Sociology
Women's College
Overview
Program of Study
Course Descriptions
Jennifer Ashlock, Ph.D. candidate
The sociology program in the School of Arts and Sciences offers a minor in sociology to Women's College students. The scientific study of society, sociology examines the interworkings of different social institutions, the order of social interaction in groups, and the politics of social reality. Many sociologists address social problems such as crime, education, poverty, immigration, institutional discrimination and prejudice; in short, some of the very issues that inspired the School Sisters to found Notre Dame. The sociology program provides students with a perspective on the world best described as sociological mindfulness or, put simply, a way to tune in to the social world. It gives students the opportunity to investigate society and better understand their role in it.
Offered as a minor and as one of the theoretical foundations for the criminology major, the sociology curriculum provides both a micro and macro perspective on society. Its courses expose students to peer-reviewed research based on surveys, field work, comparative/historical reviews and experimentation.
The Practicum course can be done with a social service agency, grassroots organization, or research organization that gives students an opportunity to put their sociological imagination to work. It includes a series of seminars, which are directed by a faculty member and designed to help students integrate the field experience with their classroom learning.
A sociology minor is an excellent way to round out the student's experience at Notre Dame. Those who major in business, nursing, education, communication arts, and religious studies all benefit from a better understanding of the social world. The Practicum course is recommended so that students can apply their knowledge to an internship experience.
Sociology courses that satisfy the general education requirement in social science are: SOC-101, 202, 209, 215, 222, and 271.
All courses credited toward the minor must be completed with a C grade or higher.
Program of Study
The minor in sociology consists of seven courses as indicated below.
Minor in Sociology
Required courses
SOC-101 Introduction to Sociology (3)
SOC-209 Race, Class and Gender (3)
PSY-210 Research Methods I (4)
SOC-350 Social Theory (3)
Two electives chosen from
CRM-101 Introduction to Criminology (3)
SOC-215 Gender Roles or SOC-271 Honors: Sociology of Gender Roles (3)
SOC-220 Self and Society (3)
SOC-222 Social Problems or SOC-371 Honors: Social Problems (3)
SOC-231 Medicine and Society (3)
SOC-250 Sociology of Sport (3)
SOC-315 Sociology of Law (3)
SOC-340 Sociology of Deviance (3)
SOC-360 Sociology of Work (3)
SOC-390 Sociology of Education (3)
PSY-340 Quantitative Methods (4)
One senior experience chosen from
SOC-411 Advanced Topics in Sociology (3)
CRM-461 Criminology Practicum I (4)
SOC-463 Sociology Independent Study (3)
Note: Those who wish to major in criminology and minor in sociology must take three elective sociology courses instead of two due to the overlapping requirements of SOC-101, SOC-209, and PSY-210. The electives cannot have a dual purpose of also fulfilling the electives used for the criminology major. A separate Senior Experience course also should be chosen to fulfill the requirement for a minor in sociology. For example, if SOC-411 serves to fulfill the senior elective for the criminology major, it cannot also be used to fulfill the elective for the sociology minor. Please contact the faculty advisor to tailor an appropriate course schedule.
Course Descriptions
See psychology and criminology sections for PSY and CRM course descriptions.
SOC-101 INTRODUCTORY SOCIOLOGY
Uses the sociological imagination to help explain what sociology is
and how it is relevant to everyday life. Examines culture, social
structure, socialization, social institutions, social inequality and
social change. Topics include gender roles, deviance and social
control, class, race and ethnic inequality, family, and work. Serves
as a foundation course for students interested in the field of
sociology and criminology. Fulfills general education requirement in
social science. [3 credits]
SOC-202 SOCIOLOGY OF THE FAMILY
Examines the historical development and transformation of the
American family. Explores marriage and alternatives to traditional
arrangements. Students will analyze issues relating to parenting,
divorce, remarriage and grandparenting, paying special attention to
class and race, as well as ethnicity, gender differences and sexual
orientation. Fulfills general education requirement in social
science. Prerequisite: SOC-101 or permission of instructor.
[3 credits]
SOC-209 RACE, CLASS AND GENDER
Explores the intersecting systems of inequality, race, ethnicity,
social class and gender. Examines the construction of identity
categorizations and links them to our current experiences and
conceptions of self. Covers the nature of privilege and its
reproduction in social institutions such as the workplace,
education, and the criminal justice system. Fulfills general
education requirement in social science. Prerequisite: SOC-101
or permission of instructor. [3 credits]
SOC-215 GENDER ROLES
Addresses the social construction of gender roles. Demonstrates
patterns of inequality and power relations through historical and
cross-cultural data. Explains concepts such as sexism, gender
socialization, and gendered institutions. Examines the consequences
of division of labor in marital relations, the family and the
workplace. Fulfills general education requirement in social science.
Prerequisite: SOC-101 or permission. [3 credits]
SOC-220 SELF AND SOCIETY
Overviews micro-sociology, the study of human interaction. Examines
the social construction of language and thought, the self, social
order, social institutions, joint action and the politics of
reality. Students collect data using journals and examine their
daily interactions through the lens of the social construction of
reality. Examines patterns of inequality in everyday life using the
concept of official reality and the labeling of deviants. Prerequisite:
SOC-101. [3 credits]
SOC-222 SOCIAL PROBLEMS
Examines how social conditions come to be defined as social
problems. Surveys the causes of, theoretical explanations for, and
possible interventions to resolve social problems. Provides students
with opportunities to analyze in-depth such social concerns as
substance abuse, family violence, environmental issues,
discrimination, crime and terrorism. Fulfills general education
requirement in social science. Prerequisite: SOC-101 or
permission. [3 credits]
SOC-231 MEDICINE AND SOCIETY
Introduces the medical industry as an influential social structure
in society. The social construction of sickness is examined as a
means of understanding how this powerful industry influences general
notions of deviance and social status in America. Explains why and
how particular social arrangements affect health disparities and the
types and distribution of diseases such as heart disease, substance
use disorders and AIDS. Responses from the medical care system such
as its choice of methods and construction of public health problems
are described and analyzed. Prerequisite: SOC-101. [3
credits]
SOC-250 SOCIOLOGY OF SPORT
Examines sport as a social phenomenon. Particular attention is given
to comparing and contrasting cultural variances in sport. The course
uses sports to study social shifts, the politics of inequality, and
power structures across cultures. Topics include community identity
as defined by the culture of sport; the construction of morality
through sport; politics and sport; the role of gender and sexuality
in sport; and the role of sport in economic development. Fulfills
general education cross-cultural requirement. Cross listed with
PED-250. Prerequisite: SOC-101. [3 credits]
SOC-271 HONORS: SOCIOLOGY OF GENDER ROLES
Considers in depth the social construction of gender roles. Special
attention is given to the politics, ideology and social construction
of gender. Historical and cross-cultural data are analyzed to
identify patterns of inequality. The social impact of gender
inequality is evaluated. Fulfills general education
requirement in social science. Prerequisite: Morrissy scholar or
permission. [3 credits]
SOC-301 SOCIAL JUSTICE
Overviews social injustice in American society and in American
social institutions. Addresses issues of prejudice, racism and
sexism, as well as discrimination based on sexual orientation,
religious preference and disability. Provides students with
opportunities to evaluate problem-solving procedures for social
service agencies and the community at large. Prerequisite:
SOC-101, PSY-210, CRM-101 or SOC-222. [3 credits]
SOC-315 SOCIOLOGY OF LAW
Studies criminal law from a sociological perspective with an
emphasis on the United States Constitution. Examines the impact of
the social usages of law as an instrument of social policy, social
control and social regulation. Prepares students to interact
professionally with the legal system. Prerequisites: PSY-210,
SOC-101 or CRM-101. [3 credits]
SOC-340 DEVIANCE AND SOCIAL CONTROL
Examines how we come to define attitudes, behavior, and
characteristics as "normal" or "deviant" in society. Explores the
construction of categories of difference with an eye toward the idea
that labeling people or ideas as deviant is often a way to maintain
the status quo. Addresses "deviant" behavior as an agent of social
change as well as a source of social stability. Applies various
sociological paradigms to such topics as social movements, crime and
delinquency, and mental illness. Prerequisite: PSY-210, SOC-101
or CRM-101. [3 credits]
SOC-350 SOCIOLOGICAL THEORY
Provides an overview of the theoretical foundations of the
discipline. First exposes students to the works of Karl Marx, Emile
Durkheim and Max Weber—the "fathers" of sociology—and then
provides current theoretical considerations. Analyzes various
sociological perspectives in explaining social phenomena, such as
structural functionalism, conflict theory, symbolic interaction, and
feminist sociology. Explores every day applications of sociological
paradigms. Prerequisites: SOC-101. [3 credits]
SOC-360 SOCIOLOGY OF WORK
Analyzes social relations in the workplace as well as the dynamics
of the labor market. Identifies the units of analysis in the study
of work and changes to each in U.S. industrial shifts. The
demographics of the labor market are analyzed in the context of the
Great Migration, the dual labor market, control systems, flexible
firms, occupational sex segregation, and globalization. Public
policies that influence work relations such as the National Labor
Relations Act and the Civil Rights Act are couched in labor market
dynamics. Interpersonal dimensions of work are also addressed
including the negotiation between family, intergenerational mobility
and work and job satisfaction. Prerequisites: SOC-101 and PSY-210. [3 credits]
SOC-371 HONORS: SOCIAL PROBLEMS
Examines how social conditions come to be defined as social
problems. Surveys causes, theoretical explanations, and possible
interventions to resolve social problems. Provides students with
opportunities to analyze in-depth such social concerns as substance
abuse, family violence, environmental issues, discrimination, crime
and terrorism. Prerequisites SOC-101 or permission; Morrissy
Scholar or permission. [3 credits]
SOC-390 SOCIOLOGY OF EDUCATION
Provides an overview of sociological theories and research about
education in modern societies. Education is analyzed as a social
institution that both challenges and reflects social stratification
and institutionalized racism. The course addresses the reciprocal
relationship between education and other social institutions such as
family and the economy. The course considers education at a variety
of levels, from preschool to university and its influence on human
capital accumulation. Prerequisite: SOC-101 and PSY-210. [3
credits]
SOC-411 ADVANCED TOPICS
Provides a context for understanding the broad focus of the
discipline of criminology. As an upper-level course in the
criminology major, reviews key sociological and criminological
writings from an advanced, informed perspective. The student uses
these scholarly resources to develop a paper that synthesizes her
particular knowledge of criminological theory, research and
applications. Students also develop their abilities to analyze their
personal experiences from a sociological perspective and explore
options for continued study or employment related to their
sociological training. Topics will vary, though recent topics have
included: Corporate Crime, Violence Against Women, Social Inequality
in the Criminal Justice System, and Policing. Prerequisite:
PSY-210, CRM-303 or SOC-350, and junior/senior status.
[3 credits]
SOC-463 INDEPENDENT RESEARCH/INDEPENDENT STUDY
Provides a student with an opportunity to pursue a scholarly project
under the direction of a faculty member. Work may include directed
readings, literature review, clinical study, or data collection and
analysis. Prerequisites: PSY-210, PSY-340 and acceptance for
supervision by a department faculty member. [3 credits]