Department of Sociology

Tekle Woldemikael, Ph.D., Chair

Professors: Lessor, See, Woldemikael;

Associate Professors: Apodaca, Larsen, Maier, McGrane, Takaragawa;

Assistant Professors: Carty, Horton.

Bachelor of Arts in Sociology

We are all social beings: we must live in society and find ways to deal with others and make sense of the world that they and we create. Thus, sociology is the study of humanity's diverse ways of interacting, of the kinds of institutions and social systems we build. We both shape and are shaped by society.

Sociology is the study of how society organizes itself. Sociology's subject matter includes social institutions and culture, community life, family patterns and relationships, social change, gender and ethnic relations, race, social class, demographics, formal organizations including bureaucracies, value systems, conflict, deviant behavior, mass media, health–seeking behavior, social movements, and the people and institutions of other societies including indigenous societies and cultures.

Sociology is a valuable liberal arts major for students planning careers in educational, corporate, and non–governmental and governmental settings. The sociology major provides the undergraduate foundation for pursuit of careers in social work, urban planning, public health, gerontology, medicine, law, criminal justice, and other fields in which knowledge of social institutions, social interaction, and the range of research techniques for studying social phenomena are needed. The sociology major at Chapman prepares students to enter graduate study in sociology and to become professional sociologists. Finally, sociology provides preparation for students who intend to become social change agents focusing on community building.

In addition to the traditional curriculum, the sociology department at Chapman offers students opportunities in a variety of academic and professional areas including travel/study courses and local, national and international internships.

Students pursuing the sociology degree must receive at least a "C–" in each of the core courses. All core major courses must be taken for a letter grade, regardless of the emphasis.

Departmental Honors

Students graduating with a GPA of 3.700 or above in the major may be eligible for departmental honors and commendation at the annual Ludie and David C. Henley awards ceremony. Above average participation in university and community service are also considered.

Bachelor of Arts in Sociology

Every sociology major is required to complete an in–depth cross–cultural experience. The department encourages sociology majors to do this by completing a semester abroad. If that is not feasible, the department will consider any reasonable proposal that includes significant immersion in another culture. This could be an extensive internship working with migrant workers, an interterm course to Costa Rica, or an internship on an American Indian reservation.

Students are also required to keep an electronic portfolio that will include one paper from each of their sociology courses requiring writing. These portfolios will be reviewed as a part of students' Integrative Seminar.

All courses in the major must be taken for a letter grade and passed with a "C–" or better (including social work emphasis).

sociology core requirements (33 credits)

*not required of social work emphasis

Emphasis in Social Work

It is easy to say that society should be changed and that there are problems that "somebody" should do something about. But what is the right thing to do, how do we find it, and how do we implement it? Social work teaches the ability to analyze social problems and human needs, and to design and implement programs to remedy human suffering.

The social work emphasis can lead to careers in human resource management or to careers working with families and children in federal, state and county agencies and in the legal system. The emphasis constitutes preparation for graduate studies in social work (master of social work or MSW degree).

emphasis in social work requirements (9 credits)

Students who plan to go on to graduate school for an MSW are strongly urged to take BIOL 204 General Biology and additional internships.

Minors in the Department of Sociology

Minor in Sociology

A minor in sociology requires a total of 18 credits in sociology with a minimum of 9 upper-division credits distributed as outlined below.

minor requirements (9 credits)

one of the following (3 credits)

Minor in Anthropology

A minor in anthropology requires a total of 24 credits in courses distributed as outlined below. A minimum of 9 credits must be upper-division. Students who wish to design a minor with a particular emphasis should speak with the anthropology advisor in the sociology department.

The nine–credit requirement shown below provides an anthropological emphasis: These may include courses in anthropology, sociology, art, music, or religion. Some possible suggestions are listed above. The consent of the anthropology advisor is required for approval of course selections. Students must take all courses for a letter grade and earn a least a grade of "C–" in all courses counted towards the anthropology minor.

minor requirements (15 credits)

three courses of the following (9 credits)

at least two courses must be upper–division

Course Descriptions – Anthropology

ANTH 102 Cultural Anthropology

The study of how human civilizations adapt to living situations by forming group identity, families, language, and symbols. The examination of how civilizations create world views and concepts of progress, culture, community, and social interaction. Students will explore these questions using models from cultures foreign and familiar. (Offered every semester.) 3 credits.

ANTH 201 Physical Anthropology

This is an introductory course in genetics, evolutionary theory and primatology. It includes the study of the primate fossil record, with primary emphasis on human evolution and human variation. (Offered fall semester.) 3 credits.

ANTH 230 Indigenous Rights: Peace and Justice in the Americas

(Same as ANTH 330.) This course will examine the cultural and historical context of the indigenous cultures of the Americas. In so doing, it will examine the concepts of individual and group human rights, sovereignty, democracy, and the environment. (Offered as needed.) 3 credits.

ANTH 296 Indians and Film

The course provides an examination of the history of the depiction of American Indians in American theatrical films. Reading material informs an analysis of the role of the 19th century dime novel and American literature in creating characters, plots, and perspectives that become screenplays for motion pictures. The depiction of the "other" in film is an important aspect of the development of cultural perception and the construction of reality as expressed in art and media. (Offered spring semester.) 3 credits.

ANTH 330 Indigenous Rights: Peace and Justice in the Americas

(Same as ANTH 230.) Prerequisite, SOC 101 or 201. This course will examine the cultural and historical context of the indigenous cultures of the Americas. In so doing, it will examine the concepts of individual and group human rights, sovereignty, democracy, and the environment. (Offered as needed.) 3 credits.

ANTH 366 Area Studies

These courses are designed to give a more in–depth examination of the cultures of a given area of the world. Courses that cover different areas may be repeated for credit. (Offered every year.) 3 credits.

ANTH 366a North and Middle American Indians

Origins, archaeology, ethnology, and linguistic relationships of the Indians of North and Middle America. Mexican peasant culture and contemporary Indian problems are also explored.

ANTH 366b Conflict and Social Change in Latin America

(Same as PCST 366) This course examines processes of conflict and social change in contemporary Latin America with a focus on patterns of domination and resistance. Integrating theory and case studies, the course explores colonial legacies; contested development models; revolutionary movements; gender, indigenous, and citizenship struggles; and the role of the U.S.

ANTH 366c Pacific Island Cultures

Study of the geography, anthropology, and socioeconomic history of the Pacific Islands, a largely oceanic region characterized by diversity in the environment and culture. Colonial relationships and more recent political transformations are examined. Polynesian, Micronesian, Melanesian, and indigenous Australian peoples are discussed.

ANTH 366d African–Caribbean History and Culture

Prerequisite, ANTH 102, or SOC 101. This course is designed to explore some of the ideological and philosophical foundations that have shaped African–Caribbean thought. Through interdisciplinary, classical, and contemporary writings, and videos and class discussions, the course will examine ideological and philosophical issues related to colonialism, poverty, racial and cultural identity, religion, and political resistance.

ANTH 372 Images of American Indians

Students explore the artistic, political, folk, and scientific images of American Indians in literature, art, anthropology, film, and folklore. The accuracy or inaccuracy of these images will be examined along with reasons for their formation. The impact on popular culture and American Indian societies will be examined. (Offered every year.) 3 credits.

ANTH 396 Indians of California

Students will become familiar with the history, culture, and contemporary lives of California Indians. Topics include early humans in California, the development of a Spanish, Mexican, and American presence and the effects on the native people. (Offered every year.) 3 credits.

ANTH 397 Cultural Mythology

Mythology is linked to cultural perceptions, values and cosmology. This cross–cultural study of differing mythologies enhances students' appreciation of traditions in literature, oral tradition, and cultural views. Areas of study include: theories of classification, deconstruction, symbolism, rhetorical evolution, regional adaptation, influence, and cultural continuity. (Offered as needed.) 3 credits.

ANTH 399 Individual Study

(Offered as needed.) 1-3 credits.

Course Descriptions – Sociology

SOC 101 Introduction to Sociology

An examination of the basic concepts, principles, and findings of sociology: addressing the nature of human social relations from simple, face–to–face relationships, through formal organizations and whole societies. Students discover how social patterns are created, how they become organized and established, and how they change. (Offered every semester.) 3 credits.

SOC 199 Individual Study

(Offered as needed.) ½–6 credits.

SOC 201 Social Research Design

Students will learn how to evaluate research designs and to conceptualize projects, methods, and research operations. (Offered every semester.) 3 credits.

SOC 204 Marriage and the Family

This course studies the family as a social institution considering socio–cultural as well as historical as factors related to sexuality, love, and marital choice. Topics also include adjustment and conflict in marriage and microsociological analysis of family structure and dynamics. (Offered every year.) 3 credits.

SOC 211 Social Problems

Society is beset by numerous social problems such as crime, war, hunger, homelessness, divorce, ethnic/gender conflict, violence, and economic power struggles, political corruption, and overpopulation. The class will focus on how we define, treat, and solve social problems. (Offered every semester.) 3 credits.

SOC 225 Social Inequality/Stratification

Examination of stratification according to race, class, and gender in the US and internationally. Attention to ideological, institutional, and cultural manifestations of inequality. (Offered every year.) 3 credits.

SOC 229 Experimental Course

(Offered as needed.) 3 credits.

SOC 281 Sociology of Sex and Gender

Students examine the ways in which macro and micro institutions structure gender relations in society and how gender in turn structures and stratifies the social order. Gender identities and the social consequences of gender stratification are considered, including such topics as the sexual division of labor, sexual politics, and sexual violence. (Offered alternate years.) 3 credits.

SOC 290 Independent Internship

(Offered as needed.) 1-3 credits.

SOC 292 Social Work Field/Practicum

(Same as SOC 492.) Prerequisite, SOC 293, or consent of instructor. Students begin supervised fieldwork in a human service agency concentrating on case planning and organizational analysis. This course also provides classroom analysis of the fieldwork practicum, focusing upon establishing basic casework and organizational skills and techniques of the social work profession. (Offered every year.) 3 credits.

SOC 293 Introduction to Social Work

This course will provide an introduction to the social work profession. The course will focus on the various levels of social work practice, including individual and group casework, community organization, cultural diversity, and policy–making. (Offered every year.) 3 credits.

SOC 295 Topics in Sociology

(Same as SOC 395.)

SOC 299 Individual Study

(Offered as needed.) 1-6 credits.

SOC 300 Understanding Organizations

Students examine the relationship of social organizations and institutions to human behavior, including human resource, structural, political, and cultural perspectives. Students conduct a significant case study analysis and a research project. Topics include: bureaucracy, culture, ethics, vision and values, motivation, diversity, and leadership. (Offered as needed.) 3 credits.

SOC 305 Social Theory

Prerequisites, SOC 101, 225, or consent of instructor. Students explore what makes society possible and how it changes. Critical study of social and political perspectives on these questions. Emergence and evolution of sociology as a systematic discipline. Emphasis on macrostructural theory. Reading of more recent critical theorists, black theorists, feminist theorists, and post–modernists. (Offered every semester.) 3 credits.

SOC 306 Social Movements

Prerequisite, SOC 225. This course introduces students to social movements and collective behavior that have challenged established structures of power, attempted to alter social and cultural relations in the lives of people throughout the world, and have strived to change the dominant visions of society. This is an interdisciplinary class that will provide an overview of the main theories and issues regarding social movements to understand the interaction between individuals and societal changes. Empirical studies will be used to analyze the dynamics among social and political structures, culture, social stratification, social institutions, and leadership in social movements on a local, regional, and global scale. (Offered fall semester.) 3 credits.

SOC 311 Society and Mass Communications

Prerequisite, SOC 101, or consent of instructor. An analysis of mass media as a social institution, this course is an interdisciplinary approach to the origins, history, evolution, and social functions of the mass media, the impact of the media on the social self, and the transitions from oral to print to electronic media. Emphasis on electronic media and the impact of media on the social construction of reality. (Offered every year.) 3 credits.

SOC 320 Sociology of Death

Prerequisite, SOC 101, or consent of instructor. An interdisciplinary investigation of death, dying, and the grieving process including, dying as a psychological process, the denial of death, the repression of grief and loss, and relating to one's own death and the death of significant others. Students explore how the experience, fear, and quality of death has changed historically over the centuries. (Offered every year.) 3 credits.

SOC 325 Social Change

Prerequisite, SOC 225, or consent of instructor. This course examines how and why social change occurs, and the role we all play as actors in this ever–changing drama. It will analyze social and technological change and its consequences for major social systems. Includes discussion of social and technological change in post-industrial societies. (Offered every year.) 3 credits.

SOC 326 Mind, Self, and Society in Tibetan Buddhism

(Same as HON 346.) This is a ten–day retreat at a Tibetan/American Meditation Center in the spectacular Colorado Rockies. For those interested in the eastern paths of liberation this is a wonderful opportunity to explore your own mind in a new way and to personally experience the teachings of Tibetan Buddhism and their deep relevance for modern life. Lab/travel fees. P/NP. (Offered interterm.) 3 credits.

SOC 329 Experimental Course

Prerequisite, SOC 101, or consent of instructor. (Offered as needed.) 1–3 credits.

SOC 332 Crime Justice and Globalization

This course examines crime and criminal justice within the context of increased globalization. The topics of drug use and abuse, prostitution, terrorism, organized crime, war crimes and human rights abuses will be discussed within a global perspective. A major emphasis will also be placed on comparing different world systems of law and social control from legal, criminological and cultural perspectives. A major emphasis is placed on the comparison of Islamic, Socialist and Asian systems to European and North American systems. (Offered every year.) 3 credits.

SOC 335 Society and the Environment

Prerequisite, SOC 101, or consent of instructor. A discussion of selected societal impacts on the environment. Topics include environmentalism, alternate environmental policies, and the costs and benefits of different solutions to environmental problems. (Offered every year.) 3 credits.

SOC 345 Social Psychology

Prerequisite, SOC 101, or consent of instructor. Discussion and analysis of the relationship between culture, group life, social structure, and human behavior. Emphasis is on the dialogue between the individual and the social collective. Focus is on microsocial theory. (Offered every year.) 3 credits.

SOC 346 Solving Problems in Costa Rica: Globalization and Americanization in a Developing Country

Prerequisite, one year of college Spanish language studies or equivalent. This three–week course during January will immerse students in Costa Rican daily life and culture, and introduce them to a variety of ways in which Costa Ricans address social problems and issues, with an emphasis on the manifestation of trends of globalization and attendant aspects of Americanization in Costa Rica, such as so–called McDonaldization. The course includes four pre–sessions in November and December, as well as one session during the spring semester following the return from Costa Rica. (Offered interterm.) 3 credits.

SOC 347 Topics in Literary and Cultural Studies

(Same as ENG 347.)

SOC 350 Gender in a Global Perspective

This course examines social constructions of gender difference and gender inequalities from a comparative, global perspective with an emphasis on developing countries. The course explores, from a gendered perspective, issues of globalization, social and economic development, the international division of labor, military and domestic violence, health and reproductive rights, women's citizenship, and global and local feminisms. (Offered fall semester.) 3 credits.

SOC 364 The Political Economy of Food

Prerequisite, SOC 101. This interdisciplinary course examines the international political economy of production, distribution, and consumption of food. Students will look at the relationships between history, science, power, and food systems and how these relationships cut across issues of race, class, gender, nation and the environment. (Offered as needed.) 3 credits.

SOC 370 Race and Ethnicity

Prerequisite, SOC 101, or consent of instructor. The course examines meanings of racial and ethnic identities in the United States, the causes of discrimination and prejudice and the responses of minority groups to differential treatment. Focuses on study the economic, political, cultural and historical factors that shaped our historical era and how those factors influence our ethnic and race relations in the United States. (Offered fall semester.) 3 credits.

SOC 383 Sociology of Deviant Behavior

Prerequisite, SOC 101. This course examines why societies label behavior as deviant and explores the distinction between behaviors considered "socially unacceptable" and those considered "criminal." Theories of deviance; the amount, distribution and patterns of deviance; political influence; social change; and selected types of deviant activity are discussed. (Offered every year.) 3 credits.

SOC 393 Child Abuse

Prerequisite, SOC 101. This class will examine the definition and causes of child abuse from sociological, cultural, and psychological perspectives and will provide an overview for the helping professions. The legal and child welfare systems will be studied in addition to treatment and prevention aspects of the child abuse issue. (Offered as needed.) 3 credits.

SOC 395 Topics in Sociology

(Same as SOC 295,) Prerequisite, SOC 101, or consent of instructor. An examination of selected topics in sociology. Courses that treat different themes may be repeated for credit. (Offered as needed.) 3 credits.

SOC 399 Individual Study

(Offered as needed.) 1-6 credits.

SOC 401 Field Research Methods

Prerequisite, SOC 201. An introduction to field research and data collection through participant observation and interviewing. Field notes, ethics of field research, entrée to the field site, research relationships, and closure are emphasized through classroom discussion and activity in selected field sites. (Offered every semester.) 3 credits.

SOC 404 Global Family Systems

Prerequisite, SOC 101, or consent of instructor. Students examine the concept of family from the perspective of culture. Every society has families that vary widely in their structure. This course explores how the family is formed and how it relates structure and function of the larger society. (Offered as needed.) 3 credits.

SOC 410 Victimless Crimes

This course examines various criminal offenses that often lack a complaining "victim" and tend to generate intense social debate due to their consensual nature (e.g., drug use, prostitution, certain sexual activities, gambling). The societal implications of social control policies will be discussed. (Offered every year.) 3 credits.

SOC 429 Experimental Course

(Offered as needed.) 3 credits.

SOC 480 Topics in the Sociology of Health

Prerequisite, SOC 101, or consent of instructor. These courses examine American and global problems of health and illness in relation to structural correlates (economics, social organization, culture) and in respect to how health and illness is experienced by individuals and groups. Courses that treat different topics may be repeated for credit. (Offered as needed.) 3 credits.

Holistic Health

Analysis of the socio–cultural correlates of health and illness with emphasis upon cross–cultural belief systems of etiology, diagnosis, and intervention strategies. Focus of study is upon widely diverse belief systems, including, but not limited to allopathic, homeopathic, Oriental, Aboriginal, and Native American. "Hands–on" in–class activities and field trips, as well as traditional pedagogical approaches.

Women, Health, and Healing

An exploration of the way in which lay, medical, and research assumptions about women have influenced clinical care and scientific inquiry. The course focuses on the health status and needs of women, including chronic illness, reproductive health, occupational health hazards, mental health, AIDS, physical and sexual abuse, and addictive disorders.

Political Economy of Health and Medicine

An examination of health, illness and medical care in the context of the social and political structure of society. The health care delivery system is analyzed at the macrosocial and microsocial levels. Topics include health care funding, allocation of resources, the ways in which power is distributed in the health care arena, and the outcome for the health of adults and children.

SOC 485 Medical Sociology

A sociological perspective of sickness and health care linking the individual experience of illness to the context of the structure of the U.S. health care system. The course examines how experiencing illness or disability affects the individual's lifestyle, family and self-concept; how individual illness experience is shaped by larger societal forces such as social class, the structure of work, and health policy; and examines what is meant by "health" today. The course also scrutinizes the state of health care in the U.S., examines why the health care system is set up for acute illness when chronic conditions are so prevalent and analyzes how American society draws lines between social and individual responsibility for health. (Offered fall semester.) 3 credits.

SOC 490 Independent Internship

(Offered every semester.) ½–3 credits.

SOC 492 Social Work Field/Practicum

(Same as SOC 292.)

SOC 497 Senior Thesis/Project

Prerequisite, SOC 401, or consent of instructor. Each sociology major is required to do a significant research project, resulting in a substantial research paper. Choice of topics will be made in consultation with the instructor. (Offered spring semester.) 3 credits.

SOC 498 Integrative Seminar

Prerequisite, SOC 401, or consent of instructor. This course will serve as the capstone experience as majors complete and integrate their undergraduate studies in sociology. Students will apply their knowledge to contemporary issues. (Offered spring semester.) 3 credits.

SOC 499 Individual Study

Prerequisites, consent of instructor, approval of petition. Directed reading and/or research designed to meet specific needs of superior upper–division students. (Offered every semester.) ½–3 credits.