Sociology - undergraduate program

Sociology

[ undergraduate program | graduate program | faculty ]

All courses, faculty listings, and curricular and degree requirements described herein are subject to change or deletion without notice.

Courses

For course descriptions not found in the UC San Diego General Catalog 2019–20, please contact the department for more information.

Lower Division

SOCI 1. Introduction to Sociology (4)

An introduction to the organizing themes and ideas, empirical concerns, and analytical approaches of the discipline of sociology. The course focuses on both classical and contemporary views of modern society, on the nature of community, and on inequality, with special attention to class, race, and gender. Materials include both theoretical statements and case studies. Will not receive credit for SOCI 1 and SOCL 1A.

SOCI 2. The Study of Society (4)

A continuation of Sociology/L 1A. The focus here is on socialization processes, culture, social reproduction and social control, and collective action. As in 1A, materials include both theoretical statements and case studies. While 1B may be taken as an independent course, it is recommended that students take 1A and 1B in sequence, as the latter builds on the former. Will not receive credit for SOCI 2 and SOCL 1B.

SOCI 10. American Society: Social Structure and Culture in the U.S. (4)

An introduction to American society in historical, comparative, and contemporary perspectives. Topics will include American cultural traditions; industrialization; class structure; the welfare state; ethnic, racial, and gender relations; the changing position of religion; social movements; and political trends. Will not receive credit for SOCI 10 and SOCL 10.

SOCI 20. Social Change in the Modern World (4)

A survey of the major economic, political, and social forces that have shaped the contemporary world. The course will provide an introduction to theories of social change, as well as prepare the student for upper-division work in comparative-historical sociology. Will not receive credit for SOCI 20 and SOCL 20.

SOCI 30. Science, Technology, and Society (4)

A series of case studies of the relations between society and modern science, technology, and medicine. Global warming, reproductive medicine, AIDS, and other topical cases prompt students to view science-society interactions as problematic and complex. Will not receive credit for SOCI 30 and SOCL 30.

SOCI 40. Sociology of Health-Care Issues (4)

Designed as a broad introduction to medicine as a social institution and its relationship to other institutions as well as its relation to society. It will make use of both micro and macro sociological work in this area and introduce students to sociological perspectives of contemporary health-care issues. Will not receive credit for SOCI 40 and SOCL 40.

SOCI 50. Introduction to Law and Society (4)

Interrelationships between law and society, in the U.S. and other parts of the world. We examine law’s norms, customs, culture, and institutions, and explain the proliferation of lawyers in the U.S. and the expansion of legal “rights” worldwide. Will not receive credit for SOCI 50 and SOCL 50.

SOCI 60. The Practice of Social Research (4)

This course introduces students to the fundamental principles of the design of social research. It examines the key varieties of evidence, sampling methods, logic of comparison, and causal reasoning researchers use in their study of social issues. Will not receive credit for SOCI 60 and SOCL 60.

SOCI 70. General Sociology for Premedical Students (4)

This introductory course is specifically designed for premedical students and will provide them with a broad introduction to sociological concepts and research, particularly as applied to medicine.

SOCI 87. Freshman Seminar (1)

The Freshman Seminar Program is designed to provide new students with the opportunity to explore an intellectual topic with a faculty member in a small seminar setting. Freshman Seminar topics will vary from quarter to quarter. Enrollment is limited to fifteen to twenty students, with preference given to entering freshmen.

SOCI 98. Directed Group Study (4)

Small group study and research under the direction of an interested faculty member in an area not covered in regular sociology courses. (P/NP grades only.) Prerequisites: lower-division standing; completion of thirty units of UC San Diego undergraduate study; minimum UC San Diego GPA of 3.0; completion and approval of Special Studies form. Consent of instructor and department approval required.

SOCI 99. Independent Study (4)

Individual study and research under the direction of an interested faculty member. P/NP grades only. Prerequisites: lower-division standing; completion of thirty units of UC San Diego undergraduate study; minimum UC San Diego GPA of 3.0; completion and approval of Special Studies form. Consent of instructor and department approval required.

Upper Division

SOCI 100. Classical Sociological Theory (4)

Major figures and schools in sociology from the early nineteenth century onwards, including Marx, Tocqueville, Durkheim, and Weber. The objective of the course is to provide students with a background in classical social theory, and to show its relevance to contemporary sociology. Prerequisites: upper-division standing. Will not receive credit for SOCI 100 and SOCA 100.

SOCI 102. Network Data and Methods (4)

Social network analysts view society as a web of relationships rather than a mere aggregation of individuals. In this course, students will learn how to collect, analyze, and visualize social network data, as well as utilize these techniques to answer an original sociological research question. Prerequisites: SOCI 60, upper-division standing.

SOCI 103M. Computer Applications to Data Management in Sociology (4)

Develop skills in computer management and analysis of sociological data. Practical experience with data produced by sociological research. Students will develop competency in the analysis of sociological data, by extensive acquaintance with computer software used for data analysis and management (e.g., SPSS). Prerequisites: SOCI 60. Will not receive credit for SOCI 103M and SOCA 103M.

SOCI 104. Field Research: Methods of Participant Observation (4)

Relationship between sociological theory and field research. Strong emphasis on theory and methods of participant observation: consideration of problems of entry into field settings, recording observations, description/analysis of field data, ethical problems in fieldwork. Required paper using field methods. Prerequisites: SOCI 60; majors only. Will not receive credit for SOCI 104 and SOCA 104.

SOCI 104Q. Qualitative Interviewing (4)

This course provides students with tools to conduct original research using qualitative interviews. Students will learn how to prepare, conduct, and analyze qualitative interviews. Special emphasis will be placed on the presentation of research in written form. Prerequisites: upper-division standing. Will not receive credit for SOCI 104Q and SOCA 104Q.

SOCI 105. Ethnographic Film: Media Methods (6)

(Conjoined with Soc/G 227.) Ethnographic recording of field data in written and audiovisual formats including film, video, and CD-ROM applications. Critical assessment of ethnographies and audiovisual ethnographic videotape. Prerequisites: graduate standing or consent of instructor for Soc/G 227 and SOCI for SOCI 105. Will not receive credit for SOCI 105 and SOCA 105.

SOCI 106. Comparative and Historical Methods (4)

A broad-based consideration of the use of historical materials in sociological analysis, especially as this facilitates empirically oriented studies across different societies and through time, and their application in student research projects. Prerequisites: SOCI 60. Will not receive credit for SOCI 106 and SOCA 106.

SOCI 106M. Holocaust Diaries (4)

Methods for interpreting diaries, letters, and testaments written by victims and perpetrators of the Holocaust. Students use these sources for original research about life in hiding, ghettos, and death camps. Includes techniques for making comparisons and for generalizing from evidence. Prerequisites: SOCI 60 and SOCI 178 or the consent of instructor. Will not receive credit for SOCI 106M and SOCA 106M.

SOCI 107. Epidemiological Methods: Statistical Study of Disease (4)

Epidemiology is the statistical study of disease, and epidemiological methods are a powerful tool for understanding the causes of certain diseases, e.g., AIDS, scurvy, cholera, and lung cancer. These fundamental epidemiological methods will be taught. Prerequisites: SOCI 60. Will not receive credit for SOCI 107 and SOCA 107.

SOCI 108. Survey Research Design (4)

Translation of research goals into a research design, including probability sampling, questionnaire construction, data collection (including interviewing techniques), data processing, coding, and preliminary tabulation of data. Statistical methods of analysis will be limited primarily to percentaging. Prerequisites: SOCI 60. Will not receive credit for SOCI 108 and SOCA 108.

SOCI 109. Analysis of Sociological Data (4)

Students test their own sociological research hypotheses using data from recent American and international social surveys and state-of-the-art computer software. Application of classical scientific method, interpretation of statistical results, and clear presentation of research findings. Prerequisites: SOCI 60. Will not receive credit for SOCI 109 and SOCA 109.

SOCI 109M. Research Reporting (4)

Students learn to write a research report/article. Course covers the architecture of reports, different audiences, scientific writing style, the literature review, and how to present methodology and findings. Students write a research report using research they conducted in other classes. Prerequisites: upper-division standing.

SOCI 110. Qualitative Research in Educational Settings (4)

Basic understanding of participant observation, interviewing, and other ethnographic research techniques through field experiences in school and community settings sponsored by CREATE. Students will learn to take field notes, write up interviews, and compose interpretive essays based on their field experiences. Prerequisites: SOCI 60 Will not receive credit for SOCI 110 and SOCA 110A.

SOCI 111. Local Lives, Global Problems (4)

This course surveys the variety of ways that scholars across disciplines have studied local-global phenomena and developed theoretical, methodological, and empirical orientations that incorporate concern for place, space, and scale into their analytical lens. Prerequisites: upper-division standing.

SOCI 112. Social Psychology (4)

This course will deal with human behavior and personality development as affected by social group life. Major theories will be compared. The interaction dynamics of such substantive areas as socialization, normative and deviant behavior, learning and achievement, the social construction of the self, and the social identities will be considered. Prerequisites: upper-division standing. Will not receive credit for SOCI 112 and SOCB 112.

SOCI 113. Sociology of the AIDS Epidemic (4)

This course considers the social, cultural, political, and economic aspects of HIV/AIDS. Topics include the social context of transmission; the experiences of women living with HIV; AIDS activism; representations of AIDS; and the impact of race and class differences. Prerequisites: upper-division standing. Will not receive credit for SOCI 113 and SOCB 113.

SOCI 114. Just a Joke?: Sociology of Humor (4)

Telling jokes is fun, but it is also quintessentially a social act. How we make jokes and who we make jokes with is socially prescribed. We use humor every day in our social interactions to solidify social ties, but also to keep us apart. The course will examine the social dynamics of humor, paying specific attention to dimensions of race, gender, sexuality, disability, and national origin. Different types of humor will be analyzed, as well as the role of social media in altering joke culture. Prerequisites: upper-division standing.

SOCI 115. Social Problems (4)

Analyzes selected social problems in the United States, such as those regarding education, race relations, and wealth inequality from various sociological perspectives. The course also examines the various sites of debate discussion, like political institutions, TV and other media, and religious institutions. Prerequisites: upper-division standing. Will not receive credit for SOCI 115 and SOCB 115.

SOCI 116. Gender and Language in Society (4)

(Same as LIGN 174.) This course examines how language contributes to the social construction of gender identities, and how gender impacts language use and ideologies. Topics include the ways language and gender interact across the life span (especially childhood and adolescence); within ethnolinguistic minority communities; and across cultures. Prerequisites: upper-division standing. Will not receive credit for SOCI 116 and SOCB 118A.

SOCI 117. Language, Culture, and Education (4)

(Same as EDS 117.) The mutual influence of language, culture, and education will be explored; explanations of students’ school successes and failures that employ linguistic and cultural variables will be considered; bilingualism; cultural transmission through education. Prerequisites: upper-division standing. Will not receive credit for SOCI 117 and SOCB 117.

SOCI 118. Sociology of Gender (4)

An analysis of the social, biological, and psychological components of becoming a man or a woman. The course will survey a wide range of information in an attempt to specify what is distinctively social about gender roles and identities; i.e., to understand how a most basic part of the “self”—womanhood or manhood—is socially defined and socially learned behavior. Prerequisites: upper-division standing. Will not receive credit for SOCI 118 and SOCB 118.

SOCI 118E. Sociology of Language (4)

An examination of how the understanding of language can guide and inform sociological inquiries and a critical evaluation of key sociological approaches to language, including ethnomethodology, frame analysis, sociolinguistics, structuralism and poststructuralism, and others. Prerequisites: upper-division standing. Will not receive credit for SOCI 118E and SOCB 118L.

SOCI 119. Sociology of Sexuality and Sexual Identities (4)

Introduction both to the sociological study of sexuality and to sociological perspectives in gay/lesbian studies. Examines the social construction of sexual meanings, identities, movements, and controversies; the relation of sexuality to other institutions; and the intersection of sexuality with gender, class, and race. Prerequisites: upper-division standing. Will not receive credit for SOCI 119 and SOCB 119.

SOCI 120. Sociology Through Literature (4)

In this course, we will examine how literature and poetry may illuminate and sometimes go beyond sociological writings in highlighting and spelling out sociological concepts and social processes. This course will cover basic concepts (social role, power), economic concepts (class, greed), and political concepts (colonialism, revolution). Prerequisites: upper-division standing.

SOCI 120T. Special Topics in Culture, Language, and Social Interaction (4)

This course will examine key issues in culture, language, and social interaction. Content will vary from year to year. Prerequisites: upper-division standing.

SOCI 121. Economy and Society (4)

An examination of a central concern of classical social theory: the relationship between economy and society, with special attention (theoretically and empirically) on the problem of the origins of modern capitalism. The course will investigate the role of technology and economic institutions in society; the influence of culture and politics on economic exchange, production, and consumption; the process of rationalization and the social division of labor; contemporary economic problems and the welfare state. Prerequisites: upper-division standing. Will not receive credit for SOCI 121 and SOCC 121.

SOCI 122. Social Networks (4)

This course takes a social network approach to the study of society, examining the complex web of relationships— platonic, familial, professional, romantic—in which individual behavior is embedded. Special emphasis is placed on the unprecedented opportunities created by contemporary social media (e.g. Facebook, mobile phones, online dating websites) for answering fundamental sociological questions. Prerequisites: upper-division standing.

SOCI 123 Japanese Culture Inside/Out: A Transnational Perspective (4)

We examine cultural production in Japan and abroad, national and transnational political-economic and social influences, the idea of Japan in the West, and the idea of the West in Japan. Prerequisites: upper-division standing.

SOCI 124. The Good Society (4)

What institutions and policies are conducive to liberty, economic security, opportunity, a vibrant economy, shared prosperity, social cohesion, health, happiness, and other desirable features of a modern society? Prerequisites: upper-division standing.

SOCI 125. Sociology of Immigration (4)

Immigration from a comparative, historical, and cultural perspective. Topics include: factors influencing amount of immigration and destination of immigrants; varying modes of incorporation of immigrants; immigration policies and rights; the impact of immigration on host economies; refugees; assimilation; and return migration. Prerequisites: upper-division standing. Will not receive credit for SOCI 125 and SOCB 125.

SOCI 126. Social Organization of Education (4)

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(Same as EDS 126.) The social organization of education in the U.S l organization, and ideology of the American news media. This course,165A, surveys the development of the news media as an institution, from earliest newspapers to modern...