SOCI - Sociology

SOCI 101IS Introduction to Sociology: 3 Credits (3 Lec)

(F, Sp) Theoretical and methodological underpinnings of sociology. How theory guides investigation of social life and results in creation of factual knowledge. How sociological questions are studied and results are interpreted.

View Course Outcomes:

Demonstrate development of a sociological imagination;\\n
Explain and apply sociological concepts and theories;\\n
Explain and apply disciplinary methods, including types of questions asked by sociologists and methods used to explore those questions; \\n
Examine culturally grounded assumptions that influence the perception and behaviors of individuals and groups.

SOCI 110IS Honors Sociological Inquiry: 3 Credits (3 Lec)

In-depth study of the sociological enterprise: the broad range of theories and research used by sociologists to think about and examine the social world. All major areas of sociology are covered with an emphasis on institutions and systems of stratification.

View Course Outcomes:

Demonstrate development of a sociological imagination;\\n
Explain and apply sociological concepts and theories;\\n
Explain and apply disciplinary methods, including types of questions asked by sociologists and methods used to explore those questions;\\n
Examine culturally grounded assumptions that influence the perception and behaviors of individuals and groups.\\n

SOCI 150D Social Difference: 3 Credits (3 Lec)

Examination of social differences by focusing on the construction and consequences of a limited set ascribed social characteristics: race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation and class. Focus on how these ascribed statuses are central to the sociological study of inequality.

SOCI 201D Social Problems: 3 Credits (3 Lec)

Major social problems such as human deviance, discrimination, crime, mental illness, and economic inequality. These problems will be considered primarily as consequences of cultural premises and values in American society. Competing theoretical explanations.

View Course Outcomes:

Apply sociological perspective to the study of social problems;
Explain and apply sociological concepts and theories to the analysis of social problems;\\n
Use disciplinary methods in the analysis of social problems;
Demonstrate an understanding of the structural and ideological processes that influence social problems.

SOCI 202 Social Statistics: 3 Credits (3 Lec)

PREREQUISITE: SOCI 101IS, SOCI 110IS or equivalent course; Quantitative Core; or consent of instructor. Topics covered include: Levels of measurement; measures of central tendency, dispersion and association; normal curve, statistical inference; logic of quantitative comparison and decision making utilized by social scientists; introduction to data collection techniques

View Course Outcomes:

Identify appropriate technique to analyze particular data;
Apply a computer-based analysis of basic statistical methods;
Understand basic probability;
Understand and employ descriptive and inferential statistics to describe or explain social phenomena;
Understand and apply principles of hypothesis testing;
Demonstrate an ability to conduct and interpret the results of statistical analysis using all of the following: chi-square, difference of means, regression and correlation;
Understand measures of central tendencies, graphic presentation, measures of dispersion and/or variability, t tests, chi-square, ANOVA, correlation and bi-variate regression, probability.

SOCI 221IS Criminal Justice System: 3 Credits (3 Lec)

(F, Sp) This course is an overview of the institutions that comprise our justice system. The emphasis is on criminal justice and the sources of crime but topics relevant to the broader study of the law and justice included.

View Course Outcomes:

Apply a sociological perspective to the study of the criminal justice system;\\n
Use empirical evidence to examine and assess the operation of the criminal system;\\n
Understand society's response to crime;\\n
Examine the interaction of the individual with the criminal justice system.\\n

SOCI 235 Aging and Society: 3 Credits (3 Lec)

PREREQUISITE: SOCI 101IS or SOCI 110IS or consent of instructor. Introduction to the study of aging in humans and how cultural and social structures shape individual and population experiences of aging. Examination of how the aging process is related to different social institutions as well as inequalities in the aging process

View Course Outcomes:

Demonstrate an understanding of the demographics relating to an aging population;
Apply the perspectives and terminology of sociology to comprehend factors affecting aging;
Identify and describe key topics and issues in sociological research involving aging;
Demonstrate an understanding of the cultural influences upon perception of the aging both historically and in the present;
Identify and compare community resources for the aging;
Analyze and communicate information in written and oral forms

SOCI 290R Undergraduate Research: 1-6 Credits (1-6 Other)

Directed undergraduate research which may culminate in a written work or other creative project. Course will address responsible conduct of research. May be repeated.
Repeatable up to 99 credits.

SOCI 291 Special Topics: 1-4 Credits (1 Lec)

PREREQUISITE: None required but some may be determined necessary by each offering department. Courses not required in any curriculum for which there is a particular one-time need, or given on a trial basis to determine acceptability and demand before requesting a regular course number
Repeatable up to 12 credits.

SOCI 303 Society and the Individual: 3 Credits (3 Lec)

PREREQUISITE: SOCI 101IS or SOCI 110IS. Social behavior of the individual in the group, linguistic behavior, social perception, motivation and learning, and self-focus on symbolic interaction

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Demonstrate an understanding of social psychology theories from a sociological perspective
Demonstrate an understanding of how individuals both affect and are affected by their social environment
Analyze the social construction of the self and the social world
Analyze and assess research literature including primary source research materials related to sociological social psychology

SOCI 307 Soc of Childhood & Adolescence: 3 Credits (3 Lec)

PREREQUISITE: SOCI 101IS or SOCI 110IS. Examination of cultural and societal forces influencing development among children and adolescents from a sociological perspective

View Course Outcomes:

Demonstrate an understanding of sociological theories addressing child and adolescent development and experience
Demonstrate an understanding of how children and adolescents both affect and are affected by their social environment
Analyze the unique cultural attributes of the life stages labeled childhood and adolescence
Analyze and assess research literature including primary source materials related to sociological understanding of childhood and adolescence

SOCI 308 Becoming an Adult in America: 3 Credits (3 Lec)

PREREQUISITE: SOCI 101IS or SOCI 110IS. Examine the sociohistorical construction of the transition to adulthood, the changing institutional roles associated with the transition, and unique aspects of the transition to adulthood among marginalized populations

View Course Outcomes:

Describe the subjective and objective markers that have been used to define the transition to adulthood.
Explain how the transition to adulthood has changed across generations and is embedded within an historical context.
Articulate how stratification in the US (e.g., by class, race, and gender) shapes the transition to adult roles and the subjective meaning of adulthood in the US today.
Describe why young adult transitions matter for later life outcomes.
Develop quantitative skills through collecting and interpreting basic statistics.
Develop qualitative skills through collecting, analyzing, and interpreting interview data.
Effectively communicate personal opinions and research findings orally and in writing, while successfully differentiating between the two.

SOCI 311 Criminology: 3 Credits (3 Lec)

PREREQUISITE: SOCI 101IS or SOCI 110IS. (F, Sp) Discussion of major theories of crime and delinquency with special attention to systems of adult and juvenile deterrence

View Course Outcomes:

Demonstrate an understanding of the nature and causes of crime and delinquency
Demonstrate an understanding of the extent and distribution of crime
Use sociological methodology to study crime and delinquency
Evaluate explanations of crime and delinquency
Analyze and assess primary research literature or research data related to crime and delinquency

SOCI 313 Principles of Criminal Law and Procedure: 3 Credits (3 Lec)

PREREQUISITE: SOCI 101IS or SOCI 110IS. This course introduces the student to fundamental American legal principles as developed in criminal law. In addition, the student will gain a basic understanding of key issues in the application and development of contemporary legal procedures

View Course Outcomes:

Develop a basic understanding of criminal law and procedure as they exist today, and an appreciation of the social structures and underpinnings from which our American criminal legal system has developed and will continue to evolve
Develop an understanding of the American criminal justice system by comparing it and contrasting it with the military criminal justice system
Develop a rudimentary framework of rules of evidence
Develop legal reasoning skills

SOCI 318R Sociological Research Methods: 3 Credits (3 Lec)

PREREQUISITE: SOCI 101IS or SOCI 110IS and STAT 216Q or SOCI 202. (F, Sp) Introduction to research methods in sociology with emphasis given to defining variables, hypothesis formation, and development of strategies used to test hypotheses. Student research project. For Sociology majors. Non-majors allowed with consent

View Course Outcomes:

Understand and describe a variety of different quantitative and qualitative research methods.
Identify the methods appropriate to investigate different research questions.
Frame a sociological research question and identify and apply appropriate research methods to address the question.
Demonstrate the ability to synthesize the literature on a sociological research question.

SOCI 320 Sociology of Religion: 3 Credits (3 Lec)

PREREQUISITE: SOCI 101IS or SOCI 110IS. Religion as a sociological phenomenon. Theories of the evolution and functions of religion. Religion's effects on society and believers. The structure of religious groups. Religion and public discourse. Religion and social change. Civil religion

View Course Outcomes:

Explain and describe characteristics of religion and religious systems as social institutions;
Explain and describe the diversity of religious systems and experiences;
Employ sociological theories to understand current and historical issues related to religion and the evolution of religious systems;

SOCI 325 Social Stratification: 3 Credits (3 Lec)

PREREQUISITE: SOCI 101IS or SOCI 110IS. The study of socio-economic inequality and its intersection with racial and gender inequality. Class and class structure in America. Changes in economic inequality. Social policy and economic inequality

View Course Outcomes:

Explain and describe social stratification with a primary focus on social class;
Explain and describe the bases and processes of social stratification;
Employ sociological theories to understand current and historical issues related to social stratification;
Analyze and assess research literature including primary source research materials related to social stratification.

SOCI 326 Sociology of Gender: 3 Credits (3 Lec)

PREREQUISITE: SOCI 101IS or SOCI 110IS. Examines the social and biological bases of gender; how gender is constructed through socialization, social interaction and institutional processes, and the social, cultural and economic consequences of gender differences for men and women

View Course Outcomes:

Explain and describe the social construction of gender;
Explain and describe systems and processes of gender inequality;
Employ sociological theories to understand current and historical issues related to gender development and gender relations;
Analyze and assess research literature including primary source research materials related to gender and gender inequality.

SOCI 327 Sociology of Deviance: 3 Credits (3 Lec)

PREREQUISITE: SOCI 101IS
This course examines how particular attributes or behaviors are defined as deviant, the social consequences of formal and informal deviant designations, and the construction and imposition of norms, values, and rules.

SOCI 332 Sociology of the Family: 3 Credits (3 Lec)

PREREQUISITE: SOCI 101IS. The family as a structural and functional unit in social life and organization, as a unit of social control; its status, change, and associated problems

SOCI 333 Sociology of Education: 3 Credits (3 Lec)

PREREQUISITE: SOCI 101IS. This course will focus on the relationship between education and society including the role of education in structuring socialization; racial, ethnic, gender and class stratification; human capital development; economic, political and labor market opportunities; and the political system

SOCI 334 Gender, Crime, and Criminal-Legal System: 3 Credits (3 Lec)

PREREQUISITE: SOCI 101IS or SOCI 110IS. (F) Examination of crime, criminal-legal processes, and the interlocking institutions of the criminal-legal system through a gendered lens. Emphasis on social construction of criminality, historical and contemporary representations of gender and crime, and impacts of structural conditions on women within the justice system

View Course Outcomes:

Analyze the social construction of crime through a gendered lens
Describe the impacts of interlocking systems of oppression within the\\ncriminal-legal system on women and others of marginalized identity
Utilize an intersectional framework to interrogate and critically reflect on contemporary issues impacting women within the criminal-legal system
Identify the impacts of carceral feminism on contemporary issues of crime, justice, and the criminal-legal system
Identify the impacts of the expanding of carceral logics into related and\\nintersecting criminal-legal institutions, including social services
Engage in meaningful reflection, resistance, and education both within the classroom, the MSU campus, and the broader community

SOCI 335 Juvenile Justice System: 3 Credits (3 Lec)

PREREQUISITE: SOCI 101IS or SOCI 221IS. An analysis of the juvenile justice system in the United States, including the historical development of policies and practices. The role of various social agencies in defining, preventing, and responding to delinquency will also be considered, primarily from a sociological perspective

SOCI 340 Social Movements: 3 Credits (3 Lec)

PREREQUISITE: SOCI 101IS or SOCI 110IS. Of all the means of achieving social change, movements are among the most controversial. This course looks at movements through the theories used to interpret their activities in order to improve our understanding of their dynamics

View Course Outcomes:

Demonstrate knowledge of the major theories and perspectives in social movement research.
Understand the how the major theories and perspectives developed and interact with other social forces.
Analyze and assess research literature including primary source research materials related to sociological understanding of social movements.
Understand how social movements attempt to accomplish their goals and why they succeed and why they fail.

SOCI 344 Sociology of Race & Ethnicity: 3 Credits (3 Lec)

PREREQUISITE: SOCI 101IS or SOCI 110IS. Historical, comparative, and social psychological study of race and ethnic relations in the U.S. and elsewhere. Power, prejudice, and discrimination relating to minority status are emphasized

View Course Outcomes:

Explain and describe the social construction of race and ethnicity;
Explain and describe systems and processes of racial and ethnic stratification;
Employ sociological theories to understand current and historical issues related to the development of racial and ethnic identities and stratification;
Analyze and assess research literature including primary source research materials related to racial and ethnic identities and stratification.

SOCI 345 Sociology of Organizations: 3 Credits (3 Lec)

PREREQUISITE: SOCI 101IS or SOCI 110IS. Rational, natural, and open systems theories of complex organizations. Introduction to organizational structure. Irrational aspects of organizations. Organizational environments and their effects on structure and activity

View Course Outcomes:

Explain and describe characteristics of complex organizations and bureaucracies as social institutions;
Explain and describe diverse structures and processes of complex organizations, including bureaucracies;
Employ sociological theories to understand current and historical issues related to complex organizations, including bureaucracies;
Analyze and assess research literature including primary source research materials related to complex organizations, including bureaucracies.

SOCI 346 Rural Sociology: 3 Credits (3 Lec)

PREREQUISITE: SOCI 101IS or SOCI 110IS. Demographic, economic and sociocultural change in rural communities with an emphasis on global economy, political structure, urbanization, and economic and social infrastructure. Special attention given to the rural west and Montana

View Course Outcomes:

Explain and describe definitions and characteristics of rural society;
Explain and describe diverse processes of rural well-being and change in rural society;
Apply sociological theories to understand current and historical issues related to rural society;
Analyze and assess primary research literature or empirical data related to issues in rural society.

SOCI 347 Urban Sociology: 3 Credits (3 Lec)

PREREQUISITE: SOCI 101IS. Introduces basic concepts of human ecology and focuses on basic patterns of social life in urban areas and their effect on the society and culture which can be expressed by the individual. The urban area is presented in its communal, ecological and morphological aspects including planning for the future

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Apply an understanding of the historical trends in the development of U.S. cities, including the role of economic restructuring, geographic distribution of communities, and U.S. urban policies, to unintended consequences, current social processes, and possible implications for inequality such as segregation
Analyze the growth of U.S. cities through the lenses of major American theories of urbanization and urbanism including “The Chicago School,” “The L.A. School,” and the “urban political economy paradigm”
Assess the role of gentrification and the production of culture for the built environment of contemporary urban neighborhoods
Evaluate and critique contemporary urban theories and policies such as broken windows theory and the creative economy perspective\\n

SOCI 355 Population and Society: 3 Credits (3 Lec)

PREREQUISITE: SOCI 101IS or SOCI 110IS. Distribution, growth trends, and future prospects of human population numbers in local, national, and world communities including analysis of birth, death, and migration changes. Elementary methods and theories of demographic analysis

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Employ demographic concepts and basic measurement techniques to describe and explain trends in fertility, mortality, migration, population structure and population dynamics;
Evaluate theories and measures of fertility, mortality, migration, population structure and population dynamics;
Employ population theories and concepts to assess contemporary demographic issues;
Analyze population policies and related population outcomes;
Analyze and assess research literature including primary source research materials related to population processes.

SOCI 357 Occupational/Corporate Crime: 3 Credits (3 Lec)

PREREQUISITE: SOCI 101IS or SOCI 110IS. A sociological analysis of crimes committed by individuals within the work place and by corporations. Addressed are the extent of the problems, social costs, legal responses, and theoretical perspectives assessing the etiology of such crimes

View Course Outcomes:

Strengthen student comprehension of issues, research, and ideas involving the nature and distribution of white-collar crime
Provide students with frameworks, theories and perspectives that help students make sense of their world and the phenomenon of white collar crime specifically
Improve general communicative skills and critical thinking skills, including being able to critique their own world-views about the nature of crime and its social control
Getting students to be informed citizens about the problem of ‘crime in the suites.’

SOCI 358 Crime and Inequality: 3 Credits (3 Lec)

PREREQUISITE: SOCI 101IS or SOCI 110IS. This course examines how crime amid justice play out in the context of a stratified society. Students explore how social organization, inequality and conflict influence and shape the nature and distribution of crime and social control

View Course Outcomes:

Understand the major explanations of how inequality is associated with crime
Understand the evidence regarding the (potential) differential processing of the accused on the basis of race, gender, and social class
Analyze the consequences of crime control policies in reproducing and perpetuating inequality
Develop skills and knowledge necessary for students interested in working in justice systems to be able to deal with diverse peoples and diversity issues

SOCI 359 Crime, Justice and Media: 3 Credits (3 Lec)

PREREQUISITE: SOCI 101IS or SOCI 110IS. Examines interrelationships between mass media, criminal justice system and crime in the US; public policy implications of media portrayals of crime, criminals, police and court system; relationship between media consumption and crime

View Course Outcomes:

Understand and apply extant models of the media to the phenomena of crime and justice
Critically analyze the various media portrayals of crime and justice and assess their purpose and their consequences for the audience and criminal justice actors
Understand the evidence regarding the debate about the consequences of violent portrayals in the media
Develop a deeper understanding of how the media shapes our understanding of crime and criminal justice

SOCI 362 Sociology of Law Enforcement: 3 Credits (3 Lec)

PREREQUISITE: SOCI 101IS or SOCI 110IS or SOCI 221IS. An examination of policing in society, with emphasis on the cultural context in which it occurs, its structural characteristics, and social psychological processes

View Course Outcomes:

Apply sociological perspective to the study of law enforcement;
Use empirical evidence to examine and assess the operation of law enforcement;
Employ sociological theories to understand current and historical issues related to law enforcement;
Examine the interaction of the individual with law enforcement.

SOCI 363 Crime Prevention: 3 Credits (3 Lec)

PREREQUISITE: SOCI 101IS or SOCI 110IS or consent of instructor. (F) This course will examine the complexities of crime prevention in the United States. Criminological theory will be applied to examine current crime prevention strategies. In addition, this course will emphasize the importance of program evaluation as it relates to the implementation of crime prevention programs

View Course Outcomes:

Describe the connection between theory, evidence, and policies designed to control crime
Compare evaluation strategies to create evidence-based prevention programs.
Connect criminological theory to crime prevention strategies.
Critically evaluate crime prevention policies.
Develop crime prevention programming based on course concepts.

SOCI 370 Sociology of Globalization: 3 Credits (3 Lec)

PREREQUISITE: SOCI 101IS or SOCI 110IS. Examines the global interconnectedness of economic, political and cultural processes. Topics covered include theories and historical analysis of globalization, global culture and consumerism. The human struggles that accompany these changes including gender, family, and immigration

View Course Outcomes:

Demonstrate development of a global sociological imagination;
Explain and apply concepts and theories of globalization;
Apply a global sociological perspective to the study of inequality;
Demonstrate an understanding of the sociological and historical forces underlying globalization;
Analyze and assess primary research literature or research data related to globalization.

SOCI 374 Sociology of Culture: 3 Credits (3 Lec)

PREREQUISITE: SOCI 101IS or SOCI 110IS. Survey of major approaches to the sociology of culture and the use of cultural theory in sociological analysis. Focus on cultural aspects of hegemony, language, artifacts, ideas, identities, and narratives to construct social reality

View Course Outcomes:

Demonstrate an understanding of sociology-based theories and approaches to the study of culture;
Demonstrate an understanding of how culture is created by and affects human actors
Analyze and assess how culture is socially constructed in multiple institutions and social categories
Analyze and assess research literature, including primary source research materials, related to the sociological study of culture

SOCI 375 Law & Globalization: 3 Credits (3 Lec)

PREREQUISITE: SOCI 101IS or instructor consent. Study of the relationship between law and globalization. Examination of the effects of globalization processes on various aspects of the legal field and the role that law plays in globalization

View Course Outcomes:

Summarize a sociological perspective on the nature of globalization
Identify the role of law in economic, cultural, and political globalization processes
Describe the effects of globalization processes (colonialism, global governance, and international criminal law) on legal orders
Apply socio-legal theories of globalization to explain changes in legal forms
Analyze the relationship between global legal norms and social inequalities
Locate and interpret primary source evidence related to course themes

SOCI 380 Sociology of Health & Medicine: 3 Credits (3 Lec)

PREREQUISITE: SOCI 101IS or SOCI 110IS. An in-depth exploration of differing perspectives on health, medicine, practitioners, and healthcare systems with a focus on how gender, race/ethnicity, and social class affect health care systems, policies, practice and individual experiences of health and illness

View Course Outcomes:

Explain and describe characteristics of health and medicine as a social institution;
Explain and describe the role of social inequalities in health and medicine;
Employ sociological theories to understand current and historical issues related to health and medicine;
Analyze and assess research literature including primary source research materials related to health and medicine.

SOCI 401 Animals and Society: 3 Credits (3 Lec)

PREREQUISITE: SOCI 101IS or SOCI 110IS. This course explores the spaces that animals occupy in human social and cultural worlds and the interactions humans have with them. Central to this course will be an exploration of the ways in which people and animals shape each other’s lives. -

View Course Outcomes:

Engage with relevant theoretical and empirical debates regarding the use of animals.
Identify and discuss animal-related social problems
Propose theoretically and empirically grounded solutions to animal related social problems.

SOCI 414 Family Violence: 3 Credits (3 Lec)

PREREQUISITE: SOCI 101IS or SOCI 110IS. Examination of family violence. Couple violence, child abuse, elder abuse, and sibling abuse. Theories of cause, prevention, and treatment

View Course Outcomes:

Learn the current and historical issues related to family violence
Learn theories appropriate to the study of family violence from a sociological perspective
Learn methods appropriate to the study of family violence from a sociological perspective
Demonstrate an understanding of the structural and ideological processes that influence the prevalence of family violence
Analyze and assess primary research literature or research data related to family violence

SOCI 415 Sociology of Trauma: 3 Credits (3 Lec)

PREREQUISITE: SOCI 101IS or SOCI 110IS. (F) This course introduces students to contemporary trauma theories and research. Special topics include: the neurophysiology of trauma, adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), ongoing adversity (i.e., racism, sexism, and economic disadvantage), occupational trauma exposure, intergenerational and historical traumas, and epigenetics. An experiential approach to learning and understanding basic trauma interventions and trauma resolution techniques is also used (i.e., mindfulness and social support)

View Course Outcomes:

Apply classical and contemporary theoretical approaches to a variety of potentially-traumatic events and circumstances
Identify and describe the individual, interpersonal, occupational, and cultural-historical consequences of trauma
Evaluate basic predictors and risk-factors for trauma-related symptoms
Implement basic trauma interventions and trauma resolution techniques

SOCI 420 Violence in America: 3 Credits (3 Lec)

PREREQUISITE: SOCI 101IS or SOCI 110IS or consent of instructor. This course offers a comprehensive explanation of the nature of violent crime and its social control in America. We will explore a number of different types of violence, including homicide, rape, assault, domestic violence, child abuse, robbery, and terrorism

View Course Outcomes:

Students will be able to understand the issues and controversies involving the nature and distribution of violence, with an emphasis on violence in the United States
Analyze and explain violence generally and violence in America specifically, using frameworks and theories of violence
Describe the connections between formal theory, evidence, and policies designed to control violent behavior
Understand the nature of a variety of violent crimes
Improve general communicative skills and critical thinking skills, including being able to critique their own worldviews about the nature of violence in America and its social control
Critically assess policies and initiatives designed to control violent behavior

SOCI 423 Sociology of Corrections: 3 Credits (3 Lec)

PREREQUISITE: SOCI 101IS or SOCI 110IS. Examination of the nature and extent of corrections in the Unites States as well as the purposes, structures, and procedures of penal sanctioning and the institutional systems of correction. Emphasis on historical developments and current trends and issues in corrections

View Course Outcomes:

Describe correctional history;
Demonstrate fluency in contemporary theories of deterrence, rehabilitation, restitution, and restorative justice;
Explain and evaluate legislative reform and policies of correctional management and administration;
Explain and evaluate practical concepts of community corrections;
Describe current laws and amendments affecting the correctional enterprise;
Demonstrate motivation as a future professional.

SOCI 425 Victims and Society: 3 Credits (3 Lec)

PREREQUISITE: SOCI 101IS or SOCI 110IS or SOCI 221IS. This course introduces students to the field of victimology, response to victimization in the United States, and crime victim typologies. Special topics include: human trafficking, school violence, child abuse, intimate partner violence, stalking, sexual assault, hate crimes & cyber victimization. -

View Course Outcomes:

Understand the evolution of concepts, theories, typologies, research, policies, and practices related to victimization and victim services from a sociological perspective.
Be able to identify the historical, economic, and social factors that triggered changes in victim service response.
Using a sociological perspective, understand and be able to articulate the purpose and objectives of victim services in the United States.
Recognize the rationale behind specialized prevention, intervention, and treatment programs for both perpetrators and victims.
Have knowledge of state of the art scholarship that evaluates the theories, typologies, programs, policies, and initiatives that comprise victim service response in America.

SOCI 433 Sociology of Homelessness: 3 Credits (3 Lec)

PREREQUISITE: SOCI 101IS or SOCI 110IS. (F) Introduction to housing and homelessness from a sociological perspective, focusing on broad themes of the housing crisis and causes of homelessness, the dynamics of homelessness, and the evaluation of policy approaches to ending homelessness

View Course Outcomes:

Describe housing in the United States, focusing on residential segregation, housing discrimination, and homelessness
Develop a sociological perspective on individuals and families who experience homelessness
Explain why homelessness is more prevalent in the United States than in many other advanced economy countries
Critically analyze the conflicting explanations for the rise in homelessness and various policy responses to end homelessness
Conduct a community-level analysis of homelessness

SOCI 434 Sociology of Human Sexuality: 3 Credits (3 Lec)

PREREQUISITE: SOCI 101IS or SOCI 110IS. (Sp) Investigation of human sexuality from a sociological perspective. Focus on social aspects of human desires experiences, and meanings in historical and cultural context primarily using a social construction of human sexuality perspective. -

View Course Outcomes:

Apply the sociological perspective to the study of human sexuality using sociological concepts, theories, and research methods.
Explain and describe how sex and sexuality are constructed through and shaped by social processes and how they change considerably across time and space.
Demonstrate a deep understanding of how popular culture shapes cultural messages about sexuality, intimacy, relationships, and sexual identities.
Critically analyze the social dynamics of human sexuality through engaging in structured discussions of emerging topics in sexuality.

SOCI 435 Law and Society: 3 Credits (3 Lec)

PREREQUISITE: SOCI 101IS or SOCI 110IS. Analysis of law, legal processes, and legal and quasi-legal institutions from sociological and philosophical perspectives. Some issues that are addressed include the functions of the law in modern society, the issue of the law's power (or impotence) in the everyday, and the law's violence. -

View Course Outcomes:

Explain and describe characteristics of law and legal systems as a social institution;
Explain and describe the role of social inequalities in law and legal systems;
Employ sociological theories to understand current and historical issues related to law and legal systems;
Analyze and assess research literature including primary source research materials related to law and legal systems.

SOCI 436 Law and Inequality: 3 Credits (3 Lec)

PREREQUISITE: SOCI 101IS or SOCI 110IS. This course addresses the problem of social inequality by examining the contradictory ways in which the law may be used as both an instrument of social change and as a medium to formalize and solidify social inequality

View Course Outcomes:

Explain and describe characteristics of law and legal systems as a social institution;
Explain and describe the role of social inequalities in law and legal systems;
Employ sociological theories to understand current and historical issues related to law and legal systems;
Analyze and assess research literature including primary source research materials related to law and legal systems.

SOCI 437 Communities & Crime: 3 Credits (3 Lec)

PREREQUISITE: SOCI 101IS or SOCI 110IS. This course examines the ways in which crime and violence are concentrated in certain neighborhoods and communities. The course overviews relevant theoretical models, the spatial concentration of crime, and informal and formal efforts to combat crime at the neighborhood level

View Course Outcomes:

Explain the issues and difficulties involved in identifying and defining neighborhoods and defining crime at the neighborhood level.
Discuss the origins and relevance of urban sociology as a sub-discipline of Sociology.
Use theoretical approaches to explain why some neighborhoods have more crime than others.
Discuss differential patterns of community-level crime, and the consequences of concentrated crime and criminal justice involvement.
Discuss how communities organize against crime through formal and informal means.

SOCI 444 Sociology of Trafficking and Erotic Labor: 3 Credits (3 Lec)

PREREQUISITE: SOCI 101IS or SOCI 110IS. (F) A sociological examination of human trafficking and erotic labor (e.g., sex work, pornography, escorting) within both the US and global context. Emphasis on historical conceptualizations of sex, work, gender, and crime as they impact contemporary understandings and subsequent interventions of both sex work and trafficking

View Course Outcomes:

Describe the role of historic conceptualizations of sex, work, and gender on contemporary issues of human trafficking and erotic labor
Describe the differences between human trafficking and different types of erotic labor
Explain the global legal landscape of sex work and its impacts on both sex workers and trafficking victims, including the differences between full criminalization, partial criminalization, legalization, the Nordic Model, and decriminalization
Apply a critical intersectional framework to unpack contemporary issues relating to sex work and trafficking including interventions in both, policing, media attention/campaigns, social movement narratives, barriers and facilitators to help-seeking, etc.
Engage in meaningful reflection, engagement of campus oriented groups, and education with the classroom, the MSU campus, and the broader community

SOCI 448 Society and Sport: 3 Credits (3 Lec)

PREREQUISITE: SOCI 101IS or SOCI 110IS. Employs sociology as a means to understand and analyze social issues related to sports. Addresses both the positive and negative features of sport in society today, examines the current popularity of sports, the benefits they provide, and the problems they may pose. Discusses how participation in sports can teach cultural values, encourage socially appropriate behavior, and foster community spirit and looks at how particular social problems such as economic inequality, sexism, and racism

View Course Outcomes:

Explain and describe characteristics of sport as a social institution;
Explain and describe the role of social inequalities in sport;
Employ sociological theories to understand current and historical issues related to sport;
Analyze and assess research literature including primary source research materials related to sport.

SOCI 455 Classical Sociological Theory: 3 Credits (3 Lec)

PREREQUISITE: SOCI 101IS or SOCI 110IS. Introduction to major sociological theories with focus on the implication for the development of empirical research. Theory as a set of tools to guide research. The explanations provided by theorists are compared and their contributions to the study of selected social phenomena are discussed. For Sociology majors. Non-majors allowed with consent

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Describe and explain key contributions of classical social theorists including, but not limited to, Durkheim, Weber, and Marx;
Understand the social and political context of the key theorists;
Critically evaluate the assumptions and contributions of key classical theorists;
Evaluate the contemporary relevance of contributions of key classical theorists.

SOCI 470 Environmental Sociology: 3 Credits (3 Lec)

PREREQUISITE: SOCI 101IS or SOCI 110IS. The study of spatial and temporal arrangements of human population. The relationship of human society, natural resources, and constructed environments. A review of the contemporary environmental movement

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Demonstrate an understanding of the structural and institutional relationship between humans, society, and the natural environment;
Demonstrate a critical and reflexive understanding of how humans, society and the natural environment are engaged in a reciprocal relationship;
Apply sociological theories and methods to study the reciprocal relationship between the environment and society;
Analyze and evaluate explanations of environmental problems with attention to local, national, and global processes;
Analyze and assess primary research literature or research data related to environmental sociology.

SOCI 485 Political Sociology: 3 Credits (3 Lec)

PREREQUISITE: SOCI 101IS or SOCI 110IS. Power. Who has it, who doesn't, and why. Political sociology explores the omnipresence of power in society from political power in government to power relationships in our day-to-day lives. Political economy will also be examined

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Become familiar with concepts such as state, power, authority, domination, autonomy, citizenship, and capitalism;
Analyze social bases of power, ideologies, institutional interrelationships, political trends and change, policy determination, and political participation and membership;
Understand the theoretical approaches and research methodologies used by political sociologists, drawing from original source materials;
Use appropriate theoretical approaches to analyze current and historical social and political events.

SOCI 490R Undergraduate Research: 1-6 Credits (1-6 Other)

PREREQUISITE: SOCI 101IS. Directed undergraduate research which may culminate in a research paper, journal article, or undergraduate thesis. Course will address responsible conduct of research. May be repeated
Repeatable up to 12 credits.

SOCI 491 Special Topics: 1-4 Credits (1-4 Lec)

PREREQUISITE: SOCI 101IS. Courses not required in any curriculum for which there is a particular one-time need, or given on a trial basis to determine acceptability and demand before requesting a regular course number
Repeatable up to 12 credits.

SOCI 492 Independent Study: 1-3 Credits (1-3 Other)

PREREQUISITE: SOCI 101IS, and at least Junior standing, and approval of Department Head. Directed research and study on an individual basis
Repeatable up to 6 credits.

SOCI 494 Seminar: 1-3 Credits (1-3 Other)

PREREQUISITE: As determined for each offering. Max 12 cr. Topics offered at the upper division level which are not covered in regular courses. Students participate in preparing and presenting discussion material
Repeatable up to 9 credits.

SOCI 498 Internship: 2-12 Credits (2-12 Other)

PREREQUISITE: SOCI 101IS or SOCI 110IS, and at least Junior standing, and approval of department head. (F, Sp) An individualized assignment arranged with an agency, business, or other organization to provide guided experience in the field. See departmental qualification standards for internships
Repeatable up to 12 credits.

SOCI 499 Senior Thesis Capstone: 3 Credits (3 Other)

PREREQUISITE: Senior standing, SOCI 101IS or SOCI 110IS, SOCI 318R, and SOCI 311 or SOCI 455. (F, Sp, Su) Senior capstone course. The application of theory and methods in the development of an integrated framework for understanding and explaining issues of current concern. Verbal and written presentation of research paper

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Articulate the unique skills that they have developed during their time at MSU.
Conduct research on existing storytelling projects through a community-engaged partnership with the City of Bozeman.
Explain the advantages and disadvantages of using narrative and “storytelling” sociology.
Collect and analyze stories from the MSU community.
Effectively communicate qualitative research findings and implications through an oral presentation and an executive summary.

SOCI 591 Special Topics: 1-4 Credits (1-4 Lec)

SOCI 592 Independent Study: 1-3 Credits (1 Other)

PREREQUISITE: Graduate standing, consent of instructor, approval of department head and Dean of Graduate Studies. Directed research and study on an individual basis
Repeatable up to 3 credits.

SOCI 594 Seminar: 1 Credits (1 Other)

PREREQUISITE: Graduate standing or seniors by petition; course prerequisites as determined for each offering. Topics offered at the graduate level which are not covered in regular courses. Students participate in preparing and presenting discussion material
Repeatable up to 4 credits.