This course presents the fundamental concepts, sociological perspectives, and methods of social research. Course topics include culture, socialization, deviance, social class, race and ethnicity, and gender and sexuality. Code 1 course fee.

This course examines the changing role of women in social life. Particular emphasis will be on the challenges women face in the home and the workplace, the image of women in popular culture, health and reproduction issues, and women's status in religion, education, science, and politics.

This course explores the ways that social issues become defined as social problems and it looks at the consequences of those definitions. Students will identify and analyze a wide range of domestic as well as international social problems and they will develop tentative solutions to those problems. Problems associated with the following topics may be considered: the economy, politics, work, family, education, urban living, social class, race and ethnicity, gender and sexuality, the media, the criminal justice system, drugs, health, and aging. Global problems related to population, global inequality, technology, the environment, war, and terrorism will also be addressed.

This course presents concepts of justice, conflict, and social change, including ways in which the media, political, economic, educational and other institutions create challenges for social justice. It explores efforts that challenge existing structural and institutional arrangements, such as sources of power, social identities, and how social processes interact and intersect. Its objective is to increase students awareness, knowledge, and critical thinking skills related to social justice.

This course deals with core concepts and issues related to race and ethnic relations and patterns of immigration. It examines the concept of stereotyping, the differentiation between prejudice and discrimination, and the spectrum of intergroup relations, ranging from pluralism to extermination. The history and experiences of select racial, ethnic, religious, and cultural subgroups in American society will be explored.

This course is an introduction to the sociological literature on the family. The course explores the changing expectations and practices of contemporary American family life, and it analyzes these changes within historical and cultural contexts. Course topics include dating, marriage, divorce, family diversity, families across the life cycle, and the family and social problems.