Sociology & Social Psychology (SSP) - For a syllabus or more detailed course information, please contact the department at 610-758-3810.

Course Listings

 Course#              Course Title (Credit Hours)                 CRN      Day/Time             Location  Session  Instructor

Course  Descriptions

SOAN 41. Human Sexuality: Sexuality and gender roles across the life cycle, including human reproduction, decisionmaking, and the societal regulation of sexual behavior. ND

001. Intro to Sociology/Social Psychology: Patterns of social interaction, group behavior and attitudes
provide a focus on the relationship of the individual to society. Social structure and social change within the institutions of society provide a focus on the relationship of society to the individual. The influences of social class, gender and race are explored at each level of analyses. Theories, methods and research results provide micro and macro models for understanding society. SS

105. The Social Origins of Terrorism: Examines the social, religious, and political foundations of
terrorism by studying the roots of terrorism historically and cross-nationally.We will look at the differing kinds of terrorism, including political terrorism in the Middle East, anti-abortion terrorism in the United States, eco-terrorism, and religious and state terrorism throughout the world. Students will have a chance to better understand the beliefs of terrorists, conditions that produce and sustain terrorism, and the origins of political violence more generally. SS *Online section requires use of course management system either Course Site or Blackboard and a High Speed Connection.

106. Race and Ethnicity in Latin American and the Spanish Speaking Caribbean: A sociological examination of race and a look at an individual’s experience. We consider how concepts like “race”
and “ethnicity” have been defined and how they have been institutionalized in law, government, social policy, social thought, and economic structures. We consider the importance of concepts like “race,” “cultures,” and“mestizaje” to our understanding of citizenship and national identity, and we address contemporary African and indigenous movements against racial inequality. SS

153. Personality: Examination of the major theoretical frameworks psychologists use to understand human thought, feeling, and behavior. Whereas these frameworks each emphasize very different concepts (e.g., the unconscious mind vs. culture vs. neurotransmitters), they are united in their effort to
answer the question: Why does a given individual think, feel, or behave as she does? Prerequisite: Psyc 1 or SSP 1. SS

163. Pass the Peas: Mapping the Blueprint of Hip Hop Culture: The appearance of the "hip hop" movement can be traced to a specific time and place, the Bronx, New York, 1974. However, hip hop has no single cultural antecedent. To uncover the origins of hip hop culture, one must begin by discovering the richly layered history of African American and Jamaican music of the 20 th century. Using this broad canvas, students will discover how young Bronx natives in the 1970s fused elements of past musical styles with their own personal expression. From this point, the course will chart the expansion of hip hop culture from a five borough folk movement to a multi-million dollar entertainment industry in the late 20 th century.

197.  Political Sociology Through Film: An introduction to political sociology through an examination of the major sociological questions concerning power, politics, and the state.  The course uses documentary film as a primary way to explore these questions.  Specific topics include state formation, nationalism, social movements, globalization, political culture and participation, and civil society.

302.  Sociology of Cyberspace:  An examination of social life on the Internet and the World Wide Web. Topics may include sociocultural and psychological aspects of communication in cyber-environments (e.g., email, chat rooms, news groups, MUDS, etc.), interpersonal relationships and group development, the nature of community, the politics of cyberspace (control and democracy), privacy and ethics, and economic dimensions. Examination of past and current case studies.  SS *Online section requires use of course management system either Course Site or Blackboard and a High Speed Connection.

403.  Sociology of Cyberspace:  The course focus is on case-based discussion in the social psychology and sociology of the Internet and the World Wide Web. Questions of what it means to be an individual online, how relationships develop, the nature of groups, democracy and power, and education are considered.  Evaluation is based on short papers related to the cases and assigned readings, both in hard copy and online. SS

471. Special Topics: Intensive study in an area of sociology that is appropriate
to the interests and needs of staff and students. SS

*Please see technical requirements under web-based course listings for additional information.