Sociology

Department of Sociology
College of Arts and Sciences
430 Park Hall
North Campus
Buffalo, NY 14260-4140
(716) 645-2417
Fax: (716) 645-3934
Web: Sociology
Michael P. Farrell, Chair
Christopher Mele, Director of Undergraduate Studies

The Program
Sociology examines the causes, characteristics, changes, and consequences of human behavior in groups, and provides an understanding of the structure and dynamics of social systems and issues. It emphasizes the study of individuals, social groups, and social systems as they relate to each other and to important societal issues, such as community, education, family, gender, social class, culture, law, health, environment, and war. Students are introduced to the history of social thought and to the applied and theoretical methods used to study these diverse topics. Training in sociology prepares students for a wide variety of professional careers and for active, enlightened participation in local, national, and world affairs.

The founders of the discipline of sociology have included social philosophers interested in understanding social change in industrial society, social methodologists who elevated societal thinking to a social science, social reformers interested in using sociology to improve human societies, and social theorists interested in developing systematic knowledge about comparative human societies.

Areas of Concentration in Sociology
In addition to the general major in sociology, the department offers three areas of concentration: sociology of law/criminology, sociology of health/social services, and urban and community studies. Each area of concentration has a set of required courses.

Combined B.A./M.B.A. Degree Program
The Department of Sociology offers a combined degree program with the School of Management.

Interested students should follow the patterns for progress suggested below, depending on their interests. The five-year combined B.A./M.B.A. program reduces by one year the usual pattern of a four-year sociology program and a two-year M.B.A. program. Students complete all their requirements for the B.A. in sociology and all other general education requirements by the end of their junior (third) year.

This program allows limited admission to students who have demonstrated superior capabilities. Candidates must meet all the degree requirements of each faculty for graduation.

Students must apply for admission to the School of Management no later than the spring semester of their junior year. Applicants should have a solid background in math, including calculus, and must take the GMAT examination during their junior year.

For more information, contact the director of undergraduate studies in the Department of Sociology and the School of Management for more information.

Honors and Awards
The honors program in the Department of Sociology requires a minimum GPA of 3.25 in sociology and overall. Students must have junior or senior standing and be a major in sociology. Students choosing to participate in the honors program are required to complete 6 credit hours of honors credit in the department normally spanning two semesters. Three of these credit hours are taken through SOC441 Honors Program and 3 credit hours through SOC499 Independent Study. The honors program provides students with a unique opportunity to pursue an individual research project under close faculty supervision. The program is particularly valuable for students who plan to pursue advanced training in sociology or related disciplines. Honors graduates will be designated as graduating with Honors (minimum of 3.25), High Honors (minimum 3.5), or Highest Honors (minimum 3.75).

The Lucia Maria Houpt prize is awarded each year at graduation "to a student of the senior class judged as having shown the greatest excellence and proficiency in the work of the sociology department during the academic year."

The Nathaniel Cantor Scholarship Fund is an annual scholarship for sociology and anthropology undergraduate students who plan to enter the fields of social work or vocational rehabilitation.

Certificates of outstanding performance will be awarded to students with the best academic record in each of the four areas of concentration listed above.

Alpha Kappa Delta/Zeta Chapter
Alpha Kappa Delta is the international sociology honor society. An undergraduate student must be an officially declared sociology major or demonstrate a serious interest in sociology; must have completed at least 12 credit hours in sociology; must be at least a junior; and must have achieved a minimum GPA of 3.0 in sociology and overall.

Transfer Policy
Students may transfer sociology courses taken elsewhere. However, the department will accept no more than 15 credit hours of appropriate sociology courses toward the major requirements. Course descriptions may need to be provided to the department.

Sociology (SOC)

101 Introduction to Sociology (3) (F; Sp)
Introduces the fundamental ideas and concepts of sociology; culture; norms; status; role; socialization; stratification; industrialization; urbanization; bureaucratization. LEC

201 Structure of American Society (3)
Principal features and modern tendencies of patterned behavior in American society. LEC

206 Social Problems (3)
Social problems and their history; theoretical perspectives in the literature; social problems as related to and distinguished from the concepts of deviance and social disorganization. LEC

211 Sociology of Diversity (3)
A sociological introduction to diversity in American society. Explores the bases and social implications of difference with particular reference to issues of race, ethnicity, religion, class, and gender. LEC

293 Social Research Methods (3)
Content analysis; unobtrusive measures; participant observation; surveys; field experiments; relationship of methods to the development of social theory; ethical implication of the methods; use of research findings for designing social programs. LEC

294 Basic Statistics for Social Sciences (3)
A foundation in the mathematics underlying statistical techniques for interpreting quantitative social data. LEC

304 Sociology of Aging (3)
Social and historical currents in the study of aging; physiological, social, and theoretical perspectives of gerontology; issues of daily living impinging on older persons; the institutional and social structural consequences of demographic trends. LEC

307 Criminology (3)
Explains patterns in the incidence and frequency of crime and delinquency based on criminological theory and research. LEC

308 Sociology of the Life Course (3)
Introduces theories and research on adult life-cycle change. Overview of studies of development and socialization in childhood and adolescence. LEC

309 Introduction to Social Change (3)
Basic issues and forces of social and cultural changes, both historic and contemporary. LEC

310 Sociology of Education (3)
Schools and colleges as social institutions in the United States and other societies. LEC

313 Sociology of the Family (3)
Examines the family in terms of its internal structure and its relationships with major social institutions. The analysis is generally cross-cultural, with specific emphasis on the American family. LEC

314 Sociology of Gender (3)
Makes visible what has been invisible through much of the history of sociology, the social process, and social structure of gender relations. LEC

315 Sociology of City Life (3)
Cities and metropolitan regions: history, types, institutions, social organizations, ecological structure, and classes; urban problems; city and regional planning. LEC

317 Criminal Justice Systems (3)
Studies the institutions that administer the criminal law: police, prosecutor, courts, probation service, and prisons and jails. Introduces the substantive and procedural criminal law as applied by those institutions. LEC

319 Juvenile Justice (3)
Reviews past and current legal reactions to adolescent deviance, delinquency, and crime. LEC

321 Race and Ethnic Relations (3)
Intergroup relations in the United States: racial, religious, nationality groups; factors in the development of intergroup hostility, acculturation, assimilation, pluralism. LEC

322 Introduction to Medical Sociology (3)
Social epidemiology; influence of social conditions on health status; effect of social milieu on the appearance of chronic degenerative disease and mental disorders. LEC

325 Friendship and Life Course (3)
Examines theories and research on social networks, small group development, and social support. Focuses on friendship across the life course. LEC

326 Group Dynamics (3)
Prerequisite: permission of instructor
Designed to improve the student's ability to observe, conceptualize, and explain small-group processes by analyzing events that occur in the group. Meetings videotaped or sound-taped to aid analysis. SEM

328 Social Stratification (3)
Systems of inequality in society; theories of social stratification from Marx to the functionalists; forms of stratification systems; inequality in the United States; class consciousness; class action. LEC

329 Population Problems (3)
Introduces the principles and methods in demographic analysis in sociology as they are used to examine population changes and their social, political, and economic implications for human societies. LEC

332 Sociology of Work (3)
Historical analysis of the meaning, function, and commitment to work of people in industrial societies, emphasizing the United States; extent of job satisfaction and alienation from work. LEC

334 Introduction to Mass Cultural Studies (3)
Examines popular culture and mass media through their relation to social processes. Introduces the tradition of cultural studies, especially the Frankfurt School of Sociology and the Birmingham School, plus further considers contemporary approaches including cultural criticism, postmodernism and semiotics. Studies media culture as institutionalized in the film, music, television, advertising and publishing industries. Analyzes the relationship between popular culture and subcultures, especially adolescent subcultures. LEC

335 Sociology of Adolescence (3)
Social processes and the socialization of children and adolescents; current patterns of generational conflict; generational succession as a social problem; age gradings and the status system. LEC

336 Sociology of Communication (3)
Patterns of communication implied by senders or inferred by receivers drawn from media; categories and rules for interpreting and creating patterns; genesis of patterns in social science, conventional thought, practical experience, and imagination; and their effects on class, ethnic, sex, and age groupings. LEC

337 Sociology of Punishment (3)
The organizational emergence of legal institutions to treat, isolate, and punish the criminal offender. LEC

348 Urban Sociology (3)
Urban and metropolitan communities and their problems: housing, transportation, urban renewal, race relations, poverty, suburbanization. LEC

349 History and Development of Sociological Theory (3)
Development of sociological theory; forerunners of sociological thought; contributions of Saint-Simon and Comte, Spencer, Marx, Durkheim, Weber, and others. LEC

350 Contemporary Sociological Theory (3)
Introduces contemporary sociological theories; historical background and systematic analysis of sociological perspectives, such as functionalism, symbolic interaction, systems approaches, structuralism, contemporary Marxism. LEC

351 Sociology of Religion (3)
Religious behavior as it relates to the larger social system; American religious phenomena and its cross-cultural perspective. LEC

365 Sociology of Developing Countries (3)
Theoretical and cross-societal comparative analysis of the social-structural, cultural, and motivational changes in developing countries. LEC

368 Special Topics (3)
Special topics in sociology determined by individual faculty interest. Topic titles and content vary from semester to semester. Check with the department for current offerings. LEC

370 Special Topics (3)
Special topics in sociology determined by individual faculty interest. Topic titles and content vary from semester to semester. Check with the department for current offerings. LEC

371 Individual and Society (3)
The relation between the individual and society: major theoretical problems, such as "human nature," communication and language; perception; socialization; role playing; and the interdependence of values, ideologies, and social structures. LEC

373 Sociology of Law (3)
Introduces social science materials on the nature of law, legal institutions, the legal profession, and the impact of law on behavior; theories of law and legality; comparative legal systems; police; lawyers; judges; jury; the effect of law on behavior; use of social science in the courts. LEC

375 Sociology of War (3)
War as a system of organized violence; state war (external war) and class war (internal war); the military-police complex; the polymorphous violence of contemporary society. LEC

379 Sociology of Literature (3)
Popular magazine fiction in relation to levels of taste and general values; novels as presenting social strata; selected scientific studies analyzed; individual projects. LEC

381 Social Movements (3)
Introductory course to theoretical and empirical study of reform movements. LEC

384 Collective Behavior and Social Movements (3)
The individual's participation in, and the structure, strategies, and developments of, organized groups that attempt to change society. LEC

390 Race, Class, and Gender in the U.S. Military (3)
Examines race, class, and gender relations in the United States armed forces. Studies the military as a social institution. With the help of sociological concepts, theories, and methods, students analyze both the internal organization and the practices of the armed forces and the relationships between the military and other institutions. Additionally, recent Congressional hearings and military policies on race relations, women in combat, sexual harassment, sexual orientation, and quality-of-life issues are among the topics discussed. LEC

405 Sociology of Deviance (3)
Deviant behavior; the sociological determinants of crime and delinquency, mental disorders, alcoholism, drug addiction. LEC

422 Senior Seminar in Medical Sociology (3)
Social factors play a critical role in health. Social conditions and situations not only promote the possibility of illness and disability, but they also enhance prospects of disease prevention and health maintenance. Examines the social facets of health and disease, the social functions of health organizations, the social behavior of health personnel and the users of health care, and the relationship of health-care systems to other social systems. SEM

431 Historical Sociology (3)
Investigates the connection between biography, social structure and history. LEC

440 Critical/Feminist/Discourse Theory (3)
Issues in critical theory, feminist theory, and postmodernism as they relate to sociology. SEM

441 Honors Program (3)
Prerequisite: minimum GPA of 3.25 in sociology and overall, completion of 64 credit hours, and permission of department
TUT

446 Environmental Sociology (3)
Examines emerging field of environmental sociology in theoretical and substantive ways, focusing on issues of importance in all modern industrial societies. Concerns the reciprocal relationship between human societies and environmental change. SEM

464 Sociology of the Arts (3)
Reflection, social control, influence, and other theories of how the arts function in primitive and modern societies and cultures; audiences and their relation to the roles of artists. LEC

468 Special Topics (3)
Special topics in sociology determined by individual faculty interest. Topic titles and content vary from semester to semester. Check with the department for current offerings. Concerns the regional relationship between human societies and environmental change. SEM

492 Analysis of Social Data (3)
Special topics in the quantitative analysis of social data. SEM

498 Internship Program (1-6)
Typically conducted in a community agency, government office, or private setting. Gives students the opportunity to observe and participate in a variety of work experiences related to sociology. Open to sociology majors with junior- or senior-class standing only. TUT

499 Independent Study (1-12)
A program of work agreed upon by the student and a faculty sponsor. Requires a faculty sponsor in the department before registering. TUT

Sociology - B.A.

Acceptance Criteria
Minimum GPA of 2.0 overall
Minimum GPA of 2.0 in SOC101 and in two other sociology courses

Required Courses
SOC101 Introduction to Sociology
SOC293 Social Research Methods (may substitute PSY250 or SSC213 with the addition of 3 credit hours of sociology electives)
SOC294 Basic Statistics for Social Sciences (may substitute CEP207, ECO480, PSC408, PSY207, STA119, or SSC225 with the addition of 3 credit hours of sociology electives)
SOC349 History and Development of Sociological Theory or SOC350 Contemporary Sociological Theory
Eight SOC electives at any level

See Baccalaureate Degree Requirements (page 254) for general education and remaining university requirements.

Recommended Sequence of Major Requirements

First Year
Fall-SOC101
Spring-One 200-level SOC elective

Second Year
Fall-SOC293 (may substitute PSY250 or SSC213 with the addition of 3 credit hours of sociology electives)
Spring-SOC294 (may substitute CEP207, ECO480, PSC408, PSY207, STA119, or SSC225 with the addition of 3 credit hours of sociology electives)

Third Year
Fall-SOC349 or SOC350, one 300/400-level SOC elective
Spring-Two 300/400-level SOC electives

Fourth Year
Fall-Two 300/400-level SOC electives
Spring-Two 300/400-level SOC electives

Advising Notes
Minimum grade of "C" in SOC293, 294, and 349 or 350
Double majors must meet all the departmental requirements noted above.
Joint majors are possible only with other majors that offer the B.A. degree. Students must complete SOC101, SOC293, SOC294, and SOC349 or 350 with a minimum grade of "C" in each course, and four additional sociology courses.

Total required credit hours in Sociology - 36

Sociology/Business Administration - B.A./M.B.A.

Advising Notes
Minimum grade of "C" in SOC293, 294, and 349 or 350

Required Courses
SOC101 Introduction to Sociology
SOC293 Social Research Methods (may substitute PSY250 or SSC213 with the addition of 3 credit hours of sociology electives)
SOC294 Basic Statistics for Social Sciences (may substitute CEP207, ECO480, PSC408, PSY207, STA119, or SSC225 with the addition of 3 credit hours of sociology electives)
SOC349 History and Development of Sociological Theory or SOC350 Contemporary Sociological Theory
Two SOC electives at any level
One 200-level SOC elective
Five 300/400-level SOC electives

Contact the School of Management for M.B.A. requirements

See Baccalaureate Degree Requirements (page 254) for general education and remaining university requirements.

Recommended Sequence of Major Requirements

First Year
Fall-SOC101 Spring-one 200-level SOC elective

Second Year
Fall-SOC293 (may substitute PSY250 or SSC213 with the addition of 3 credit hours of sociology electives), one SOC elective Spring-SOC294 (may substitute CEP207, ECO480, PSC408, PSY207, STA119, or SSC225 with the addition of 3 credit hours of sociology electives), one SOC elective

Third Year
Fall-SOC349 or SOC350, two 300/400-level SOC electives Spring-Three 300/400-level SOC electives

Fourth-Fifth Years
Complete School of Management requirements.

Refer to the Graduate School's Policies and Procedures Manual for master's candidate requirements.

Sociology - Minor

Acceptance Criteria
Minimum GPA of 2.0 overall
Minimum GPA of 2.5 in SOC101 and in two other sociology courses

Required Courses
SOC101 Introduction to Sociology
Five additional sociology courses (15 credits), including four 300/400-level courses

Total required credit hours - 18

Academic Affairs

Phone: (716) 645-6003

Fax: (716) 645-2549

Last updated: Thursday, 09-Dec-2004 15:21:20 EST