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Sociology

Social Science Division

Student Alert: 356 BCC courses renumbered and/or renamed starting summer 2008. For example, Speech 200 is now Communication Studies 210. If you have taken courses at BCC prior to summer 2008, visit our Common Course Number Advisory website to learn more and view a list of changed courses.

SOC& 101 Introduction to Sociology . 5 CR
Previously SOC 110
Investigate the human social condition, and develop a useful way to think critically about the world around you. Themes include power dynamics, culture, the development of self in society, deviance, stereotyping, and/or the social construction of knowledge.
SOC 105 Sociology of Blacks in America . 5 CR
Explore the social and cultural background of Blacks in America. Themes include music and popular culture, activism, politics, and/or social change. Same as ETHN 105. Either SOC 105 or ETHN 105 may be taken for credit, not both. Prerequisite: Placement by assessment into ENGL& 101 (prev ENGL 101) ENGL 092 or 093 with a C- or better, or entry code.
SOC 120 Introduction to Native American Studies . 5 CR
Provides an historical and contemporary perspective on the social, political, and cultural issues of the Indigenous Peoples of North America. Students explore Indigenous literature, and the representation of Native peoples in film and television, among other areas. Prerequisite: ENGL& 101 (prev ENGL 101) recommended.
SOC 121 Native Americans & Film . 5 CR
Provides an historic and contemporary perspective on the representations of Native Americans in cinema. Explores the invention of Natives in Hollywood and the creation of a Native aesthetic. Same as ETHN 121. Either SOC 121 or ETHN 121 may be taken for credit, not both. Prerequisite: ENGL& 101 (prev ENGL 101) recommended.
SOC 122 Activism & Popular Culture . 5 CR
Provides an historic and contemporary perspective on social and political movements through the lens of popular culture. Students explore literature, film, music, and news media to critically understand a given social/political movement in the United States. Prerequisite: ENGL& 101 (prev ENGL 101) and SOC& 101 (prev SOC 110) recommended.
SOC 150 Sociology of Children & Youth . 5 CR
Explore the ideas and experiences of children and youth, and learn to apply sociological thinking to everyday life. Themes include youth subcultures, children's rights, identity development, friendships and dating, popular culture, and social problems of youth like drug use and eating disorders.
SOC 194/195/196/197 Special Topics in Sociology . V1-10 CR
Covers supplementary or unusual classes related to the field. Topics are announced in the class schedule.
SOC 198 Seminar in Sociology . V1-10 CR
Includes seminars, workshops, etc., for which college credit is offered.
SOC 199 Individual Studies in Sociology . V1-10 CR
Covers directed readings, special projects, and independent study by an individual student. May be repeated for a maximum of 15 credits. Prerequisite: Permission of instructor.
SOC& 201 Social Problems . 5 CR
Previously SOC 170 Social Problems of Contemporary Society
Analyze the social-structural foundations of, and solutions to contemporary social problems. Investigate issues such as homelessness, violence and war, racism, education in America, and/or the criminal justice system in an active and cooperative learning environment. Designed for the entering student.
SOC 205 Cultural Studies . 5 CR
What (and who) makes culture in America? Study some of the most important thrusts in Cultural Studies, and trace the history of Cultural Studies as a field. Themes may include the development of cultural studies, high/low brow culture, and analysis of art, film, media, and network societies. Prerequisite: ENGL& 101 (prev ENGL 101) recommended.
SOC 210 Sociology of Popular Culture . 5 CR
What makes popular culture "popular" and who decides for us? Wrestle with the notion of whether popular culture defines society, or if society defines popular culture by studying television, music, film, and more. Themes include social construction, audience reception, and network societies. Prerequisite: ENGL& 101 (prev ENGL 101) recommended.
SOC 215 TV Culture & Society . 5 CR
Study how television affects various forms of knowledge, ways of thinking, and core elements of our social lives. Themes include television culture, dominant and subversive TV, technological voyeurism, how to watch the news, and the social history of television. Prerequisite: ENGL& 101 (prev ENGL 101) recommended.
SOC 220 Introduction to Social Research . 5 CR
Engage the sociological imagination! Learn how knowledge is produced and developed by analyzing the steps of sociological research. Gain practical experience in researching social issues. Designed for students in social sciences and health sciences. Prerequisite: Placement by assessment into MATH& 141 (prev MATH 105) or MATH 099 with a C- or better and 5 credits in Social Science with a C- or better or permission of instructor.
SOC 225 Introduction to Social Theory . 5 CR
Why do we do what we do? Explore classic and contemporary social thought about humans and our societies. Learn how to read, analyze, and critique important social theories. Prerequisite: ANTH& 100 (prev ANTH 100) or SOC& 101 (prev SOC 110) or ECON 100 recommended.
SOC 230 Sociology of Education . 5 CR
Examine the crucial roles education and schools play in society. How do schools both encourage and discourage social change? Themes include the social context and culture of schools in America, gender differences in education, the economics of schooling, racial and ethnic segregation, political controversies about schools, and/or school reform. Prerequisite: ANTH& 100 (prev ANTH 100) or PSYC& 100 (prev PSYCH 100) or SOC& 101 (prev SOC 110) recommended.
SOC 240 Social Psychology . 5 CR
Examine the actions of individuals and groups in a social context. Topics include the influence of social learning on attitudes, perception, and personality, persuasion, conflict, attraction, altruism, and aggression. Same as PSYC 240 (prev PSYCH 240). Either SOC 240 or PSYC 240 (prev PSYCH 240) may be taken for credit, not both. Prerequisite: PSYC& 100 (prev PSYCH 100) or SOC& 101 (prev SOC 110) or permission of instructor.
SOC 246 Sociology of Religion . 5 CR
Critically engage the relationship religion has with American Society. Themes include various beliefs and practices, cults, popular culture, death and dying, political economy, and/or social change. Prerequisite: SOC 101 (prev SOC 110) recommended.
SOC 248 Public Health . 5 CR
What is Public Health, and how does it differ from Health Care? Investigate the role of the American Public Health system and how it impacts different groups across racial, class, and gender lines. Themes may include the social history of Public Health, needle exchange programs, and germ panic in America. Prerequisite: ENGL& 101 (prev ENGL 101)recommended.
SOC 250 Aging in America . 5 CR
Study how the experience of aging affects individuals, families, and society. What does it mean to be young, middle-aged, or elderly in American society? Examine the social transitions of life from a sociological perspective. Themes may include rites of passage, age discrimination, work and retirement, sexuality and relationships, health, illness and caregiving. Prerequisite: PSYC& 100 or (prev PSYCH 100) SOC& 101 (prev SOC 110) or permission of instructor.
SOC 252 Sociology of Work . 5 CR
Explore the sociohistorical meaning of the phrase "Get a Job!" Understand the complexities of workers, poverty, and social reform. See yourself as a worker, and critically understand what that may mean in America. Topics may include Unions, the class system in America, and the idea of a "good job." Prerequisite: ENGL& 101 (prev ENGL 101) recommended.
SOC 254 Sociology of Sex & Gender . 5 CR
Explore the social context of sex and gender. Investigate the wide-ranging similarities and differences in women's and men's experiences. Themes may include media stereotyping, gender roles, sex segregation in the workforce, sexual politics, and the experiences of women and men in schools and in families. Prerequisite: ANTH& 100 (prev ANTH 100)or PSYC& 100 (prev PSYCH 100) or SOC& 101 (prev SOC 110) recommended.
SOC 255 Families in American Society . 5 CR
Explore changes in the culture and structure of families in contemporary society. Themes include single parenting, new family structures, marriage, divorce, childhood, and/or courtship and dating. Prerequisite: ANTH& 100 (prev ANTH 100) or PSYC& 100 (prev PSYCH 100) or SOC& 101(prev SOC 110) or permission of instructor.
SOC 256 Sociology of Sexualities . 5 CR
Critically investigate sexual behavior and sexuality in contemporary America from a sociological perspective. Themes may include gender construction, the sexual self, the sex industry, attitudes about the body, and/or sex in popular culture. Prerequisite: ANTH& 100 (prev ANTH 100) or PSYC& 100 (prev PSYCH 100) or SOC& 101 (prev SOC 110) or permission of instructor.
SOC 258 Sociology of the Body . 5 CR
Examine how cultures think about the body. Explore how society shapes bodies and how humans "perform" individual and group identities through bodies and bodily manipulation. Themes may include tattooing and body piercing, beauty standards and plastic surgery, transgenderism, race/ethnicity, and disability. No knowledge of anatomy is required. Prerequisite: ANTH& 100 (prev ANTH 100) or SOC& 101 (prev SOC 110) or SOC 256 recommended.
SOC 260 Death and Dying . 5 CR
What happens to your physical body when you die? Who decides what happens? Critically examine the social history and the business of death and dying in America as it has changed over time. Topics may include death in popular culture, the business of death, and the employment that death provides. Prerequisite: ANTH& 100 (prev ANTH 100) or PSYC& 100 (prev PSYCH 100) or SOC& 101 (prev SOC 110) or permission of instructor.
SOC 262 Sociology of Race & Ethnicity . 5 CR
Examine the complexities of race and ethnicity in America. Themes include current events, representations in popular culture, the development of a racial self, and/or the interaction of race and social class. Prerequisite: SOC& 101 (prev SOC 110) or permission of instructor.
SOC 264 Intersections of Race, Class, & Gender . 5 CR
Explore how race, class, and gender interact and are embedded in social and cultural frameworks. Themes may include poverty and privilege, socialization, stereotypes, and/or media images. Prerequisite: SOC& 101 (prev SOC 110) or SOC 262 recommended.
SOC 265 Urban Sociology . 5 CR
Investigate the structures and activities of city life. Themes include urban development, decay, renewal, art and architecture, wealth and poverty, growth of the suburbs and/or overall transformation of the city. Prerequisite: ANTH& 100 (prev ANTH 100) or PSYC& 100 (prev PSYCH 100) or SOC& 101 (prev SOC 110) or permission of instructor.
SOC 268 Sociology of Food . 5 CR
From where does your food come? Why and when do you eat what you do? Critically analyze the social history of food production and consumption in America over time. Themes include the changing rhythms of food development, understanding diet and nutrition from a cultural perspective, and food in pop culture. Prerequisite: ENGL& 101 (prev ENGL 101) recommended.
SOC 270 Deviance . 5 CR
Critically explore deviance as an ever-changing idea in society. Understand the impact social values have on the development of deviance. Themes may include religion, family, crime, and/or popular culture. Prerequisite: ANTH& 100 (prev ANTH 100) or PSYC& 100 (prev PSYCH 100) or SOC& 101 (prev SOC 110) or permission of instructor.
SOC 275 Technology in Society . 5 CR
What is the role technology plays in society and in your life? Dig deeply into the social realm of technology. Investigate how identities are created, re-created, and challenged through mediated technologies. Topics may include network societies, hyper-realities, the digital divide, and the global and social histories of technology. Prerequisite: ENGL& 101 (prev ENGL 101) recommended.
SOC 294/295/296/297 Special Topics in Sociology . V1-10 CR
Covers supplementary or unusual classes related to the field. Topics are announced in the class schedule.
SOC 298 Seminar in Sociology . V1-10 CR
Includes seminars, workshops, etc., for which college credit is offered.
SOC 299 Individual Studies in Sociology . V1-10 CR
Covers directed readings, special projects, and independent study by an individual student. May be repeated for a maximum of 15 credits. Prerequisite: Permission of instructor.