Southwestern University

2005-2006 Catalog

Course Descriptions

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SOCIOLOGY AND ANTHROPOLOGY DEPARTMENT

Sociology and Anthropology Department

Division of Social Sciences

Associate Professor Melissa A. Johnson, PhD, Chair

Professor Dan C. Hilliard, PhD

Professor Edward L. Kain, PhD

Associate Professor Maria R. Lowe, PhD

Assistant Professor M. Cristina Alcalde, PhD

Assistant Professor Sandi Kawecka Nenga, PhD

Visiting Instructor Gretchen Webber, MEd, MBA

Instructor Rennison Lalgee, MA (part-time)

Instructor Brandt Peterson, MA (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, a paired major in Sociology and Anthropology, as well as minors in both fields. The paired major is attained by double counting Anthropology 35-103 and Sociology 34-113 or 123.

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 complete the requirements for a BA degree. The major in Sociology is built around a cumulative curriculum with courses at four different levels. 100-level courses are introductory, and serve as prerequisites for most of the courses at the 200-level or above. Courses at the 200-level include courses required of all sociology majors as well as courses which serve a broad audience of majors and non-majors. Courses at the 300 and 400-level are primarily for sociology majors and minors or other students with a particular interest in the discipline. In general, students should take at least two other courses in sociology and anthropology before taking 300 or 400-level courses. Courses at the 900-level are designed for senior sociology majors, but others may enroll in these courses with the permission of the instructor. 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. Majors are encouraged to take at least one course from each of the following categories: Institutions (34-243, 253, 333, 343, 433), Social Structure (34-233, 263, 273, 313), Social processes and change (34-353, 34-413). Majors are also encouraged to enroll for independent research or an academic internship during their senior year.

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 South America 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; gender and violence; 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 ethnographic 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. 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). Majors should meet with one of the Anthropology professors to determine how best to fulfill this requirement.

Major in Sociology: 32 semester hours, including Anthropology 35-103; Sociology 34-113 or 123; 34-201/ 203 (to be taken in the sophomore or junior year), 213, 964 (Capstone, to be taken in the senior year); 15 additional hours of Sociology above the introductory level (six of these hours may be in Anthropology).

Required supporting course in the Sociology major: Mathematics 52-113.

Additional requirements for the Sociology major: Successful completion of a senior oral examination during the last semester of study; completion of the Major Field Examination in Sociology sometime during the senior year.

Minor in Sociology: 18 semester hours, including Sociology 34-113 or 123; 15 additional semester hours of Sociology, 12 hours of which must be above the introductory level (six of these hours may be in Anthropology).

Major in Anthropology: 32 semester hours, including Anthropology 35-103, 203 (to be taken in the sophomore or junior year), 214 (to be taken in the sophomore or junior year), 964 (Capstone, to be taken in the senior year); Sociology 34-113 or 123; three hours of Anthropology at the 300-level (excluding 301, 302, 303 unless approved); three hours of Anthropology at the 400-level; nine additional hours of Anthropology above the introductory level (six of these hours may be in Sociology).

Additional requirements for the Anthropology major: Field Experience as described above; successful completion of a senior oral examination during the last semester of study.

Minor in Anthropology: 18 semester hours, including Anthropology 35-103; one 300-level course (excluding 301, 302, 303 unless approved); one 400-level course; nine additional semester hours of Anthropology, at least six hours of which must be above the introductory level (six of these hours may be in Sociology).

Sociology (SOC)

†34-113	SOCIAL 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)
†34-123	SOCIAL 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)
34-203, 201	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: Sociology 34-113 or 123, and Mathematics 52-113. (Annually)
34-213	SOCIOLOGICAL THEORY. Contributions made to sociological theory beginning in the mid-19th century to the present. Prerequisite: An introductory sociology course. Prerequisite: Sociology 34-113 or 123. (Annually)
34-223	CONFORMITY, DEVIANCE, AND IDENTITY. A study of the societal definition of deviant behavior, causes of deviant behavior, and social control. Prerequisite: Sociology 34-113 or 123.
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. Prerequisite: Sociology 34-113 or 123. Also Feminist Studies 04-233. (Annually)
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. Prerequisite: Sociology 34-113 or 123. 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. Prerequisite: Sociology 34-113 or 123. Also Kinesiology 48-353.
34-263	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. Prerequisite: Sociology 34-113 or 123.
34-273	CHILDHOOD AND ADOLESCENCE. The course examines the ways the historical and social construction of childhood and adolescence intersect with major social institutions. It introduces the social organization underlying children’s and adolescents’ social interactions, agency and peer cultures, and considers the ways these vary according to gender, race, and class. Sociology 34-113 or 123.
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. Prerequisite: Sociology 34-113 or 123.
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. Prerequisite: Sociology 34-113 or 123.
34-343	ORGANIZATION THEORY AND DESIGN. Prerequisites: for Business majors-Business 30-323; for Sociology majors-Sociology 34-113. See Business 30-553.
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. Prerequisite: Sociology 34-113 or 123.
34-433	LATIN AMERICAN POLITICS. See Political Science 32-433.

34-001, 002, 003, 004	SELECTED TOPICS. May be repeated with change in topic.
34-301, 302, 303, 304	SELECTED 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 permission of 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)
35-203	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.
35-214	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.
35-223	LATIN AMERICAN CULTURES. This course examines contemporary issues in Latin America in the twentieth and early twenty-first century. The specific focus of the course will vary from year to year. Topics will include: General Survey of Latin American Cultures, Gender and Family in Latin America, and Andean Cultures. Prerequisite: Anthropology 35-103 or permission of instructor.
35-233	LATINO CULTURES IN THE U.S. This course explores immigration patterns from Latin America and the experiences of Latinos and Latinas in the U.S, including: What it means to be Latino/a; the roles of language, gender, class, national origin, and race in Latino and Latina identities; the cultural traits that Latinos and Latinas have in common with each other and with other Americans; and the differences that exist among Latinos, Latinas, and other Americans. Issues of history, culture, gender, class, language, human rights, and representations will be explored. Prerequisite: Anthropology 35-103.
35-323	GENDER, POWER, AND VIOLENCE. This course is organized around three selected but interrelated themes to help us examine the interconnections between gender, power, and violence in different cultural settings. State, institutional, and interpersonal violence will be examined and the ways in which gender and power are articulated at each of these levels across cultures, especially in Latin America, will be critically analyzed. Prerequisite: Anthropology 35-103. Also Feminist Studies 04-383.
35-343	RACE, 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 instructor. Also Feminist Studies 04-323.
35-433	GLOBAL 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, global issues such as global climate change, consumerism, pollution and toxic substances, economic development, agriculture, resource extraction and bio-diversity conservation are examined. Student research projects are a critical component of this course. Prerequisite: Anthropology 35-103, Environmental Studies 49-101, or permission of instructor. Also Environmental Studies 49-433.