
The course considers the basic sociological theories and research findings concerning crime. The punishment and corrections process, organized crime, corporate crime, the police, the courts and the impact of crime on the victim are examined.
This course is an introduction to gender and sexuality studies from a sociological perspective. Its primary focus is critical perspectives on the social construction of gender and sexuality, inequalities on the basis of gender and sexuality, activism around issues of gender and sexuality, and how gender and sexuality shape and are shaped by other systems of inequality such as race, ethnicity, class, culture, and age. Also covered are key sociological discourses in the areas of feminism, masculinities, and queer theory.
This course examines key sociological perspectives, concepts, and current research related to race and ethnicity. Its primary focus includes the social construction of race and ethnicity, patterns of inequalities and discrimination on the basis race and ethnicity, and the ways in which key social institutions impact and are impacted by race and ethnicity. Also covered are current issues related to immigration, inter-group relations, and how race and ethnicity are shaped by other systems of inequality such as gender, class, nationality, and culture.
This course provides an overview of the child (infant through elementary) and the reciprocal relationships children develop with their family, their school, and the world in which they live. Theories pertaining to the roles and relationships within and between families, schools, and communities are introduced with an emphasis on enabling students to identify family needs and concerns and to use a variety of collaborative communication and problem-solving skills to assist families in finding the best available community resources to meet these needs. Students themselves explore various community resources that further the development of the child’s potential.
An introductory course that provides learners with a basic foundation of human biology applicable to human service and health and human services providers. The course explores basic human biology and its relationship to selected socio-cultural domains that are grounded in Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Model of Human Development.
Culture and politics in Europe, Latin America, the Arab world, India, East Asia, and other areas are examined. Emphasis is on viewing the world from the diverse perspectives of other cultures and political systems. Topics and regions vary.
An examination of public policies and the social services they mandate. The major focus is on American government policy at all levels and the detailed content of social services. Some consideration of other nations and international agencies is offered. Policies and services pertaining to a variety of areas including urban life, poverty, health care, substance abuse, children, the aged, unemployment, and mental health are studied.
This course examines quantitative, qualitative, mixed methods and associated data interpretation within the context of research, policy and practice within the social sciences. This course also examines the relationship between research, policy and/or theory. Students will examine types of data, measurement scales, hypotheses, sampling, probability, and varied research designs for research in the social sciences and related disciplines.
The course embraces the concept of ‘Engaging Sociology’ - a need for students to understand how to engage social/theoretical concepts into their daily lives in varied social environments, as well as through their employment. The course covers varied aspects of applied Sociology and social/theoretical concepts as a citizen in communities on a local, national, and global scale, as well as through employment as a Sociologist or in a related field. Prerequisites: SOC 101, SOC 301 and SOC 333 or ANT 351, ANT 353 and ANT 340.
This course presents an analysis of major contemporary social problems, especially in the United States. Attention is given to the problems of poverty, racism, sexism, drug and alcohol abuse, and illiteracy, and their impact on the contemporary workplace. Consideration is given to diverse sociological perspectives regarding the causes, consequences, and solutions to these problems.
This course requires students to reflect upon and synthesize the major insights gained in their study of the Social Sciences. A substantive paper is developed which requires students to critically analyze their experiences and knowledge in order to build leaders in the interdisciplinary field of Social Science. Prerequisite: Successful completion of the General Education Capstone course
This course provides a systematic review of foundational and advanced sociological concepts, especially those in relation to classical and contemporary sociological theories and their reflection of individuals, social groups, social problems and social movements in society. Students will gain knowledge of the development of social theories through research and the integration of varied theoretical perspectives on society; as well as be able to critically synthesize these social theories within the varied contexts of the field of public sociology.
Through this course, students will develop an understanding of social factors that influence health, wellness, and health care delivery systems. Course topics include social and demographic influences on health, social roles in prevention and illness, medical care institutions and their systems and structures, and the intersection between social policy and health.
In this course, the nonprofit organization, the governmental organization, and their structure and function are examined. Students will become familiar with different types of nonprofit and governmental organizations and their interrelated and often interdependent functions. Students will learn about the complexity of the public and nonprofit sectors functioning as a dynamic system of interrelated yet separate organizations that are governed by social and fiscal policy and regulation.
This course explores theories and concepts of work in contemporary society within and external to formal employment, and the intersection of work, gender, and family. Students will understand a broad range of experiences of work, drawing upon research on how temporal, socio-economic, gender and family roles, culture, and other factors shape work experiences. Students will also consider implications for policy and practice.
This course explores the structure, function, and culture of community organizations, and the ways in which social scientists can use qualitative and quantitative data to inform decision-making, identify and address needs, and evaluate processes and outcomes. Students will read and analyze a variety of case studies and approaches that address these issues.
This capstone course addresses the application of sociological theory and research methods to social problems or policy concerns in organizations or communities. Students can either choose from a selection of case studies provided or identify a local organization with an applied or medical social problem or policy issue and develop a proposed solution that applies their learning through an integrative project plan that combines theory, research, and practice. Prerequisite: completion of all required coursework.
