Undergraduate Courses in Sociology and Anthropology

SOAA 1000. Academic Advantage (2 credits) This course helps the first-year student make the transition to the university, develop a better understanding of the learning process, and enhance essential academic skills. The course provides a support group for students in a critical transitional year by examining problems and issues common to the first year of college. Elective credit only; does not apply toward the major or minor requirements.

SOAA 1020. Introduction to Sociology (3 credits) Sociology is the systematic study of social behavior. Topics include interaction, culture, inequality and social class, the changing society, socialization, subcultures, crime and deviance, family and religion, among others.

SOAA 1240. Introduction to Cultural Anthropology (3 credits) An introduction to the basic concepts, theories, and methods of cultural anthropology. Major topics addressed include the relationship between biology and culture, cultural diversity, adaptation, and cultural evolution.

SOAA 1280. Introduction to Physical Anthropology and Archaeology (3 credits) An introduction to the study of human evolution, human biological diversity, archaeological theory and methods, and cultural evolution in the Old and New Worlds.

SOAA 2000. Marriage and the Family (3 credits) An overview of the effects of societal change on marital and nonmarital relationships. Topics include premarital dynamics, singles, dual career families, family violence, and divorce.

SOAA 2020. Social Problems (3 credits) Prerequisite: SOAA 1020. Sociological study of major current problems confronted in American society and the beliefs that compound them.

SOAA 2040. Folk Culture in the Modern World (3 credits) Prerequisite: SOAA 1020, 1240, or permission of instructor. An introduction to the major theories, concerns, and methods of modern folklore scholarship with strong emphasis upon field studies of family and regional traditions and the practical applications of folklore research in cultural outreach and public educational programs.

SOAA 2150. American Folk Music (3 credits) A multi-cultural survey of America's diverse ethnic and regional traditions of folk music, how they have been revived and popularized in the twentieth century, and their contributions to contemporary popular culture around the world.

SOAA 3030. Gender and Society (3 credits) Prerequisites: SOAA 1020 or permission of instructor. Study of the social construction of gender and its consequences for individuals and society. Examination of our cultural assumptions about gender identities, roles, behaviors, and the social processes that reproduce gender inequality.

SOAA 3060. Medical Sociology (3 credits) Prerequisite: SOAA 1020 or permission of instructor. Study of the concepts, theories, and methods of medical sociology with particular emphasis on the analysis and application of the findings of contemporary research in medical sociology.

SOAA. 3070. Medical Anthropology (3 credits) Prerequisite: SOAA 1240, or permission of instructor. An introduction to the crosscultural, holistic, and evolutionary study of illness and health. Major topical areas include ethnomedical belief systems, the interaction of biology and culture, and culture as an adaptive mechanism.

SOAA 3110. Minorities (3 credits) Prerequisite: SOAA 1020 or permission of instructor. Examination of the relationships between dominant and subordinate racial, ethnic, and other groups in the U.S., the theoretical perspectives, the processes that create or maintain institutional discrimination, and current issues concerning intergroup relations.

SOAA 3150. Urbanization (3 credits) Prerequisite: SOAA 1020 or permission of instructor. Processes of urbanization and the urban impact on rural life; the structure of the metropolis, segregation, slums, suburbs, mobility, disorganization, and cultural change.

SOAA 3210. Sociological Research (3 credits) Prerequisite: SOAA 1020 or permission of instructor. Methods used in investigating and reporting social phenomena.

SOAA 3300. Deviant Behavior (3 credits) Prerequisite: SOAA 1020 or permission of instructor. An analysis of various types of deviance in society with an emphasis on the application of various theories. Topics include drug addiction, prostitution, mental illness, disability, sexual deviance, alcoholism, and domestic violence.

SOAA 3310. Criminology (3 credits) Prerequisite: SOAA 1020 or permission of instructor. An analysis of the major sociological theories of crime causation, sociological aspects of types of offenders, and techniques of measuring crime.

SOAA 3320. Juvenile Delinquency (3 credits) Prerequisite: SOAA 1020 or permission of instructor. A study of the extent, causes, treatment, and prevention of delinquency.

SOAA 3350. Social Statistics (3 credits) Prerequisite: MATH 1530. An introduction to applied statistics in the field of sociology and related disciplines. This course is offered during the spring semester only.

SOAA 3444. Microcomputers as a Research Tool (3 credits) Prerequisite: MATH 1530, CSCI 1100 and SOAA 3210 (or a comparable course, with the approval of the instructor). Instruction on the use of SPSS/PC and/or other software packages for analyzing social science data via statistics with an emphasis on interpretation and application.

SOAA 3500. Appalachian Folk Medicine (3 credits) The study of folk medical beliefs and practices, focusing on Southern Appalachia from the late 1800s to 1940. Topics examined include folk materia medica & therapeutics, magico-religious beliefs and practices, folk healers, folk concepts of illness and human physiology.

SOAA 3700. Peoples and Cultures of Latin America (3 credits) An introduction to various cultures and nations in Latin America. Topics include indigenous cultures, cultural variation, economic development, political change and demographic processes.

SOAA 3800. Religion, Society, and Culture (3 credits) Prerequisite: SOAA 1020, 1240, or permission of instructor. Analysis of the social and cultural dimensions of religion and the origins, functions, and place of religion in human societies.

SOAA 4027/5027. Advanced Principles of Sociology (3 credits) Prerequisite: SOAA 1020 or permission of instructor. A consideration of the theoretical and research applications of sociological concepts. This course is offered during the fall semester only.

SOAA 4087/5087. The Family in Transition (3 credits) Prerequisite: SOAA 1020 or permission of instructor. An analysis of the changing family with emphasis on family theory.

SOAA 4157/5157. Sociology of the City (3 credits) Prerequisite: Permission of instructor. The sociology of modern urban centers with emphasis upon the development, social organization, and social change that characterize this aspect of modern society, and the influence of urban patterns upon the total society.

SOAA 4257/5257. Power, Wealth, and Poverty (3 credits) Prerequisite: SOAA 1020. Examination of the theories and research concerning the distribution of power, wealth, and prestige in American society, and the impact of social class on life chances.

SOAA 4337/5337. Social Psychology (3 credits) Prerequisite: SOAA 1020 or permission of instructor. Study of social interaction, the development of self, and the social construction of reality.

SOAA 4357/5357. Mass Communications and Popular Culture (3 credits) Prerequisite: SOAA 1020 or permission of instructor. An examination of the impact of modern communications technology upon traditional lifestyles and world views, particularly entertainment during the 20th century.

SOAA 4507/5507. Sociology of the Aging (3 credits) Prerequisite: SOAA 1020 or permission of instructor. An application of basic sociological principles, theories, and research findings to the understanding of the aging and their relationships with other segments of the population.

SOAA 4557/5557. Population (3 credits) Prerequisite: SOAA 1020 or permission of instructor. Major population characteristics, trends, and problems, primarily those of the United States.

SOAA 4627/5627. Ethnographic Field Work Techniques (3 credits) Prerequisite: SOAA 1020 or permission of instructor. An introduction to the information-gathering techniques and strategies employed by modern anthropologists, folklorists, and qualitative sociologists- including interviewing, recording, photography, transcription, and analysis of field work. Practical applications and cultural situations are also stressed.

SOAA 4807/5807. Modern Social Theory (3 credits) Prerequisite: SOAA 1020 or permission of instructor. This course provides a comprehensive survey of key modern social theorists and theories within the historical context of the emergence of the modern world order. This course is offered during the fall semester only.

SOAA 4900. Independent Studies (1-3 credits) Prerequisite: Permission of instructor.

SOAA 4957/5957. Special Topics in Sociology/Anthropology (1-6 credits)

SOAA 4989-99. Cooperative Education (1-3 credits)