Sociology (SOCI)

SOCI 220 - Introduction to Sociology Credits 3

Sociological concepts with emphasis on group life, culture, socialization, social institutions, social processes and change. Theoretical as well as practical application of interaction and its effect on individuals in groups. Core Curriculum: Approved for Core - Behavioral Science. Grade Mode: A.
Restriction(s): Must be Undergraduate Level.

SOCI 262 - Social Problems Credits 3

Major problems of social maladjustment from the viewpoint of the underlying processes of individual and social disorganization; deviant behavior, such as mental disorders, crime and delinquency, suicide, drug and alcohol addiction; social disorganization, such as population problems, family, poverty and war. Core Curriculum: Approved for Core - Behavioral Science. Grade Mode: A.
Restriction(s): Must be Undergraduate Level.

SOCI 300 - Social Work Credits 3

This course is designed to familiarize students with the basics of generalist social work practice. This course will provide an overview of social work and its role in response to the needs of at risk populations. The course will also highlight opportunities for Biblical integration into the social work profession. Students will explore different levels of social work, practice settings, interventions/functions performed by social workers, populations served and gain an overall understanding of the diversity of the social work profession. The course will focus on what social workers do across the nation but will highlight and emphasize the way social work is practiced in California. Additionally, this course will prepare students in making decisions about possible graduate studies in the field of social work. Grade Mode: A.
Restriction(s): Must be Undergraduate Level.

SOCI 302 - Sociology of Gender Credits 3

Examines gender as an organizing principle in societies at all levels. The course explores the key theoretical approaches to sociology of gender and explains how historical, economic, and political trends impact gender and gender identity, as well as the impact of gender on various social institutions such as the family, government, the workplace, education, and the criminal justice system. Grade Mode: A.
Restriction(s): Must be Undergraduate Level.

SOCI 320 - Marriage and the Family Credits 3

Christian and sociological perspectives on marriage, dating, sexuality and child rearing. Analysis of the family as a social institution as well as practical strategies for building a Christian family. Grade Mode: A.
Restriction(s): Must be Undergraduate Level.

SOCI 323 - Qualitative Methods Credits 3

This course is designed to teach students the methods by which social researchers collect and analyze information. Qualitative studies enrich our understanding of social interaction and social psychology. Rather than having you memorize concepts, regurgitate them on an exam and then forget them immediately, this course will allow you to complete social research projects of your own, based on ethnography and in-depth interviews. Activities and lectures will be oriented toward helping you design and complete your project. Grade Mode: A.
Restriction(s): Must be Undergraduate Level.

SOCI 326 - Quantitative Methods Credits 3

The course covers the most common quantitative analyses and culminates with students completing a final methods paper that incorporates the findings from the semester. Students will examine an inequality related topic of interest using a public dataset. As each course topic is introduced, students would apply that analytic technique to their specific data, thus demonstrating competency and accumulating evidence for their final papers. This course is offered every semester. Grade Mode: A.
Restriction(s): Must be Undergraduate Level.

SOCI 327 - Quantitative Methods Lab Credit 1

Statistical data analysis are used quite frequently in our 'information society': political polls, opinion polls, market research, demographic studies, as well as sociological research rely on these techniques. This lab course is designed to train students in statistical techniques attractive to many employers in non-profit, social service, criminal justice, and business professions as well as graduate school. Grade Mode: A.
Corequisite(s): SOCI 326.
Restriction(s): Must be Undergraduate Level.

SOCI 333 - Criminology Credits 3

The course covers three main and overarching goals: to serve as an introduction to the study of crime causation (why people commit crime), to distinguish between the different types (and categories) of crime, and to introduce students to the criminal justice system. The following topics will be discussed: criminological theories of crime causation, crime typologies, and the criminal justice system (including a glimpse into criminal justice professions). Grade Mode: A.
Restriction(s): Must be Undergraduate Level.

SOCI 334 - Juvenile Delinquency Credits 3

Character, extent and cause of juvenile delinquency; both personal and environmental. Past and current theories of youth crime; modern methods of incarceration, control and treatment. Changing response of the laws, police, courts and the public. Grade Mode: A.
Restriction(s): Must be Undergraduate Level.

SOCI 335 - Deviant Behavior and Mental Illness Credits 3

Theoretical orientations to social as well as personal disorganization that result from role conflict, social conflict, normlessness or alienation; individual and social deviance that relates to group processes and structures will be presented and discussed. The medicalization of deviant behavior under the label 'mental illness' will also be discussed and theorized. Grade Mode: A.
Prerequisite(s): SOCI 220.
Restriction(s): Must be Undergraduate Level.

SOCI 336 - Unequal Justice: Race, Class, Gender and Crime Credits 3

Race, and companion factors such as ethnicity, social economic class, gender and age are critical factors in the administration of criminal justice in the United States. This course critically examines race, class and gender within the United States criminal justice system. Grade Mode: A.
Restriction(s): Must be Undergraduate Level.

SOCI 337 - Sociology of Death and Dying Credits 3

This course will examine the experience of death and dying in American society. Specifically we will explore the denial of death in our culture, and how this denial affects our experience of death, grieving, and life itself. Christian perspectives on dying will be explored and a biblical view of life, death, and the afterlife will inform our discussion. Comparisons to other cultures and other time periods in views of death will also be emphasized. Grade Mode: A.
Restriction(s): Must be Undergraduate Level.

SOCI 340 - Political Sociology Credits 3

Analysis of the social processes of politics and government. Issues and influences on political processes in the United States will be stressed, as well as power, authority, and voting behavior of social groups. Grade Mode: A.
Restriction(s): Must be Undergraduate Level.

SOCI 342 - Ethnic and Minority Groups Credits 3

Analysis of ethnic, racial and cultural minorities in the U.S. and selected world cultures and societies through use of basic concepts of race, racism, prejudice, discrimination, stereotypes; theoretical as well as practical application of concepts and effects on selected minority-majority relationships and racial, ethnic, and cultural groups. Grade Mode: A.
Restriction(s): Must be Undergraduate Level.

SOCI 346 - Urban Sociology Credits 3

Sociological analysis of urbanization and urban communities. Emphasis on inequalities arising from urban social organization and on analyses of contemporary urban problems such as crime, homelessness, and ethnic conflict. Grade Mode: A.
Prerequisite(s): SOCI 220.
Restriction(s): Must be Undergraduate Level.
Course Fee: $75.

SOCI 347 - Los Angeles in Social and Cultural Context Credits 3

Analysis of the development of Los Angeles, focusing on poverty and wealth, culture and values, social ecology, social/spatial organization, access to resources, environmental change, and Los Angeles in the cultural imagination. Note(s): Field-based course. Grade Mode: A.
Prerequisite(s): SOCI 220.
Restriction(s): Must be Undergraduate Level.
Course Fee: $65.

SOCI 348 - Social Change in the Developing World Credits 3

Analysis of economic, political and cultural change in developing countries. Emphasis on social processes leading to hunger, poverty, political conflict, population growth, and environmental problems in Asia, Africa and Latin America. Grade Mode: A.
Prerequisite(s): SOCI 220.
Restriction(s): Must be Undergraduate Level.

SOCI 350 - Sociology of Violence Credits 3

In this course, violence will be studied as a social phenomenon. We will examine the interpersonal and structural characteristics, causes, and consequences of violence and hate from individual acts of aggression to large-scale inter-group conflict. Topics include serial and mass murder, international conflict, workplace homicide, hate crimes and prejudice, and school massacres. Other emphasis will be on sexual and family violence, gang violence, genocide, and terrorism. This course surveys recent theory and research on the comparative study of social conflict and violence. It also provides an opportunity for students to define and conduct research on a violence issue of interest. Grade Mode: A.
Restriction(s): Must be Undergraduate Level.

SOCI 352 - Social Inequality: Race, Class and Gender Credits 3

Examination of the basic dimensions of inequality in contemporary American society, how inequality is patterned by race, class and gender, and the effects of inequality on life chances and lifestyles. International comparisons of systems of inequality also examined. Grade Mode: A.
Restriction(s): Must be Undergraduate Level.

SOCI 353 - Religion in Public Life Credits 3

Examination of the role of religious beliefs and institutions in the public life and discourse of the U.S.; focusing on questions of religion and politics, including the impact of various religious movements on culture and society. Grade Mode: A.
Prerequisite(s): SOCI 220.
Restriction(s): Must be Undergraduate Level.

SOCI 354 - Religion in the City Credits 3

Sociological analysis of distinctly urban forms of religious experience and practice that have developed in relation to the spaces, social conditions, and history and development of American cities. Note(s): Field-based course. Grade Mode: A.
Prerequisite(s): SOCI 220.
Restriction(s): Must be Undergraduate Level.
Course Fee: $50.

SOCI 366 - Sociology Internship Credits 3

This course will provide each student with supervised professional experience in a community agency of their choice. Students will treat their internships as 'field sites', taking weekly observation notes. Weekly notes will be coded and analyzed resulting in a final research paper. Students will also be responsible for a total of 90 hours at their internship site. All internship students will meet together with a department internship instructor once a week throughout the semester at the assigned class time. This course is mandatory for social work and criminology concentrations and open to all sociology majors. Grade Mode: A.
Restriction(s): Must be Sociology (SOCI), Criminology (SOCR), or Social Work (SOWK); and Undergraduate Level.

SOCI 370 - American Culture and Values Credits 3

Analysis of the social bases of, and changes in, such American cultural values as individualism, consumption, work, leisure, success, and marriage and family. These are considered in the context of how values are shaped and changed by such variables as social class, education, generation and religious belief. Grade Mode: A.
Restriction(s): Must be Undergraduate Level.

SOCI 372 - Art, Architecture, and Public Space Credits 3

Explores the relationship between the built environment and its influence on human behavior and social interaction with the urban setting. Emphasis on architectural forms, public art, and shared public spaces, and how these both influence and react to social and cultural realities. Grade Mode: A.
Prerequisite(s): SOCI 220.
Restriction(s): Must be Undergraduate Level.
Course Fee: $50.

SOCI 375 - The Postmodern Metropolis Credits 3

This course explores the city through an analysis of urban theory, art, architecture, literature, film and the spatial arrangement of urban populations, as they have developed from modernity to postmodernity. In order to better understand the postmodern urban context, this class includes a significant field research component in several different urban settings. Grade Mode: A.
Prerequisite(s): SOCI 220.
Restriction(s): Must be Undergraduate Level.
Course Fee: $150.

SOCI 389 - Sociology of Wealth and Poverty Credits 3

This course explores the causes and consequences of current levels of economic inequality in society both in the US and around the globe. Most of the time will be spent addressing economic inequality in the US -- how wealth is produced, what leads to poverty, and how cycles of wealth are reproduced across generations. Students will also explore the consequences of poverty and wealth and how they are experienced in daily life. Both scripture and social science will be examined to explain poverty and to imagine the possibilities for creating a more just and equal world. Grade Mode: A.
Restriction(s): Must be Undergraduate Level.

SOCI 397 - Sociology of Disabilities Credits 3

This course will examine the experience of disability sociologically, with special attention toward the barriers to full equality and acceptance that people with disabilities face. We will also explore Christian views of disability and explore a theology of suffering and disability. Grade Mode: A.
Restriction(s): Must be Undergraduate Level.

SOCI 402 - Religion and Society Credits 3

Analysis of religious practices that affect society, and social factors that affect religious practices; Christian and non-Christian beliefs and institutions. Grade Mode: A.
Prerequisite(s): SOCI 220.
Restriction(s): Must be Undergraduate Level.

SOCI 441 - Social Theory Credits 3

An examination of the development of social theory beginning with theorists such as Marx, Durkheim, and Weber, and continuing through the subsequent development of 20th century social theory. Major issues include the relation between the individual and society, the sources of conflict and change in society, the role of ideas and beliefs in shaping human behavior, and the importance of social theory for the thinking, critically active Christian. Grade Mode: A.
Prerequisite(s): SOCI 220.
Restriction(s): Must be Undergraduate Level.

SOCI 443 - Methods of Sociological Research Credits 3

This course examines the ways in which social researchers collect and analyze information. Experimental research designs, field research, survey techniques, and statistical data analysis are used quite frequently in our "information society." Political polls, opinion polls, market research, demographic studies, as well as sociological research rely on these techniques. This course is designed to give students a better understanding of these techniques so they can critically evaluate these types of social research. It is also designed to give students practical skills in conducting research which will be helpful no matter what profession they enter. Grade Mode: A.
Restriction(s): Must be Undergraduate Level.

SOCI 453 - Sociology of Sexuality Credits 3

Using the sociological lens, this course will focus on how human sexuality reflects the society in which we live. Although it is often assumed that sexual attitudes and behaviors are exclusively biologically based, they are strongly shaped by society. Through lecture, media, readings and discussion this course will: distinguish sex from gender, focus on sociological theories of sexuality, examine a history of sexuality in Western society, link sexuality to 'micro' and 'macro' levels of social relations, visit societal debates on sexuality, note the historical acquisition of sexuality by normative groups, gain information about alternative forms of sexuality, understand sexuality as an intersecting concept, and generally underscore sexuality as a social concept. Grade Mode: A.
Restriction(s): Must be Undergraduate Level.

SOCI 454 - Film, Television, and the Arts: Racial and Gender Issues Credits 3

Students will learn to analyze and critically evaluate ideas, arguments, and points of view and understand their own values and ethics. Specifically, students will analyze the relationship between cultural representations of race and gender to constructions of the self through an examination of the experiences of artists and celebrities in contemporary popular media such as film/television, music, and performance. Through weekly reading assignments, media presentations, and original research projects, students will develop theoretical, analytical, and research skills to better understand the complex and dynamic relationship between popular culture and the social self. Students are also welcome to share current media content relevant to the course subject. Grade Mode: A.
Restriction(s): Must be Undergraduate Level.

SOCI 455 - Topics in Criminology Credits 3

This course provides an opportunity to study special topics in crime, criminology and criminal justice. Grade Mode: A.
Prerequisite(s): SOCI 333.
Restriction(s): Must be Undergraduate Level.
Repeat Limit (after first attempt): 10.

SOCI 460 - Topics in Sociology Credits 3

Variable offering depending on professor, to include a critical analysis of selected topics of current interest. Grade Mode: A.
Restriction(s): Must be Undergraduate Level.
Repeat Limit (after first attempt): 10.

SOCI 465 - Integration Seminar Credits 3

Issues in the contemporary world addressed from an interdisciplinary social science and biblical perspective. Grade Mode: A.
Prerequisite(s): SOCI 220.
Restriction(s): Must be Junior Class, or Senior Class; and Undergraduate Level.

SOCI 470 - Independent Study Credits 1-3

The student must have the ability to assume responsibility for independent work and to prepare written and oral reports. Project selected in conference with faculty sponsor before registration; progress meetings held regularly. Grade Mode: A.
Prerequisite(s): SOCI 220.
Restriction(s): Must be Senior Class; and Sociology (SOCI); and Undergraduate Level.
Repeat Limit (after first attempt): 10.

SOCI 480 - Sociology Senior Capstone Seminar Credits 3

This course will synthesize the theories, methods, and knowledge that have been learned in the course of the student's sociology degree program. Students will have the opportunity to connect sociological theory and application in preparation for entry into a career. They will also be expected to express the ways in which sociological theory and concepts connect with biblical concepts of peace and justice. Grade Mode: A.
Prerequisite(s): SOCI 323, SOCI 326, SOCI 441 (may be taken concurrently).
Restriction(s): Must be Undergraduate Level.