Learning Objectives - Sociology Program

Updated/Revised Sociology Program Learning Outcomes (Spring 2016)

The Sociology Program at CSUCI has stated goals and learning objectives for both the program and courses:

(1) Develop effective communication, written and oral, about the field of sociology within the classroom and through a variety of arenas including service learning, international experiences, student research, and internships
(2) Obtain sociological knowledge of core areas and substantive topics and the ability to think critically about them
(3) Understand the role of theory in the application of conceptual frameworks in the research process
(4) Understand the role of evidence in the social sciences and the application of systematic empirical inquiry
(5) Develop professional skills for post-graduation plans within and outside of sociology
(6) Provide opportunities that are linked with the University’s Mission Pillars to stress multiculturalism, community engagement, international experience, and interdisciplinary studies
(7) Be able to effectively engage with and apply their “sociological imagination” to think critically about the social world and what separates sociology from other social science disciplines

Course Learning Outcomes

SOC 100 Introduction to Sociology

Explain the major methods and concepts it used in the systematic study of society.
Describe various social structures in societies and methods and degrees of social stratification.
Explain the major social groups that function in society, including racial and ethnic groups.
Explain processes of socialization, and how socialization operates in different societies and cultures.
Explain major methods of social control, including political and legal systems, and be able to explain the concept of deviance.
Explain the role of gender in society.
Describe how the tools of analysis and methods of sociology are applicable to work and involvement in their community.

SOC 201 Social Problems

Discuss how social problems are defined and how they differ from personal issues.
Explain nature and causes of social problems.
Identify problems and frame research questions relating to humans and their experience.
Describe and detail the theoretical and policy implications of social problems.

SOC 202 Introduction to Research Methods

Articulate logic of scientific thinking in the social sciences, including how to ask questions about social issues and/or institutions.
Read and analyze scientific research as critical consumers (critical thinking component).
Demonstrate research competence by conducting a simple quantitative study via a class project using existing data sources or simple data collection.

SOC 303 Statistical Applications in the Social Sciences

Apply quantitative problem-solving skills to social scientific questions.
Select, apply and interpret descriptive statistics in social science research.
Select, apply and interpret hypothesis testing methods in social science research.
Demonstrate inductive and deductive reasoning in the social sciences using statistical data and results.
Use and explain measurement models in social research and analysis.
Use SPSS to conduct statistical and psychometric analysis of data.
Be able to demonstrate quantitative literacy in reading and understanding research literature.

SOC 309 Topics in Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer Studies

Obtain and be able to elaborate upon a greater understanding of some facet (dependent upon course topic) of a minority population.
Articulate the nature of controversial issues a minority population must face.
Explain issues that the GLBT population faces, from an uninvolved perspective.
Bring social science data to bear on a discussion of issues facing some part of the GLBTQ population.

SOC 310 Research Methods in Sociology

Articulate the basic tenets of the quantitative & qualitative methods used in sociology.
Read, understand, and critically evaluate empirical research reports published in sociological journals on the basis of its validity and conformity to ASA's ethical principles.
Develop testable hypotheses derived from a theory.
Identify and apply various research designs in new situations.
Create and critique questionnaires/survey instruments.
Identify which analyses are appropriate for various research designs.
Use statistical software (SPSS) to analyze data.
Interpret and draw conclusions from descriptive and inferential statistical analyses.
Apply various research methods to answer sociological questions.
Develop necessary skills for an efficient review of the sociological literature using computerized data bases.
Prepare written reports according to the stylistic conventions of the American Sociological Association.

SOC 311 Classical Sociological Theory

Articulate what theory is and how it is used.
Explain how classical theory is still used by contemporary scholars.
Demonstrate ability to analyze original source material in the form of monographs and articles by classical thinkers (Marx, Weber, Durkheim, Simmel, DuBois and others) from the 19th century to mid century.
Apply key classical social theories to current social problems and issues.
Construct outline of the history of the emergence of the discipline of sociology and the social sciences.

SOC 315 Contemporary Sociological Theory

Identify key contemporary thinkers and their ideas in each of the major emerging paradigms in sociology.
Articulate and apply contemporary sociological use and theory.
Demonstrate and communicate knowledge of contemporary theory in sociology.

SOC 322 Sociology of Popular Culture

Awareness of the debate regarding forms of culture: high, low, folk.
Ability to discuss the social history of amusements and the conditions necessary to create a truly 'popular' culture.
Understanding of the role of popular culture as an export to other countries, and the response elsewhere in the world the U.S. popular culture.
Analysis of race, class and gender in mass media images, recordings, etc.
Understanding of the current iteration on debates regarding impact of popular culture on consumers.
Presentation of what the student has learned in a culminating project.

SOC 330 Political Sociology

Discuss the political behaviors of social classes, racial and ethnic groups, genders, generations, elites, masses, gays, religious, and other groups in American Society.
Analyze how social forces shape policy on issues such as welfare, health care, international trade, information policy, education, abortion, criminal justice, defense, and foreign policy.
Compare and contrast the major theoretical insights in the field of political sociology of influential scholars such as Marx, Weber and Durkheim.
Identify and describe the ideologies and utopian visions that motivate political action.
Assess how politics and power is influenced by trends such as the growth of the internet and the global economy.

SOC 331 Narratives of the Working Class

Explain class structures in the U.S. and internationally.
Discuss issues of blue-collar and pink-collar employment and unemployment.
Analyze textual representations of working-class life.
Explain the historical development of class stratification.
Discuss issues of classism.

SOC 336 Social Entrepreneurship

Explain the meaning of social entrepreneurship and develop clear and strong identities as change agents in public policy issues.
Describe non-profit and social enterprise theories and models, the ability to evaluate their relevance, and the ability to apply them to specific situations.
Develop diagnostic, evaluation, and planning skills concerning social entrepreneurs, non-profit enterprises, and students’ roles in addressing important social problems.
Develop personal effectiveness in managing non-profits and social innovation.
Participate in Ventura County and University community social agencies dealing with societal issues.

SOC 348 Healthy Aging

Identify biological, social, cultural and psychological factors related to healthy aging.
Demonstrate sensitivity to diversity regarding aging as well as the cultural and family influences on those attitudes.
Apply inductive and deductive reasoning lo create solutions for problems related to aging.
Apply the overview of the stages of the dying to options for end of life care.
Identify economic and legal issues and local resources that assist elders with aging.

SOC 350 Social Stratification: Theories of Social Class

Describe biological, psychological and sociological perspectives on human behavior, particularly theories explaining human differentiation (stratification) patterns.
Describe the history of human stratification and its development.
Describe the relationships and theories of the relationships among human societies.
Describe the patterns, issues and theories about stratification in the US.
Describe cross-cultural differences and universal questions concerning stratification.
Αnalyze the ideological and practical justifications offered for the existence of social inequality.
Deploy conceptual and methodological tools for the analysis of the lifestyles and life chances of diverse social groupings.

SOC 352 Social Movements

Define and explain the concept of a social movement.
Understand and apply theories about mobilization and movement formation.
Describe types of social movements, including identity movements, religious movements and/or issue driven movements.
Articulate the history of social movements both domestically and internationally.
Development of a case history of a social movement.

SOC 360 Race & Ethnicity

Examine the experiences of various racial and ethnic groups.
Analyze and evaluate sociological theories of race relations.
Examine social structures and ideologies which lead to or perpetuate inequality.
Compare racial or ethnic-minority and dominant group experiences in the U.S. and globally.
Explore solutions to current racial and ethnic problems in the United States.

SOC 370 Crime and Society

Analyze the media critically as regards the presentation of crime.
Explain the difference between various sociological theories of crime.
Identify the process of how behaviors become criminalized.
Demonstrate understanding of social inequalities to criminality and social control.

SOC 372 Urban Sociology

Explain the central analytical components of traditional "human ecology" perspectives on cities, and how they describe processes of growth and development associated with industrial cities.
Describe the central insights and arguments presented by political economy perspective in Urban Sociology, and how they differ from traditional perspectives.
Explain the history of post-war suburbanization, and how it has changed spatial patterns and introduced new challenges to both urban equality and governability.
Distinguish among measures of segregation commonly used in the United States, and use them to make comparisons across metropolitan areas.
Analyze relationships of stratification within cities, especially race and class, and how that impacts personal interactions and political dynamics in urban settings.

SOC 374 Sociology of Organizations

Define the three dominant perspectives in the study of organizations (namely, rational, natural, and open system perspectives), and apply them in analyses of organizational behavior. Identify the central arguments made by "new institutionalists" and summarize the critique that they present to traditional organizational analyses.
Prepare an organizational chart representing formal lines of authority within an organizational setting, and recognize how informal patterns of behavior and authority may contrast with those formally prescribed patterns.
Interpret data on organizations at a field level to understand what that suggests for a single organization within that field.
Prepare an analysis of how the structure of decision-making processes within an organization can influence outcomes.
Identify distinct interests operating within an organization, and explain how conflicts among them might influence organizational development.

SOC 410 Sociology of Gender and Sexuality

Demonstrate an understanding of the history of gender and the division of labor by sex.
Describe which human behaviors are biologically motivated and which are socially constructed.
Explain an understanding of oneself and the society in which one operates.
Describe the institutionalization of gender in politics, economics, language, family, and other areas.
Describe the concepts of gender stereotypes and sexism as a form of discrimination.
Describe how various gender-based movements envision “the good society”.
Describe the variety of sexual identities based in sexual practices.

SOC 412 Sex, Love and Money: The Family

Define what is meant by the family and key sociological perspectives on the family as an institution.
Recognize how and when the modern family began to emerge.
Identify and describe what contemporary families and households look like today.
Contrast variations in family structure.
Classify major life course transitions related to family life.
Analyze contemporary family polemics and problems.

SOC 415 Sociology of Religion

Compare and contrast theoretical ideas about the importance of religion by classical and contemporary theorists.
Identify common organizational problems faced by religious movements.
Address such questions as how religious movements give meaning to the human life course, how believers socially construct practical and meaningful blends of worldly and otherworldly interests, how congregations cope with outsiders and deviants, the effect of literacy has on religious traditions, etc.
Address the relationships between religion and the family, politics, the economy, education, etc.
Respectfully address the how and why of organized religious claims and traditions, including the roles of prophets, priests and the laity.
Identify differences among empirical religious groups.

SOC 418 Sociology of Education

Discuss theoretical concepts and forms used by sociologists of education.
Describe research methodologies used by sociologists of education; including ethnography, content analysis, and statistical analysis.
Explain how schools reproduce social structure.
Construct relevant arguments using data from the Department of Education's National Center for Education Statistics.
Demonstrate familiarity with current social controversies relating to educational policy.
Produce a research paper that shows substantial expertise in a specific area of academic inquiry relating to the course.
Explain how sociological resources may be effectively used to solve problems in schools.

SOC 425 Contemporary Immigration Issues

Recognize the contemporary nature of immigration as debated by the legal system, government officials, political interest groups, community groups, migrants/immigrants and citizens/non-citizens.
Analyze the multiple definitions of citizenship (i.e.dual citizenship) in a globalized world.
Compare U.S. immigration and citizenship law with countries around the world.
Examine how "citizenship" and "immigration" impacts the social, economic and political configuration of what it means to be "American" and "global citizen."
Formulate the various forms of resistance among immigrants rights groups and nativist groups against immigration policies.

SOC 429 Social Change in Spain

Place Spain in the context of a modern European Union nation, including its history over the past 60 years.
Use sociological concepts to analyze various social issues in Spain having to do with modernization and social change in the period since 1975: particularly issues of immigration, gender and sexuality, religion, popular culture, and other domains.
Apply theories of social change.
Develop comparisons of differences and similarities between Spain and the United States as demonstrated in a term project.
Read, speak and write in improved Spanish language comprehension skills.

SOC 440 Population Studies

Explain demographic concepts, theories and principles.
Describe population and policy, and apply this to critically evaluate the complexity of policy and human population issues.
Analyze contemporary population issues using sociological theory and methods.
Explain the connections between social processes and their differential impact on demographic social categories, such a race, ethnicity, social class, age, and disability.
Use of technologies such as Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to analyze and represent demographic information.
Explain basic quantitative demography as a means to analyze population problems: i.e., fertility, mortality, migration, urbanization; and statistical characteristics of populations: e.g., social problems - social deviance.
Demonstrate an ability to execute basic demographic measures and interpret demographic information.

SOC 448 Globalization and Development

Define and explain the concept of globalization.
Apply basic sociological concepts and theories to analyzing issues related to globalization process.
Identify domestic issues interconnected with global ones.
Explain the 'global commons' idea.
Examine the effects of globalization on various groups, including families, women, children, religious groups.
Examine the effects of globalization on national identity.

SOC 490 Topics in Sociology

Identify specific problems in sociology.
Apply the appropriate analytical tools to address specific problems in sociology.
Summarize and report findings related to the description, assessment or solution of problems in sociology.

SOC 492 Field Experience in Sociology

Students will be able to apply quantitative or qualitative research skills in an agency or community placement setting.
Students will be able to analyze existing social issues, structures, and/or organizations throughout the semester-long experience.
Students will develop a learning contract with the instructor and site supervisor that expressly stipulates expectations in the field and for the academic component of the course.
Students will write about the experience in a culminating academic paper, or series of papers in a portfolio, that incorporates current scholarship as well as the student's examination of his/her own site.

SOC 494 Independent Study

Develop a comprehensive reading list in an emerging area of the discipline or an area tailored to the student's specific research needs.
Work closely with a faculty member to produce, expand, or polish existing student work for presentation at a conference.
Design an original project that the student may wish to pursue further in post-baccalaureate work.

SOC 499 Capstone

Conduct an original research project using quantitative or qualitative data.
Follow the code of ethics of the American Sociological Association and CSUCI.
Conduct a literature review.
Present the findings of the research.