Sociology (SOCL)

Development of the perspectives, concepts, and methodologies needed for objective, analytical thinking about human interaction. Relationships explored in terms of the development of the self through interaction, basic types of social organization, collective behavior, types of institutions, and aspects of the total social system such as social change and population phenomena. University Core fulfilled: Explorations: Understanding Human Behavior.

An introduction to research design and qualitative methodologies in the social sciences, with special emphases placed on conceptualization and operationalization processes and data collection strategies. Qualitative research methods such as interviews, focus groups, content analysis, and ethnography will be covered in the course.

An introduction to basic inferential and descriptive statistics commonly used in the social sciences. Among the topics covered are: table construction; central tendency; variation; probability, sampling distributions, and the normal curve; hypothesis testing; and measures of association. University Core fulfilled: Foundations: Quantitative Reasoning.

This course will introduce students to a selection of important classical and contemporary theorists and theoretical perspectives that have contributed to the development of 20th and 21st century sociology.

An overview of the social, economic, political, environmental, and spatial characteristics and dynamics of Metropolitan Los Angeles in the context of contemporary urbanization in the United States.

An examination of the social nature of sport in society. Topics may include the interrelation of sport and culture, sport and the socialization process, deviance and violence in sport, sport and race, the status of women in sport, and the political and economic ramifications of sport.

The study of large-scale, highly structured groups, such as athletic teams, local school systems, colleges and universities, hospitals, businesses, and governmental agencies.

A survey of the important theoretical and research traditions and recent empirical developments in sociology of law. A variety of law-related topics will be covered, including law and social structure, the economy and culture, law and inequality, law and social control, courts and alternative dispute resolution, and the legal profession.

The study of the artifacts of everyday life - newspapers, films, sports, music and such - as important sources of sociological knowledge.

An examination of the social role of the media in our lives and our society. Topics include: culture, race, class, and gender, as well as alternative media and the political struggles over social change and the media system.

Development of the field of medical sociology, with emphasis on changing patterns in the health care and delivery systems, doctor-patient relationships, and health care.

A study of marriage and family as social institutions, including normative aspects, socialization activities, value orientations, family structures and behavior, and societal influences on families.

This course explores how marriage and families are regulated by the state. Family is a primary social institution that is regulated by formal and informal social norms: Formal norms are laws and policies enforced by local, state, and national bodies and informal norms are the ways in which family life is treated as “normal” or “deviant” depending on social context. This intentionally intersectional course considers how social categories like race, gender, sexual orientation, age, ability, and other factors shape family life. The class differs from the SOCL 3160 Sociology of Marriage and Families course in the bulletin as it approaches the examination of family life from sociological and legal/policy perspectives. In the course we explore how social and legal definitions of families measure against everyday experiences. Topics include the legal requirements and social expectations of marriage and committed partnerships, the policies that underpin the domestic division of labor, how laws and policies regulate the dissolution and reconstitution of families, how the state treats family violence, how parental incarceration affects legal definitions of parenthood, and how immigration laws shape families as they straddle national borders.

The body has been imagined as the basis for personal identity, a source of knowledge, a source of power, an object targeted by power, the mind's subordinate, the flesh to the spirit, a discourse, and a relation. In this course, we examine the multiple modes by which the body has been understood and imagined. We will read empiricist accounts of the body from medical and scientific sources alongside critiques from queer, feminist, disability, and critical race studies. In addition, we will explore the political implications of how the body is theorized. The course will culminate in an assignment that applies principals of universal design to a broad understanding of access mindful of how bodies are racialized, marked by health, illness, or queerness, and how these constructions advance or prohibit inclusion.

Drug and alcohol addiction, homelessness, sexual assault, veterans' rights, mental illness¦this is what social work, and this course, is about. The central theme: How do social workers help America's disadvantaged populations overcome societal ills and lead productive lives? What, exactly, do social workers do, and how do they do it? The course will invite discussion of social justice themes centered around real-world case studies and solutions, practice models and ethical versus institutional clashes.

This one- to four-unit course offers students the opportunity to work closely with a professor on a research project related to sociology. The research project may be independent or collaborative. Depending on the project, the student can receive training in data collection, data analysis, collection and construction of materials for literature reviews, and/or write/edit sociological materials. The student will be assessed at various stages of the course as appropriate for the research goals.

In this course, students will examine schooling as a practice, and education as an institution and epistemological system. Education is a social institution and is understood as one of the key governors of conduct in society, therefor it is imperative that students understand the role educational institutions have in the shaping of American culture. Through Critical Inquiry, we will explore the foundations of education in America; the teacher-student dynamic in the context of power and agency; the role of race, ethnicity, class, gender, sexuality and religion and the importance of mobilizing intersectional identities inside of the classroom; the role of discourse, and counter narratives in transformative education; and the importance of schooling as a praxis of liberation.

A social interactionist approach to the study of deviant behavior; an examination of the process whereby society defines and labels an act as deviant, trends in deviance theory, deviant careers, and the mechanisms involved in confronting the label.

Grounded in sociological perspectives, the course reviews different theoretical explanations of drug and alcohol consumption and the various strategies that have been employed to define, regulate and treat drug use/abuse in America, including consideration of the racial and social class disparities in Prohibitionist movements and drug criminalization and enforcement throughout US history.

An examination of processes resulting in socio-cultural sex role differences and the cultural consequences relating to opportunity, power, and prestige in society. An attempt to understand the effects of social organization and change on the status of women and men.

An exploration of masculinity through critical examination of men, women, gender, politics, identity, and social change from a social scientific perspective. Topics include: gender socialization, the diversity of masculinities, race and ethnicity, class, age, sexuality, and men's social movements.

An examination of the interaction between ethnic and racial minorities and the majority group in the light of current sociological theories of social conflict and social change.

The colonial encounter of Europeans, indigenous, and African populations has led to a complex system of racial stratification across Latin American societies. This course offers an in-depth understanding of how nationalist ideologies and discourses of race have shaped, and been shaped by, the historical and contemporary experiences of Blacks and Indigenous groups in Latin America. Readings draw on the work of historians, anthropologists, sociologists, and political scientists and provide a substantive grasp of the following topics, including: nation building and racial formation, racial representations in film, art and music, skin color and class stratification, racialized gender, migration and social inequality, how race and ethnicity are used as a basis for political mobilization, and resistance. Throughout this class, we will critique and deconstruct our assumptions about racial categories in Latin America and assess these in comparison to the United States. This course also makes use of documentary film, small group discussions, and group presentations.

This course examines the diverse social, economic, and political experiences of Latinos in the United States, paying special attention to groups in Los Angeles, while also discussing groups historically situated in other parts of the U.S. Students will analyze social science theories about how Latinos' experiences are shaped by key social institutions, such as schools, the immigration and criminal justice systems, neighborhoods, the labor market, media, and the American racial hierarchy. We will gain a fuller understanding of how Latinos have contributed to U.S. society and be able to assess important differences and similarities across groups.

The colonial encounter of Europeans, indigenous, and African populations has led to a complex system of racial stratification across Latin American societies. This course offers an in-depth understanding of how nationalist ideologies and discourses of race and mestizaje have shaped, and been shaped by, the historical and contemporary experiences of Blacks and Indigenous groups in Latin America. Readings draw on the work of historians, anthropologists, sociologists, and political scientists and provide a substantive grasp of the following topics, including: nation building and racial formation, racial representations in film, art and music, skin color and class stratification, racialized gender, migration and social inequality, how race and ethnicity are used as a basis for political mobilization, and resistance. Throughout this class, we will critique and deconstruct our assumptions about racial categories in Latin America and assess these in comparison to the United States. This course also makes use of documentary film, small group discussions, and group presentations. Fulfills International Relations (IRUD). Core Fulfilled: Interdisciplinary Connections (IINC)

This course focuses on urban community-based organizations, as they embark on their anti-racist missions and requires students to commit to a 6-8 hour per week internship to the organizations during the semester. The course will build upon students' existing knowledge of social inequalities and urban community dynamics, while providing direct access to community-based organizations and their varied efforts to create more equitable conditions. University Core fulfilled: Flag: Engaged Learning.

An examination of the historical roots and contemporary patterns of social and economic inequality in the United States. Distribution of income and wealth, social mobility, life chances, education, and race and ethnicity will be discussed.

This course examines a wide range of U.S. community studies, ranging from the 1920s to the present. Primary attention is directed toward an understanding of the scope of change in community structure and process in industrial society.

An analysis of the relationship between forms of social organization and the exercise of power in society. Among the subjects considered are: types of political regimes, cross-cultural patterns of voting, voluntary associations, social classes, social movements, and revolution.

A general introduction to the study of physiological, psychological, and sociological aspects of aging. The focus is on the individual in society throughout the adult phase of the lifespan.

This course examines how social, political, and economic conditions shape the distribution of health and disease among different populations in the United States and elsewhere. Using a social justice framework, it explores how social inequalities, prejudice, and discrimination contribute to inequalities in health and disease.

Human trafficking - the trade in people and their parts within and across borders - is a problem that has captured the attention of academics, activists, government officials, and the general public over the last 25 years. This course focuses primarily on labor and sex trafficking in local, regional, and global contexts. We review and critically assess diverse sociological and social science scholarship on human trafficking with an emphasis on the structural significance of political, economic, and cultural conditions that contribute to trafficking: gender, racial/ethnic and class dynamics, and the development of anti-trafficking efforts. University Core fulfilled: Integrations: Interdisciplinary Connections.

This course will guide participants in an examination of the multi-faceted aspects of poverty, including geographic landscapes, primary catalysts, and both commonly accepted and alternative means of measurement through the lenses of race, space, place, and scale. Additionally, it will expose us to and guide us through several historical and contemporary debates, as well as discussions regarding relevant social policies and resulting societal impacts. Finally, we will also address myths, stereotypes, and widely held perceptions of the poor.

This course addresses how power, prestige, and wealth is distributed in society and focuses primarily on the U.S., but also uses global examples. The course examines theories that explain the causes of social inequality and addresses the consequences of social inequality, how it affects a person's life chances, and how and why it persists. Special attention will be paid to race/ethnicity, gender, and class in the different topics covered.

An examination of the basic historical processes which have shaped cities, including spatial differentiation. Topics may include the formation of community, metropolitan deconcentration, urban poverty, housing segregation, and third world urbanization.

An analysis of major international population trends, problems of overpopulation, and population control, with an introduction to the methods and techniques of demographic and ecological analysis.

The interrelationships between individual behavior and the larger social order. Language and communication, the self, interaction and interactional strategy, aggression, perception and attribution theory, prejudice and discrimination, and collective behavior.

This course examines how culture and society influence our feelings yet also leave us with the ability to change how we feel, individually and collectively.

This one- to four-unit course offers students the opportunity to work closely with a professor on a research project related to sociology. The research project may be independent or collaborative. Depending on the project, the student can receive training in data collection, data analysis, collection and construction of materials for literature reviews, and/or write/edit sociological materials. The student will be assessed at various stages of the course as appropriate for the research goals.

Social Movements examines the role of people-driven social change throughout the globe. We examine how and why social movements emerge, such as the Civil Rights and Feminist Movements, as well as what makes them successful.

The broad objective of this class is to introduce students to studying religion and its impact in the social world, including politics, social policy, community services, and social movements. We will examine the relationship between religion and society, taking into consideration both how religion is shaped by society and how religion shapes society, with an emphasis on religion in the U.S. Additionally, we will look at emerging religiously based social movement and political action. University Core fulfilled: Integrations: Interdisciplinary Connections.

This course explores theories and experiences of the Life Course, a perspective that focuses on developmental trajectories and transitions throughout one's life. Additionally, the course addresses the concepts of social contexts, linked lives, structure, and agency for individuals and groups.

An examination of the adolescent society with particular focus on the high school. Topics to be discussed: peer socializations, cliques and crowd formations, lifestyles, fads and fashions, and changing patterns and relations resulting from globalization.

Using sociological theories and concepts, this course examines the relationships between human societies and physical environments. Topics covered include: the meaning and significance of "nature," environmental policies, and environmental social movements.

This course begins by outlining the basic science of climate change and then introduces students to emerging scholarship in the social sciences and humanities that addresses the causes, consequences, and potential responses to the climate crisis. Areas covered include: the inequitable patterning of vulnerability to climate effects, forms of social action to slow climate change, and ways of reimagining life/living on earth. Within these broad areas, we will examine specific topics and concepts including climate justice, climate anxiety, the Anthropocene, Black ecologies, Indigenous perspectives on time in the climate crisis, multi-species climate justice, climate ghosts, reproductive justice, and more. Through our coverage of these topics, we will pay particular attention to bodies and health. We will also explore responses to the climate crisis from artists, poets, and fiction writers. University Core Fulfilled: Integrations: Interdisciplinary Connections.

Examines major approaches to and continuing debates about globalization, including the implications for people in their everyday lives. Topics address economic, political, and cultural dimensions of globalization and may include transnational capitalism and corporations; global inequality; migration and the new global labor market; transnational social movements and global civil society; and globalization and culture, including ethnicity and gender. University Core fulfilled: Integrations: Interdisciplinary Connections.

Studies the globe's migrants and how their movements shape gender in their everyday lives, families, and workplaces - as well as ours - and in the global economy.

An investigation into current and historical immigration trends as they encompass the economy, education, language, identity, politics, and culture. There is a particular focus on globalization and Los Angeles as an immigration center.

(See APAM 4350.)

Explores the social dynamics of work and occupations in terms of culture, ideology, race, class, and gender. Topics will include the day-to-day experiences of the workplace, the politics of the economic system, and the social changes related to globalization and the international economy.

This course critically examines the organization and reorganization of formal and informal work in the global economy, the social implications, and the challenges facing labor movements. By considering the U.S. in relation to other countries, we will learn about the global division of labor and explore ways that gender, race, class, and national inequalities are being reinforced and challenged. University Core fulfilled: Integrations: Interdisciplinary Connections.

This class addresses the devastating effect that domestic violence has on individuals, families, and communities in The United States. The goal is to provide an overview of various types of domestic violence, discuss the cycle of violence associated with domestic violence and its phycological effects on the individuals who experience it, discuss intervention and prevention strategies, and explore ways to build violent free societies. The content of the course is oriented around research, knowledge, and experiences of all who experience domestic violence and addresses gender and multicultural needs.

This one- to four-unit course offers students the opportunity to work closely with a professor on a research project related to sociology. The research project may be independent or collaborative. Depending on the project, the student can receive training in data collection, data analysis, collection and construction of materials for literature reviews, and/or write/edit sociological materials. The student will be assessed at various stages of the course as appropriate for the research goals. Permission of Instructor required.

An introduction to the system of criminal justice in contemporary America with a focus on how criminal behavior is processed by the system's agencies: police, courts, and correctional institutions. Legal concerns such as the rights of the accused and due process will also be discussed in terms of their application in each of these areas.

This course examines the criminal law in the U.S. from a sociological perspective, as a set of "social control" processes by which norms are transmitted and enforced. Topics include how the law defines crime and particular forms of crime, drug abuse, and alcohol-related crime, and various legal defenses available to the accused.

This course will examine the law and the legal process using concepts, methods, and research from sociology, psychology, and social psychology. The course will address such topics as: criminal profiling, the analysis of eyewitness identification and line-up procedures, pretrial publicity, the social psychology of criminal trials, expert forensic testimony, criminal sentencing and the death penalty, the insanity defense, social and psychological "syndrome defenses," child abuse victims and witnesses, juvenile offenders, legal restrictions on the practice of psychology/psychiatry, and civil commitment law and procedures. University Core fulfilled: Integrations: Interdisciplinary Connections.

The study of religion as an expression of culture, its diverse subcultural characteristics as a social institution, and the interrelationships of religion and other social institutions.

This course examines science and technology as products of social, political, and historical processes. It challenges students to think critically about how we define science and the impacts of science and technology on social life. Students will be introduced to central ideas in the field of science and technology studies.

Development of the field of medical sociology, with emphasis on changing patterns in the health care and delivery systems, doctor-patient relationships, and health care.

An introduction to the nature and dynamics of criminal and delinquent behavior from a sociological viewpoint. Topics to be covered: the nature of crime and the criminal law, the measurement of crime, major theories - both historical and contemporary, and patterns of criminal and delinquent behavior.

Students complete a supervised internship in an appropriate agency including social services, law, education, health services, and other relevant fields. Permission of instructor required.

Designed as a senior seminar for sociology majors. Stress will be on organization and integration of sociology studies, bringing together in a meaningful way sociological facts, understandings, and knowledge. Prerequisites: SOCL 2000 and SOCL 3000. Senior majors only. Students must have 90 semester hours completed at time of registration.