Professor Mace, Chair; Dean and Director of the Center for Urban and Global Studies and Paul E. Raether Distinguished Professor of Global Urban Studies and Sociology Chen, Professors Morris, Sacks, and Valocchi; Associate Professor Williams; Visiting Assistant Professor Miceli
The sociology major—Students are required to take 11 courses in sociology, including SOCL 101, 201, 202, 410, or 420, and at least three courses at the 300 level. One course in anthropology may be counted toward the major. It is recommended that sociology majors take SOCL 101, 201, and 202 as early in the major as possible. Students who qualify and choose to write a two-credit honors thesis (see below) are exempted from taking 410 or 420, the senior seminar requirement. Majors must also take MATH 107, the statistics course required for the major. SOCL 201, 202, 300-level courses, and MATH 107 must be taken at Trinity College. A grade of at least a C- must be earned in each course that is to count toward the major. One course credit in an internship may be counted toward the major. Senior thesis credit counts as two elective courses for the major.
Course credit transfers from other institutions—Permission to receive credit towards the major for courses taken at other higher education institutions must be approved in advance by the Sociology Department chair. Petitioners for transfer of credit must submit to the chair the name of the institution and course number, title, and catalogue description before formal permission is granted. Upon approval, a maximum of two sociology courses shall count towards the sociology major (all required courses must be taken at Trinity with the exception of SOCL 101; these include SOCL 201, SOCL 202, SOCL 410, three 300-level courses, and MATH 107).
Study away—A period of study away can enrich students’ knowledge of sociology by exposing them to the diversity and complexity of human interaction. Therefore, majors are strongly encouraged to incorporate into their studies international or domestic study away. While there are many general programs of study away for Trinity students, sociology majors have regularly participated in the programs listed below:
For additional guidance on study away options for sociology majors, please see the department’s study away liaison, Professor Johnny Williams.
Honors—In order to be granted honors in sociology, a student must attain a college average of at least B and an average of at least B+ in sociology courses and write a two-credit senior thesis that earns the grade of A- or better (only candidates for honors are eligible to write a thesis). Students who hope to attain honors should consult with their advisers during the spring semester of their junior year. Students who write a thesis are exempted from taking 410 or 420, the senior seminar.
Fall Term
101. Principles of Sociology— The course will deal with questions such as these: What are the underlying causes of our major social problems? Are inequality and the exercise of power by some over others inevitable in all social life? How important in human life are cultural and social factors compared to the influence of biological inheritance, personality and economic constraints? What are the origins of, prospects for, and results of attempts at deliberate social change? To what extent can we realistically expect to achieve our democratic ideals of freedom and equality in contemporary societies? The course addresses the basic concerns, ideas and methods of sociology both as a scientific and a humanistic discipline. (Enrollment limited)-Morris, Valocchi, Williams
202. Classical and Contemporary Theory— Critical examination of the major theoretical perspectives current in sociology (structure functionalism, interactionism, conflict theory, exchange theory, and ethnomethodology) and consideration of their implications for core problems: such as social order and social change that concern all sociologists. Also, emphasis upon the methods of theory construction, the relationship between theory and research, and the significance of the classic (e.g., Durkheim’s Suicide) for sociologists now. Prerequisite: Prior Sociology course. (Enrollment limited)-Miceli
[205. Cultural Sociology and the Sociology of Culture]— This course introduces students to the sociology of culture (understanding the social influences of social formations) and cultural sociology (understanding cultural influences on social processes). Major themes and issues in cultural sociology are examined to answer the following questions: “What is culture and what does it do?” and “How is culture to be studied?” The course addresses these questions by exploring the seminal issues Marx, Weber and Durkheim raised about culture. In addition, the course examines how scholars (from a variety of theoretical perspectives) approach these seminal issues. Examples of issues that spring from the work of classical sociologists include the following: “Do media messages shape our view of reality? If so, how?” and “How do class and lifestyle intertwine to reproduce inequality?” The course also deals with substantive questions that have recently arisen including “How is market activity undergirded by cultural assumptions?” and “How does social context shape the production scientific knowledge?” Special attention is given to how theoretical ideas are translated into empirical projects. Although the course has no specific prerequisites, some passing acquaintance with Durkheim, Weber and Marx is helpful. (Enrollment limited)
214. Racism— A cross-national comparison of racial and ethnic differences as sources of conflict and inequality within and between societies. We will also consider the role of race and ethnicity as a basis for group and national solidarity. Topics will include the persistence of ethnic and racial loyalties in regard to language, marital choice, and politics; a comparison of social mobility patterns among various ethnic and racial groups; ethnicity and race as reactionary or revolutionary ideologies; the issues and facts regarding assimilation and pluralism in different societies. (Enrollment limited)-Williams
227. From Hartford to World Cities: Comparative Urban Dynamics— The 21st century is truly a global urban age characterized by the simultanious decline and revival of post-industrial cities in the United States and the co-existence of boom and poverty in the rapidly industrializing cities in developing countries, as well as by how globalization is exerting growing impact on urban places and processes everywhere. This course adopts an integrated and comparative approach to studying the local and global characteristics, conditions, and consequences of the growth and transformation of cities and communities. Using Hartford—Trinity’s hometown—as a point or place of departure, the course takes students to a set of world or global cities outside the United States, especially a few dynamic mega-cities in developing countries to explore the differences and surprising similarities among them. (Enrollment limited)-Chen
[241. Mass Media, Popular Culture, and Social Reality]— This course examines the integral role mass communication has in social and cultural life. Specifically, it explores how we identify and construct our social identity using media images. This is accomplished by focusing on different types of media content and their effect on individuals and culture, as well as by examining audience response to media content. Other topics covered include the social and economic organization of mass media, development of communication technologies, and sexist and racist stereotypes in the media. Prerequisite: Prior Sociology course or permission of instructor. (Enrollment limited)
[252. Immigration, Social Inclusion, and Global Cities]— This course surveys immigrant incorporation in the global cities of New York, Montreal, Paris, and London. It proceeds by means of case studies to examine topics of ethnic history, intergroup relations, assimilation and acculturation, residential patterns in enclaves and ghettos, generational transformations, ethnic entrepreneurship, and symbolic ethnicity. These studies and topics provide the ground as well for the course’s exploration of questions of transnational belonging, coalition politics, citizenship patterns, and immigration policy. (Enrollment limited)
272. Social Movements— The sociological study of social movements concentrates on collective action by groups that use institutionalized and non-institutionalized action to promote or inhibit social and political change. This course, then, examines collective action as diverse as peasant rebellions against urbanization and commercialization in 18th-century France to the organized militancy of lesbians and gays in 20th-century U.S. We will read historical and sociological research that addresses the following questions: why collective action emerged, how it was organized, what its goals were and if it achieved those goals, how members were recruited and maintained, and how elites and non-elites responded to its activities. (Enrollment limited)-Valocchi
[312. Social Class and Mobility]— This course is an introduction to the theory and research on stratification and mobility in modern societies. Every society distributes resources unequally. This distribution affects not only economic outcomes such as wages, profits, and material well being, but also social and political outcomes such as protest, voting behavior, and self-esteem. This course will explore why this occurs, the types of inequalities that exist, and the consequences of inequality for the distribution of power and for democratic processes in American society. Specific topics include class, occupational, race and gender inequalities, and the social, psychological, and cultural consequences of inequality. Prerequisite: Prior Sociology course or permission of the instructor. Course not open to first-year students. (Enrollment limited)
342. Sociology of Religion— An examination of the significance of religion for social life, using major sociological theories of religion, supplemented by material from anthropology and psychology. The course focuses on how religious beliefs and practices shape the world views and behavior of humans and influence the development of social structure. The following topics are examined: the origins of religion, magic and science, rituals, religion and the economy, women and religion, and religions of Africans in diaspora. Prerequisite: Prior Sociology course or permission of the instructor. Course not open to first-year students. (Enrollment limited)-Williams
[351. Society, State, and Power]— This course examines the sources of power and influence in Western nations. Power flows to people who command a legal, political, or institutional monopoly over valued human resources. We will examine the development of these monopolies, the organizations that perpetuate these monopolies, and the consequences that these monopolies have for our personal and political lives as well as for notions of democracy, solidarity, and freedom. In this respect, we will focus much of our attention on the institutions of state and economy in U.S. society and evaluate the different theoretical perspectives that explain how these institutions confer power on some and deny that power to others. Specific topics include power struggles around the right to representation, for control in the workplace, against racism and discrimination, and over policies to aid the poor. Prerequisite: Prior Sociology course or permission of the instructor. Course not open to first-year students. (Enrollment limited)
355. Reproduction, Birth, and Power— This course examines topics related to reproductive practices, experiences, and ideologies through current, historical, and cross-cultural lenses. Through our study of specific topics such as contraception, prenatal testing, assisted reproductive technologies, and women’s pregnancy and birth experiences, we will explore the constructed and contested meanings surrounding womanhood, motherhood, sexuality, reproductive freedom, and eugenics. We will pay attention to how the construction of and struggle over these issues are indicators of the status of women in society and have profound effects on women’s lives and bodies. This course has a community learning component.This course has a community learning component. Prerequisite: Prior Sociology course or permission of instructor. (Enrollment limited)-Morris
399. Independent Study— Submission of the special registration form, available in the Registrar’s Office, and the approval of the instructor and chairperson are required for enrollment. (1-2 course credits) -Staff
466. Teaching Assistantship— Credit does not count toward the major. Submission of the special registration form, available in the Registrar’s Office, and the approval of the instructor and chairperson are required for enrollment. (0.5-1 course credit) -Staff
490. Research Assistantship— From time to time the opportunity exists for students to assist professors in their research. Hours and duties will be determined on the basis of project needs and student interests. Submission of the special registration form, available in the Registrar’s Office, and the approval of the instructor and chairperson are required for enrollment. (0.5-1 course credit) -Staff
498. Senior Thesis Part 1— Written report on original research project. Students should consult with the faculty supervisor before registration, i.e., during the previous spring term. Required of all candidates for honors; elective for others. Submission of the special registration form, available in the Registrar’s Office, and the approval of the instructor and chairperson are required for each semester of this year (2 course credits) -Staff
Spring Term
101. Principles of Sociology— The course will deal with questions such as these: What are the underlying causes of our major social problems? Are inequality and the exercise of power by some over others inevitable in all social life? How important in human life are cultural and social factors compared to the influence of biological inheritance, personality and economic constraints? What are the origins of, prospects for, and results of attempts at deliberate social change? To what extent can we realistically expect to achieve our democratic ideals of freedom and equality in contemporary societies? The course addresses the basic concerns, ideas and methods of sociology both as a scientific and a humanistic discipline. (Enrollment limited)-Staff
201. Research Methods in the Social Sciences— An introduction to social sciences inquiry, stressing what is common as well as what is different in the techniques and procedures employed in the different disciplines. The course seeks to develop the student’s skill in designing original research and in evaluating the significance of already published research findings. Topics include: the interdependence of theory and research; ways of formulating research problems and hypotheses; the variety of research designs (introducing the ideas of statistical as well as experimental control); and an overview of the major procedures of instrument construction, measurement, data collection, sampling, and data analysis. Required laboratory sessions offer experience in each step of the research process. Prerequisite: C- or better in Mathematics 107 or concurrent enrollment in Mathematics 107. (1.25 course credits) (Enrollment limited)-Morris
[204. Social Problems in American Society]— Diverse sociological perspectives on the causes of social problems will be analyzed. Crime, police behavior, collective violence, poverty, welfare and other topics relating to deviance and inequality in American society are considered in light of these perspectives. (Enrollment limited)
207. Family and Society— The family as a basic group in human societies; its development; its relations to other institutions; historical changes in its structure; its place in modern industrial society. (Enrollment limited)-Sacks
241. Mass Media, Popular Culture, and Social Reality— This course examines the integral role mass communication has in social and cultural life. Specifically, it explores how we identify and construct our social identity using media images. This is accomplished by focusing on different types of media content and their effect on individuals and culture, as well as by examining audience response to media content. Other topics covered include the social and economic organization of mass media, development of communication technologies, and sexist and racist stereotypes in the media. Prerequisite: Prior Sociology course or permission of instructor. (Enrollment limited)-Williams
246. Sociology of Gender— Sex and gender are used as principles of social organization in all known societies. This course surveys research in the sociological study of gender with the goal of providing students with a theoretical grounding for analyzing gender from a sociological perspective. We will explore how our lives and the world around us are shaped by gender and how gender has been constructed over time. We will further examine how sociological research on gender helps us to understand power and inequality at various levels - institutional, organizational, and interactional—by examining various topics such as gender socialization, reproduction, education, work, and violence. We will also pay attention to how gender reinforces and builds upon other areas of inequality such as social class, race, ethnicity, and age. (Enrollment limited)-Morris
312. Social Class and Mobility— This course is an introduction to the theory and research on stratification and mobility in modern societies. Every society distributes resources unequally. This distribution affects not only economic outcomes such as wages, profits, and material well being, but also social and political outcomes such as protest, voting behavior, and self-esteem. This course will explore why this occurs, the types of inequalities that exist, and the consequences of inequality for the distribution of power and for democratic processes in American society. Specific topics include class, occupational, race and gender inequalities, and the social, psychological, and cultural consequences of inequality. Prerequisite: Prior Sociology course or permission of the instructor. Course not open to first-year students. -Valocchi
[336. Race, Racism, and Democracy]— This course is designed to explore various efforts to reconcile ideals of equality with persistent and perpetual forms of racial oppression. By examining the history and culture of the U.S. and other democratic societies, this course analyzes the central paradox that emerges when societies maintain racial inequality but articulate principles of equality, freedom, and justice for all. Hence we will examine the differences between what people say and what they actually do, and how congruencies and incongruencies between the structure of institutions and culture force one to distinguish myth from reality. This is done so that students can better understand how the structure and process of politics govern the everyday lives of oppressed racial groups in capitalist democracies. Prerequisite: Prior Sociology course or permission of the instructor. Course not open to first-year students. (Enrollment limited)
351. Society, State, and Power— This course examines the sources of power and influence in Western nations. Power flows to people who command a legal, political, or institutional monopoly over valued human resources. We will examine the development of these monopolies, the organizations that perpetuate these monopolies, and the consequences that these monopolies have for our personal and political lives as well as for notions of democracy, solidarity, and freedom. In this respect, we will focus much of our attention on the institutions of state and economy in U.S. society and evaluate the different theoretical perspectives that explain how these institutions confer power on some and deny that power to others. Specific topics include power struggles around the right to representation, for control in the workplace, against racism and discrimination, and over policies to aid the poor. Prerequisite: Prior Sociology course or permission of the instructor. Course not open to first-year students. (Enrollment limited)-Williams
[363. The Individual and Society]— An introduction to microsociology. Topics to be considered include the self and symbolic interaction, conversational analysis, rhetorical and frame analysis, and the social construction of reality. Prerequisiste (Enrollment limited)
399. Independent Study— Submission of the special registration form, available in the Registrar’s Office, and the approval of the instructor and chairperson are required for enrollment. (1-2 course credits) -Staff
410. Senior Seminar: Guided Research— This course provides a capstone to the sociology major by guiding students through the various stages of the research process. Students develop a research topic, situate that topic in the relevant substantive areas of the discipline, refocus that topic in light of past research and theoretical thinking on the topic, develop a research design best suited to the questions to be addressed, and collect and analyze data to answer those questions. In the process of this guided research, students review and assess the state of the discipline as it pertains to their particular interests, conduct literature reviews before the data collection process to focus their questions and after the data collection process to situate their specific findings in the discipline. In conjunction with the social science data specialist, students explore different methodologies to address their questions and analyze the data. Prerequisite: Course open only to senior Sociology majors. (Enrollment limited)-Valocchi
466. Teaching Assistantship— Credit does not count toward the major. Submission of the special registration form, available in the Registrar’s Office, and the approval of the instructor and chairperson are required for enrollment. (0.5-1 course credit) -Staff
490. Research Assistantship— From time to time the opportunity exists for students to assist professors in their research. Hours and duties will be determined on the basis of project needs and student interests. Submission of the special registration form, available in the Registrar’s Office, and the approval of the instructor and chairperson are required for enrollment. (0.5-1 course credit) -Staff
499. Senior Thesis Part 2— Continuation of written report on an original research project. Submission of the special registration form, available in the Registrar’s Office, and the approval of the instructor and chairperson are required for each semester of this year-long thesis. (2 course credits, considered pending in the first semester, will be awarded for completion in the second semester) (2 course credits) -Staff