Chair: Terry Hoops
Faculty: Catherine Bowman, Brian Watkins
The mission of the Department of Sociology and Anthropology is to convey a variety of socio-cultural perspectives and to introduce research methods employed in understanding human societies. Students can major or minor in sociology as well as anthropology.
Degrees Offered in Sociology and Anthropology
Major in Anthropology
Minor in Anthropology
Major in Sociology
Minor in Sociology
ANTHROPOLOGY
Anthropology, the study of human cultural diversity, incorporates four distinct sub-fields: sociocultural anthropology, archaeology, physical/biological anthropology, and linguistic anthropology. All four sub-fields explore how culture gives shape to the human experience, the forces and processes that have shaped both human biology and society over time, and the ways in which human societies are similar to and different from each other. Socio-cultural anthropology investigates human experience within different cultural settings by actually entering into those cultures and studying those groups from their own perspectives; it is the subdiscipline that we emphasize at Austin College, but we also offer courses in archaeology and linguistic anthropology.
The courses offered in anthropology explore a wide range of societies and communities, from gatherers and hunters to tribal groups, native peoples in different geopolitical and environmental settings, slum dwellers in the third world, ethnic groups, and migrants, refugees and other stateless peoples in the United States and around the world. Courses deal comparatively with contemporary topics such as the culturally-based notions of sex and gender, race and ethnicity, the debates about the biological and cultural origins of war, human rights, globalization, colonialism and the shaping of the world system, politics and the exercise of power, the relationships of society to the environment, and others. As an integrative science, anthropology has links to other disciplines and programs including sociology, history, biology, religion, environmental studies, gender studies, area studies programs, and the other social sciences. Students who have majored and minored in anthropology at Austin College have gone on to study and teach anthropology at the college level, have studied law, medicine and dentistry, public health, counseling and social psychology, theology and religious studies, public administration and policy advocacy, Native American and Latin American studies, international relations, social work, environmental science and policy, and other related fields. Our former majors and minors today work in public administration, the Peace Corps, education, law, public health, medical services, ministry, immigration services, and other related fields.
A major in anthropology consists of:
Core Requirements (3 courses)
ANTH 123 Intro to Socio-Cultural Anthropology
SOC/ANTH 270 Research Methods
ANTH 385 History of Anthropological Thought
Electives (select 5 courses total)
Lower-Level Electives
ANTH course any level
ANTH course any level
ANTH course any level or CLAS 220 Introduction to Greek and Roman Archaeology
Advanced Electives (must select 2 courses)
ANTH 300-level or higher
ANTH 300-level or higher or CLAS 320 Advanced Studies in Greek and Roman Archaeology
Total Credits Requirement = 8 course credits
A minor in anthropology consists of:
Required Courses (2 courses)
ANTH 123 Intro to Socio-Cultural Anthropology
SOC/ANTH 270 Research Methods or ANTH 385 History of Anthropological Thought
Electives (3 courses)
ANTH course any level
ANTH course any level
ANTH course 300 level or higher
Total Credits Requirement = 5 course credits
SOCIOLOGY
Sociology investigates the foundations of social thought, research, and subject matter. Every day we make sense of our world by formulating simple theories about why people do the things they do, about the forces that hold our society together, and about its major problems. Thinking like a sociologist allows us to make clearer judgments, predictions, decisions, and, ultimately, to build better societies. To do this, we will examine the human condition from the standpoint of sociological research. Students will learn to engage issues facing the world today by asking classic sociological questions. Ultimately, the field of sociology constructs “the individual” as a product and constituent of large-scale structural forces and historical developments—modernity, capitalism, the state, rationality, classes, families, races, genders, etc. It will orient students to the grounding ideas in the field, but also pique their interest by recent analysis of real social problems. How do race, class and gender relate to each other? What is capitalism? Why is there so much inequality in the United States? What can be done to respond to social crises? The sociological imagination offers an emancipatory vision of how one might reconceptualize their place in society—and change history.
A major in sociology consists of:
Core Requirements (3 courses)
SOC 101 Introduction to Sociology
SOC/ANTH 270 Research Methods
SOC 340 Social Theory
Electives (select at least 5 courses)
Lower-Level Electives (select at least 3 courses)
SOC course any level
SOC course any level
SOC course any level or approved course
Advanced Electives (select at least 2 courses)
SOC 300 level or higher
SOC 300 level or higher or approved course
Total Credits Requirement = 8 course credits
A minor in sociology consists of:
Required Courses (2 courses)
SOC 101 Introduction to Sociology
SOC/ANTH 270 Research Methods or SOC 340 Social Theory
Electives (select at least 3 courses)
SOC course any level
SOC course any level
SOC course 300 level or higher
Total Credits Requirement = 5 course credits
COURSES IN ANTHROPOLOGY
ANTH 123 Introduction to Socio-Cultural Anthropology
Introduces and explores a unifying theme of cultural anthropology: by exploring the variety of ways people live in the world, we may know much about what it means to be human. Explores concepts, theories, methods of research, and the historical development of the discipline. A comparative exploration of various societies around the world offers insights on family and kinship, inequality and power, religious beliefs and values, economics, environment and technology, gender relations, and contemporary issues facing societies and communities today. Examines cultural change and the impact of industrialized societies and global forces on traditional societies. Requirements met: Social Sciences Breadth/Discover, Global Diversity, and Systems of Power, Privilege, and Inequality. (Each fall and spring)
ANTH 210 Native North America
This course surveys the great diversity of Native North American peoples as the primary sources for the development of the Americanist tradition of anthropology. Students will gain insight into the ways of life and systems of meaning of specific Native American cultural groups such as the Pawnee, Hopi, and Tlingit, while making broader connections to elements of sociocultural difference such as gender, group identity, and religion. Topics include prehistory, the complexities of contact with Europeans, folklore, warfare, Native American-United States (and Canadians) treaties, as well as aspects of contemporary experiences: casino politics, toxic waste dumping on reservations, the American Indian Movement, peyote ceremonialism, and the rise of urban Native populations. Requirements met: Social Sciences Breadth/Discover, Global Diversity, and Systems of Power, Privilege, and Inequality. (Alternate years beginning Spring 2016)
ANTH 220 Anthropology of Africa
This course surveys the rich tradition of anthropology concerning the continent of Africa. British and French anthropologists since the earliest days shaped the field in the image of Africa’s unparalleled linguistic and cultural diversity, modeling core theories on Africa’s political systems, gender dynamics, age cohorts, kinship systems and transnational trade networks. The course contrasts these accounts to Africa’s long history as a place for conquest, control, and colony, drawing on James Ferguson’s paradigmatic work on development, The Anti-Politics Machine. Topics will include classics of Africanist anthropology as well as African perspectives on a diversity of issues that continue to define the continent’s people in the global imaginary. Requirements met: Social Sciences Breadth/Discover and Global Diversity. (Alternate years beginning Spring 2019)
ANTH 236 Anthropology of the City
Focuses on the emergence of cities in human society, the cross-cultural study of contemporary urbanization and urban life, social and cultural problems common to cities in Third World societies and the United States, the role of the city as a cultural symbol, and the city’s role in shaping contemporary national societies. PREQ: Anthropology 123 or Sociology 101. See Sociology 236; students can earn credit for either Sociology 236 or Anthropology 236, but not both. Requirements met: Social Sciences Breadth/Discover, Global Diversity, and Systems of Power, Privilege, and Inequality. (Fall, alternate years)
ANTH 248 Human Rights and Social Justice
Human rights and social justice scholars and activists respond to systemic, often institutionalized violence and inequality within and among nation-states. This course situates these frames within critical analyses of law, society, and culture. Students will trace the roots of human rights and social justice before observing the contexts and debates that continue to shape the practice of each, such as universalism vs relativism, the relationship between religion and states, the politics of citizenship, individuality vs society, and state sovereignty vs cosmopolitanism. This course situates these issues in specific places, exploring ways that nation-states may become more just through topics like displacement, genocide, health disparity, famine, water rights, torture, and human trafficking. Students can earn credit for Anthropology 248 or Sociology 248 but not both. Requirements met: Social Sciences Breadth/Discover, Global Diversity, and Systems of Power, Privilege, and Inequality. (Alternate years)
ANTH 250 Topics in Anthropology
An introductory course on special subjects. Recent courses include Human Rights and Social Justice, Screening Difference: Film and Ethnography, Asians in America, Language and Culture, and Native North America. May be repeated when topic varies.
ANTH 251 Screening Difference: Ethnographic Film
Ethnographic film making, beginning with Edward Curtis’ 1914 In the Land of the War Canoes, is almost as old as anthropology itself. This course examines ethnographic representation of “otherness” in films, particularly ethnographic documentaries. Film will be looked at both as a research tool in ethnographic research and as a form of ethnographic representation. The course will explore the evolution of ethnographic filmmaking, the debates surrounding the representation of “otherness” in ethnographic films, and the place ethnographic descriptions have played in mainstream films. Requirements met: Social Sciences Breadth/Discover, Global Diversity, and Systems of Power, Privilege, and Inequality.
ANTH 252 Anthropology of Food
This course explores the role that food has played and plays as a source of human identity, as a building block of human society, and an expression of human diversity. It also explores the relationship between food and human evolution, the role that food and culinary traditions play in shaping cultural identity, how global cuisines were created through empire building and globalization, how industrial capitalism transformed food production and food content, and how the politics of production and scarcity, human causes, underlie the modern famine. The course also probes how anthropology’s multidimensional exploration of food, food production, culinary traditions and practice, reveal some of the key debates that lie at the heart of the discipline. Requirements met: Social Sciences Breadth/Discover, Global Diversity, and Systems of Power, Privilege, and Inequality. (Offered even years)
ANTH 260 Intermediate Directed Study
Student investigation of topic of interest working in collaboration with a faculty member resulting in significant oral and written work. See On-Campus Learning Opportunities for more information. PREQ: Freshman January term or Sophomore standing. Special permission required. Offered in variable course credit from 0.25-1.00.
ANTH 263 Whose Amazon?: Environment, Culture, and Modernization in the Amazon River Basin
An examination of the issues facing the peoples and environment of the Amazon River Basin from a political ecology perspective. The course examines environmental conditions and issues in the region, the impact of national and multinational development efforts (mining, oil exploration, road and dam building, deforestation) and development theory on the environment and peoples of the area, and conflicts of interest among different groups in the area (settler, native peoples, states, multinational corporations, miners, ranchers). A critical examination of the theories of development and modernization, sustainable development, nation-building, ethnicity, environmentalism (global warming, etc.) and biodiversity will inform the course. Requirements met: Social Sciences Breadth/Discover. (Spring 2017, alternate years)
ANTH 265 Latin America through an Anthropological Lens
An exploration of the forces that have shaped Latin American culture, of indigenous cultures before and after the conquest, the cultural and economic effects of colonialism on contemporary culture, the struggle for cultural and political emancipation by indigenous peoples, peasants and workers, the forging of national and ethnic identities, and the impact of modernization on communities and nations. We examine the human experience in Latin America from an anthropological perspective, probing such issues as how ethnicity and class have intersected in forging national cultures, the changing relationships between gender and power, the dynamics of grass-roots social and resistance movements, the impacts of liberation theology and Protestantism on religious and political practices, the debates over economic development and neo-liberal policies, the responses to a heritage of violence, and the struggle of Latin Americans to define their place in a global setting. No prerequisites. Requirements met: Social Sciences Breadth/Discover, Global Diversity, and Systems of Power, Privilege, and Inequality. (Fall 2017, alternate years)
ANTH 270 Research Methods
An introduction to the production of scientifically and ethically creditable knowledge concerning human behavior. Research design and research project proposals included. See Sociology 270. PREQ: Any Anthropology or Sociology course, preferably Anthropology 123 or Sociology 101, or instructor permission. Requirements met: Social Sciences Breadth/Discover and Quantitative Competency (pre-Fall 2019). (Fall 2017 – every third semester)
ANTH 315 Anthropological Inquiries into War and Peacemaking
Explores the study of warfare and peacemaking from an anthropological perspective. Some of the questions this course will address include: Are humans biologically inclined to aggression and warfare? Why (and how) is tribal warfare so different from modern warfare? What drives nations and individuals to go to war? Why do justice (and revolutionary) movements often resort to violence? How do ethnic groups and indigenous societies resist more powerful and violent states? How do weapons of mass destruction change the rules of warfare? How does non-violent resistance respond to the forces that create warfare? PREQ: Anthropology 123 or 235, or Sociology 101, or instructor permission. Requirements met: Social Sciences Breadth/Discover, Global Diversity, and Systems of Power, Privilege, and Inequality. (Fall 2017, alternate years)
ANTH 330 Anthropology of Sex and Gender
Cross-cultural perspectives on sex, gender, and sexuality have caused anthropologists since at least the 1930’s to reassess the universal qualities with which these concepts have long been ascribed. This course will complicate each of these concepts as it explores their manifestations in divergent socio-cultural contexts, such as the presence of three or more genders in more than 200 societies, the transnational contest over feminism, Papuan masculinities and sexualities, Sub-Saharan battles over body modification, and the complex meanings of the veil among Bedouins. Simultaneously, students will learn to incorporate anthropological approaches to gender into holistic analysis of personhood, culture, and society. PREQ: One Anthropology or Gender Studies course. Requirements met: Social Sciences Breadth/Discover, Global Diversity, and Systems of Power, Privilege, and Inequality. Cross-listed with Gender Studies 330. (Spring, even years)
ANTH 340 Language and Culture
This course explores the relationship between language and culture across humanity. Specifically, it is designed to give students a firm grasp on central questions in linguistic anthropology as well as a more general critical approach to language across human cultures and social contexts. At the end of this course, students will have earned a sophisticated approach to questions of interpersonal and cross-cultural communication, discourse, narrative, language ideologies, intertextuality, and a host of other topics related to the sociocultural study of language. In turn, they will have learned to apply a cross-cultural socio-linguistic analysis to myriad everyday setting in which speech and text are primary modes of social interaction. PREQ: Anthropology 123. Requirements met: Social Sciences Breadth/Discover, Advanced Writing Competency, and Global Diversity. (Alternate years beginning Spring 2016)
ANTH 350/450 Advanced Topics in Anthropology
An investigation of selected topics for more advanced students based on faculty and student interests. Offered on an occasional basis. Course may be repeated when topic varies. PREQ: Anthropology 123. 1 course credit.
ANTH 360/460 Advanced Directed Study
Student investigation of topic of interest related to the major or minor working in collaboration with a faculty member resulting in significant oral and written work. See On-Campus Learning Opportunities for more information. PREQ: Junior or Senior standing. Special permission required. Offered for variable course credit from 0.25-1.00.
ANTH 362 Immigration Policy and the Immigrant Experience
Focuses on the debates about immigration policy and the immigrant experience in the US from an anthropological perspective. The course examines the debates about US immigration policy during the last forty years, the contradictory role of the ICE and the Department of Homeland Security as gatekeeper of the country’s borders, the shifting definitions of border, citizen, refugee and immigrant. The course also focuses on the immigrant experiences of Asians (particularly SE Asians) and Latin Americans (particularly Mexicans, Central Americans and Haitians), examining the conditions that led to their exodus, the “crossing over” processes into the US, and the experiences of constituting diaspora immigrant communities in the US. Requirements met: Social Sciences Breadth/Discover. (Spring, alternate years)
ANTH 365 Race and Ethnicity
A comprehensive examination of race and ethnicity as central categories of social experience. Topics include people’s identities and the inequalities they experience, especially as these are perpetuated within the family, education, religion, and other social institutions in society. See Sociology 365; students can earn credit for either Anthropology 365 or Sociology 365, but not both. PREQ: One Anthropology or Sociology course or instructor permission. Requirements met: Social Sciences Breadth/Discover and Systems of Power, Privilege, and Inequality. (Fall of odd-numbered years)
ANTH 385 History of Anthropological Thought
For centuries, people have returned from cross-cultural encounters with insights into other societies as well as humanity as a whole. This course explores the history of such thought, contextualizing the beginning of the discipline in the 19th century battle over who exactly is human and ending with contemporary post-structuralist and post-colonial critiques. Along the way, this course will challenge students to understand competing theoretical views that outline the debates and controversies that have shaped the field, establishing a strong foundation in the reasoning, focus, and conclusions of anthropological writers. PREQ: Anthropology 123. Requirements met: Social Sciences Breadth/Discover. (Alternate years)
ANTH 394/494 Advanced Student Research
Intended for advanced students to develop and execute a research project related to anthropology suitable for public dissemination under mentorship of a faculty member. Students are expected to present the results of their research in a public forum. Typically, this work results in a formal presentation, written work, or creative works. Course credit varies from 0-1.00. PREQ: Instructor permission required.
ANTH 464 Teaching/Learning Participation
An individualized study that includes sharing in the instructional process for a particular anthropology course under the supervision of the faculty member teaching the course. Open only to certain highly qualified juniors and seniors by invitation. See On-Campus Learning Opportunities for more information.
ANTH 490 Independent Study
Student-driven independent work to produce a high-quality body of work such as paper, report, art project, etc. See On-Campus Learning Opportunities for more information. PREQ: Junior or Senior standing. Special permission required. Offered in variable course credit from 0.25-1.00.
ANTH 491 Honors Thesis in Anthropology
Extensive independent study in the major in a topic of special interest culminating in a bachelor’s thesis with oral examination by thesis committee resulting in a bachelor’s degree with Honors upon completion. See Departmental Honors Program for more information. Completed in last three semesters before graduation. Offered for variable course credit from 1.00-2.00.
ANTH 492 Independent Study Off-Campus/NSOC
Student-driven independent study in a topic related to the major completed at an off-campus site. See Off-Campus Learning Opportunities for more information. PREQ: Junior or Senior standing. Special permission required. Offered in variable course credit from 0.25-1.00.
COURSES IN SOCIOLOGY
SOC 101 Introduction to Sociology
This course introduces students to the foundations of sociological thought, research, and subject matter. Every day we make sense of our world by formulating simple theories about why people do the things they do, about the forces that hold our society together, and about its major problems. This course examines the human condition from the standpoint of sociological research. Students will learn to engage issues facing the world today by asking classic sociological questions. Ultimately, the course material constructs the “individual” as a product and constituent of large-scale structural forces and historical developments—modernity, capitalism, the state, rationality, classes, families, races, genders, etc. It will orient students to the grounding ideas in the field, but also pique their interest by recent analysis of real social problems. Requirements met: Social Sciences Breadth/Discover, Half Writing Competency, and Systems of Power, Privilege, and Inequality. (Each fall and spring)
SOC 236 Sociology of the City (see Anthropology 236)
Students can earn credit for either Sociology 236 or Anthropology 236, but not both.
SOC 240 Social Theory
A critical examination of classical social thought. The course uses the Hobbesian “problem of order” as a starting point for the investigation of many of the important social theorists who lived and wrote prior to the 1920s. Primary source reading will enhance class discussions. Requirements met: Social Sciences Breadth/Discover. (Spring 2018)
SOC 245 Law and Society
An exploration of the evolution and function of law in modern society. Topics include the history of American legal thought; the “criminal law revolution;” challenges to the current system of tort law in the United States; and the contemporary application of various protections of the Bill of Rights. Of interest to all students interested in a liberal arts approach to the law. Requirements met: Social Sciences Breadth/Discover.
SOC 248 Human Rights and Social Justice
Human rights and social justice scholars and activists respond to systemic, often institutionalized violence and inequality within and among nation-states. This course situates these frames within critical analyses of law, society, and culture. Students will trace the roots of human rights and social justice before observing the contexts and debates that continue to shape the practice of each, such as universalism vs relativism, the relationship between religion and states, the politics of citizenship, individuality vs society, and state sovereignty vs cosmopolitanism. This course situates these issues in specific places, exploring ways that nation-states may become more just through topics like displacement, genocide, health disparity, famine, water rights, torture, and human trafficking. Students can earn credit for Anthropology 248 or Sociology 248 but not both. Requirements met: Social Sciences Breadth/Discover, Global Diversity, and Systems of Power, Privilege, and Inequality. (Alternate years)
SOC 250 Topics in Sociology
An introductory course on special subjects. Recent topics have included social psychology, childhood and adolescence and medical sociology. May be repeated when topic varies.
SOC 255/355 Sex, Gender and Society
What is gender, and what is the relationship between sex and gender? How do ideas about what it means to be a man or a woman shape our lives and our society? Where do those ideas come from anyway-are they a reflection of “real” differences between men and women? Come to think of it, what does real mean? Does it mean that we think those differences are important, or that they are rooted in biology? This survey course is built around these questions. It takes a sociological approach to the study of sex and gender as students learn how and why these categories matter for individuals and societies. The goal for the course is that by the end of the semester, everyone will understand what a sociological approach to gender entails; in other words, what it means to think about gender and sexuality as “social facts.” This course is divided into three main units devoted to the following topics: contending approaches to explaining the causes and consequences of sex/gender difference and inequality; gender and work; and gender, sex and the body. The SOC 255 course assessments require active class participation, in-class quizzes, (3) reflection papers, successful completion of a midterm and final exam. The SOC 355-level require active class participation, in-class quizzes, successful completion of a midterm and a final research paper. PREQ: Sociology 101, Anthropology 123, or Gender Studies 120. Requirements met: Social Sciences Breadth/Discover. (Alternate years)
SOC 260 Intermediate Directed Study
Student investigation of topic of interest working in collaboration with a faculty member resulting in significant oral and written work. See On-Campus Learning Opportunities for more information. PREQ: Freshman January term or Sophomore standing. Special permission required. Offered in variable course credit from 0.25-1.00.
SOC 266 Environmental Sociology
Environmental sociologists study the interaction between the environment and society. As a platform for the field of environmental sociology, this course provides a sociological introduction to environmental problems in historical perspective. The course is organized around three central issues: 1) the nature and character of environmental problems; 2) social drivers of environmental problems; and 3) societal responses to environmental problems. Among the course objectives are to gain a basic knowledge and understanding of the social drivers of environmental problems; situate environmental problems and a society’s ability to confront environmental challenges in historical, societal, and theoretical contexts; explain linkages between environmental problems and the political, economic, and cultural configuration(s) of modern social life; identify, discuss, evaluate alternative theoretical perspectives on the social drivers of environmental problems; and to cultivate a critical, dynamic, and (self-)reflective understanding of one’s involvement in the environment-society problematic. PREQ: Sociology 101 or Anthropology 123. Requirements met: Social Sciences Breadth/Discover. (Alternate years)
SOC 270 Research Methods
An introduction to the production of scientifically and ethically creditable knowledge concerning human behavior. Research design and research project proposals included. See Anthropology 270; students can earn credit for Sociology 270 or Anthropology 270, but not both. PREQ: Any Sociology or Anthropology course, preferably Sociology 101 or Anthropology 123, or instructor permission. Requirements met: Social Sciences Breadth/Discover and Quantitative Competency (pre-Fall 2019). (Fall — every third semester)
SOC 340 Social Theory
Social theory allows for seeing patterns, forces, and power relations, encouraging us to make sense of all kinds of social phenomena ranging from everyday interactions between friends to decades of violent colonization. Theory must be relevant to real life social facts for it to survive, and we will work toward bridging the abstract concepts in our readings with the world around us. The class will include a review of the “classic” social theorists credited with founding the field and then will explore several important theorists who bridge the gap between the “classical” and the “contemporary.” We will challenge the theory “canon” by including theorists who write about gender and race. Then, we will move into “contemporary theory,” exploring some of the key themes and debates that have characterized the profession from the 1960s until the present. Requirements met: Social Sciences Breadth/Discover. (Spring)
SOC 348 Social Determinants of Health
This advanced sociology course focuses on social inequalities in health in both U.S. and international contexts. It reviews the link between health status and various types of social statuses, including but not limited to socioeconomic status, gender, race and ethnicity. Explanations for the relationships between these factors and various health outcomes are discussed. Focuses on multiple levels of analysis, from the physician-patient interactions to health care systems and social policies. Students have the opportunity to develop their own specific research interests in this field. PREQ: Sociology 101 or Anthropology 123. Requirements met: Social Sciences Breadth/Discover. (Alternate years)
SOC 350 Advanced Topics in Sociology
A study of selected topics offered on an occasional basis. Recent topics include Child Labor in the United States; the Social Gospel Movement; and the Social History of American Education. May be repeated for credit when topic varies.
SOC 360/460 Advanced Directed Study
Student investigation of topic of interest related to the major or minor working in collaboration with a faculty member resulting in significant oral and written work. See On-Campus Learning Opportunities for more information. PREQ: Junior or Senior standing. Special permission required. Offered for variable course credit from 0.25-1.00.
SOC 365 Race and Ethnicity
A comprehensive examination of race and ethnicity as central categories of social experience. Topics include people’s identities and the inequalities they experience, especially as these are perpetuated within the family, education, religion, and other social institutions in society. See Anthropology 365; students can earn credit for Sociology 365 or Anthropology 365, but not both. PREQ: One Sociology or Anthropology course or instructor permission. Requirements met: Social Sciences Breadth/Discover and Systems of Power, Privilege, and Inequality. (Fall)
SOC 369 Criminology
Modern criminology will be addressed from an interdisciplinary perspective. Theories of crime, criminality and investigative limitations will be examined. Students will also consider the nature, function and substance of criminal law and criminal procedure in the United States. PREQ: Sociology 101 or instructor permission. Requirements met: Social Science Breadth/Discover. (Even years)
SOC 370 International Labor Migration
In this course, students learn dominant theories and trace the history of global labor migration, including the emigration push and the immigration pull factors that animate the contemporary flow of labor migrants. The course also examines how different countries and international institutions attempt to regulate these flows. The course will pay particular attention to the effects of such policies on workers’ civil and labor rights. The course will also consider how one’s social or political status impacts their migrant experiences, including the circumstances that can lead to forced labor and human trafficking. Finally, we will explore innovative approaches that have been proposed and/or implemented to improve working conditions and better manage labor migration. Students will apply what they have learned to carry out a final research project proposing either a governmental or union policy reform to address migrant labor in the country of their choosing. PREQ: Sociology 101 or Anthropology 123. Requirements met: Social Sciences Breadth/Discover. (Alternate years)
SOC 385 Social Movements
A historical and comparative examination of the theoretical and practical potential for social and political change. The course considers traditional theories of collective behavior as well as recent contributions to the understanding of social and political movements. The focus of the course ranges from the civil rights movement, the environmental movement, the “Tea Party” movement, and the American labor movement—itself the paradigmatic example of movement dynamics. PREQ: Sociology 101 or Instructor permission. Requirements met: Social Sciences Breadth/Discover, Half Writing Competency, and Systems of Power, Privilege, and Inequality. (Offered on occasional basis)
SOC 394/494 Advanced Student Research
Intended for advanced students to develop and execute a research project related to sociology suitable for public dissemination under mentorship of a faculty member. Students are expected to present the results of their research in a public forum. Typically, this work results in a formal presentation, written work, or creative works. Course credit varies from 0-1.00. PREQ: Instructor permission required.
SOC 405 Writing Workshop
An intensive writing workshop intended for all students committed to developing a professional level of writing competence. Students focus fifteen (15) essays on a variety of topics including scholarly articles, chapters, and books. Student essays are mounted for overhead projection and discussion with the class; and students meet with the instructor on a rotational basis for a close discussion of their essays. Class size limited to fifteen. PREQ: Instructor permission. Requirements met: Full Writing Competency. (Offered on an occasional basis)
SOC 445 Issues in Higher Education
A course that puts the Austin College experience into a larger historical, pedagogical, and legal context. For example, students the history of higher education in the United States; academic freedom and tenure; the moral responsibility of the college; the problem of “hate speech;” and the creation of the intellectual canon. Intended for students considering law, medical, divinity and graduate school—and all others interested in higher education. PREQ: Instructor permission. Requirements met: Social Sciences Breadth/Discover. (Offered on occasional basis)
SOC 464 Teaching/Learning Participation
An individualized study that includes sharing in the instructional process for a particular sociology course under the supervision of the faculty member. Open only to highly qualified juniors and seniors by invitation. Variable course credit units. See On-Campus Learning Opportunities for more information.
SOC 490 Independent Study
Student-driven independent work to produce a high-quality body of work such as paper, report, art project, etc. See On-Campus Learning Opportunities for more information. PREQ: Junior or Senior standing. Special permission required. Offered in variable course credit from 0.25-1.00.
SOC 491 Honors Thesis in Sociology
Extensive independent study in the major in a topic of special interest culminating in a bachelor’s thesis with oral examination by thesis committee resulting in a bachelor’s degree with Honors upon completion. See Departmental Honors Program for more information. Completed in last three semesters before graduation. Offered for variable course credit from 1.00-2.00.
SOC 492 Independent Study Off-Campus/NSOC
Student-driven independent study in a topic related to the major completed at an off-campus site. See Off-Campus Learning Opportunities for more information. PREQ: Junior or Senior standing. Special permission required. Offered in variable course credit from 0.25-1.00.