Sociology (SOCI) *See also: (SOC)
1110.
Introduction to Sociology.
(3)
This course will introduce students to the basic concepts and theories of sociology, as well as to the methods utilized in sociological research. The course will address how sociological concepts and theories can be utilized to analyze and interpret our social world, and how profoundly our society and the groups to which students belong influence them. Students will be given the opportunity to challenge their “taken for granted” or “common sense” understandings about society, social institutions, and social issues. Special attention will also be paid to the intimate connections between their personal lives and the larger structural features of social life. In addition, the implications of social inequalities, such as race/ethnicity, gender, and social class will be central to the course’s examination of social life in the United States.
Meets New Mexico General Education Curriculum Area 4: Social and Behavioral Sciences.
1996.
Topics.
(1-6, no limit Δ)
2120.
Introduction to Criminal Justice Systems.
(3)
Velez, Jackson.
This course provides an introduction to social issues that are currently affecting the criminal justice system in the United States. The course will cover the history of the U.S. criminal justice system and how our system compares with other countries. We will address how the U.S. criminal justice system attempts to create and preserve a balance between sustaining order, maintaining individual rights, and promoting justice. Important themes also include, but are not limited to discussions of how crime and delinquency are measured, key correlates of crime, sociological approaches to researching crime, sociological theories of crime, the quality of crime data in the U.S. and how it is used to make public policy decisions, and the causes and consequences of mass incarceration in the United States.
Prerequisite: 1110.
2210.
Sociology of Deviance.
(3)
Lyons.
This course is designed to provide an overview of the study of deviance and social control from multiple sociological perspectives. The instructor will present how sociologists research deviance and social control and the ethical issues involved in studying human subjects involved in these activities. The course also examines central sociological theories for understanding the causes of deviant behavior.
Prerequisite: 1110.
2310.
Contemporary Social Problems.
(3)
This course studies the nature, scope, and effects of social problems and their solutions. The course will concentrate on sociological perspectives, theories, and key concepts when investigating problems, such as inequality, poverty, racism, alienation, family life, sexuality, gender, urbanization, work, aging, crime, war and terrorism, environmental degradation, and mass media. This course is designed to build students’ sociological understanding of how sociological approaches attempt to clarify various issues confronting contemporary life, as well as how sociologists view solutions to these problems.
Prerequisite: 1110.
2315.
The Dynamics of Prejudice.
(3)
Ibarra, Lopez.
This course is designed to help students understand how attitudes and beliefs of individuals shape intergroup relations and their impacts on the daily lives of individuals as well as the effects that these beliefs have on the larger social structure of American society. We will examine how profoundly our society and the groups to which we belong, influence us and our beliefs and ultimately how these beliefs shape prejudice in our society. In this course, students are encouraged to challenge ideologies that are considered "common sense" or that are taken for granted and this in turn will allow them to critically engage issues in society such as racism, classism, sexism, and will leave with an understanding on how privilege affects our views on disability, LGBTQ issues, religion and immigration. Rather than investigating these themes in the abstract, students will identify and unpack how these larger structural issues play integral roles in their everyday lives, interactions, and existence. Ultimately, this course aims to address the social inequalities that exists in our society as a result of prejudice and will challenge students to identify and engage in strategies to work towards changing these aspects of society.
Meets New Mexico General Education Curriculum Area 4: Social and Behavioral Sciences.
2340.
Global Issues.
(3)
Many of the problems we face on a daily basis are global in scope and global in origin. The world is now more interconnected than ever. The things that happen in China or in Saudi Arabia affect us in the United States, just as the things that we do here affect the people in Russia or Egypt. This course offers a sociological perspective on this phenomenon of globalization and explores its origins in the culture of capitalism. To this end, we will examine topics such as consumption, labor, migration and immigration, economic inequality, the natural environment, and health. We will also consider various ways in which these problems can, or cannot, be solved for us and for future generations.
Meets New Mexico General Education Curriculum Area 4: Social and Behavioral Sciences.
Prerequisite: 1110.
2996.
Topics.
(1-6, no limit Δ)
