Social Sciences

This introductory course surveys the human condition in anthropological perspective. Emphasis is on the nature of culture; sociocultural evolution; human ecology; theoretical strategies; kinship; descent; gender; language; and belief systems.

An introduction to physical anthropology surveying evolutionary theory as applied to humans. Special emphasis on non-human primates; fossil man (hominid evolution) and the diversity of modern human populations.

An open course varying in content from year to year which allows concentration in specialized areas.

This course will examine the study of music from the cultural and social aspects of the people who make it. The courses will use fact-based approach to music including its history; sociology and impact on society as well as literature surrounding musicology and ethnomusicology. This course is particularly useful for students with interests in cultural studies. No prior experience or knowledge is required.

After examining the anthropological concept of culture; we will view and critically examine a wide range of films from around the world to see how they portray diverse insights about the cultures in which they are made.

An open course varying in content from year to year which allows concentration in specialized areas.

American culture and society in cross-cultural perspective. This course emphasizes themes observed by international visitors and by anthropologists in cross-national studies. ANTH 110 recommended as a prerequisite.

An examination of the interaction of culture and biology in the broad realm of physical and mental health and illness. Topics include non-Western healers and healing practices; theories of disease and healing; cultural psychiatry; and epidemiology.

An introduction to anthropological linguistics emphasizing the origin; nature and evolution of human language; the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis; sociolinguistics (especially the linguistic aspects of gender and class); and nonverbal behavior. Recommended: 200-level foreign language course.

An examination of the diversity to be found among human religious beliefs and practices. Includes the relationship between magic; science and religion; the functions of witchcraft; divination and spirit possession and the role of religion in cultural revitalization. (Offered on demand)

An open course varying in content from year to year which allows concentration on such specialized areas as gender and society; anthropological theory and methods; native cultures of North America; demography; and the like. Jjunior or senior standing or permission of instructor. (Sufficient demand)

Academic inquiry into an area not covered in any established course; and carried on outside the usual instructor/classroom setting. Approved Plan of Study required.

Supervised on-site field work on an approved topic.

This integrative capstone course allows seniors to study a variety of global issues in-depth and to present the results of their own particular global experiences and studies. Topics examined will vary from year to year. The seminar may be focused on a central theme or on a variety of issues; depending upon the students' international interests and the instructor's discretion. Prerequisites: GLBS 101; Study Abroad; senior standing.

This introductory course provides students with a foundational understanding of the American criminal justice system. In this course; students learn about the empirical reality of crime; including categories and patterns of offending; as well the primary actors involved in the criminal justice process. Heavy emphasis is placed on a critical examination of the conflicts and contradictions of this system and an assessment of social responses to crime.

An open course varying in contents from year to year; which allows concentration on special topics.

This course gives students an in-depth analysis of police operations. Discussions are centered on police operations and the social process involved in police-citizen contacts.

A survey of correctional concepts and philosophy with emphasis on the correctional institution as a community and the sociology of confinement. Additional focus on penal reform; correctional administration and innovation.

Deviance is presented as an aspect of the normal functioning of a society. This course is a study of the processes by which attitudes and behaviors are defined as deviant; and by which those labels are applied to individuals.

Specific problems and issues concerning criminal behavior are examined in depth. The area of investigation varies with the disciplinary orientation of the instructor. Includes analysis of the causes of particular kinds of behavior; examination of methods of control; and consideration of current approaches to rehabilitation. Senior standing.

An open course varying in contents from year to year; which allows concentration on special topics.

Individual research by a Criminal Justice Studies major with senior standing into an area of interest. Research topics are chosen to complement material covered in other courses and to provide the student with additional information relevant to career or graduate interests. Approved Plan of Study required.

Specific problems and issues concerning criminal behavior are examined in depth. The area of investigation varies with the disciplinary orientation of the instructor. Includes analysis of the causes of particular kinds of behavior; examination of methods of control; and consideration of current approaches to rehabilitation. Senior standing.

Students work with criminal justice related agencies and are expected to apply their theoretical knowledge to the practical experience gained from field work. Prerequisites: Senior standing; minimum 2.5 overall GPA and permission of instructor.

Introduction to electromagnetic radiation principles; remote detection; and applications in a geospatial context. This course will provide an overview of aerial photography and photogrammetry; an introduction to passive and active (LIDAR) sensors; digital image acquisition and interpretation. This course is designed for students majoring in Environmental Studies; Geology; and Data Analytics; or anyone interested in remote imagery analysis.

Topics not covered in other Global Studies courses are presented.

This course examines the changing nature of world politics; exploring broad themes such as the evolution of warfare; the role of leading powers; the rise of international organizations; and global political economy. Specific transnational challenges addressed include terrorism; human rights; nuclear proliferation; clashing collective identities and environmental degradation.

From post-WWII attempts to prevent future conflicts has grown a unique political structure called the European Union. This course analyzes the political institutions and political culture of both the European Union and some important countries making up the EU.

After a brief review of the region's colonial and 19th-century political histories; this course focuses on the changing patterns of modern politics in leading Latin American countries; from oligarchical plutocracy to mass-based populism and socialist revolution; from repressive military authoritarianism to more recently established models of representative and participatory democracy.

An introductory survey of the American political system. Emphasis on the structures and processes of the political system with additional study of some of the problems faced by the system.

This course examines the changing nature of world politics; exploring broad themes such as the evolution of warfare; the role of leading powers; the rise of international organizations; and global political economy. Specific transnational challenges addressed include terrorism; human rights; nuclear proliferation; clashing collective identities and environmental degradation.

Examines topics of special interest not normally covered in other political science courses. Examples are Biopolitics; Political Socialization. (Sufficient demand)

This course examines multiple trajectories of environmental change in the United States since the dawn of the industrial age; explores the basic societal forces that drive processes of environmental decay today; and explores major environmental issues/controversies at the center of contemporary debate.

This course aims to introduce students to how to research society. Students examine different research approaches (both qualitative and quantitative); learn how to read/understand published research; demonstrate an understanding of various research approaches; and understand; interpret; and critically analyze published research on social and political phenomena.

This course is an introduction to statistics and data analysis for students in the social sciences; covering the nature of variables; descriptive statistics; probability; and inferential statistics. Students learn to use a statistical software program to analyze large data sets to further their understanding of the importance of data analytics to an examination of social and political life.

The theory and practice of judicatory systems with primary emphasis on Anglo-American judicial processes and problems.

This course examines the relationship between mass media and politics. We will explore the ways in which mass communications media shape the politics of elections; daily governance; U.S. foreign policy; interest groups; social movements; and identity.

What is the law and why do we obey it? What authority stands behind law? How do our answers influence the way we make and interpret law? We examine how others have approached these kinds of questions with an eye toward better understanding our own legal system.

This course comparatively examines four political movements (Liberalism; Communism; Fascism; and Islamic Fundamentalism) that have shaped the evolution of modern politics around the world; from authoritarian rule to representative democracy.

This course examines the changing nature of world politics; exploring broad themes such as the evolution of warfare; the role of leading powers; the rise of international organizations; and global political economy. Specific transnational challenges addressed include terrorism; human rights; nuclear proliferation; clashing collective identities and environmental degradation.

Examines topics of special interest not normally covered in other political science courses. Examples are Biopolitics; Political Socialization. (Sufficient demand)

Who really runs the federal government? It may not be who you think. The administration; the bureaucracy; and the“deep state” are various names given to the nebulous group of agencies and departments that employs more than 2million Americans and works under the Executive Branch. They enforce and write the details of all federal laws. Thiscourse peels back the curtain on how these institutions keep the country running; how Americans can participate more inthis process; and how they interact with each other; Congress; courts; the president; interest groups and more. (Every third semester.)

In the American governmental system; the intertwined destinies of states and their local governments are critical. This course studies the structure of decision-making at the state and local level; forces affecting decision; outcomes of decision; and the challenges governments face. *(Alternate years)

In this course we examine the development of the Supreme Court as a major political institution concentrating primarily on the Court's decisions and its internal politics.

After studying the evolution of presidential power; this course will examine the relationship of the presidency to other branches of government. Students will also learn how presidents work within and against political constraints in order to get policies enacted. Prerequisite: POLS 110.

This course is a study of the history of fascism. We examine the origins of fascist ideas and organizations; the varieties of fascist organizations and beliefs in Europe and European colonies; and the impact of fascism on politics and society before; during and after the Second World War.

An in-depth study of major texts by Hegel; Marx; and Nietzsche; with a thematic focus on the nature of historical change; the interpretation of history; and the relationship between material life and culture; including religion; philosophy; politics; and morality.

With emphasis on the American system; we analyze theories of parties; party organization; party conduct of campaigns and elections; voting behavior; and party roles in government.

The theory and practice of judicatory systems with primary emphasis on Anglo-American judicial processes and problems.

This course is a survey of the major political theorists from the Renaissance through the twentieth century; with primary emphasis on western thinkers. Particular attention is given to theory as an historical and cultural phenomenon.

This course introduces students to political thought in the United States. It explores liberal ideals such as individualism; freedom; equality; citizenship; and democracy; as well as important alternatives to those ideas. It will also examine the ways in which race; ethnicity; and gender have shaped American political thought.

From post-WWII attempts to prevent future conflicts has grown a unique political structure called the European Union. This course analyzes the political institutions and political culture of both the European Union and some important countries making up the EU.

This course offers an exploration of the ways in which two sets of transnational forces have together shaped the politics of the Middle East over the past four decades: A) the resurgence of “political Islam” within the wider Muslim world and B) the increasingly complex and direct intervention of the United States and other external powers in the region. Focal points include legacies of regional empires (Islamic; Ottoman; Safavid; etc.) and of European colonialism; the evolution of the Israeli-Arab/Palestinian conflict; the Iranian Revolution; Sunni-Shiite sectarian tensions/rivalries (centered around a Saudi-Iranian fulcrum since 1979); Iraq’s recurrent slides toward war; the anti-authoritarian struggles of the Arab Spring (particularly in Tunisia and Egypt); Syria’s violent fragmentation (including the rise of ISIS as well as a wide array of outside interventions by self-serving nation-states) and 21st-century Turkey under Erdogan’s “moderate” version of political Islam. Along the way we will endeavor to identify and to appreciate both key overarching patterns that are widely shared throughout the Middle East and important differences that mark the region’s distinct national and sub-national communities.

The policy process is the heart of politics: Who gets What; When; How? This course emphasizes the stages of the process and the types of policies that government considers. A case study of some policy area (elderly) is provided.

This course explores the experiences of social movements that struggle for justice and societal transformation along lines of class; race; ethnicity; gender; sexuality; religion; and more. Why do they emerge? How do they organize and operate? Why do they succeed or fail?

This course will deepen students' understandings of 1) what terrorism is; 2) how terrorism has evolved over time; 3) the key factors generating contemporary terrorism; 4) how terrorism is inspired; financed and organized; and 5) counterterrorist strategies.

After a brief review of the region's colonial and 19th-century political histories; this course focuses on the changing patterns of modern politics in leading Latin American countries; from oligarchical plutocracy to mass-based populism and socialist revolution; from repressive military authoritarianism to more recently established models of representative and participatory democracy.

Analysis of the administrative policy processes at the national level. Internal interaction and budgetary processes as well as interchange with external governmental and political institutions. (Alternate years)

Analysis of such current legal and political issues as free speech; religion; poverty; privacy; obscenity; and racial and sexual discrimination with attention to both established and latent areas of concern. Focuses on Supreme Court activity. Other governmental action considered; along with the theoretical and social contexts of the problems examined. junior or senior standing.

An examination of contemporary theoretical schools; e.g. symbolic interactionism; structural functionalism; exchange and conflict; and ethnomethodology. Special attention devoted to the precursors and contemporary representatives of the respective schools. (Offered Fall; odd years)

This course examines the methods by which social science researchers generate new knowledge and covers major data collection designs; sampling techniques; and measurement strategies. Students spend the semester developing their research skills and designing their own research proposals.

This course introduces students to the ideas that inform United States law and legal institutions. We examine questions such as what is the law and why do we obey it; what authority stands behind law; and how do our answers influence the way we make and interpret law?

Academic inquiry into an area not covered in any established course; and carried on outside the usual instructor/classroom setting. Open to Political Science majors at the permission of instructor. Approved Plan of Study required.

Supervised on-site field work on an approved topic. Prerequisites: Junior/senior standing; minimum 2.5 overall GPA and permission of instructor.

This course introduces students to political thought in the United States. It explores liberal ideals such as individualism; freedom; equality; citizenship; and democracy; as well as important alternatives to those ideas. It will also examine the ways in which race; ethnicity; and gender have shaped American political thought.

This course is a survey of the major political theorists from the Renaissance through the twentieth century; with primary emphasis on western thinkers. Particular attention is given to theory as an historical and cultural phenomenon.

This course explores the experiences of social movements that struggle for justice and societal transformation along lines of class; race; ethnicity; gender; sexuality; religion; and more. Why do they emerge? How do they organize and operate? Why do they succeed or fail?

This is the foundation course in sociology; covering the basic concepts needed for a sociological understanding of society. These include culture; socialization; deviance; social stratification; race and ethnicity; gender; sexuality; families; social movements; and social change. The course is designed primarily for first year students.

An open course; varying in content from year to year; which allows for concentration on such specialized areas as Political Sociology; Demography; Criminology; Social Change; Stratification; and the like. (Sufficient demand)

This course examines multiple trajectories of environmental change in the United States since the dawn of the industrial age; explores the basic societal forces that drive processes of environmental decay today; and explores major environmental issues/controversies at the center of contemporary debate.

This course aims to introduce students to how to research society. Students examine different research approaches (both qualitative and quantitative); learn how to read/understand published research; demonstrate an understanding of various research approaches; and understand; interpret; and critically analyze published research on social and political phenomena.

This course is an introduction to statistics and data analysis for students in the social sciences; covering the nature of variables; descriptive statistics; probability; and inferential statistics. Students learn to use a statistical software program to analyze large data sets to further their understanding of the importance of data analytics to an examination of social and political life.

An inquiry into the processes by which social actors learn the norms; behaviors; and patterns of attention appropriate to their positions in society. Topics discussed include: nature versus nurture; theoretical approaches to socialization; social structure; and socialization in adult life. The relationship between socialization and other sociological concepts; such as gender; social class; and occupation are discussed. (Alternate years).

A scientific approach to the study of religions and cults; and their mechanisms for social control. What is a 'religion'? What is a 'cult?' What kinds of people are drawn to them? What function(s) do cults serve in society? What are the differences between cults; religions; and fandom? Should society be concerned about blurred lines between them? (Alternate years)

This course examines the relationship between mass media and politics. We will explore the ways in which mass communications media shape the politics of elections; daily governance; U.S. foreign policy; interest groups; social movements; and identity.

Current social issues discussed and analyzed from a sociological perspective. Issues vary each term but may be drawn from the following: population and the environment; work and alienation; education; health; leisure; social welfare; and other areas. (Sufficient demand)

This introductory course provides students with a foundational understanding of the American criminal justice system. In this course; students learn about the empirical reality of crime; including categories and patterns of offending; as well the primary actors involved in the criminal justice process. Heavy emphasis is placed on a critical examination of the conflicts and contradictions of this system and an assessment of social responses to crime.

Examines social welfare institutions in the context of change brought about by industrialization and urbanization. Focus on types of welfare; welfare policy and the structure of services.

A discussion of theory and research concerning racial and ethnic relations in the United States and in various parts of the world.

Deviance is presented as an aspect of the normal functioning of a society. This course is a study of the processes by which attitudes and behaviors are defined as deviant; and by which those labels are applied to individuals.

In this course we examine the concepts of sex and gender as they are defined in sociological literature; focusing on how social contexts (i.e.; education; employment; family; sexuality and reproduction; etc.) construct gender which; in turn; shapes future opportunities for individuals in society.

An investigation of the relationship between the family and other social institutions; particularly in regard to the family functions of population maintenance; socialization and social placement.

Explores the social construction of health; illness; and disability while centering individual lived experiences. Critically analyzes medicine (as social institution); U.S. healthcare system; and social causes and consequences of health. Heavy focus on access and equity issues.

This course investigates the multiple hierarchies defined by social class; race/ethnicity; gender; and sexuality and the consequences of one's location in them. Current data are examined on the unequal distribution of power; property; and prestige in American society. Guided by social scientific scholarship on stratification; emphasis is on intersectionality theory to explain systems of privilege.

This course explores the experiences of social movements that struggle for justice and societal transformation along lines of class; race; ethnicity; gender; sexuality; religion; and more. Why do they emerge? How do they organize and operate? Why do they succeed or fail?

An open course; varying in content from year to year; which allows for concentration on such specialized areas as Political Sociology; Demography; Criminology; Social Change; Stratification; and the like. (Sufficient demand)

An examination of contemporary theoretical schools; e.g. symbolic interactionism; structural functionalism; exchange and conflict; and ethnomethodology. Special attention devoted to the precursors and contemporary representatives of the respective schools. (Fall; odd years)

This course examines the methods by which social science researchers generate new knowledge and covers major data collection designs; sampling techniques; and measurement strategies. Students spend the semester developing their research skills and designing their own research proposals.

Work on some topic not covered in any established course chosen by the student in consultation with the instructor. Work under this title may be carried out alone; in cooperation with other departments; or in an honors colloquium where a common problem is chosen. Approved Plan of Study and permission of departmental staff required.

Field work associated with social services; corrections; health care; or educational agencies. Weekly class-workshop sessions and individual field work. Focus on the student's relationship with colleagues; professionals; and the public in various accredited institutional settings. Junior or senior standing and permission of instructor. (Sufficient demand)

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Examines social welfare institutions in the context of change brought about by industrialization and urbanization. Focus on types of welfare; welfare policy and the structure of services.