Sociology (SO)

Theories and methods of Sociology are applied to the analysis of such issues as social class, race, gender, religion and politics. Falls and Springs. (DICO)

See SO 2405 for course description. Not open to students who have earned credit for CJ 2400.

Exposure to environmental risk and responses to natural disasters reflect the inner workings of our identities, communities, and governments. Environmental justice issues exacerbate prior inequities and are increasingly important due to climate change. This course uses an applied, project-based approach to explore environmental justice issues and the social, economic, political, and cultural forces that shape them.

A sociological investigation of problems that originate in human social interaction and have an undesirable impact on social life. Focuses on problems of poverty, ethnic relations, crime, inequality and alienation, and studies ways of coping with these problems.

Focuses on the social forces shaping the changing dynamics of contemporary family. Studies theoretical and conceptual frameworks. Addresses at length specific issues and problems such as abortion, single parenting, childcare and domestic violence. Not open to students who have earned credit for SO 3070. Falls.

See CJ 3085 for course description. Not open to students who have previously earned credits for SO 3080.

Combining principles and concepts from anthropology and sociology, examines the cultural and social forces that affect economic behavior, outcomes, and inequality in the United States and around the world. Selected topics include: causes and consequences of class and status differences within societies, social mobility, and how class interacts with race and gender. Also offered as SO 3130. Falls.

The sociology of deviance involves the study of differences between people. What differences matter to people? Why do some people choose to be different? Why do people react to difference the way they do? And how does societal reaction affect those who are different? These are some of the fundamental questions that are addressed. Not open to students who have earned credit for SO 3180. (DICO)

Examines specialized areas in sociology which are not covered in regularly scheduled courses.

Examines the dynamics that produce and maintain structured social inequality based on minority status and the social consequences of such inequality. Topics include the nature and definition of race, the origins of prejudice, theories of discrimination, immigration, present-day problems and trends. (DICO)

Examines the role psychoactive substances have played in religions and cultures in world history and the history and politics of drug control today and in the past.

This course introduces key concepts from anthropology and sociology to analyze the forces that shape individual experiences of health. Select topics include major health transitions in human evolution, ethnomedicine and ritual healing practices, health inequities, and healthcare policies. Contemporary challenges in global health and the organizations working to address them are also explored. Also offered as AN 3510. Springs and Falls. (WECO)

Sustainability is challenging to put into practice professionally. Students help make PSU and their own lives "greener" by learning about sustainability on campuses and beyond by identifying a campus sustainability topic; analyzing the issue; learning how to conduct social science research about the issue; using findings to address the issue. (WECO)

A study of the relationships between social organization, culture, and current environmental problems and policy issues. Topics include: the meanings of nature and wilderness, environmental justice, the history and workings of the environmental movement, greenwashing, public attitudes towards the environment, and the idea of sustainability. Falls.

Students learn how to critically evaluate studies in anthropology and sociology, and to design and plan a study of social phenomena of their own. Skills learned include theory, application and construction, operationalizing variables, evaluating strengths and weaknesses of research methodologies, determining causality, sampling, hypothesis formulation and testing, data collection and analysis, and proposal writing. May be taken as SO 4415. (TECO)

Students engage in work programs and thereby apply knowledge gained from major and minor courses, areas, or concentrations. Qualifications to be an intern are determined by the Department Chair and a faculty member who acts as a supervising professor. Once placed, student interns have both an immediate supervisor and a supervising professor. With permission.

Provides a more intense background in some aspect of sociology through reading and research, supplementing previous courses or broadening the student's knowledge in some subject area not presently covered by SO courses. Consent required of the instructor who will supervise the independent study and the Department Chair.