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Sociology Minor

About Sociology Minor more

Concordia's Sociology minor is a 24-credit program grounded in the liberal arts that prepares students to be critical thinkers about the social world. Students studying Sociology benefit from one-on-one relationships with dedicated and accomplished faculty who bring unique insight and expertise to the classroom and ensure students develop core preparation in social theory, research methods and training in three key areas of sociology: classic sociology, the life course and applied sociology.

Careers in Sociology more

Sociology provides an excellent foundation for careers in the following areas:

  • Adoption
  • Business
  • Community Development
  • Gerontology
  • Probation
  • Research
  • Social Services
  • Youth Development
  • Criminal Justice
  • Law

*Additional education may be required for some careers listed.

Success in Sociology more

Course for Sociology Minor

MAT-110 Intro Probability & Statistics

This course will explore fundamental topics from probability and descriptive and inferential statistics and apply these to a range of areas of study including business, social science, and biology. Topics include probability and counting rules, probability distributions, hypothesis testing, correlation, regression, chi-square, and analysis-of-variance.

SOC-152 Introduction to Sociology

This course provides an introduction to the systematic study of society and social behavior. Investigation will focus on the values and norms shared by society's members, the groups and institutions that compose social structure, and the forces that are transforming social reality.

SOC-253 Marriage and Family

This course considers the family as one of the primary social institutions within the larger social system. It explores the family's internal structure and functioning, how it serves the needs of both individuals and society, how it is changing in contemporary American society, and the societal challenges of families in crisis. (Prerequisite: SOC152)

SOC254 SOC254 People & Culture of SE Asia

This course explores the people and culture of countries in Southeast Asia including Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos. These Southeast Asia countries known for their ancient culture, increasing modernization and breathtaking beauty, provide a rich setting for interdisciplinary learning. This course is designed to introduce students to the region�s history and culture. Students will learn about language, literature, history, religion, economics, politics, education, arts and other aspects of

SOC255 SOC255 People and Culture of China

China, known for its ancient culture, increasing modernization and breathtaking beauty, provides a rich setting for interdisciplinary learning. This course is designed to introduce students to the people and culture of China. Students will learn about the Chinese language, literature, history, religion, economics, politics, education, arts and other aspects of Chinese culture. Students will receive an orientation and become acquainted with the course objectives prior to the course. Classroom

SOC-256 Intro to Criminal Justice

The course uses a sociological perspective to analyze the meaning of crime for a society, theories of criminal behavior and crime prevention. Emphasis is placed on understanding the law enforcement, judicial and corrections systems. Current issues such as police discretion, gun control, capital punishment and corporate crime are examined. (Prerequisite: SOC152)

SOC-351 Juvenile Justice

The course examines the nature and extent of juvenile crime in American society. It includes an analysis of the historical and intellectual foundations of the juvenile justice system and the interpretation of Constitutional law as applied to children. Emphasis is placed on the role of the family and community in the prevention and treatment of delinquency. (Prerequisites: SOC152, SOC256)

SOC-352 Police and Community

Though this course addresses the primary purposes and functions of policing, instructional priorities include scientific police management; the dynamics of community policing; theories underlying crime prevention and control; the ability of law enforcement of effectively address cultural diversity, police ethics; emerging technologies; and the application of Constitutional and Minnesota State law and procedures to current practice. (Prerequisites: SOC151, SOC256)

SOC-353 Themes in Adult Dev. & Aging

This course explores a variety of themes in development throughout the lifespan beginning with youth and ending in the last stages of adulthood including aging, death and dying. Lifespan, sociological, psychological, and family science perspectives will be used to examine a variety of themes.

SOC-354 Sociology of Law

This course examines the formal, public responses to crime. It includes a discussion of the nature of criminal law and its purposes and the classification and grading of various criminal wrongs. Case law examples are used to enable students to understand, critique and apply criminal laws to situations in contemporary society. (Prerequisites: SOC152, SOC256 or consent of instructor)

SOC-357 Class and Community

This course analyzes the nature and functions of American social class and community life. The primary focus is on patterns of social in equality and resulting systems of stratification, both of which are evaluated in terms of their consequences for the individual and the community. The debate of rights verses responsibilities forms the basis of inquiry into the individual-community relationship. (Prerequisite: SOC152)

SOC-358 Minority Groups

Students study various racial, ethnic, and other social groups in the broad context of American society. Attention is given to the concept of minority status as it relates to prejudices, discrimination and segregation in contemporary life. (Prerequisite: SOC152)

SOC-359 Social Welfare:An Institution

This course examines basic social welfare theory and methods in order to understand the structure and function of public and private welfare in American society. Social welfare is examined as part of the larger American social structure, reflecting cultural values as well as political and economic processes. Attention is given to several areas of social welfare in which specialization has occurred, including work with the elderly, the chemically dependent and battered children and adults.

SOC-451 Social Psychology

Students examine how the individual's personality, behavior and attitudes are shaped through interaction with others. The course deals with such issues as conformity, persuasion, aggression, altruism, and attraction. Individual behavior is understood in light of symbolic communication and the social construction of the self. (Prerequisite: SOC152 or PSY101)

SOC-452 Social Organization

This course addresses the fundamental question of how and why social organization is possible. Attention is given to major concepts and theories of social structure, forms of social organization (groups, communities, networks, formal organizations), basic social processes (integration, differentiation, regulation, change), the emergence of social organization from individual decision-making, and the sociology of work and occupations. (Prerequisite: SOC152)

SOC-453 Social Theory

This class provides an overview of classic and contemporary theory including a discussion of the works of Karl Marx, Max Webber, Georg Simmel, Emile Durkheim, George Herbert Mead, Talcott Parsons, Ralf Dahrendorf, Anthony Giddens, and others. Social theory is examined as a continually evolving process that both inspires and enlightens sociological research. **This course serves as the capstone experience for the sociology major. (Prerequisite: SOC152)

SOC-454 Soc Research Methods & Stats

This course explores empirical sociological investigation, covering principles of scientific inquiry, research design (surveys, experimentation, field research, secondary source analysis, evaluation research), data collection, and data analysis (descriptive and inferential statistics). (Prerequisites: SOC152, MAT110)

SOC456 SOC456 Seminar in Sociology

In this course, a selected problem or area of sociology, such as the sociology of education, religion, or gender, is studied. Students may also select an issue or problem in contemporary social life, frame a compelling sociological question and conceptualize and carry out a research agenda to address the question. Students may repeat the seminar if they select another topic. (Prerequisite: SOC152)

SOC-488 Sociology Independent Study

With the help of an instructor, students design their own learning activities, which may include readings, independent research, projects, and papers. (Prerequisite: SOC152)

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