Sociology
Faculty
Roberta Goldberg, Associate Professor of Sociology (Program
Chair)
Konia Kollehlon, Associate Professor of Sociology
Roxana Moayedi, Associate Professor of Sociology
Description
Sociology is the scientific study and interpretation of
group life. It provides a human perspective on the
study of urban life, family patterns and relationships,
work, and organizational structures. Gender,
race, social class, social change, and current social issues
are the focus of research and analysis.
The primary goal of this program is to enable students to
develop a “sociological imagination,” giving them
the ability to connect individual private experience with
social structure through concrete experiences and a strong
theoretical perspective. Teaching this deceptively
simple insight, that people are affected by social forces
and that social institutions are affected by their members,
is the major focus of the discipline.
Majoring in sociology prepares students for graduate
school and a wide variety of careers, such as social
psychology, social research, social work, public
administration, business, education, market research, law,
and community planning.
A major is offered in the Weekday Program only; the minor
is offered in both the Weekday and the Weekend College
Programs. The Sociology Program also supports the
human relations major.
Major Requirements (33 credits)
ALL of the following courses:
MAT 110 Introduction to Statistics
SOC 100 Introduction to Sociology
SOC 342 Research Methods for Social Scientists
SOC 486 Sociological Theory
SOC 460 Senior Seminar
SIX additional courses in sociology or other approved
courses
Minor Requirements (18 credits)
ONE introductory course:
SOC 100 Introduction to Sociology
ONE course chosen from between:
SOC 378 Inequality in Society
SOC 486 Sociological Theory
FOUR additional courses in sociology or other approved
courses, excluding field work
Program Policies
Advanced Placement: Credits earned through AP
examinations do not fulfill requirements of the sociology
major.
CLEP Policy: Credits earned through CLEP examinations
do not fulfill requirements of the sociology major.
Grades in Major Courses: Students are required
to earn a grade of “C” or better in all courses
counted to fulfill requirements for the major. In
addition, students must achieve a passing grade on the
senior comprehensive portfolio.
Pass/No Pass: Courses fulfilling the major
requirement may not be taken pass/no pass.
Senior Assessment: Students are required to
submit a Senior Comprehensive Portfolio Assessment Project
prior to graduation. Specific requirements and due
dates are distributed to seniors the fall semester of their
graduation year.
TELL Policy: Students applying for credit in
experiential learning should consult with the program
faculty.
Transfer Credits: Credits in courses equivalent
to those required for the major from a similar institution
may be accepted toward a major. Students majoring in
sociology must take a minimum of four sociology courses at
Trinity College in addition to the Senior Seminar.
Course Descriptions
SOC 100 Introduction to Sociology 3 cr
Introduces students to the science of sociology and
prepares students for upper-level social science course
work.
FLC, Area VI, Level 1
Core, II
SOC 105 Internet Lab 1 cr
Serves as a one-credit lab course available to students
enrolled in SOC 100. Participants will explore the
information and research opportunities on the Internet in
the area of sociology. Beginning with a general
overview of how to use the Internet, the course will then
focus on sociological topics tied directly to the
Introduction to Sociology course. Much of the work in
this course will be self-directed, and students are expected
to take independent responsibility for their work.
SOC 200 Social Crisis and Social Policy 3 cr
Examines the political and economic organization of
society and its impact on social problems. The goal of
this course is to enable students to understand the social
nature of social problems. Students focus on how
social problems result from cultural and social
arrangements. Critical scrutiny of polity and economy
provides clues for the bias of society. Explains how
political and economic processes affect what is currently
being done about social problems and thus why so many social
policies fail.
SOC 201 The Sociology of Education 3 cr
Studies the United States education system from
sociological perspectives. This course identifies the major
problems with the United States educational system and
discusses solutions.
SOC 210 Women’s Health and Public Policy 3 cr
Focuses on gender issues in health policy and health
care. Health policy is related to the stratification
system/social structure of our society; thus, race, gender,
and class are the context for understanding women’s
health policy. Readings and discussion include the
responsibilities/role of women in policy making and policy
change and a discussion of some manufacturers of illness and
disease, alternative models of health policy, and
alternative forms of healing as well as alternative
healers.
SOC 237 Community Development and Urban Problems 3
cr
Focuses on the city and its sub-worlds, discusses its
problems and strengths, and suggests a people approach to
solutions.
SOC 250 Sociology of Women 3 cr
Explores the importance of gender in society, the social
position of women in the family, the economy, the workplace,
and other social institutions.
SOC 254 Global Social Issues 3 cr
Surveys the global problems of hunger, overpopulation,
energy, pollution, war, and extremism (slavery, apartheid,
relocation, genocide), and how they are built into
society.
FLC, Area II and VI, Level 1
Core, II
SOC 260 Individual and Society:
Understanding Human Interaction 3 cr
Examines how society influences individuals and, in
turn, is influenced by them. Using a scientific
approach, the course identifies factors that shape
people’s feelings, behavior, and thought in social
situations. What are the influences—actual,
implied, and imagined—that shape women and men and the
world they inhabit? This course examines some of these
influences and particularly addresses the issues of
diversity: gender, social (cultural and ethnic), and
individual.
SOC 261 Family and Society 3 cr
Introduces students to the role of the family in the
social structure. Examines the family in historical
perspective, the institution of marriage, socialization, the
importance of gender, and current issues in the modern
family.
Prerequisite: SOC 100
FLC, Area VI, Level 2
SOC 268 The Sociology of Law 3 cr
Explores how cutting-edge societal issues shape and are
shaped by our legal system. The course discusses
issues as diverse as crime and criminal law, homosexual
rights, family law issues, employment issues such as sexual
harassment, and First Amendment issues such as pornography,
all prime examples of law and society converging. This
course is designed for pre-law and non pre-law students.
SOC 280 Introduction to Cultural Anthropology 3 cr
Studies the nature of culture, sub-culture, cultural
change, and cross-cultural comparisons.
SOC 302 The Black Family
3 cr
Provides a multidisciplinary approach to the study of
Black families. The course covers four broad content
areas: historical/theoretical approaches to the study
of Black families; Black family patterns (including
socioeconomic, demographic, and intergenerational patters);
socialization within Black families; and advocacy for and
gender relations within Black families.
SOC 304 Data Analysis Using
SPSS 3 cr
Introduces elementary data analysis, with an emphasis on
the use of SPSS/PC in such analysis. The course will
briefly cover such analysis and topics such as creating,
editing, and managing data files; descriptive data analysis;
and presenting data in tabular and graphic forms. This
course is primarily intended to prepare students for SOC 342
Research Methods for Social Scientists.
SOC 310 Women and Third World Development 3 cr
Examines insights that the feminist perspective brings
to the issues of development, challenging the assumption
that “integrating women into development” will
solve problems caused by plans and policies that neglect
women. This course is meant to be a guide to recent
thinking and literature about women and development, and to
the feminist critique of these. The course focuses on
multinationals, rural development, and food production,
including appropriate technology and income generation,
health, migration, education, and communication.
FLC, Area II and VI, Level 2
SOC 324 Sociology of Religion 3 cr
Analyzes the relationship between society and religion
to gain insight into the role that religion plays in
people’s lives.
SOC 342 Research Methods for Social Scientists 3
cr
Introduces the student to various research methods used
in the social sciences. Topics include causal analysis
survey, observational, and evaluating strategies; feminist
methods; database management; and statistical data analysis
(SPSS).
Prerequisites: SOC 341 and SOC 100
FLC, Area I and VI, Level 2
SOC 346 Work and Occupations 3 cr
Studies the world of work from a sociological
perspective. This course traces the historical
development of work in industrial society and examines the
modern American workplace. Topics include occupational
stratification, the relationship of work to the economy, and
the future of work.
Prerequisite: SOC 100
FLC, Area VI, Level 2
SOC 350 Race and Racism 3 cr
Traces the history of race relations, prejudice, and
racism within the United States. Special emphasis will
be given to the relationship of racism and the changing
economic, political, demographic, and educational structure
of society. Examines the roots of prejudice, its
expression, and its impact on individual, families,
communities, and societal institutions. Addresses the
critical role of social science theory and research in
increasing understanding of race relations and racism, and
suggests intervention strategies for improved relations.
FLC, Area II and VI, Level 2
SOC 359 Population Problems 3 cr
Explores theories of population growth, trends in
population growth, problems associated with uncontrolled
population growth, problems that result from urbanization in
the Third World and strategies for slowing population
growth.
SOC 365 Mentoring and Diversity 3 cr
Integrates activism and scholarship by examining
students’ experiences as mentors through the lenses of
race, class, and gender. This approach to sociological
theory combines academic learning with community
service. Students are required to become mentors to
high school students from diverse backgrounds. The
goal is to facilitate personal and/or academic empowerment
of the high school students, as well as of the mentors,
while exploring the issue of diversity in contemporary
American society.
FLC, Area II and VI, Level 2
SOC 368 Women, Men, and Complex Organizations 3 cr
Develops the student’s understanding of sex and
gender as organizational variables: the ways in which the
structure and processes of organization reflect power
relations that are interlaced with dominant forms of gender
relations. Attention is given to a broad range of
personal, social, and organizational influences that shape
gender identity and behavior and the way in which gender
behavior affects organizational behavior.
FLC, Area VI, Level 2
SOC 376 Sociology of Health and Illness 3 cr
Discusses the unequal distribution of disease. Who
gets sick and why? Explores social organization of
medical area: professionalization, monopoly, medical
industries, and problems of financing; medicine in practice;
comparative health policies.
SOC 378 Inequality in Society 3 cr
Examines classical and contemporary theories of social
stratification. Are we all created equal? Can we
become equal? Particular emphasis is on the American
class structure, its impact on social institutions, and the
importance of gender and race as factors contributing to
inequality in society. Prerequisite: SOC 100
FLC, Area VI, Level 2
SOC 460 Senior Seminar 3 cr
Engages the student in sociology practicum (minimum of
100 hours of experience in a sociological setting) or a
sociology project (an individualized research paper on a
sociology topic). Students meet in the Senior Seminar
and share their experiences and research with the class.
Crosslisted as HRE 460
FLC, Seminar III
SOC 461 Advanced Seminar on the Family 3 cr
Explores in depth current issues causing conflict and
change in the contemporary family. Alternate family
forms, working families, reproductive technology, AIDS and
other health issues, and family violence are among the
issues examined. Students are expected to contribute
to the class through their own research and analysis of
selected issues. Designed for students who have a
background in the sociology of the family.
FLC, Seminar II
SOC 486 Sociological Theory 3 cr
Investigates the origin and development of classical
sociological theory and how it is used in contemporary
sociology.
FLC, Area IV and VI, Level 2
SOC 590 Independent Study
Provides an opportunity for directed study as approved
by the program chair.
SOC 595 Internship
Provides students with two days a week work experience
in a variety of settings, research, human services, and
criminal justice.
Additional Accepted Courses
HRE 301 Seminar: Perspectives on Gender
INT 340 Understanding AIDS: Interdisciplinary
Seminar
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