GEN 101 Arts and Sciences Orientation
An introduction to essential skills for Arts and Sciences students: constructing a course-sequence plan for a coherent liberal arts education; understanding academic policies and requirements; selecting and declaring a major; choosing a career path; making use of the diverse resources of a metropolitan research university to prepare for life and work. Note: Required of students with fewer than 24 hours credit.

SOC 201 Introduction to Sociology
This course is designed to familiarize students with the sociological perspective of society, introducing them to the study of human societies, how societies are organized and changed, and the implications of social organization on everyday life. The course will cover basic concepts and theories used in sociology, discuss how sociologists conduct research, and examine several social institutions (e.g., economics, education, politics, media, etc.) and social issues/topics (e.g., environment, gender, poverty, racial/ethnic conflict, etc.). The overall objectives of the course are to understand sociological perspectives, foster critical thinking, analyze social phenomena using sociological approaches and concepts, and to gain an increased understanding of modern society.

SOC 202 Social Problems
This course focuses on the major threats to social cohesion and order in society and how such social problems affect human behavior. Generally, when individuals have problems, they contextualize them in highly personal terms; their perspective is guided primarily by their immediate situation and personal circumstances. However, there are socially structured contexts out of which individuals emerge and in which social problems are created, sustained, and/or changed - and, thus, impact human behavior. The purpose of the course, then, is to expand the student's understanding of current social problems related to inequality, social institutions, and modernization using the "sociological imagination," which distinguishes between personal and social problems and assumes the latter to be shaped by social forces/factors beyond an individual's control.

SOC 206 Social Justice
This course explores sociological approaches to the pursuit and achievement of social justice, examining the socially constructed contexts in which issues regarding social justice are created and sustained. Specifically, it seeks to broaden students' understanding of various concepts and issues related to social justice, such as the theoretical frameworks which facilitate understanding of social (in)justice; the social contexts in which struggles for social justice occur; the dynamics of power, privilege, discrimination, and oppression and their impact on the lives of marginalized groups; the stereotypes, prejudices, and myths which help to perpetuate social injustice; the needs and goals of diverse groups; and strategies for encouraging greater social justice.

SOC 210 Race in the United States
This course examines race as a social construction and surveys the sociological meanings and practices of race and the intertwined, and enduring, social, political, and historical forces that shape and maintain elaborate forms of racism(s) in the U.S. As such, the course will include topics, such as theories of racism and white supremacy, forms and implications of cross-racial dialogue; the intersections between race, ethnicity, and feminism; racialization of crime; the entangled relationship among race, citizenship, and immigration practices; forms of resistance historically undertaken in the face of racial oppression, etc. Overall, students will learn to recognize, and begin to engage, the various social processes of race, especially the ways race is made, embedded, and reproduced through interactions among social institutions, individuals, and ideologies.

SOC 301 Introduction to Social Statistics
Prerequisite: Completion of General Education Quantitative Reasoning Requirement. This course introduces students to statistical concepts used in the social sciences (e.g., sampling, descriptive statistics, the analysis of associations, and hypothesis testing) and the role that quantitative analysis plays in developing and testing knowledge, including designing and carrying out research, applying various statistical procedures for analyzing data, evaluating research and argumentation to assess validity of knowledge claims, and presenting data. Students will learn how to use statistics to make sense of the social world, to interpret figures reported in professional and media outlets, and to critique conclusions drawn from statistical data analysis.

SOC 303 Introduction to Research Methods
Social science research contains a systematic approach to analyzing the social world with various approaches and techniques. As important as these approaches and techniques are for developing scholars to understand, it is also pertinent that they can understand the limits and critiques of such approaches and techniques used for research. This course will introduce students to the general approach of social science research, while providing a foundation to understand different approaches to conducting research and introduce students to the research methods that sociologists use to empirically investigate the social world, including the logic of inquiry, the elements of quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods research design, and ethical issues in research. Note: Approved for the Arts & Sciences upper-level requirement in written communication (WR).

SOC 305 Urban Sociology
This course serves as an introduction to the sociology of ‘urban’ areas and will explore patterns of the form and development of cities through comparisons across time and space, examine how humans organize social life in cities, and study the institutions that structure and facilitate ‘urban’ life. Ultimately, students should be able to analyze how urban development is related to the political, social and economic forces in cities, regions, nations and the world; analyze reliable information and empirical data on the demographic and economic structure of cities, suburbs and metropolitan areas; and use theoretical perspectives on race, ethnicity, class, gender, sexuality, and other socially organized categories presented throughout the course to explain urban development patterns.

SOC 306 Demography
An introduction to the major theories, data sources, concepts, and measures of demography. Topics include population size, population growth, population composition, population distribution, fertility, mortality, and migration.

SOC 307 Rural Sociology
Analysis of social change in rural areas of the United States, including social structure, demographic characteristics, mobility, and value orientations of rural people.

SOC 315 Environmental Sociology
This course offers a critical analysis of the relationship between society and the environment, using sociological theoretical frames to explore environmental issues such as climate change, air quality, and land use. The course uses theories of political economy, policy development, environmental justice, social construction of the environment, cultural processes, social movements, globalization, sociology of knowledge and science, and social change. Ultimately, students will develop a greater understanding of environmental problems and solutions for addressing those problems; understand social and institutional interactions/relationships with the environment and impacts thereof; understand how structural systems of inequality and oppression (such as racism) produce disparate environmental impacts in different populations; and further develop the capacity for critical thinking, research, and analysis.

SOC 320 Social Theory
Prerequisite: Completion of one of the following: SOC 201, SOC 202, SOC 203, SOC 206, or SOC 210. Social theory is a guide for studying social life and making sense of observations and events in social life. It provides the infrastructure for asking questions and using methods for study and informs the explanations or interpretations that follow. In other words, theory organizes our study of social life by developing concepts and languages for identifying and describing tendencies, patterns, and laws of behavior. It contributes to our knowledge of, and to the efforts at, changing or improving social life. Within sociology, there are multiple competing paradigms, or theoretical frameworks, for ordering knowledge. This course will examine these competing paradigms, as articulated by major theorists, discuss the socio-historical significance of the major sociological paradigms, and apply examples of classical and contemporary theory to the modern world. Note: Approved for the Arts & Sciences upper-level requirement in written communication (WR).

SOC 323 Diversity and Inequality
This course uses a sociological perspective to examine diversity and inequality and includes an examination of the important contributions various social groups have made to society, the barriers to their full participation in society, and the efforts they have made to achieve equality. An appreciation of the nature and consequences of diversity and inequality is essential for understanding social forces and social structures, as well as group processes and organizational dynamics and the way these affect individual life chances. The course will discuss how race, ethnicity, gender, social class, sexuality, among other social forces, are social constructions that affect groups' life experiences, life chances, and access to power; how diversity and discrimination exist in history and in everyday life; how inequalities are systemic and institutionalized; and strategies and policies for social change.

SOC 325 Sociology in Human Sexuality
The sociology of human sexuality is examined from a variety of theoretical perspectives. Topics covered in the course include the social and psychological nature of human sexual response; atypical sexual practices, including bondage and transvestite fetishism; sexual dysfunction; sexual orientation and sexual identity; and the business of sex including pornography, prostitution, and strip clubs. The course also considers sexual response as part of romantic relationships and examines dating, marriage, divorce, and polyamory and other non-traditional forms of relationships.

SOC 327 Sociology of Gender
Examines the differential status of women and men in all major social institutions and explores the structural foundations and theoretical explanations of gender inequality. Note: Cross-listed with WGST 313

SOC 329 Sociology of Families
This course examines structural foundations, theoretical explanations, and historical patterns of family formation to understand trends in family form and function in the U.S. The course will briefly cover the history of American families, but the bulk of the course will examine contemporary U.S. families, considering issues of dating, cohabitation, marriage, divorce, parenting, work and family issues, and social policies affecting families. Throughout the course, we will explore how family experiences differ according to gender, race/ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and sexuality. While emphasizing how social forces affect contemporary families, the course will also discuss how individuals and groups have agency to change their experiences of family life.

SOC 334 Sociology of Deviant Behavior
This course examines the topic of social deviance, the behaviors, beliefs, and conditions that violate culturally accepted norms or standards. Deviance is often stigmatized and negatively sanctioned, and this course will explore how deviance is defined, constructed, resisted, and addressed in society. Students will gain insight into how sociologists conceptualize deviance; how norms are created, stigmas attached, and sanctions enforced; how social inequalities affect what is perceived as deviant; the various theoretical explanations and patterns of deviance; criminal and non-criminal forms of deviance; and the social implications of deviance. Topics may include various types of violent deviance (physical, family, interpersonal); self-destructive deviance (suicide); diverse lifestyles (prostitution, gays and other targets of stigma); substance use and abuse; and inequalities in deviance (privileged deviance).

SOC 336 Criminology
This course offers a sociological framework for understanding crime and criminal behavior, introducing students to the concepts, methods, and theories used by sociologists to examine, explain, and predict criminality in society. Students will be introduced to how social structure, processes, and stratification are related to crime; the development of criminal laws and the social context in which they were created and how the criminal justice system responds to criminal behavior; how crime rates and trends are measured; and the causes and methods for controlling crime. Topics may include the criminalization of drugs and drug enforcement; racial profiling; gun control; various types of crime; interpersonal, property/public order, and/or white-collar crime; victimization; fear of crime; the effectiveness of the death penalty and tough-on-crime policies; mass incarceration, etc.

SOC 340 Mental Health and Illness
This course provides an overview of sociological approaches to understanding mental health and illness. During the course, students will explore some of the following questions (topics may vary from year to year): How do sociologists understand mental illness? What distinguishes sociological approaches from other approaches (biomedical, psychological, etc.)? How are mental health and illness affected by a range of social factors? Who is most likely to become “ill” and with what illnesses? What social factors (e.g., gender identity, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, SES, etc.) affect the experiences that people have with mental health and wellness? Historically, how have people been treated, socially and psychiatrically, when they are diagnosed with mental health problems? Are people with mental illness more likely to be violent than other people? What is the relationship between crime and mental illness? How do the media portray those with mental illness? Globally, outside of the U.S., how is mental health and illness experienced?

SOC 342 Medical Sociology
This course offers an overview of the major theories and conceptual frameworks of medical sociology. At its core, medical sociology emphasizes the importance of moving beyond biological and medical understandings of health and illness by highlighting key social factors that influence individuals’ health experiences. This course will cover the interplay of biological, medical and sociological perspectives in addressing inequalities in health and illness by sex/gender/sexuality, race/ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and other demographic characteristics. By the end of the course, students should be able to a) understand key classic and contemporary frameworks in medical sociology; b) to assess how factors such as gender, race/ethnicity, and socioeconomic status impact health inequalities across the life course; and c) understand the manner in which an individual’s health and illness experience is shaped by their interactions with social and healthcare systems.

SOC 343 Sociology in Women's Health
This course introduces students to key conceptual and substantive issues in the sociology of women's health and illness, drawing upon a variety of theories (including feminist and critical theories) and examining the intersections of gender identity, race/ethnicity, sexual orientation, social structure, and power in the ways in which women experience health and illness and, how women’s health care is structured. While the course is organized around specific biological conditions or illness, the focus of the course is on key sociological concepts including the doctor-patient relationship, help-seeking behavior, the socialization of health care providers, and the cultural and structural dimensions of the health care system. Drawing upon a broader context, recent policy responses related to U.S. women’s and LGBTQ health also are addressed.

SOC 344 Sociology of Music in Contemporary America
Application of sociological perspective to various American musical subcultures, e.g., pop, rock, jazz, classical. Analysis of social organization, economic and commercial aspects, socialization and career mobility of musicians, structure of performing groups and their audiences, and trends in musical taste.

SOC 346 Sociology of Religion
Study of religion as a product of collective human endeavor, as a social institution; functions, types, and structures of religious organizations and conduct; relationships between religion and other aspects of sociocultural and class existence.

SOC 350 Special Topics in Sociology
A special topics course explores a topic not covered in existing courses. Topics will vary but, when offered, will be announced in the Schedule of Classes.

SOC 374 Money, Economics and Society
This course focuses on the economy as a social institution and examines sociological theories of the development of capitalism, along with the historical development of industrialization, labor-management relations, trade unions, the service economy, and globalization. Students will learn the basic elements of the economy and different ways in which economies can be organized; gain an understanding of the interaction of supply and demand, known as a market; and discuss the concepts of commodities and money. Ultimately, students will be able to define key economic concepts and indicate multiple ways in which an individual’s social position and the broader social structure shape economic institutions and affect even the most basic economic transactions.

SOC 380 Animals and Society
The relationship between humans and animals dates back many millennia, as animals have long served as sources of food, clothing, transportation, service, as well as intrigue and controversy. However, this relationship has been inconsistent across time and cultures, and, in recent years, greater attention has focused on how animals factor into the lives of humans in light of ecological and agricultural concerns; changing patterns of family and community; increasing use of animals in not only service but also sport and entertainment; and debate regarding the hierarchical and ethical nature of these relationships. Today, social scientists are examining the complex and changing social, ethical, and ecological consequences of human-animal interaction, and this course offers a sociological examination into the increasingly prevalent and controversial roles animals play in society and the effect of those roles on both humans and animals.

SOC 392 Faces of Global Poverty
Persistent poverty in the Third World and specific groups in the United States. Focuses on the causes, consequences, solutions and survival strategies. Note: Cross-listed with PAS 392/WGST 343. Note: Approved for the Arts & Sciences upper-level requirement in written communication (WR).

SOC 394 Globalization, Culture and Third-World Development
Examination of the social, economic, political, and ideological aspects of global economic development as they affect and shape the African development experience. Note: Previously cross-listed with PAS 334.

SOC 405 Community Engagement
Prerequisite: SOC 201 and SOC 323 and sociology major or minor with 90+ credit hours; or consent of instructor. This course introduces students to community-based learning through classroom instruction and a volunteer or internship experience which connects students with local organizations and allows them to develop a greater understanding of social issues by applying their degrees.

SOC 410 Sociology of Aging
Prerequisite: SOC 201 and SOC 323; 9 hours at the 300+ level in one social science; or consent of instructor. The course examines how aging is socially constructed in the U.S. beginning with a brief overview of aging from a demographic, historical, biological, and psychological perspective and then more fully from a sociological perspective. Topics explored may include: the quality of later life, particularly through major transitions and role changes; ageism and societal attitudes toward the aged, particularly how society structures experiences of aging related to class, gender, race and ethnicity, sexual orientation, etc.; relationships and social support systems; family, love, and sex; living arrangements; care-giving; employment and retirement; poverty, welfare, income and housing; leisure activities; policies, programs, and services for the aging; health care; death, dying and bereavement; and the future of aging.

SOC 415 Sociology of Death & Dying
Prerequisite: SOC 201 and SOC 323; or 9 hours at the 300+ level in one social science; or consent of instructor. This course explores how social groups, institutions, organizations, and membership in various demographic groups (age, gender, race/ethnicity, social class, family, education, religious affiliation, etc.) shape the way death, dying, and bereavement are socially constructed, viewed, and experienced in the U.S. The course examines topics such as: who is considered “dying” and what the dying process entails; generational differences in familiarity with death; death in popular culture; dying and death in the health-care system; biomedical and legal issues related to end-of-life decisions (euthanasia, physician-assisted suicide, etc.); religious and cultural views of death and dying; risk-taking, near-death experiences and perspectives on life after death; suicide and other types of death (accident, violence, disaster, war, etc.); the funeral process and “business of dying”; body/organ donation; expressions of bereavement and grief; and mourning customs.

SOC 420 Sociology of Sport
Examines race, gender, social class, and other factors as they affect sport in society.

SOC 425 Sociology of Leisure
Prerequisite: SOC 201 and SOC 323; or 9 hours at the 300+ level in one social science; or consent of instructor. Since at least as far back as Classical Greece, social thinkers have debated the role of leisure in society, whether it be a means to recharge the enervated body and mind for more productive work; strengthen an individual’s character, skills, sense of balance, and self-concept; or to pass time through amusement. The study of leisure suggests that what is considered “proper” leisure has varied from place to place and changed over time, i.e., judgments of leisure are culturally constructed. Leisure is generally regarded as a key social institution that helps to socialize individuals and shape society. The first half of the course will examine contemporary and past leisure patterns, theories on leisure, benefits derived from leisure for self and society, relationships with work, socialization into particular leisure pursuits, and constraints to participation. The latter half will cover commodification of leisure and the leisure “industries,” college students’ leisure, and tourism.

SOC 435 Sociology of Health and Illness
Prerequisite: SOC 201 and SOC 342; or 9 hours at the 300+ level in one social science; or consent of instructor. This course provides an overview to the micro-interactional study of small-scale face-to-face interactions and small group behaviors known as the sociology of health and illness. It also examines the meso-sociological patterns of the ways in which class, race/ethnicity, and gender are intertwined in micro-level experiences of health and illness. Specifically, students will learn how health and illness are defined sociologically, gain a sociological appreciation of the experiences of illness and social responses to those experiences, become familiar with and comfortable using key concepts and theories in the micro-level study of the sociology of health and illness, gain insights into their own health and illness-related experiences, and become a more informed health consumer. Ultimately, students will be able to discern the relative strengths and limitations of different approaches in the micro-level study of the sociology of health and illness.

SOC 440 The Health Care System
Prerequisite: SOC 201 and SOC 323; or 9 hours at the 300+ level in one social science; or consent of instructor. This course provides an overview to macro-level medical sociology, focusing on the socio-historical development of health care systems and institutions in the United States. Specifically, the course will explore how health care systems and institutions have emerged within particular socio-historical contexts in the United States and how select health policies address and affect health and health care both locally and nationally. By the end of the course, students should be able to identify key concepts and theories in macro-level medical sociology, apply the insights from this course to experiences in their own lives, and be a more informed health consumer.

SOC 442 Sociology of Disabilities
Prerequisite: SOC 201 and SOC 323; or 9 hours at 300+ level in one social science; or consent of instructor. This course examines the ways in which disability is socially defined, experienced, and addressed by policy. Incorporating theories from sociology, disability studies, and women's studies, this course adopts an intersectional perspective and explores disability through the lens of gender, race/ethnicity, sexual orientation, and more. Topics may include: concepts of disability (including stereotypes), the history of disability in contemporary U.S. culture, the medical vs. social model of disability, chronic illness and disability, media and disability, disability politics, the disability rights movement(s), and socio-legal institutional and policy responses to disability.

SOC 450 Special Topics in Sociology
Prerequisite: Prerequisite: SOC 201 and SOC 320 or SOC 323; or 9 hours at the 300+ level in one social science; or consent of instructor. A special topics course explores a topic not covered in existing courses. Topics will vary but, when offered, will be announced in the Schedule of Classes.

SOC 454 Social Inequality & Stratification
Prerequisite: SOC 201 and SOC 320 or SOC 323; or 9 hours at the 300+ level in one social science; or consent of instructor. This course examines social inequality and various forms of stratification in the U.S., including the systems of distribution of power, property, resources, privileges, and prestige. Social stratification along class, racial, and gender lines, as well as other forms of stratification, manifests through unequal social opportunities and outcomes within and between groups. Scholars and policy makers have long been interested in the causes, consequences, and solutions to inequality. Yet the social complexities which underlie the persistence of inequality are challenging to understand and address, particularly in the context of economic, political, and social changes. This course will address several key issues, including defining social inequality and stratification and how they emerge; why they persist over time; their effects on individual life chances; how groups/organizations and societies have worked and continue to work to ameliorate inequality; and how change can occur.

SOC 455 Sociology of Work
Examines historical forces which have shaped the social division of labor, various structural arrangements in the workplace, and current occupational trends; the use of sociological theory in the study of industrial society; the social organization of work, alienation, labor relations, personnel policy, the impact of industrialization on social life and culture.

SOC 456 Gender and Work (cross-listed with WGST 414)
Prerequisite: SOC 201 and SOC 320; or 9 hours at the 300+ level in one social science; or consent of instructor. This course explores paid and unpaid work and gender from a sociological perspective. It begins with theoretical frameworks: gender as a social structure that operates on the individual, interactional and institutional levels; and an intersectionality perspective, which explores the intersections of gender with race/ethnicity, social class, sexuality, and nationality. The course focuses on U.S. women and men but will briefly analyze social policies in different nations. Throughout the course, the class will explore how social structures shape individuals’ experiences of paid and unpaid work – but also stress human agency, the dynamic nature of work, and social change.

SOC 460 Gender in the Middle East (cross-listed with WGST 460)
Prerequisite: SOC 201 and SOC 327; or 9 hours at the 300+ level in one social science; or consent of instructor. This course examines the ways in which gender shapes and is shaped by social, political, economic, and cultural processes in the Middle East, allowing students to identify similarities and differences among Middle Eastern countries in their approaches to gender policies and gender relations. As such, the course will explore the gender structure of societies (e.g., in the law, the media, the labor market, and schools); the relationship between gender, nationalism, religion, and secularism; and how social movements shed light on the agency of people in making changes within their own social contexts.

SOC 464 Race and Ethnicity
Prerequisite: SOC 201 and SOC 320 or SOC 323; or 9 hours at the 300+ level in one social science; or consent of instructor. This course will focus on the role race and ethnicity plays in the production of social ideals, the making of citizens, and everyday lived experiences. It will start with an examination of race today, through the exchanges of difference and power, and continue toward a deeper sociological appreciation of the contemporary functions through which race and ethnicity continue to be made and remade within society. Ultimately, the course will seek to address how race and ethnicity matter in today’s society; how ideas about difference are strengthened or challenged through social experiences, institutions, and ideologies; and the social, political, and ethical consequences of mis-understanding the continued salience today.

SOC 470 Political Sociology
Focuses on the theoretical and empirical issues pertaining to the relationship between political processes, political structures, the state, and society.

SOC 472 Sociology of Education
Prerequisite: SOC 201 and SOC 320 or SOC 323; or 9 hours at the 300+ level in one social science; or consent of instructor. Education occupies a central role in our society as the site of both social reproduction and social mobility. This course draws on sociological principles, theories, and concepts to analyze dimensions of educational inequality and processes and structures within educational systems. Students will be introduced to historical origins and ideologies shaping educational inequality, educational processes and structures as sources of inequality, and prospects and debates related to reducing educational inequality. Students will examine the ways in which student and family resources, social backgrounds, experiences, and conditions interact with schools and other educational institutions.

ANTH 201 Introduction to Cultural Anthropology
This course introduces cultural anthropology and surveys its fundamental questions, concepts, methods, and data. The overall question it seeks to answer: what does it mean to be human? To answer this question and many related ones involves learning concepts such as culture, cultural relativism, universal-ism, evolution, race, gender, and class. The course explores the way cultural anthropologists develop their research questions and the methods and data they use to answer them.

ANTH 205 Music in World Cultures
General introduction to the world of music covering basic elements of music along with the socio-cultural aspects of music and music-making from an ethnomusicological perspective.

ANTH 309 Sex, Gender and Culture
A cross-cultural perspective on the interactions among sex, gender, and culture, including feminist/gender theory, the socially constructed aspects of biological sex, intersex and gender-non-binary, masculinity studies, sexuality, and heteronormativity, with emphasis on US and non-U.S. cultures. Course work will include independent reading and writing assignments.

ANTH 310 Race, Culture, Identity
The course focuses on the concept of race--a key element in the social science and historical literature as well as a primary marker in the organization of American life. The course considers race as a historically constructed and defined concept and considers the way it is constructed in various societies. The course examines the use of racial categories over the last 200 years and their links to gender, political and social trends, ethnicity and nationalism.

ANTH 318 African-American Cultural Traditions
This course is an intensive examination of the life and culture of people of African descent in the Americas. Drawing from historical and socio-cultural literature, students are introduced to the African origins of the Diaspora in North and South America, to their socio-cultural development in the American context including cultural traditions, urbanization and kinship, and to their contributions to the development of the history and culture of American countries.

ANTH 320 Indigenous Peoples of North America
Survey of North American indigenous people before and after European contact with a focus on the impact of colonialism on Indian nations and their relationships with the American state.

ANTH 321 American Indian Women
This course analyses issues effecting contemporary American Indian women living and working in rural and urban communities throughout North America. In reading about lives, achievements, and contributions of American Indian women, often in their own words, we will see how they traveled the road to where they find themselves today and how their origins and traditions helped to shape their lives. The course will look at issues dealing with the roles of American Indian women within their societies, in education, in tribal politics, health issues, and stereotypes that persist in non-Indian societies.

ANTH 328 Environmental Archaeology
This course addresses climate history and long-term patterns of change in human adaptation throughout the past 130,000 years, a time span that saw important milestones in human evolution. Common sources of data for reconstructing ancient climate and environments (such as botanical, faunal, geological and isotopic approaches) will be considered to demonstrate how archaeologists study past human relationship with the natural environment. Other topics to be discussed include causes and consequences of past glaciations, past human diet, and conditions that fostered the inception of food production. The course concludes with an overview of environmental disasters, global warming and the impacts of colonialism and industrialization on the environment.

ANTH 331 Anthropology of Religion
This course in the anthropology of religion explores religious systems from a comparative and holistic perspective. We will look at how anthropologists approach the topic conceptually using case studies and examples from around the world. The course examines the psychology of religion, myths and symbols, rituals and art, religious language and beliefs, ethics, social behavior, and the effects of globalization and culture change on religious systems.

ANTH 332 Ecology, Politics and Culture
Examines the interaction between natural environments, sociocultural systems and power relations. Uses case studies from around the globe to illustrate this interaction.

ANTH 339 The Anthropology of Space and Place
Does where you are have anything to do with who you are? Course examines whether different spaces such as nation-states, regions, towns, and neighborhoods have anything to do with cultural difference and similarity.

ANTH 342 Museums, Culture and Nationhood
Examines the historical and cultural dimensions of museums; explores representations of ethnic groups in museum settings and public culture.

ANTH 343 Language and Culture
An ethnographic perspective to the study of language, investigating how it is used to create and maintain social institutions and rituals, and how it is differentiated across genders and ethnicities.

CJ 352 Sex Crimes
An interdisciplinary study of the sex offender and crimes related to sexual conduct. Topics included are sexual deviancy in society; the description and treatment of offenders; and the role of societal values and institutions on sexual behavior, norms, and mores.

CJ 360 Juvenile Justice
A study of the theories and philosophies underlying the evolution and maintenance of the juvenile justice system in America as well as the structure and processes of the contemporary juvenile justice system. Topics included are: the history of the juvenile and the legal system; issues in juvenile justice; and the roles of the police, courts, and corrections in implementing the juvenile justice model.

CJ 375 Social and Restorative Justice
This course links social justice and criminology while considering the causes of harm. Assumptions about crime and justice will be examined by comparing and contrasting retributive and restorative justice paradigms. A considerable portion of the course will be dedicated to confronting specific social justice issues.

CJ 405 Crimes Against the Elderly
Course examines federal and state laws designed to protect the older adult population; topics include types of abuse, victim advocacy, perpetrator prosecution, community resources and protection services.

CJ 430 Environmental Crime
Provides an understanding of both the theoretical and practical legal issues relating to environmental Criminal Justice, including an introduction to criminological solutions to environmental problems.

CJ 440 Human Trafficking: Critical Thinking About Modern-Day Slavery
In depth analysis of trafficking in human beings as a crime prompted by supply and demand. Content includes definitions of human trafficking, human trafficking as a transitional crime, characteristics of the crime of trafficking in human beings and strategies to most effectively deal with this crime.

COMM 325 Communicating Hip-Hop Culture
Analysis of rap music as a communicative force both within and about hip-hop culture. Topics of study include the origins, development, and participants of the culture with special emphasis on rap music as the primary vehicle of communication.

COMM 326 African Americans in American Media
The evolution of the popular image of African Americans as reflected in the visual media of television and the cinema.

COMM 433 Children and Television
Explores social media and other emerging technologies and how they influence communication practice in a variety of settings.

COMM 435 Media, Culture and Society
Introduction to basic theory and practices with an emphasis on application of concepts in the development of news stories, advertisements, and other video projects.

ECON 331 Labor Economics
An examination of labor problems and their solutions by competitive market forces. Topics in labor economics include the nature of the labor force, its allocation and utilization, the structure and determination of wages, and unemployment.

GEOG 324 Race and Place
In this course, students will explore the many ways race is socially constructed and intimately tied to space and place. Topics covered include: the spatiality of plantations, segregation vs. separation, the Great migration, race in urban and rural spaces, the intersection between race, gender and place, and race and place beyond the United States.

GEOG 340 Environmental Conflict in the United States: Historical Foundations & Contemporary Problem
A review of various environmental conflicts throughout the United States, including the legal, economic, and policy processes behind them and the reasons why conflict exists. This course explores environmental issues in a variety of United States contexts. This course places particular emphasis on the historical foundations of contemporary environmental conflict and dynamics of identity-based inequalities rooted in differences such as race and socio-economic class.

HIST 313 Comparative Environmental History
A comparative study of the historical roots of environmental issues in the U.S. and other regions of the world.

HIST 319 African-American History I
A unified study of the economic, social, cultural, political, and educational development of African Americans in the United States. Division date: 1865.

HIST 320 African-American History II
A unified study of the economic, social, cultural, political, and educational development of African Americans in the United States. 1865 to present.

HIST 322 The History of the Civil Rights Movement, 1900 to Present
Study of the modern civil rights movement, its leaders, programs and strategies, from 1900 to present.

HIST 323 Modern American Social Movements
Introduces students to the history of modern American social movements. Topics will include organizing strategies, motivations, tactics, and results.

HIST 324 The History of Women, 1700 to the Present
A comparative treatment of women's changing status, including material from European and American history.

HIST 326 History of Childhood in America
An analysis of the impact of socioeconomic and ideological change on the experience of children and youth from the colonial period to the present, with attention to the effects of race, class, and gender on childhood experience.

LALS 310 Introduction to Latin American Studies
An interdisciplinary overview of Latin American Studies, including geography and history; social, political and economic systems; literature, culture and global issue

PAS 200 Introduction to Pan-African Studies
Introduces students to the academic discipline of Pan-African Studies. Students will be introduced to critical issues, themes, perspectives, debates, and emerging trajectories within the discipline. In addition to orienting students to the discipline of Black Studies, the course also exposes students to significant historical, social, political, and cultural issues that have shaped the experiences of people of African descent in the United States and throughout the diaspora.

PAS 205 Race, Color and Consciousness
Do #BlackLivesMatter advocates have a legitimate argument that America has historically and contemporarily marginalizes people based on race? ls race more important than class? Does America define race differently than other countries? This course wrestles with these questions and more as it explores how the African-descended experience has developed in different ways around the globe. The historic struggle for personhood and humanity by African people when they encounter non-colored core groups in various western societies also has certain commonalities. The course focuses on the experiences of diasporic Africans in North America, South America, and the Caribbean who have lived in societies that are socially, politically, and economically controlled by such groups. It is especially designed to expose students to a comparative view of race relations and reasoning in a number of societies in an effort to more fully examine the evolving American approach to race.

PAS 214 African-American Music
Examines African-American music from a historical perspective, from its origins to the present. It will explore the development of various stylistic trends that characterize African-American music and socio-economic factors and events which have influenced it. There will be discussion on the evolution of and changes in musical style and form. Students will be introduced to innovators via audio and video recordings.

PAS 247 Language, Protest and Identity
Sociolinguists see language as more than a question of people talking to each other. Language not only communicates ideas, but also communicates our identities in a society. It identifies us as we see ourselves and it identifies us, as others perceive us. Embodied in the act of human communication is a complex set of rules for how to send a message and another set of rules for how to interpret that message. Beyond these rules, socially constructed preconceptions, such as issues of race, class, and gender, can have an influence on the way people choose to communicate with others and on how that communication is understood by others. Much of this operates subtly and below our consciousness, such as when we say one thing, but our kinesics (body language) displays a different attitude. However, there are some, particularly those working in politics or advertising, who have developed a keen ability to manipulate or otherwise channel messages for a special effect.

PAS 272 Reggae Music & the Politics of Black Liberation
Sociolinguists see language as more than a question of people talking to each other. Language not only communicates ideas, but also communicates our identities in a society. It identifies us as we see ourselves and it identifies us, as others perceive us. Embodied in the act of human communication is a complex set of rules for how to send a message and another set of rules for how to interpret that message. Beyond these rules, socially constructed preconceptions, such as issues of race, class, and gender, can have an influence on the way people choose to communicate with others and on how that communication is understood by others. Much of this operates subtly and below our consciousness, such as when we say one thing, but our kinesics (body language) displays a different attitude. However, there are some, particularly those working in politics or advertising, who have developed a keen ability to manipulate or otherwise channel messages for a special effect

PAS 273 The Rhythm and Blues Revolution and American Culture
The history of R from its post-WWII origins to the post-Civil Rights Movement era, with particular emphasis on its impact on the U.S. and global popular culture and ideas about race.

PAS 305 Legal Lynchings: A Survey of Race, Law, and the American Justice System
A historical study of the American justice system and its treatment of persons of African descent.

PAS 310 African-American Art to 1920
Relationship between African and African-American art from the slave era through the Harlem Renaissance in its aesthetic, social, cultural, and political contexts.

PAS 311 African-American Art 1920 to Present
Relationship between art of the Harlem Renaissance, Black Art of the 1960's and contemporary art in its aesthetic, social, cultural and political contexts.

PAS 324 Politics, Political Violence and Black Resistance
Examination of the structural, institutional and personal dimensions of violence and the human drama as it unfolds in situations of oppression.

PAS 325 Politics of Black Male Identity in Post-Modern America
Examination of factors which contribute to the construction of black American male identity from fraternities and gangs to everyday "cool.”

PAS 327 Politics of the Black Community
The politics of black sub-communities in the context of political behavior research; political socialization, sub-community power structure, leadership, voter and party roles, strategies of protest, and government outputs.

PAS 330 Women in African-American Religion
Role and history of African-American religious institutions of the U.S. Focus on women of African descent in the suffrage, abolitionist, civil rights movements and the womanist movement in contemporary black theology and African-American Islam.

PAS 333 Black Student Experience: Issues with Persistence & Inclusion in PWIs
Explore the unique challenges of Blacks in higher education in relation to issues of access, retention, graduation, student engagement, satisfaction, and identity formation at Predominantly White Institutions (PWIs). There is an examination of best practice models on Black student retention, using empirically-based methods and mentoring theories and practices.

PAS 335 Survey of African-American Education
An in-depth look at the efforts of African Americans to secure educational opportunity and access with special emphasis on contemporary curricular and political issues.

PAS 338 Race and Economics
An examination of the economic character of African-American urban areas. Focus on the types of businesses, capital accumulation and their role in urban America.

PAS 339 Black Women and the Criminology System
This course will examine the various ways the legal system impacts and regulates Black women. Students will critically analyze the effect court decisions and laws have on Black women using an intersectional approach of race, gender, economic class, differently abled bodies, sexual orientation, religion, and nationality. Students will first study legal standards and terminology as well as race and gender theory to develop a solid foundation on which to examine case law, constitutional standards and current events. This course is designed to give students an understanding of how the justice system impacts Black women's lives, maintains systems of inequality, and regulates their bodies. We will look at women lead the criminal justice reform movement both within and outside of the legal system.

PAS 344 Black Lesbian Lives
Course focuses on black, lesbian-identified people cross-culturally, examining autobiographical accounts and visual culture within the context of LGBTQ politics and discourse.

PAS 364 Racism and Sexism
The impact of racism and sexism on marginally oppressed communities, as well as their strategies of resistance.

PAS 372 Black Music and Identity in the 1960s
Examination of African-American artists' attempts in the 1960s and 1970s to produce art that would educate, inspire, and help liberate black people from white supremacist thought and practice.

PAS 374 The Black Power Movement
Examination of the phase of the African-American freedom struggle known as the Black Power Movement, spanning the mid-1960s through the 1970s.

PEAC 325 Peace, Justice & Conflict Transformation
Introduces fundamental issues within the broad realm of Peace Studies and deepens student skills in critical thinking, conflict analysis, and problem solving. Core issues: conflict analysis, non-violent action, violence prevention, warism, peacebuilding, and gender and peace.

POLS 315 Race, Law and Politics
This course examines the legal consequences of racial inequality in the United States. It explores the origins of the concept of race and documents the nature of contemporary racial inequality.

POLS 316 Gender, Sexuality & Law
This course examines how legal policy both reflects and shapes norms related to gender and sexuality, and analyzes the public policy implications of court decisions related to gender and sexuality.

POLS 318 Religion and United States Politics
Study of the impact of religion on politics in the United States. Includes analysis of religion in political development, constitutional law, elections, and policy lobbying.

POLS 323 Queer Politics
The course examines the political organization of gays, lesbians and transgendered persons, forms of oppression they experience, forms of political activism they utilize, and their relationship to mainstream political institutions.

POLS 324 Women in American Politics
A study of women's involvement in American politics as active political party members, as candidates for national, state, and local offices, as elected officials, and as appointees to government positions at all levels.

POLS 327 African-American Politics
The relationship between African Americans, race history and the American political system via political behavior research: political socialization, organization, mobilization, leadership, voting, political parties, coalitions and interest group strategies.

WGST 201 Women in American Culture
Examination of women's experiences in 19th- and 20th-century America, focusing on issues pertaining to family, religion, economy, politics, law, race and class.

WGST 203 Gender Issues in Public Dialogue
The objective of this course is to empower students to be persuasive and effective public speakers. Students will utilize gender analytics as a tool to examine the content and structure of public dialogue. Students will practice the skills they need to be successful in today's corporate, non-profit, and government arenas.

WGST 301 Introduction to Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer Studies
Course focuses on defining the field of LGBTQ studies, examining the historical and social contexts of LGBTQ communities as well as the personal, cultural, and political aspects of LGBTQ life.

WGST 303 Humanities and Gender
Analysis of sex roles as embodied in classic works of philosophy, literature, history, drama, and art in ancient, medieval, modern and contemporary times.

WGST 349 Color Complex of Black Women
Study of phenotypes, body image, inter-/intra-gender relationships, media influences, and social norms, from slavery to present, on the development of black female identities, using theories in psychology, sociology, and deconstruction.

WGST 395 Women, Media and Culture
The purpose of this course is to learn to evaluate critically how mass media communicates cultural understandings about gender, race, class and sexuality. We will consider the role of media images in supporting the social, political and economic status quo, as well as the ways media audiences consume, negotiate, and resist media messages. In addition, we will consider how changing technical, economic, and political contexts influence media representations. Through screenings, readings, discussions and writing exercises you will gain practical experience in media literacy and criticism.

WGST 522 The Body in Popular Media
Examines the relationship between culture and the body, focusing on how Western philosophy, as well as gender, race and class, have constructed popular images of and attitudes toward the body.

WGST 523 Gender and Popular Music
Course explores the way gender structures the production, distribution, and consumption of popular music, including variety of genres in the past and present, with attention to the intersectional roles of race, class, and sexuality.

WGST 538 Woman and Sport
An effort to understand the role of the American woman in sport. Studies concepts about women, sport, and society in contemporary and historical perspectives.