Course Descriptions
Lower Division Courses
SOC 001: Introduction to Sociology [4 units]
The study of groups, culture, collective behavior, classes and caste, community and ecology,
role, status, and personality.
SOC 009: Community Mobilization and Politics [4 units]
The study of groups, culture, collective behavior, classes and caste, community and ecology,
role, status, and personality.
SOC 010: Statistics for Sociology [4 units]
Prerequisite: Open only to following major/minor(s): Sociology (Undergraduate) - SOC
An introduction to the logic and use of statistical techniques in sociological research. By the end
of the course, students will have the tools to appreciate and evaluate social research, and a
foundation for conducting statistical social research themselves.
SOC 015: Sociological Research Methods [4 units]
Open only to standing(s): Sophomore, Junior, Senior.
Provides students with a basic understanding of how to conduct social science research. Topics
will include the logic of research design, issues of conceptualization and measurement, the range
of data collection methods available to social scientists, and what social scientists do with data
once they have collected it.
SOC 020: Social Problems [4 units]
Examines the perceptions, theories, arguments, and proposed solutions to the most vexing social
issues. Explanations of these problems can be grouped into micro, meso, and macro levels of
analysis. In addition, for the last 100 years, researchers have examined the overlap between
different social problems.
SOC 030: Social Inequality [4 units]
An examination of the main classical and modern explanations of the causes of social, economic
and political inequality. Issues include: power; processes that create/maintain inequality, the
central axes of inequality in society (race/class/gender); consequences of inequality for
individuals and groups; how policy can mitigate or exacerbate inequality.
SOC 035: Introduction to Political Sociology [4 units]
The most pressing issues of our time are addressed via the political system. This course considers
the many processes that influence the political system and political outcomes. By drawing on the
insights of sociology, we will better understand these processes and how the political system
works.
SOC 038: Sociology of Race and Racism [4 units]
Reading and discussion of materials that provide insight into how race and racism define our
lives. The theoretical focus is on systemic and structural racism, racial categorization, ethnic
identification, nativism, and intersecting oppressions.
SOC 060: Introduction to Sociology of Gender [4 units]
Provides an introduction to the study of gender through a sociological lens. Examines gender as
a feature of individual identity as well as various social structures and institutions.
SOC 070: Introduction to Crime and Deviance [4 units]
Examines the process of criminal justice in the US and address major theories of crime and
deviance. In addition: how individuals and social groups are processed through the criminal court
system; historical changes in correctional philosophy and organizational structure; inmate
socialization, and social environment changes in U.S. prisons.
SOC 090X: Freshman Seminar [1 unit]
Examination of a topic in sociology.
SOC 092: Internship in Sociology [1 – 4 units]
Permission of instructor required.
Provides oversight and structure for a student’s internship in a field related to sociology in
community organizations, professional research projects, etc. connected to the study of
sociology. Students are required to write an original research paper or relevant product that
demonstrates how the internship advanced their knowledge of sociology.
SOC 095: Lower Division Undergraduate Research [1 – 5 units]
Supervised research. Permission of instructor required. Course may be repeated for credit.
SOC 098: Lower Division Directed Group Study [1 – 5 units]
Permission of instructor required. Pass/Fail only. Course may be repeated for credit.
SOC 099: Lower Division Individual Study [1 – 5 units]
Permission of instructor required. Pass/Fail only. Course may be repeated for credit.
Upper Division Courses
SOC 100: Sociological Theory [4 units]
Prerequisite: SOC 001 and one other SOC course. Open only to standing(s): Junior, Senior.
Sociological theory explores many big questions that people have pondered for centuries,
including inequality and why it is tolerated, social change and how it occurs, and social order and
how it is maintained. This course provides an introduction to sociological theory, examining both
classic and contemporary schools of sociological thought.
SOC 107: Law and Society [4 units]
Prerequisite: SOC 001.
Familiarizes students with the interrelated fields of criminology, law and society studies, and
criminal justice studies. Organized around three well-established interdisciplinary literatures:
criminology, sociological studies, and criminal justice studies.
SOC 108: Advanced Topics in Criminology [4 units]
Prerequisite: SOC 001 or SOC 070.
Sociological concepts and theories are used to analyze the nature, extent, and causes of crime
beyond an introductory level, based upon systemic scientific analysis of data. Exploration of
criminal trends and analysis of crime as well as the dynamics of law, social control, treatment
processes, and victimology will be evaluated.
SOC 110: Social Movements, Protest and Collective Action [4 units]
Prerequisite: (SOC 001. or SOC 009 or POLI 009) and SOC 015
Introduction to the social scientific study of social protest (meaning all forms of non-routine, or
contentious politics) and collective action. Examines organized collective efforts to promote or
resist change in society that rely, in some part, on non-institutionalized forms of political action.
SOC 111: Environmental Sociology [4 units]
Prerequisite: SOC 001 and SOC 015
Provides an overview of major issues in the field of environmental sociology. Students will learn
to critically evaluate the dominant paradigms explaining environmental crisis. Draws from a
number of prominent environmental issues and case studies.
SOC 115: Political Sociology [4 units]
Prerequisite: SOC 001.and SOC 015
Sociological analysis of types of political organization and action and their relations to elements
of social life. Topics include: Social movements, voting, interest group politics, protest behavior,
revolutions, human rights, global political diffusion, and other elements of the interaction
between the political structure and everyday life.
SOC 116: Inequity & Public Policy [4 units]
Prerequisite: SOC 001.and SOC 015
Explores economic inequality in America. From Occupy Wall Street to the Bernie Sanders movement,
there has been rising anger against big banks and Wall Street financiers over economic inequality
in America. But is finance really to blame? Political sociology and economic sociology is used to
ask how the growing power of finance relates to longstanding inequalities across racial, gender,
and class in the U.S. Potential public policy solutions to these inequalities are explored.
SOC 118: Hate Crime [4 units]
Prerequisite: (SOC 001 or SOC 070) and SOC 015
An examination of the causes and consequences of hate crimes, as well as the social contexts
within which they occur.
SOC 120: Sociology of Culture [4 units]
Prerequisite: SOC 001
The sociology of culture is both an approach to, and a subject within sociology. This course will
explore central themes and issues in the sociology of culture, such as: What is the relation of the
cultural forms studied by humanists to the social structures studied by sociologists and political
scientists?
SOC 121: Latina/o/x Sociology [4 units]
Prerequisite: SOC 001 and SOC 015
Provides concepts and ideas with which to analyze the contemporary and historical experiences
of Latinos. While often thought of as and treated as one single racial or ethnic group, Latinos have
much diversity and a range of lived experiences. Draws primarily from sociological tests to make
sense of the history of Latino groups; the evolving discipline of U.S. Latino Studies; core tenents
such as migration, exclusion and belonging, and how race, class, gender and legal status shape
the U.S. Latino experience.
SOC 130: Social Stratification [4 units]
Prerequisite: SOC 001 and SOC 015
An in-depth examination of classical and modern explanations of the causes of social, economic
and political inequality. Issues include: the central axes of inequality in society
(race/class/gender); power; processes that create/maintain inequality; and, the consequences of
inequality for individuals and groups.
SOC 131: Urban Inequality [4 units]
Prerequisite: SOC 001
The goal of this course is to examine a small selection of the work on urban poverty in the
United States in a seminar setting. We examine in-depth theories behind the evolution of the
urban poor, as well as the impact of poverty upon individuals.
SOC 132: Sociology of Education [4 units]
Prerequisite: None
A focus on how social forces (such as politics, economics, demographics and institutional
context) create variation in school practices, and how variation in school practices affects
individual student achievement and behavior. Students will also become familiar with
presenting, interpreting, and discussing public education data.
SOC 134: Sports and Society [4 units]
Prerequisite: SOC 001.
Sports are often dismissed as unimportant to society’s working. However, some of society’s
most important moments, racial integration (Jackie Robinson), gender equality (Title IX), and
recognition of new nations (Olympics) have been through sports. We examine the dynamics
sports play in society, focusing on issues of race, gender, and nationality.
SOC 135: Sociology of Work [4 units]
Prerequisite: SOC 001
Students will consider how work structures social life, how work and social inequality are related,
how work shapes and is shaped by our social identities, and how work has changed and will likely
continue to change in the coming decades. The class focuses on work in the 20th-21st century US.
SOC 136: Globalization [4 units]
Prerequisite: SOC 001
A survey of major global social trends over the last few centuries. Specifically, we examine the
rise of bureaucracy, industrial capitalism, and national social movements/revolutions to assist us
in comprehending current social trends such as the network society, neo-liberal economic
restructuring, international social movements, and global conflict.
SOC 140: Organizational Behavior [4 units]
Prerequisite: SOC 001 and SOC 015
An examination of the evolution of the modern organization, focusing on approaches to strategy
and organizational environments. We read social scientific analyses and case studies to trace the
history of bureaucratic organizations and study social science perspectives that emphasize the
variation of current organizational forms.
SOC 145: Sociology of Health [4 units]
Prerequisite: SOC 001.
Introduction to some key sociological theories and empirical research on health and illness.
Course topics will include the relationship between social structures and the production and
distribution of disease; how health and illness are defined and socially constructed; and the link
between disease and inequality.
SOC 150: Self and Society [4 units]
Prerequisite: SOC 001
An overview of one fundamental topic in the sociological approach to social psychology, the
shaping of consciousness by interaction. Beginning with classical texts, we will then examine a
set of contemporary works, arranged in order of the degree to which psychology is made
fundamentally social.
SOC 155: Sociology of the Family [4 units]
Prerequisite: None
Examines the family in a larger social context. The course will explore sociological perspectives
on the family, investigate the diversity that families have in society, and explore inequality both
within the family and between families.
SOC 160: Gender and Society [4 units]
Prerequisite: (SOC 001 or SOC 060) and SOC 015
The role gender plays in structuring social lives. We begin by discussing sociological theories of
gender, gender socialization/parenting, gender identity, and intersections of gender and sexuality.
We then examine gender on an institutional and systemic level-focusing on how organizations,
such as work, education, the law, and politics are gendered.
SOC 161: Sociology of Sexuality [4 units]
Prerequisite: SOC 001 and (SOC 015 or COGS 105 or PH 112 or PSY 015)
A focus on the social construction of sexuality and sexual behavior and demographic trends.
We will also study the intersection of sexuality and social institutions, as well as the politics of
sexuality.
SOC 170: Qualitative Research Methods [4 units]
Prerequisite: SOC 001 and SOC 015
An introduction to the techniques of qualitative research. We will explore research design issues,
including developing research questions, selecting methods, and the ethics of research. We will
then study the collection, analysis, and presentation of qualitative data.
SOC 175: Topics in Advanced Sociological Research Methods [4 units]
Prerequisite: SOC 001 and SOC 015 with B or better and SOC 010.
Provides advanced training in the process of sociological research. During the semester students
will develop the skills and background knowledge needed to plan and organize sound research
projects of their own, and critique others’ research.
SOC 180: Advanced Issues in Race and Ethnicity [4 units]
Prerequisite: None
Examines in-depth the main classical and modern explanations of the issues surrounding Race
and Ethnicity. Issues include: Power; processes that create/maintain inequality, biological vs
social constructions of race, race and ethnicity in the age of conquest, race and ethnicity in
modern society.
SOC 181: Chicanos in U.S. Society [4 units]
Prerequisite: SOC 001
Aims to achieve a multi-disciplinary understanding of the processes and experiences currently
facing the Chicana/o population in the United States.
SOC 182: Current Topics in Immigration [4 units]
Prerequisite: SOC 001
Immigration continues transforming the US, Europe, Middle Eastern states and developing
nations. How do we understand these transformations and their impact? The class has 3 parts:
migration, integration, and belonging. We will examine the causes, consequences and
repercussions of one of the most important topics of the 21st century.
SOC 183: Intersectionality (4 Units)
Prerequisite: SOC 001 or CRES 001 or SOC 030 or SOC 038 or SOC 060
Examines the concept, theory, method and practice of intersectionality. The following will be
considered and addressed: how scholars have intersectionality as a concept, theory, method,
and practice of social change; what intersectionality has to offer to other theoretical approaches;
and the ongoing debates regarding intersectionality and the study of social inequality and justice.
The objective of this course is to critically examine and understand the paradigm of intersectionality.
SOC 185: Topics in Sociology [4 units]
Prerequisite: SOC 001
Intensive treatment of a special topic or problem in sociology.
SOC 191: Sociology Senior Capstone [4 units]
Prerequisite Courses: SOC 001 and SOC 010 and SOC 015
Prerequisite Courses with Concurrent Option: SOC 100
Open only to the following major/minor(s): Sociology (Undergraduate) - SOC
Open only to the following class level(s): Senior
Serves as a culminating experience for graduating seniors who are majoring in Sociology.
Build on the skills students have developed in their prior classes by applying sociological
knowledge to specific, contemporary research topics. Assignments are designed to help
students develop additional skills, knowledge, and competencies to engage in contemporary
issues using a critical framework.
SOC 192: Internship in Sociology [1 - 4 units]
Open only to standing(s): Junior, Senior. Permission of instructor required.
Provides oversight and structure for a student’s internship in a field related to sociology in
community organizations, professional research projects, etc. connected to the study of
sociology. Students are required to write an original research paper or relevant product that
demonstrates how the internship advanced their knowledge of sociology.
SOC 195: Upper Division Undergraduate Research [1 – 5 units]
Supervised research. Permission of instructor required. Course may be repeated for credit.
SOC 198: Upper Division Directed Group Study [1 – 5 units]
Permission of instructor required. Pass/Fail only. Course may be repeated for credit.
SOC 199: Upper Division Individual Study
Permission of instructor required. Pass/Fail only. Course may be repeated for credit.
Updated January 2022
