SOCI 1101 Syllabus

Subject Code

SOCI

Course Number

1101

Course Title

Introduction to Sociology

Prerequisites

Degree program admission language competency or successful completion of required English and reading learning support courses with grades of C* or higher

Corequisites

Terms Offered

Offered every semester

Credit Hours

(3-0-3)

Course Description

This course explores the sociological analysis of society, its culture, and structure. Sociology is presented as a science with emphasis placed on its methodology and theoretical foundations. Topics include basic sociological concepts, socialization, social interaction and culture, social groups and institutions, deviance and social control, social stratification, social change, and marriage and family.

Course Outcomes

Basic Sociological Concepts

  • Describe the sociological perspective.
  • Describe the main characteristics of the other social sciences.
  • Discuss the major theoretical perspectives and explain their use.
  • Explain the major research methods used in sociology.
  • Identify the problems researchers face in conducting valid research.

Socialization

  • Recognize the different perspectives on the role of heredity and environment in the socialization process.
  • identify the major theories or processes of development.
  • Explain the importance of agencies of socialization such as family, school, religion, peer groups, mass media, and the workplace.
  • Explain the two major perspectives of socialization.

Culture

  • Define culture and discuss the elements of culture including beliefs, values, norms, and language.
  • Differentiate between material and the non-material culture, ethnocentrism and cultural relativism, and real vs. ideal culture.
  • Define subcultures and countercultures.
  • Explain cultural lag, cultural diffusion, and cultural leveling.

Social Structure and Social Interaction

  • Describe the functions of status, roles, groups, and institutions in maintaining social structure.
  • Define society and differentiate the types of societies.
  • Explain the theories of social interaction.

Social Groups and Institutions

  • Identify the major types of groups.
  • Explain the structure and processes of small groups.
  • Recognize and describe the major roles of such sociological groups as the family, religion, education, health care providers, and political and economic institutions.
  • Identify types of formal organizations.
  • Identify and discuss the major types of government and economic systems.

Deviance and Social Control

  • Describe the sociological and non-sociological approaches to deviance
  • Discuss the three sociological perspectives of crime.
  • Explain major theories of deviance and crime.
  • Differentiate between formal and informal social controls.

Social Stratification

  • Define social stratification.
  • Identify the two types of stratification systems.
  • Define open and closed systems of stratification.
  • Explain how socioeconomic status is measured.
  • Describe the major social classes found in the united States.
  • Identify some of the consequences of social stratification.
  • Discuss the social sources of prejudice and discrimination.
  • Identify the psychological factors involved in prejudice and discrimination.
  • Explain the consequences of discrimination.
  • Identify the primary racial and ethnic minorities in America.
  • Discuss the sources and extent of gender stratification.
  • Identify and discuss the major problems related to age and social inequality.

Social Change

  • Discuss the major theories of social change.
  • Identify the major sources of change.
  • Define collective behavior.
  • Discuss the various forms of collective behavior and the conditions necessary for development.
  • Describe the types of social movements.
  • Trace the development of social movements.
  • Describe current patterns of population growth and social problems related to that growth.
  • Describe the processes of urban change.
  • Identify the three theories of urban structure.
  • Discuss the major problems faced by American cities and some of the programs developed to resolve them.

Marriage and Family

  • Discuss aspects of mate selection such as endogamy, exogamy, and homogamy.
  • Describe social class differences, racial and ethnic differences.
  • Discuss patterns of parenting and grandparenting.
  • Discuss adoption, dual-income families, single-parent families, stepfamilies.
  • Define some statistical trends in divorce.
  • Discuss factors associated with divorce.
  • Discuss the impact of divorce on children.
  • Discuss cohabitation, marriage without children, single parents, and alternative lifestyles.
  • Describe the theoretical views of family.