Course Description
This course offers an interdisciplinary viewpoint of the many ways in which human beings function as individuals, members of larger groups, and members of particular cultures. It also explores the disciplines of sociology, psychology, and criminology in seeking to understand and explore human behavior.
Course Objectives
Upon completion of this course, students should be able to
- Explain what the study of sociology and sociological theory entails
- Discuss the major theoretical perspectives of both applied and clinical sociology
- Explain the utility of a sociological imagination
- Understand socialization and how agents of socialization can be positive and/or negative
- Define social structure and social control
- Discuss personality type and body language and how they can effect communications and conflict
- Summarize the various theoretical explanations and approaches to crime and deviance
- Define victimization and assessing victim risk
- List the various types of diversity
- Explain minority, racial and ethnic group issues
Week 1
Lecture: Course Introduction
Outcomes
- Identify the course expectations and requirements
Lecture: Overview of Sociology and Culture
Outcomes
- Discuss sociology and sociological theory
- Explore the development of sociology
- Examine the major theoretical perspectives of sociology
- Discuss sociological imagination and understand how to use it
- Discuss the similarities and differences of culture and society
- Understand the elements of culture
- Discuss cultural variation
- Discuss the issues of bilingualism
Week 2
Lecture: Socialization
Outcomes
- Discuss the role of socialization
- Define the various theories of the stages of self
- Explain socialization and the life course
- Identify agents of socialization
Week 3
Lecture: Social Structure
Outcomes
- Discuss social interaction and reality
- Explore the elements of social structure
- Explain status and strain
- Evaluate groups and networks and their importance
- Summarize the social structure and the global perspective
- Discuss organizations and the changing workplace
Week 4
Lecture: Media
Outcomes
- Discuss the purpose of the media
- Examine the sociological perspectives on the media
- Explore the various sociological viewpoints on the media
Week 5
Lecture: Personality
Outcomes
- Define the purpose of the Myers-Briggs (Jung) personality test
- Explore individual personality type and how it can be used by the student
- Explain the differences between the 16 personality types and how to use the information to better understand others, communicate and problem solve
Week 6
Lecture: Communication
Outcomes
- Discuss Foster and Marshall’s personality types (driver, feeler, analyzer and elitist) and how the personality types are characterized
- Explore how understanding the type of others can assist in better communication
- Define kinesics and identify common pitfalls in recognizing body languages
- Discuss the emotional cognitive responses to the environment
Week 7
Lecture: Deviance and Social Control
Outcomes
- Define formal and informal social control
- Explore the various theoretical explanations and approaches to deviance
- Explore the various theoretical explanations and approaches to crime
- Discuss Routine Activity Theory and how it can be used to deter crime and deviance
- Define labeling and how it can be deterred
- Explain the various theories of conflict
- List the types of crime
- Summarize victimization and assessing victim risk
Week 8
Lecture: Race, Stereotypes, and Diversity
Outcomes
- Discuss the multiple types of diversity
- Examine the differences of terminology describing minority, racial and ethnic groups
- Identify the origins and results of prejudice and discrimination
- Discuss racial profiling
- Summarize the issues of studying race and ethnicity
- Define patterns of intergroup relations
- Discuss the social construction and stratification of gender
- Explore aging and society, the aging process and the role transitions through the life course
The course description, objectives and learning outcomes are subject to change without notice based on enhancements made to the course. November 2011
