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SFA Home / Bulletin / College of Liberal and Applied Arts

Department of Sociology

Jerry Williams, Chair

Vera Dugas Liberal Arts North 335
(936) 468-4405
Fax: (936) 468-2162
www.sfasu.edu/go/sociology

Faculty

Regents Professor
Robert Szafran

Professors
Ray Darville, Tom Segady, James Standley

Associate Professors
J.B. Watson Jr., Jerry Williams

Assistant Professors
Dianne Dentice, Karol Chandler-Ezell, Leslie Cecil, Jeffery Roth, William Forbes

Coordinator of Gerontology
Jerry Williams

Coordinator of Anthropology
Karol Chandler-Ezell

Coordinator of Geography
William Forbes

Areas of Study & Degrees

Objectives

The department offers a very flexible program in the areas of Sociology, Gerontology, Geography and Anthropology. There are courses and course packages designed to meet the occupational, academic and personal goals of most students. For example, a major in Sociology, which is the study of human groups and society, can prepare a student to do graduate work in a behavioral science such as Sociology, Psychology, Social Psychology, Anthropology, and Political Science as well as graduate work in professional programs such as law and ministry. It will also prepare one for numerous occupations in the public and private sectors of the economy. The department also offers a major in gerontology, which is interdisciplinary in nature. Gerontology, the scientific study of the aging, is growing steadily and offers abundant rewards in terms of meaningful job opportunities.

Mission

The mission of the Department of Sociology is to (1) provide undergraduate students the opportunity to develop a general understanding of sociology, anthropology and gerontology, (2) provide non-sociology majors at both the undergraduate and graduate levels with courses designed to meet their specific needs, (3) assist in preparing students for subsequent educational, occupational and life experiences, (4) expand the existing body of sociological, anthropological and gerontological knowledge, and (5) provide sociological information to the larger community and region.

Sociology Honor Society

Sociology undergraduate and graduate majors and minors who have completed at least 10 semester hours of sociology, who rank in the upper 35 percent of their class, and who have a GPA of 3.0 in sociology are eligible for membership in Alpha Kappa Delta National Honor Society in Sociology

Geographical Honor Society

Geography students who have (1) completed at least nine semester hours of geography, (2) a grade point average in geography of 3.00, (3) a ranking in the upper 35 percent of their respective class or an overall GPA of 3.0; and (4) completed at least three semesters of university courses, are eligible for membership in Gamma Theta Upsilon, an international geographical honor society. Associate memberships are also available for those having completed three hours in geography with a 3.00 grade point average and completed at least two semesters of university courses. An associate member of GTU can become a regular member when the qualifications are completed. Contact the geography coordinator

Definition of Majors and Minors in Sociology

First Major

This major requires a minimum of 30 semester hours of which at least 18 must be advanced. Required courses are SOC 137, 253, 471, 378, 379; ANT 231; and 12 additional hours of sociology, nine of which must be advanced. Students with a first major in sociology may choose either the Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science degree.

Second Major

This second major requires a minimum of 24 semester hours of which at least 12 must be advanced. Required courses are: SOC 137; SOC 253 or ANT 231; and SOC 378; plus 15 additional hours in sociology, nine of which must be advanced.

Second Major with First Major in Rehabilitation

This second major requires SOC 137; SOC 138 or SOC 253 or ANT 231; SOC 378; plus 15 hours from SOC 139, 305, 330, 331, 335, 351, 353 (or 354), 357, 362, 363, 370, 430.

Second Major with First Major in Criminal Justice

This second major requires SOC 137, 353, 354, 378, plus 12 additional hours of sociology, three of which must be advanced.

Minor

A minor in Sociology requires 18 semester hours of which at least nine must be advanced. Required courses are SOC 137; SOC 253 or ANT 231; plus 12 additional hours in sociology, nine of which must be advanced.

Minor in Sociology with a First Major in Rehabilitation

This minor requires SOC 137, 138, 253, 331, plus six additional hours of sociology from the following: SOC 305, 330, 335, 351, 353 (or 354), 357, 362, 363, 370, ANT 380, 493.

Minor in Sociology with First Major in Criminal Justice

This minor requires SOC 137, 478, 353, 354, plus six additional hours of sociology

Definition of Majors and Minors in Gerontology

Gerontology, the study of the aging process. A first or second major in gerontology, as well as a minor, are offered. Students with a first major in gerontology may choose the Bachelor of Arts or the Bachelor of Science degree. With either degree a person may qualify for such occupations as administrator or planner of aging services, aging research, manager at a senior center, specialist in recreation, retirement, allied health services or marketing and several other gerontology-related positions.

First Major in Gerontology

This major requires 30 semester hours. Students must take SOC 137, SOC 305, SOC 370, SOC 378, SOC 400, SOC 430 and six hours from (SOC 331, SOC 477, SOC 379, PSY 390, SOC 357). In addition, students must select an additional six hours of electives with adviser’s approval.

Second Major in Gerontology

This second major requires 27 semester hours. Students must take SOC 137, SOC 305, SOC 370, SOC 430, SOC 477 and 12 additional hours selected with adviser’s approval.

Minor in Gerontology

This minor requires 21 semester hours. Students must take SOC 137, SOC 305, SOC 370, SOC 430 and nine additional hours selected with adviser’s approval.

Definition of Anthropology Minor

Minor in Anthropology

This minor consists of 22 semester hours. Required are ANT 231, 248, 251 and 12 hours from ANT 277, 350, 352, 382, 440, 441 and 477.

Geography Programs

Ours is a finite world characterized by ever-increasing population, resource demands by advanced societies and those striving to become advanced, and frequent confrontations of world units of contrasting nature. Therefore, it is necessary that the informed citizen has some idea of the nature, causes and meanings of variations in earth and human resources. Geography helps impart this knowledge and understanding.

Geography seeks to define and study the patterns of physical and human features of the earth, the relationships between them, the association of features giving personality or character to individual places or regions, the connections and movements between places, and the meaning to man of the sameness and differences among places on the earth. Because it presents an integrated view of the physical and social sciences, geography is of significance to liberal arts and science programs whether the subject is selected as the major, minor or elective.

The geography program offers courses in Geographic Information Systems (GIS) through the Arthur Temple College of Forestry and Agriculture. Topics include building databases, thematic map analysis, spatial modeling, digitizing, base maps, spatial date manipulation and applications. GIS provides the development of a research tool in geographic application for solving society’s problems.

Geography Majors and Minors

A first major in geography (30 hours) requires a nine hour common core (GEO 130, 131 and 132) and at least one course from each of the following groups: techniques (GEO 220, 315, 320 or 410); physical 9GEO 234, 305 or 443); human (GEO 230, 310, 365 or 439); and regional (GEO 330, 332, 344 or 450). GEO 375 may be substituted, as appropriate. Nine additional hours of geography electives may be selected in any combination from one or more groups. Students with a first major in geography select either the Bachelor of Arts or the Bachelor or Science degree.

A second major in geography (24 hours) requires the nine hour core, three hours from each group, and one elective.

The minor in geography (18 hours) requires the nine hour core plus three hours from three of the four groups.

Teaching Certification

Students who expect to qualify for teaching certificates in Composite Social Studies should also see the appropriate programs listed in the College of Education.

Urban Studies Emphasis

The major program requires a first major of 30 semester hours in geography and a second major of 27 semester hours in political science. The student must complete GEO 220 and 439; 12 semester hours from GEO 130, 230, 310, 315, 410; and 12 hours from appropriate courses in sociology. The requirements for the second major include PSC 449 and 450; 12 hours from PSC 344, 345, 412, 475, and 499; three hours of advanced political science approved by the chair; and six hours from appropriate courses in economics (such as ECO 341, Urban Economics).

The remaining course work, after the basic degree requirements are met, should be selected so as to develop various urban-oriented skills such as design-illustration, communication, computer science-statistics or business-management. For the specific courses recommended, see the coordinator of geography

A minor in geography with an urban studies emphasis includes GEO 220, 230, and 439 plus nine hours of appropriate courses from sociology, political science and/or economics. For the specific courses which may apply, see the coordinator of geography

Courses in Sociology (SOC)

Unless otherwise indicated, courses are three semester hours credit, three hours lecture per week.

137.   

Introduction to Sociology (SOCI 1301) – General examination of culture, socialization, roles, values, social inequalities, population, social institutions, and social change.

138.

Contemporary Social Issues (SOCI 1306) – Study of societal problems stemming from conflicts in values and beliefs, as well as emerging issues. Topics range from family instability to aging, environment, health, war, crime, minorities, poverty and drug abuse. Conflicting views are presented.

139.

Minority Relations (SOCI 2319) – How minorities are created, their objectives, current status, the development of racism and how discrimination and prejudice may be diminished.

253.

Social Psychology (SOCI 2326) – The individual as affected by other people: self-identity, interpersonal relationships, interpersonal attraction, reference group, attitudes, values, leadership, aggression, conflict, and love.

305.

Sociology of Death and Dying – Sociological approach exploring how the American culture as a society deals with illness, dying, and death.

330.

Sociology of Gender – Impact of gender stratification and gender roles on attitudes and behavior of women and men in everyday life.

331.

Medical Sociology – Study of the sociological aspects of the delivery of health services.

335.

Marriage and Family Life – Dating, mate selection, sexual adjustment, communication, in-laws, parenthood, divorce, and remarriage. Suggested background: SOC 137.

341.

Sociology of Religion – Social meaning, mysticism, and morality in American Society. Suggested background: SOC 137.

351.

Social Class in America – National and international stratification, the distribution of wealth, power, and privilege. Suggested background: SOC 137.

353.

Juvenile Delinquency – Extent and causes of juvenile delinquency and how the juvenile justice process works. Suggested background: SOC 137.

354.

Criminology – Definition of crime, types of crimes, crime statistics, crime causation, crime policy. Suggested background: SOC 137.

357.

Population and Society – Patterns of population size, distribution, and growth; their social and economic consequences; use of local, state, national and international census materials.

362.

Sociology of Work – Historical change in the organization of work; description of current U.S. labor force; income, prestige, and satisfaction from work; discrimination; occupational change.

363.

Sociology of Sport, Recreation, and Leisure – Cultural and social basis of leisure and recreation.

370.

Social Gerontology – Analysis of age and aging as a social phenomenon. Suggested background: SOC 137.

378.

Methods in Social Research – Basic principles of social research: formulation of research problem, design, sampling, measurement, and data collection. Prerequisite: Advanced standing.

379.

Data Analysis – Collection, analysis, interpretation, and evaluation of social data. Prerequisites: Three hours of math (MTH 220 is strongly suggested) and SOC 378. Writing intensive.

400.

Internship in Gerontology or Sociology – Three to six semester hours of credit, nine to18 required hours of field instruction per week. Prerequisites: SOC 370 or senior Sociology major. Instructor’s permission required.

430.

Aging and Social Problems – Survey of demography, economics, and policy of aging.

432.

Sociology of Art – Connections between art and society as a reciprocal process. The social nature of art production and art objects as special kinds of products emerging within historical and social spaces. Prerequisites: SOC 137 or ART 281 or ART 282.

470.

Sociology of Everyday Life – Sociological analysis of everyday life and the social construction of reality. Exploration of the social phenomenology of Alfred Schutz. Prerequisite: SOC 137 or permission of instructor.

471.

The Development of Sociological Theory – Historical overview of classical sociological theorists. Prerequisite: SOC 137 or permission of instructor. Reading and writing intensive.

472.

Modern Social Thought – Foundations of social life in a rapidly changing society. Discussion of the relationship between society and people from different theoretical perspectives. Prerequisite: SOC 137. Writing intensive.

475.

Independent Studies in Sociology – Individual instruction, conference and research for advanced students. (One, two, or three semester hours). Prerequisite: Consent of department chair.

477.

Topics in Sociology – In-depth sociological study of selected topics. May be repeated for credit. (One, two, or three semester hours).

Courses in Anthropology (ANT)

Unless otherwise indicated, courses are three semester hours credit, three hours lecture per week.

231.   

Cultural Anthropology (ANTH 2351) – Introduction to the study of culture and its function in societies.

248.

Physical Anthropology (ANTH 2301) – Survey of the physical aspects of humans and their closest relatives; introduction to osteology, primatology, primate and human evolution, and physical variation in contemporary human populations.

251.

Introduction to Archaeology – Four semester hours. Introduction to Americanist archaeology, particularly origins, history, theory and methodology. Corequisite: ANT 251L (two hrs/wk) - archaeological field work, description, analysis, and reporting; computer simulation.

277.

Special Topics in Anthropology – In-depth study of selected topics. Prerequisite: ANT 231 or permission of instructor.

350.

Human Physical Variation – A survey of the contemporary biological variation in humans, environmental factors affecting variation and an historical assessment of the nature and categorization of human variation.

352.

Prehistory of North America – A survey of archaeological sites relating to the origins and development of the prehistoric aboriginal cultures of North America north of Mexico.

381.

Area Study of the Middle East – An overview of the peoples and cultures of the Middle East. Topics include: social organization, gender relations, religion, economic strategies, and environment. Prerequisite: SOC 137 or ANT 231.

440.

Field Methods in Archaeology – Six semester hours (three w/instructor’s approval) - Intensive field and laboratory instruction in archaeological field excavation and recording techniques. Summer only. Lab fee $10. Transportation fee. Prerequisite: ANT 251 or permission of instructor.

441.

Ethnographic Field Methods – Qualitative research methods common to anthropology and other social sciences, including participant observation, life histories, and photography. Ethical concerns in regard to research with human populations. Prerequisites: ANT 231 or SOC 137 or permission of instructor.

477.

Special Topics in Anthropology – In-depth anthropological study of selected topics. Prerequisite: ANT 231 or permission of instructor.

493.

Special Studies of Latin America – Latin American cultural heritages. Explores the ancient Aztec and Mayan cultures, the impact of the conquest, and current cultural diversity.

Courses in Geography (GEO)

130.   

Physical Geography (GEOG 1301) – Provides systematic examination of the physical environment with primary emphasis upon the nature, location and general patterns of landforms, climate, vegetation and soils. Describes processes that shape Earth surfaces at global, regional and local scales.

131.

World Regional Geography (GEOG 1303) – Broad investigation of the world’s culture regions. Basic cultural, economic, political and physical patterns, with current events highlighted.

132.

Human Geography (GEOG 1302) – Systematic introduction to the humanized earth, including human landscape features, cultural elements such as populations, migration patterns, languages, religions, political structures, economic systems and settlement patterns.

220.

Introduction to Geographic Information Systems (GIS) – Overview of computer-based GIS concepts and components. Topics include spatial (location) and attributes (descriptions of features), base maps, spatial data manipulation and analysis. Course fee $40.

230.

Cultural Geography – The study of how culturally diverse societies adapted to and modified the earth’s surfaces creating “cultural landscapes” which contrast with pristine “natural landscapes.”

234.

Conservation Geography – Examines human modification of landscapes and the impact of cultural processes on land use and conservation. Topics inlcude current issues in conservation and preservation.

305.

Biogeography – Introduction to the distribution patterns of wild plants and animals and the factors that determine these patterns.

310.

Economic Geography – Surveys human influences on patterns of contemporary global economic activities. Economic patterns examined at local to global scales. Themes include spatial dimensions of resource use, energy consumption, trade, transportation, communication, population, agriculture/industrial patterns and trends of post-modern landscapes.

315.

Cartography – Principles and theory of basic map design, layout, and communication. Course fee $30. Prerequisites: GEO 220 or premission of instructor.

320.

Geographic Systems Applications – Develops GIS topics such as geodata-base construction, thematic map analysis, spatial modeling, data classification and verification, and GIS application design. Class meets two hours lecture and one hour lab. Prerequisite: GEO 220. Course fee $30.

330.

Texas Geography – Physical and cultural geography of Texas, including physical regions, distribution of natural resources, environmental issues, patterns of historical and contemporary population, economic activities, political trends and impacts of urbanization on landscapes.

332.

Geography of the United States and Canada – Surveys the human and physical geography of North America, including physical regions, economic activities, political trends and environmental issues.

344.

Historical Geography of the United States – Historical spatial interpretation of growth and development of the United States, human activities that shaped landscapes, and environmental and cultural landscape changes and patterns.

365.

Political Geography – Surveys geopolitical patterns, conflicts and disputes over time, including concepts of nation-states, geopolitical strategies, colonialism and neo-colonialism, territoriality, boundaries, spheres of influence and the impact of globalization.

375.

Topics in Geography – In-depth geographical study and analysis of selected topics, states and/or regions. May be repeated once with change in topic. Suggested background: Six semester hours of geography or related fields.

410.

Remote Sensing – Two hours lecture and three hours laboratory per week. Analysis and interpretation of remote sensing images with emphasis upon the cultural, and physical features and patterns found on all imagery. Suggested background: Nine semester hours of geography or related fields.

439.

Urban Geography – Examines patterns found in cities, suburbs, exurbs and metropolitan regions. Emphasis on housing, land use, urban politics, urban models, impact on surrounding landscapes. Identifies form, function and classification systems for urban areas.

443.

Meteorology – Fundamental physical processes producing the short-term patterns of temperature, moisture, atmospheric circulation, and storms of the atmosphere. Suggested background: Nine semester hours of geography, including GEO 130. Same as FOR 443. Required field trips.

450.

Area Studies – Physical, cultural, political, and economic characteristics of specified states and regions. Area may vary from continental scale to city scale.

475.

Advanced Independent Studies in Geography – One to three semester hours. Credit determined by the amount and difficulty of the project undertaken. Individual instruction, conference and research for advanced students. Prerequisite: Junior standing and 12 semester hours of geography.

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