SOCIOLOGY

Professors: Alex Dupuy, Sue C. Fisher, Charles C. Lemert

Associate Professors: Mary Ann Clawson , Rob Rosenthal (Chair)

Assistant Professor: Sandra Wong

Visiting Assistant Professors: Gary Comstock, Susan McWilliams

Sociology is one of the classic scientific disciplines with its own discrete body of theory and facts. It has, however, always maintained a uniquely interdisciplinary character. Therefore, students of varied interests and academic commitments are welcome in any of the department's courses, pending fulfillment of the stated prerequisites.

The Department of Sociology offers three types of courses: (1) Foundation courses (Introductory, Sociology 151; Methods, Sociology 200-209; Theory, Sociology 210-219). These courses provide an introduction to sociological reasoning. (2) Topical courses (Sociology 220-299). Courses in this category examine many of the topical areas in which sociology makes a contribution to our knowledge of society and social processes. Non-majors may have a special interest in courses in this category that correspond to the intellectual concerns of academic units with which the Department of Sociology maintains formal or informal ties: the Psychology Department, African American studies, the Science in Society Program, the women's studies program, and the College of Social Studies. Similarly, students should note the applicability of many of these courses to work in anthropology, art, economics, government, history, linguistics, philosophy, psychology, religion, theater, and other disciplines. (3) Research courses (see below). These research-oriented courses guide students in the application of sociological reasoning to specific empirical and theoretical problems. These courses culminate in a research paper and may double as topical courses.

Major program. Students who pass Sociology 151 may be accepted as majors by the department. Each major is assigned a faculty adviser with whom the student works out a program of study.

Majors must complete 10 courses (including Sociology 151). The courses must be distributed as shown in the table.

Number of Courses Type of Course

3 Foundation courses

(1) Sociology 151

(1) Sociology 200-209: Methods

(1) Sociology 210-219: Theory

6 Topical courses

(6) Sociology 220-299

1 Research course

(1) Sociology 227, 239, 240, 246, 248, 257, 262, 263, 270, 271, 305, 307,314, 324, 341, 344, 350

Normally, the foundation course requirements are fulfilled at the beginning of the program. At least one research course is taken toward the end of major studies and is to be integrated with the student's plans for a senior essay or thesis. Additional seminars may be counted toward the topical course requirement.

The program is designed to help students attain both broad knowledge and confident skill in sociological reasoning and argumentation. To this end, each of our majors is required to meet a writing requirement and to prepare a senior essay. The writing requirement consists of a paper dealing with a sociologically relevant topic but written for any course. This paper must demonstrate the student's ability to construct a coherent argument and deploy evidence in its support. It must be submitted to the department at the end of the junior year. Students who fail to demonstrate these skills may be asked to undertake remedial work.

The senior essay consists of a major research paper (normally at least 25 pages). Normally, this essay is written in a research course (see above), Sociology 227, 239, 240, 246, 248, 257, 262, 263, 270, 271, 305, 307, 314, 324, 341, 344, 350, and revised before submission to the department. Completion of the program requires the approval of the senior essay by two faculty members. Students writing outstanding essays may be invited to present them at a departmental colloquium. Students may also be invited to sit for oral examinations of their work.

Exceptions to the requirements for the major may occasionally be made but only insofar as they suit the purposes of a coherently integrated program of study. For example, students may apply as many as three electives taken outside the Department of Sociology toward the topical course requirement. Transfer students are encouraged to evaluate their transfer credit with the department chair at their earliest convenience. All exceptions must be approved in writing by the student's faculty adviser and the department chair.

Each year the department will nominate students for participation in the departmental honors program, which entails the writing of a senior thesis. Students are invited to explore this possibility with a member of the faculty early in the fall of the junior year. Those selected to write a senior thesis will be excused from the research essay requirement, though not from the research course requirement. Senior thesis tutorials (Sociology 409-410) may count toward the topical course requirement if the integrity of the overall program is thus enhanced.

Majors are strongly urged to acquire a working knowledge of statistics, computers, and at least one foreign language. Majors and non-majors alike are advised that the Public Affairs Center Data Laboratory is readily available to all sociology students. The department maintains a comprehensive archive of sociological data for use in student research projects. And, in addition to the extensive sociological holdings in Olin Library, the department has a library of important reference works. Occasionally, financial assistance is available for students engaged in research. The department periodically awards the Robert S. Lynd Prize for outstanding student papers written in sociology courses, the Herbert H. Hyman Prize for outstanding senior theses or research papers on a sociological topic, and the Anna Julia Cooper Prize to a student of overall excellence.

In planning their programs, students should examine the department's memorandum of courses to be offered in future years or omitted in a given year. Students in urgent need of courses omitted in a given year should consult members of the department about the possibility of tutorials. Other information about the sociology major is available in the department office, Public Affairs Center 122.

Joint major in psychology and sociology. The sociology-psychology joint major is an interdisciplinary program sponsored by the departments of sociology and psychology. Students interested in this major should consult with the faculty coordinator for the joint program, namely, Professor Lemert in the Sociology Department and Professor Plous in the Psychology Department.

A total of 11 courses is required to complete the major. The major consists of introductory courses in both departments (SOC 151 and PSYC 101 or 105) and nine additional courses taken in the two departments (selected from numbers 200 and above in both departments). Normally, students will be expected to maintain a balance in the number of sociology and psychology courses. Two research methods courses are required, one from each department. One must be a course in statistics (PSYC 201, 214, SOC 202, MATH 132, or the equivalent). Students' research methods courses should be approved by the sociology/psychology faculty. All joint majors must take the senior seminar course, Seminar in Psychology and Sociology (PSYC 364, SOC 324) offered every year, each department sponsoring the seminar in alternate years.

Successful completion of the joint major requires either a senior thesis or a comprehensive oral examination, either of which shall serve to demonstrate an ability to integrate concepts and facts from the two disciplines. The senior thesis may be on a topic in psychology or sociology but must exhibit interdisciplinary competence. Two thesis research tutorials (409, 410) are credited toward the nine required courses. The oral examination shall be based on (but not confined to) three papers from courses taken in the program in the two departments. Normally, the focus of this examination will be a paper prepared in the seminar course. Theses will be read and examinations conducted by two faculty members, one from each of the departments.

Majors are expected to consult closely with a faculty adviser associated with the joint major and rely upon this advice to plan an academically coherent course of study. Special attention should be paid to the selection of research methods courses, the choice of the thesis or examination alternatives, and the choice of advanced courses. Psychology Senior Seminar (Psychology 325, Sociology 324) offered each year, the two departments sponsoring the seminar in alternate years.

Psychology-sociology majors are expected to consult closely with a faculty adviser associated with the joint major and to rely upon this advice to plan an academically coherent course of study. Special attention should be paid to the selection of methods courses, the choice of the thesis or examination alternatives and the choice of advanced courses.

Joint major in sociology and anthropology. Until further notice, no additional students will be admitted to the major.

Double majors. Students also may have double majors--for example, anthropology and history or anthropology and biology. All the requirements of the two majors must be met, except when faculty representatives of the two departments approve alterations in a student's program. Please consult with the department chair or a department adviser.

Special honors majors in sociology. This program is distinct from honors available to regular, joint, or double majors. It is designed to recognize and encourage interdisciplinary work in sociology and is available only to students majoring in other programs who are also prepared to do advanced work in sociology. Special honors majors in sociology may be excused from some requirements for the major if they have taken substantial equivalent work in sociology and related social science fields. Interested students must petition the department chair by the second week of their senior year and demonstrate the equivalency of their program of study to the major in sociology. If accepted, the special honors major must complete an honors thesis directed by a member of the sociology faculty and pass with at least a B+ on an oral examination based on the thesis. Normally, the program is designed for students in cognate fields with which the department maintains working relations (e.g., Science in Society, College of Social Studies, Anthropology, Latin American Studies, African American Studies, and Women's Studies.)

Education-in-the-field credit. Students, whether majors or non-majors, seeking education-in-the-field credit must provide the department, in advance, with an acceptable prospectus of their work and assurance of professional guidance during the field experience. Students must submit research papers based on this experience. These papers should refer substantially to sociological literature pertinent to their field experience. Normally, the approval of two field supervisors and two faculty members is required for certification of field credit.