Sociology (SOCI)
The department encompasses two disciplines, sociology and anthropology, and offers separate majors and minors in each.
Sociology is the study of human social action. It emphasizes an appreciation of human diversity, social inequality and the processes that govern groups, organizations, communities, cultures and nation states. Because these areas of study are integral to a liberal arts education, the department encourages students with diverse majors to take courses at all levels.
Among other things, a major in sociology can assist those interested in graduate work. It also offers a background for careers in law, journalism, government and international affairs, teaching, social work and public service.
Honors
The department strongly encourages qualified majors to consider working for honors in sociology. Such students should consult in their junior year with one or more members of the faculty of the department to begin defining a research topic and writing a proposal. Normally, during the senior year, an honors student will enroll in SOCI 319 Honors Course in Sociology and, if agreed to by the academic adviser, a second semester in SOCI 320 Honors Course in Sociology. The honors proposal is to be approved by the department chairperson and submitted to the Honors Council by the honors program calendar deadline posted online. Further information can be obtained from the student’s academic adviser, the department chairperson and from the Honors Council.
Sociology Major
The major in sociology requires nine courses. Students may count a total of two anthropology courses (one elective course and one theory/methods course) toward the sociology major. No more than two 100-level courses may be counted toward the sociology major. Requirements are as follows:
| 1 100-level SOCI course | 1 | |
| 4 SOCI Electives (one must be at the 300 level) | 4 | |
| SOCI 365 | Advanced Seminar in Sociology (Culminating Experience) | 1 |
Students must take ONE of the following methods courses:
| SOCI 208 | Methods of Social Research | 1 |
| SOCI 209 | Analyzing the Social World | 1 |
Students must take ONE of the following theory courses:
| SOCI 211 | Classical Sociological Theory | 1 |
| SOCI 212 | Sociological Theory | 1 |
Students must take ONE ADDITIONAL theory/methods course from the following list:
| SOCI 201 | Field Research in Local Communities | 1 |
| SOCI 208 | Methods of Social Research | 1 |
| SOCI 209 | Analyzing the Social World | 1 |
| SOCI 211 | Classical Sociological Theory | 1 |
| SOCI 212 | Sociological Theory | 1 |
| ANTH 283 | Theory in Anthropology | 1 |
The major in sociology provides students with an overview of the discipline; broad exposure to social issues and sociological concerns, and a variety of specialty areas in the field; reading and writing skills, and information literacy. Courses emphasize careful reading and analysis of sociological and theoretical texts, qualitative and quantitative methods, writing as part of both the research process and the presentation of results, presentation to multiple audiences, and how to find and use information from multiple sources. Students will graduate prepared for the workforce or graduate/professional study.
The department strongly recommends that core courses be taken as early as possible in a student’s career (preferably during the sophomore or junior year). Students should take at least one sociology course at the 100 or 200 level before taking the methods courses (SOCI 201, SOCI 208 or SOCI 209). Methods courses are not intended for first-year students.
Courses that are cross-listed as anthropology and sociology courses count as sociology courses and still allow sociology majors to take one elective designated solely as an anthropology course.
Up to two off-campus courses may count toward 200-level electives in the major. The department chair may allow off-campus courses to count toward other major requirements if these courses adequately substitute for material that is taught in our department.
Minor in Sociology
The minor in sociology requires five courses in sociology. Students may count no more than two 100-level courses toward the five courses required. Courses in anthropology may not be counted toward the sociology minor unless courses are listed as satisfying both sociology and anthropology major credit. No more than one off-campus course ordinarily counts toward the minor.
Sociology Learning Goals
Demonstrate a working knowledge of the core concepts of sociology (social structure; culture; social stratification and inequality; race, ethnicity and gender; and globalization).
Demonstrate a working knowledge of the nature, methods and critical thinking skills in qualitative and quantitative research methodologies in the field.
Apply an understanding of sociology to one's professional, personal and civic lives.
Develop an appreciation for the rich diversity within and between societies and cultures.
Courses
SOCI 100. Introduction to Sociology. 1 Credit.
Offered Both Fall and Spring; Lecture hours:3
The concepts and methods sociologists use to investigate human groups. Focuses on the study of social organization, its variety and development. Preference given to first and second year students. Juniors and seniors by permission only.
SOCI 109. Sociology of Social Problems. 1 Credit.
Offered Occasionally; Lecture hours:3
This course offers a critical examination of major social problems in the contemporary United States within the context of wider global issues.
SOCI 110. Social Problems in the 21st Century. 1 Credit.
Offered Occasionally; Lecture hours:3
Focuses on the sociological approach to social problems, studying existing problems like poverty and inequality plus new or changing problems such as war and terrorism.
SOCI 123. Law and Society. 1 Credit.
Offered Either Fall or Spring; Lecture hours:3
Introduction to law and the legal system. The effects of economic, political, and other social institutions on the social organization of criminal and civil law.
SOCI 140. American Society and Culture. 1 Credit.
Offered Spring Semester Only; Lecture hours:3
Exploration of central aspects of American society and culture including national identity, class structure and stratification, ethnic and racial group coexistence and conflict, family structure, religious ideologies, and immigration patterns.
SOCI 1NT. Sociology Non-traditional Study. .5-2 Credits.
Offered Fall, Spring, Summer; Lecture hours:Varies
Non-traditional study in sociology. Prerequisite: permission of the instructor.
SOCI 201. Field Research in Local Communities. 1 Credit.
Offered Either Fall or Spring; Lecture hours:3
Participant-observation, interviewing, and other field research methods. Students will devise and conduct their own ethnographic research projects in a local community. Not open to first-year students. Crosslisted as ANTH 201.
SOCI 202. Social Inequality. 1 Credit.
Offered Occasionally; Lecture hours:3
An introductory course on the topic of social stratification. Various structures and forms of inequality will be examined including social class, racial and ethnic status, and gender.
SOCI 203. Social Psychology. 1 Credit.
Offered Occasionally; Lecture hours:3
Survey of major theoretical and methodological approaches in sociological social psychology with emphasis on real-word social interactions and relationships. Topics include learning and socialization, social interaction, stratification, development of self and the social construction of identity, deviance, health and illness, social attitudes and behaviors, emotions, relationships, aggression and conflict.
SOCI 205. Conservative, Reactionary, and Anti-Revolutionary Thought in the Western World. 1 Credit.
Offered Either Fall or Spring; Lecture hours:3
This course will introduce students to a range of social, political, and cultural thought from the right.
SOCI 208. Methods of Social Research. 1 Credit.
Offered Either Fall or Spring; Lecture hours:3
An introduction to various paradigms of social research with emphasis on the logic of social inquiry, research design and data collection. Requires two prior sociology courses and permission of the instructor.
SOCI 209. Analyzing the Social World. 1 Credit.
Offered Either Fall or Spring; Lecture hours:3; Repeatable
A course in sociological data analysis, using the General Social Survey and other data sets, promoting student research.
SOCI 211. Classical Sociological Theory. 1 Credit.
Offered Either Fall or Spring; Lecture hours:3
A survey of major theories and theoretical traditions in sociology from roughly 1850 to 1920. The work of Karl Marx, Emile Durkheim, and Max Weber is often the centerpiece of the course.
SOCI 212. Sociological Theory. 1 Credit.
Offered Either Fall or Spring; Lecture hours:3
This course introduces students to theory construction and development in sociology. We will explore how social theorists develop conceptual categories, societal taxonomies, and causal frameworks designed for explanation of phenomena in human behavior and social organization.
SOCI 220. Environmental Sociology. 1 Credit.
Offered Either Fall or Spring; Lecture hours:3
This course will examine how human society shapes and is shaped by our natural environment. We will explore the intersection between the environment and key social problems, such as social inequality, racism and climate change. We will also examine efforts to improve the environment from grassroots movements to advanced technology.
SOCI 221. Science, Truth, and Social Order: The Study of Science as Social Practice. 1 Credit.
Offered Either Fall or Spring; Lecture hours:3
Introduction to the sociological study of scientific knowledge, with exploration of examples both historical and contemporary. Study of the nature of scientific truth and the processes by which scientific knowledge is produced, sustained over time, and challenged and altered.
SOCI 222. School & Society. 1 Credit.
Offered Occasionally; Lecture hours:3
An introduction to sociology of education, this course considers the role of schools and education in society. Topics covered include various sociological perspectives on schools, what students learn, and how educational systems interact with other political, economic, and cultural institutions.
SOCI 224. Special Topics in Sociology. 1 Credit.
Offered Either Fall or Spring; Lecture hours:3
Topics related to current events/issues in Sociology.
SOCI 225. Organizations in Society. 1 Credit.
Offered Fall Semester Only; Lecture hours:3
This class will cover topics in organizational sociology including basic organization theory. Topics to be considered may include corporate social responsibility, sector, organizational networks, markets and organizations and work/occupations.
SOCI 227. Oceans and Society. 1 Credit.
Offered Fall Semester Only; Lecture hours:3
In this class we will uncover the many ways in which human societies are inextricable from the world’s oceans and address themes such as scientific uncertainty, environmental racism, immigration, colonialism and urban sustainability. Walruses, anchovies, artisanal fishers, coastal cities and factories will all lie at the center of weekly discussions. Crosslisted as ENST 237.
SOCI 231. Economy & Society. 1 Credit.
Offered Occasionally; Lecture hours:3
An introduction to economic sociology, this course focuses on understanding economic relations as social relations. The goal of the course is to understand how social and institutional process interact with economic life. Topics covered include sociological perspectives on the economy, markets, money, corporations, and capitalism.
SOCI 232. Sociology of Health and Medicine. 1 Credit.
Offered Either Fall or Spring; Lecture hours:3
The course will provide students with a sociological analysis of various health/illness issues and the health services industry. Students will investigate how race, gender, socio-economic status and their intersections impact health disparities and inequalities.
SOCI 234. Criminology. 1 Credit.
Offered Either Fall or Spring; Lecture hours:3
Theories and research in criminal behavior and the societal reaction to criminality. Causes and consequences of crime, including public policy formulations.
SOCI 236. Social Movements and Collective Action: Contemporary Society and Implications for Social Change. 1 Credit.
Offered Either Fall or Spring; Lecture hours:3
People’s mobilization capacity to fight for social change is a crucial dimension of the social world. However, few people actually ever participate in social movements. Why? In this course, we will study movements from across the globe to elucidate how movements form, what sustains them, and do they actually work?.
SOCI 238. Brain, Mind, Self, and Society. 1 Credit.
Offered Alternate Fall or Spring; Lecture hours:3
This course presents a biosocial perspective on the human self and personality. Examination of descriptions and explanations for human consciousness, agency, behavior, and experience of self from the social sciences and neurosciences.
SOCI 239. Deviance and Identity. 1 Credit.
Offered Either Fall or Spring; Lecture hours:3
Social organization and personal action; group dynamics, identity, commitment, and deviant behavior.
SOCI 240. The Social Forms of Religious Life: Religion's Role in Social Order and Conflict. 1 Credit.
Offered Either Fall or Spring; Lecture hours:3
Examination of the evolutionary roots of religion; the role of religion in "world-construction," social solidarity and social change; the secularization thesis; civil religion; fundamentalisms, cults, other new religious movements; religious violence and terrorism. Special attention given to Christianity and Islam.
SOCI 241. Marriages and Families in the 21st Century. 1 Credit.
Offered Both Fall and Spring; Lecture hours:3
Focusing on courtship, marriages, and families in the 21st century U.S., we explore how work and family life vary by gender, race, and social class.
SOCI 242. Rural Communities. 1 Credit.
Offered Either Fall or Spring; Lecture hours:3,Other:1.5
Explores dimensions of rural poverty and includes on-site experiences in local towns as class member explore the structure of community and economic inequality.
SOCI 243. Sociology of Race and Ethnicity. 1 Credit.
Offered Alternating Fall Semester; Lecture hours:3
Studies the concepts and social significance of race/ ethnicity and major race/ethnic groups within the United States. Emphasis on varying theoretical and methodological approaches to the sociological study of race/ethnicity.
SOCI 245. Remaking America: Latin American Immigration. 1 Credit.
Offered Spring Semester Only; Lecture hours:3
The processes and impacts of Latin American immigration on the U.S. and countries of origin. Special emphasis on how the immigration experience varies by ethnicity, location, and gender. Crosslisted as LAMS 245.
SOCI 247. Class and Politics in the US. 1 Credit.
Offered Either Fall or Spring; Lecture hours:3; Repeatable
Introduction to a sociological approach to politics. Exploration of classical debates in political sociology and key issues relevant for understanding the contemporary United States, including the politics of taxation, social assistance and market regulation, political discrimination and exclusion, militarism, and social movements.
SOCI 248. Nationalism in the 21st Century. 1 Credit.
Offered Either Fall or Spring; Lecture hours:3
This course explores the history of nationalism and how its profound legacies intersect with problems in the 21st century. We will typically investigate economic inequality and migration, human-driven climate change, resource and “vaccine nationalism,” war, and other forms of political extremism and violence committed “in the name of the nation.”.
SOCI 249. Doing Gender: Self & Society. 1 Credit.
Offered Either Fall or Spring; Lecture hours:3
This course examines the social construction and performance of gender in our daily lives. We consider what it means to live in a gendered society, from micro level issues of identity (the self) to the way macro level social institutions (society) create structures of gendered privilege and inequality.
SOCI 251. Violence and Society. 1 Credit.
Offered Spring Semester Only; Lecture hours:3
The study of violent social, political, and legal institutions: domestic violence, sexual coercion, vigilantism, political conflict; the production and control of criminal violence.
SOCI 252. Faces of Death: Death in Human Nature and Culture. 1 Credit.
Offered Fall Semester Only; Lecture hours:3
This course investigates the place of death in human nature and culture. We will look at death as a biological, social, and cultural fact for the human species. Funeral ritual and mourning will be studied in global and historical framework but with emphasis on the modern world.
SOCI 258. Gender, Race and Poverty in the United States. 1 Credit.
Offered Either Fall or Spring; Lecture hours:3
This course investigates the realities of poverty through an intersectional lens. Topics include historical understandings of poverty; depictions of poverty in pop culture; the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on poverty in the U.S. and bringing attention to populations that often get left out of mainstream conversations about poverty.
SOCI 261. Sociology of the Arts. 1 Credit.
Offered Occasionally; Lecture hours:3
An introduction to artistic work and its reception from evolutionary, social, and cultural perspectives. We will explore the reasons why humans make art, the forces that affect artistic works and careers, and the formation of artistic tastes.
SOCI 265. The Sixties and American Society: Conflict, Contravention, Consequences. 1 Credit.
Offered Either Fall or Spring; Lecture hours:3
This is a course on major social, cultural, and political conflicts and change in the US from roughly 1955-1975 and the long-term consequences for contemporary American life. Close examination of New Left, civil rights movement, student movement, feminist movement, Vietnam War, and counterculture.
SOCI 270. Popular Culture. 1 Credit.
Offered Spring Semester Only; Lecture hours:3
The role of popular culture (e.g., music, television, film, and other media) in constructing individual and collective identities.
SOCI 275. Sociology of Mass Media. 1 Credit.
Offered Either Fall or Spring; Lecture hours:3
Examination of mass media institutions/production and their effect on media consumers and the broader culture.
SOCI 285. Urban Sociology. 1 Credit.
Offered Either Fall or Spring; Lecture hours:3
The social and spatial orders are intricately linked. This class traces this relationship with a focus on urban issues in the US to make sense of how cities fit into the American past, present, and future. Attention to how cities can generate, preserve, or disrupt social stratification.
SOCI 299. Topics in Sociology. 1 Credit.
Offered Either Fall or Spring; Lecture hours:3; Repeatable
Topics will vary each semester.
SOCI 2NT. Sociology Non-traditional Study. 1-4 Credits.
Offered Fall, Spring, Summer; Lecture hours:Varies,Other:Varies; Repeatable
Non-traditional study in Sociology. Prerequisite: permission of the instructor.
SOCI 300. Evolution, Biology and Society. 1 Credit.
Offered Either Fall or Spring; Lecture hours:3
Exploration of the contribution of the biological sciences to understanding of human social organization and behavior. Theoretical tools from evolutionary biology, sociobiology, behavioral genetics, and neurobiology are applied to the study of a range of sociological topics (e.g., sexuality and sex difference, stratification, aggression and violence, morality, self-interest and altruism).
SOCI 309. How Holocausts Happen. 1 Credit.
Offered Alternate Fall and Spring; Lecture hours:3
A comparative-historical analysis of genocide, politicide, and the Holocaust, from premodern colonial regimes through Darfur, examining social, psychological, political and economic determinants. Prerequisite: seniors only; juniors by permission of the instructor.
SOCI 310. The Sociology of Developing Societies. 1 Credit.
Offered Spring Semester Only; Lecture hours:3
Examines various conceptions of development and how they are implemented in selected countries. Prerequisite: any sociology or anthropology course, or permission of the instructor.
SOCI 311. Globalization, Technology and Cultural Change. 1 Credit.
Offered Fall Semester Only; Lecture hours:3
Examination of the impact of the processes of global restructuring and the technological revolution on people, culture and society. This class will focus on Latin America and the Caribbean. Crosslisted as LAMS 311.
SOCI 312. Globalization and Conflict. 1 Credit.
Offered Either Fall or Spring; Lecture hours:3
Both WWI and WWII were supposed to be the "war that ended all war." In this class, we'll analyze today's conflicts through the lens of social scientific research to help us understand how conflicts in remote parts of the world are intimately linked to our lives.
SOCI 316. Inequality, Power, & Globalization. 1 Credit.
Offered Either Fall or Spring; Lecture hours:3
Examines from a sociological perspective the effect of globalization on the economies and societies of developed and developing countries. Focuses on how changes in global capitalism are transforming nation-states, creating new dynamics of wealth distribution, and generating social conflicts, with emphasis on populist, nationalist, and transnational social movements.
SOCI 317. Experiencing Prison---An Inside-Out Course; BU students have class with inmates at SCI Coal Tnshp. 1 Credit.
Offered Either Fall or Spring; Lecture hours:3,Other:1
This is a class where Bucknell students will enter SCI Coal Township to have class with incarcerated men there. The course explores the sociology of emotions with a focus on reflective writing, dialog, the nature of identity, the experiences of incarcerated men in prison and expectations of BU students.
SOCI 319. Honors Course in Sociology. 1 Credit.
Offered Either Fall or Spring; Lecture hours:Varies,Other:12; Repeatable
Each student selects a project to be developed individually. Prerequisite: permission of the instructor.
SOCI 320. Honors Course in Sociology. 1 Credit.
Offered Either Fall or Spring; Lecture hours:Varies,Other:12; Repeatable
Each student selects a project to be developed individually. Prerequisite: permission of the instructor.
SOCI 324. Opium of the Intellectuals. 1 Credit.
Offered Either Fall or Spring; Lecture hours:3
A seminar on Western intellectual and cultural elites and their worldview.
SOCI 325. Advanced Reading in Sociology. .5-2 Credits.
Offered Either Fall or Spring; Lecture hours:Varies,Other:12; Repeatable
Readings developed around the interest of individual students. Prerequisite: permission of the instructor.
SOCI 326. Advanced Reading in Sociology. .5-2 Credits.
Offered Either Fall or Spring; Lecture hours:Varies,Other:12; Repeatable
Readings developed around the interest of individual students. individual students. Prerequisite: permission of the instructor.
SOCI 327. Race, Citizenship and Human Rights. 1 Credit.
Offered Either Fall or Spring; Lecture hours:3
This course provides an understanding of the intersection of race, citizenship and human rights. It exposes students to these burning issues as they play themselves out in the world.
SOCI 328. Mating and Marrying in America. 1 Credit.
Offered Alternate Fall or Spring; Lecture hours:3
This is a course on changing patterns in American courtship (dating), marriage, and family life from the 20th to the 21st century. Prerequisite: permission of the instructor. Crosslisted as WMST 328.
SOCI 332. Women and the Penal System. 1 Credit.
Offered Occasionally; Lecture hours:3
This course explores the interface between inequality, crime, punishment, and justice, with an emphasis on women in the United States; the course is populated by both Bucknell students and incarcerated students at a nearby women's prison. Prerequisite: permission of the instructor. Crosslisted as WMST 332.
SOCI 337. America in Black and White. 1 Credit.
Lecture hours:3
This course is focused on the White and Black American experiences. America in Black and White will explore the historical and present day government policies, private business interests and personal stereotypes that have resulted in social, political and economic advantages provided to one group while actively disenfranchising another.
SOCI 341. Seminar in Law and Society. 1 Credit.
Lecture hours:3
Structure and process of legal institutions: police, courts, prisons, lawyers, juries, and extralegal mechanisms relevant to the legal system.
SOCI 342. White Privilege and Whiteness Seminar. 1 Credit.
Offered Either Fall or Spring; Lecture hours:3
What is whiteness? What is white privilege? What explains their durability in today’s world? In this seminar, we will read contemporary non-fiction books to understand 21st-century racial domination, power and privilege. You will leave this course better equipped with insight necessary to disrupt personal, institutional and worldwide systems of oppression.
SOCI 345. Nations, Nationalism, and Confounding Problems in the 21st Century. 1 Credit.
Offered Occasionally; Lecture hours:3
This course explores the intersection between the history and legacies of nationalism and several confounding problems in the 21st century. Such problems will typically include economic inequality and migration, human-driven climate change, resource and “vaccine nationalism,” and forms of political extremism and violence committed “in the name of the nation.”.
SOCI 351. Field Research. .5-2 Credits.
Offered Alternating Spring Semester; Lecture hours:Varies; Repeatable
Independent investigation in the field; formulation of hypotheses, construction of measuring instruments, data collection, data analysis, and test of hypotheses. Prerequisite: permission of the instructor.
SOCI 365. Advanced Seminar in Sociology. 1 Credit.
Offered Either Fall or Spring; Lecture hours:3
Focuses on selected topics of the discipline of sociology. Topics depend on professor and change with each offering. This culminating experience course is only open to senior sociology majors. Senior sociology minors and junior sociology majors by permission only.
SOCI 370. Senior Thesis. 1 Credit.
Offered Either Fall or Spring; Lecture hours:Varies,Other:9; Repeatable
Senior thesis. Prerequisite: permission of the instructor.
SOCI 3NT. Sociology Non-traditional Study. 1-2 Credits.
Offered Fall, Spring, Summer; Lecture hours:Varies,Other:3
Non-traditional study in Sociology. Prerequisite: permission of the instructor.
Faculty
Professors: Deborah A. Abowitz, Elizabeth Durden (Chair), Alexander Tristan Riley
Assistant Professors: Karen Altendorf (non-tenure track), Matthew Baltz, Emmanuel Cannady, Marya Mtshali, Apollonya Maria Porcelli
Visiting Assistant Professor: Mette Evelyn Bjerre