Culture of pre-literate and contemporary societies. Concept of culture; elements of culture, including technology, economic and political organization, family and kinship, associations, ideology, arts, and language; dynamics of culture stability and change. SS

This course will provide an overview of research in the social sciences. In this course you will learn how to read and evaluate research methods and design your own research study. The course follows the basic steps in social science research: problem identification, research design, subject selection, data collection, analysis, and interpretation. In learning these steps, you will also be introduced to the dominant methods used in social science research: surveys, experiments, qualitative interviews, ethnography, program evaluation, and mixed methods. Prerequisite: 125.

Marriage-family complex as a social institution: variations, interrelationship of family to other social institutions, dating, marriage, childraising, divorce, death, and remarriage, contemporary issues in marriage and family life, and future of marriage and family. This course will empower the student to make more informed decisions about marriage and family life choices. SS

This course will examine the social aspects of sports and how sports are a social construction that influences how people think, feel, and behave. This course will address various aspects of sports such as social and cultural values, children and sports, stratification in sport, minorities and gender issues in sports, as well as contemporary trends in the field. Finally, this course will examine the relationship between various institutions and sport (family, religion, politics, economy, mass media) as well as social problems in sport.

Courses on topics of interest to sociology students offered on the basis of need, interest, or timeliness. Prerequisite: 125. Restricted to students with freshman or sophomore standing. May be repeated for credit. For specific section description, click to the Section Details in VitNet.

Independent reading and/or research under the supervision of a criminal justice faculty member. Refer to the academic policy section for independent study policy. Independent study contract is required. Prerequisite: 150. May be repeated for credit.

This course provides an applied and in-depth exploration of the assessment, management, and rehabilitation of offenders, emphasizing evidence-based practices in criminal and community justice, corrections, and policing. Students will develop a strong foundation of offender rehabilitation across diverse socioeconomic and demographic backgrounds while examining strength-based approaches for working with both offenders and victims. Prerequisite: 150.

Social psychology is a scientific area in the discipline of psychology that seeks an understanding of how people think, feel, and behave in social situations. This course will focus on gaining an understanding of social psychological explanations for social influence and to improve understanding of common research methodologies utilized in social psychological research. Topics of study may include social cognition, attitudes and persuasion, errors of everyday human judgment, social influence, obedience and conformity, romantic attraction, morality and pro-social behavior, aggression, intergroup relations and prejudice, and group processes. Prerequisite: 171. SS

This course will introduce students to the theories and scientific methods that sociologists use to explain human behavior and describe the organization of society. Students will acquire a sociological perspective to analyze how individuals are products of their social environments. Students will also examine the social patterns that comprise systems of social inequality and major social institutions within contemporary American society. Prerequisite: any 100-level VUSM course or transfer student placement. LDW, SS

This course will provide students with an overview of the criminal justice system. The structure and function of the police, courts, and corrections, as well as the policies these agencies use to control crime, will be examined. Students will also debate controversial issues related to criminal justice processing and compare the ideal of justice with the reality under this system. This course also introduces basic concepts of capacity building, resiliency, and how the criminal justice system and the community interacts. (Equivalent to CRMJ 150)