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  SOCIOLOGY AND ANTHROPOLOGY DEPARTMENT

Sociology and Anthropology Department

Division of Social Sciences

Associate Professor Maria R. Lowe, PhD, Chair

Professor Dan C. Hilliard, PhD

Professor Edward L. Kain, PhD

Associate Professor Melissa A. Johnson, PhD

Assistant Professor M. Cristina Alcalde, PhD

Instructor Sandi Kawecka Nenga, MA

Assistant Professor Sandra Bever, PhD (part-time)

Assistant Professor Bob Price, PhD (part-time)

At the heart of Sociology and Anthropology lies an interest in understanding the ways in which group membership, cultural context and social hierarchies affect people’s lived experiences and world views. Combining sociology’s focus on contemporary and historical patterns of social interaction with anthropology’s interests in systems of shared and contested cultural meanings, the department’s offerings encourage awareness and understanding of human diversity and cultural variation locally and globally. We are especially interested in examining the ways in which race, class, gender and other social attributes operate within systems of domination and resistance. Coursework within our department will challenge students to examine some of their most basic assumptions about the world and will contribute to a critical understanding of how the social world operates—an essential characteristic of a liberally educated global citizen. As a progressive department, we encourage in our students a commitment to social justice based on an appreciation of social and cultural diversity and an awareness of social inequality. Faculty members’ teaching and research embrace this commitment in a variety of ways, and we encourage students to use the knowledge, skills and perspectives they have gained through courses and other work with us to promote positive social change.

Graduates of the Sociology and Anthropology Department are well prepared to enter leading graduate programs in Anthropology, Sociology, Law, Social Work, Public Health, International Development, Latin American Studies and Public Policy. Recent graduates have found work in community development, public health, marketing and a variety of non-profit organizations. Others have joined the Peace Corps, Americorps, Vista and similar kinds of programs. Our graduates live and work throughout the United States and world.

The department seeks to emphasize how the two disciplines of Sociology and Anthropology complement each other. The department offers majors in both Sociology and Anthropology, as well as minors in both fields.

Sociology

Although it is a diverse field, sociology is united in (1) its acknowledgment that race, gender, and class deeply affect our perceptions and lived experiences, (2) its focus on inter-group comparisons, and (3) recognition of the sociological imagination as the foundation of the discipline. The sociology major is designed to help students critically examine the mutual link between our daily experiences and larger social structures. Though we specialize in social patterns and processes in the United States, we connect these issues to larger transnational phenomena. Our courses focus on topics germane to our current global society: the increasing ideological, financial, and political power of multinational corporations; the rise in the prison industry; the effects of globalization on social relations and communities; the causes and consequences of grassroots protest movements; the increase in the unequal distribution of resources within and across nations; the racialization of inner city poverty; and the changes in meanings and performances of femininities and masculinities.

Students seeking a major in Sociology will normally complete the requirements for a BA degree. The major in Sociology is built around a cumulative curriculum with courses at four different levels, as described in the course listings on the following pages. Descriptions of the skills built at each level of the curriculum are found in the Handbook on the Departmental Homepage at www.southwestern.edu/academic/depts/socanthro/handbook.htm.

A major in Sociology requires a total of 32 semester hours that must include:

One introductory course in Sociology (either 34-113 or 34-123)

Introduction to Anthropology (35-103)

Research Methods lecture (34-203) and lab (34-201), taken concurrently. This course has Introduction to Statistics (Mathematics 52-113) as a prerequisite. Majors are encouraged to take the methods lecture and lab in their sophomore or junior year.

Sociological Theory (34-213) Majors are encouraged to take theory early in their curriculum.

Capstone Seminar (34-964) in the senior year.

Students must fill the remaining 15 hours with upper-level courses in the department, two of which may be Anthropology courses. Students are encouraged to take at least one course from each of the following categories:

Institutions: (34-243, 34-253, 34-333, 34-343 and 34-433)

Social structure: (34-233, 34-293 and 34-313)

Social processes and change: (34-273, 34-353, 34-413)

Students graduating with a Sociology major must pass a senior oral examination during their last semester of study and must take the Major Field Examination in Sociology sometime during their senior year. Majors are encouraged to enroll for independent research or an academic internship during their senior year.

A minor in Sociology requires 18 semester hours in Sociology, including one introductory Sociology course and at least 12 hours above the introductory level. A minor in Sociology may also include up to two Anthropology courses. Minors will find it useful to select a distribution of courses from the same categories as recommended for majors.

Anthropology

The Anthropology major is designed to develop an awareness and understanding of both cultural diversity and our common humanity. We specialize geographically in Latin America (primarily Mexico and the Hispanic United States) and the Caribbean. Topically, our courses cover issues central to our contemporary global society: migration; development and social change; identity and questions of race, class and gender; politics and social mobilization; environment and inequality; indigenous peoples and transnationalism. Anthropology majors receive solid grounding in both the social and cultural theory employed and generated by anthropologists and the enthnographic methods that define our discipline. A critical component of the Anthropology major is the field experience as described below.

Students seeking a major in Anthropology will normally complete the requirements for a BA degree.

A major in Anthropology requires a total of 30 semester hours that must include:

Introduction to Anthropology (35-103)

One of the two introductory Sociology courses (34-113 or 34-123)

Anthropological Theory (35-203)

Ethnographic Methods (35-213)

Majors are encouraged to take theory and methods in their sophomore or junior year, and Capstone Seminar (35-964) in the senior year.

The remaining 15 hours may be filled with a variety of upper-level courses. Of these at least one course must be focused on an ethnographic area (any 300-level course, excluding 301, 2 or 3, except if approved), and at least one course must be thematically organized (any 400-level course). Students may also apply up to two upper-level Sociology courses towards their major. If a student receives academic credit for the field experience described in the following paragraph that also will count towards the 15 upper-level major hours.

Majors in Anthropology are also required to have a field experience as part of their curriculum. This requirement can be fulfilled in a variety of ways, including the following: Independent Research (credited as an Independent Study); summer field program offered by another institution (this can be non-ethnographic, such as a field research program in Archaeology or Biological Anthropology); approved academic internship; field research with Southwestern Anthropology faculty; field component of approved study abroad programs (such as School for International Training or Minnesota Studies in International Development). Finally, students graduating with an anthropology major must pass a senior oral examination during their last semester of study.

A minor in Anthropology requires 18 semester hours in Anthropology, including Introduction to Anthropology (35-103) and at least 12 hours above the introductory level. Minors must also take at least one ethnographic area course (300-level, excluding 301, 2 or 3, except if approved) and one thematic course (400-level). A minor in Anthropology may include up to two Sociology courses.

Sociology (SOC)

Introductory courses. All sociology courses above the 100 level except 34-263, Social Psychology, and 34-353, Demography, have a prerequisite of one introductory course. Students may not count more than two introductory courses toward the major.

†34-113SOCIAL PATTERNS AND PROCESSES. A basic course in the analysis of social institutions and communities calling on various perspectives, including models from functionalism, conflict theory, and symbolic interactionism. Principles of modern sociology are taught by application to specific topics ranging from community to family and gender relations to sport and leisure. (POK-Social Analysis) (Each semester)
†34-123SOCIAL PROBLEMS. A basic course in the analysis of social problems using various perspectives, including models from functionalism, conflict theory, and symbolic interactionism. Principles of modern sociology are taught by application to specific social problems ranging from family violence and criminology to urban decay and population problems. (POK-Social Analysis)

Second-level courses. These include courses required of all sociology majors as well as courses which serve a broad audience of majors and non-majors.

34-203 AND 34-201 (LAB) RESEARCH METHODS. Acquaints majors and minors in sociology with the procedures for gathering and analyzing sociological data. Students in Research Methods will meet for weekly lab sessions in addition to the lecture and discussion times. Prerequisite: Mathematics 52-113. (Offered each year)
34-213 SOCIOLOGICAL THEORY. Contributions made to sociological theory beginning in the mid-19th century to the present. Prerequisite: An introductory sociology course. (Offered each year)
34-223 CONFORMITY, DEVIANCE, AND IDENTITY. A study of the societal definition of deviant behavior, causes of deviant behavior, and social control.
34-233 GENDER RELATIONS AND SEXUALITY. The course examines the historical, social, and cultural construction of gender, focusing on the ways that femininities and masculinities are constructed from infancy through adulthood in the United States. Also included is an exploration of the construction of sexualities, and the effects of constructing some sexualities as “deviant” and others as “normal.” The class will analyze the patterns and fluctuations in sexual and gender constructs across racial, ethnic, and social class categories. Also Feminist Studies 04-233. (Offered each year)
34-243 FAMILIES IN SOCIETY. The study of families in historical, social, and cultural perspective, including analysis of variation in family experience by race and ethnicity, class and gender. Processes of mate selection, marriage patterns, and the formation of families, households, and kin groups are covered. Also Feminist Studies 04-243. (Offered each year)
34-253 SOCIOLOGY OF SPORT. The study of sport as an institution of modern societies, and considering its relationship to other major social patterns of those societies, such as gender, race relations, political and economic structures, higher education, and the mass media. Also Kinesiology 48-353.
†34-263SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY. A course in the understanding of social process from a micro-analytic perspective. Various theories in social psychology are used to examine a variety of issues, including socialization, conformity and deviance, and group interaction. (POK-Social Analysis)
34-273SOCIAL PROTEST MOVEMENTS. This course is designed to introduce students to the study of collective action and social movements. As one of the primary means by which individuals come together to voice their grievances and concerns, collective action and social movements respond and contribute to major periods of social change. The class examines the social conditions under which people mobilize for social change, the challenges they face, and the effects they have at the individual, institutional, and societal levels. Particular attention will be paid to social movements such as the Southern civil rights, Chicano civil rights, environmental justice, anti-globalization, and feminist movements.
34-293 RACIAL AND ETHNIC RELATIONS. This course examines the ways that race and ethnicity have historically been and currently are constructed, maintained, and challenged individually, institutionally, and culturally. In addition, the class explores how our American experiences as well as our life chances are shaped and modified by our ethnic and racial group histories and memberships.

Third-level courses. These courses are primarily for majors and minors or other students who have a particular interest in the discipline. In general, students should have had at least two other courses in sociology and anthropology before taking these courses.

34-313 SOCIAL INEQUALITIES. The study of the construction, maintenance, and consequences of social inequalities in the United States and the world, based on the review of classical and contemporary theories, empirical research, and biographical accounts.
34-333 MEDICAL SOCIOLOGY. Applies sociological methods and concepts to the field of illness and health care in modern societies, dealing with such topics as social epidemiology, social psychological aspects of illness, and systems of health care financing and delivery.
34-343 ORGANIZATION THEORY AND DESIGN. See Business 30-553. Prerequisites: for business majors-Business 30-313 and 30-323; for sociology majors-Sociology 34-113.
34-353 DEMOGRAPHY: WORLD POPULATION GEOGRAPHY. A study of the major demographic processes of fertility, mortality, and migration, with reference to trends in the United States and the world. Students will examine demographic patterns and processes in all world regions, with specific case studies in a number of countries. Also Environmental Studies 49-353.
34-413 URBAN SOCIOLOGY. An analysis of urban life and its impact on human behavior.
34-433 LATIN AMERICAN POLITICS. See Political Science 32-433.

34-001, 002, 003, 004SELECTED TOPICS. May be repeated with change in topic.
34-301, 302, 303, 304SELECTED TOPICS. May be repeated with change in topic.
34-943 OR 946 SOCIOLOGICAL PRACTICUM. Field experience in community
agencies or institutions under direct supervision of trained personnel.
Provision for the experience is made within the framework of
Southwestern University’s Academic Internship Program. Prerequisite:
Sociology major of senior standing or approval of the instructor.
34-951, 952, 953, 954 INDEPENDENT STUDY. Prerequisites: Senior standing and a minimum of 3.0 grade point average during the previous semester. May be repeated with change in content.
34-964 SENIOR RESEARCH SEMINAR: SELECTED TOPICS IN SOCIOLOGY. The sociology capstone requires students to develop a major empirical paper that incorporates knowledge they have learned from their sociology courses to date, particularly sociological theory and research methods. Students will construct a coherent research question, collect and analyze data to explore the question, and apply sociological theories and literature to their findings. They will present their findings at the end of the semester to the professor, their classmates, and possibly others. In seminar format, students will discuss common readings and constructively critique one another’s research. Peer-review, with class periods devoted entirely to students’ research work, will be a core component of this course. Prerequisite: senior sociology major and permission of instructor.
34-983 HONORS. By invitation only.

Anthropology (ANT)

†35-103 INTRODUCTION TO ANTHROPOLOGY. Survey of the four subdisciplines of anthropology: biological anthropology, archaeology, linguistics and cultural anthropology with a focus on cultural anthropology. Topics covered include human evolution, the idea of race, archaeology and the rise of the state, cultural and social variation in gender, kinship, political organization, economies, religions, and languages. The course also explores the nature of the global political economy and other global processes and their interaction with the “local”. (POK-Other Cultures and Civilizations) (Each semester)
†35-113PEOPLES AND PLACES: WORLD REGIONAL GEOGRAPHY. This course provides a comparative overview of the world’s regions, examining environments, populations, economies, political organization, and sociocultural phenomena in each region. Also Social Sciences 39-103. (POK-Other Cultures and Civilizations) (Each year)
35-203 ANTHROPOLOGICAL THEORY. This course introduces students to the major theories of human society and culture that anthropologists have developed. The course will begin with early travel writing, and then move through the late 19th to the mid-20th Century. At least half of the course will cover contemporary, or post-1970s, anthropological theory (such as feminist and post-modernist theories, cultural studies, theories of culture and power). Prerequisite: Anthropology 35-103. Offered Fall of even-numbered years.
35-213 ETHNOGRAPHIC METHODS. This course introduces students to the variety of field methods employed by cultural anthropologists (e.g. participant observation, interviewing techniques and other qualitative and quantitative methods). Students will be expected to use these methods themselves in projects throughout the course. Prerequisite: Anthropology 35-103. Offered Spring of odd-numbered years.
35-343RACE, CLASS AND GENDER IN THE CARIBBEAN. This course critically examines how the constructs of race, class and gender shape everyday life in the Caribbean. The course will cover politics and nationalism, economy and work, language, music, families and household organization, social relations, religion and health, migration and tourism, “sports” (public fun! from cricket to Christmas to Carnival), and the global nature of the Caribbean’s public culture. Prerequisite: Anthropology 35-103 or Feminist Studies 04-103 or permission of the instructor. Also Feminist Studies 04-323.
35-433GLOBAL ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE. An exploration of global environmental issues from a perspective that foregrounds questions of social inequality (differences in wealth, race, gender, indigeneity, national identity, etc.). Following an overview of the U.S. environmental justice movement, we examine global issues such as global climate change, consumerism, pollution and toxic substances, economic development, agriculture, resource extraction and bio-diversity conservation. Student research projects are a critical component of this course. Prerequisite: Anthropology 35-103, Environmental Studies 49-101, or permission of the instructor. Also Environmental Studies 49-433.
35-443PLACING IDENTITIES: LOCATING RACE, GENDER, CLASS. An investigation of the role “place” plays in the formation of ‘identity’ and affiliation. This course queries how places acquire meanings, how they shape identity, and how this differs by race, gender and class. Analyses will be framed with consideration for political economy, and its differential use of space: what has been identified as “uneven development” by geographers. Student research projects are a critical component of this course. Prerequisite: Anthropology 35-103, Feminist Studies 04-103, Environmental Studies 49-101, or permission of the instructor. Also Feminist Studies 04-443 and Environmental Studies 49-443.

35-001, 002, 003, 004SELECTED TOPICS. May be repeated with change in topic.
35-301, 302, 303, 304SELECTED TOPICS. These are courses that fall out of our typical range of anthropology courses. Offered infrequently. Examples include: Biological Anthropology; Cultures, Histories and Ecologies of the Americas; Archaeology; Primate Behavior; The Anthropology of Race and Racism; Expressive Culture. May be repeated with content change.
35-941, 942, 943, 944ACADEMIC INTERNSHIP.
35-951, 952, 953, 954INDEPENDENT STUDY. Prerequisites: Junior Standing and a minimum of 3.0 grade point average during the previous semester. (May be repeated with change in content.)
35-964 SENIOR SEMINAR. The anthropology capstone requires students to develop a major paper, ideally from the data generated by their independent research project (requirement IV). In this endeavor, students will apply current anthropological theory to their findings and construct a coherent argument that weaves together the relevant theory and their data. Students will work with each other and their professor throughout the capstone. Peer-review, with class periods being entirely devoted to each student’s work in turn, will be a fundamental part of this course. Prerequisite: Permission of Instructor.
35-983HONORS. By invitation only.