MSU Billings Catalog

SOCI - Sociology

SOCI 101 Introduction to Sociology. 3 Credits

Introduces concepts and principles of sociology. Surveys the discipline’s basic ideas and orientation.

Lecture Hours 3

Department: NAS/PS/SOCL

SOCI 201 Social Problems. 3 Credits

Provides key sociological concepts and theoretical perspectives in the study of social problems. Examines certain selected major U.S. social problems from the perspective of cultural values and social structure. Different possible solutions to the problems will also be explored.

Lecture Hours 3

Department: NAS/PS/SOCL

SOCI 221 Criminal Justice System. 3 Credits

Familiarizes students with the phenomena of crime and the formal mechanisms of crime control. Uniform Crime Report and National Crime Survey will be used as the primary crime database for examination. Special attention will be paid to study police, their organization and function, as the first-line agent of crime control.

Lecture Hours 3

Department: NAS/PS/SOCL

SOCI 292 Independent Study. 1-6 Credits

Department: NAS/PS/SOCL

SOCI 294 Seminar/Workshop. 1-6 Credits

Provides freshmen and sophomores an opportunity to investigate intensively topics pertinent to the field of Sociology.

Department: NAS/PS/SOCL

SOCI 298 Internship/Cooperative Educ. 1-9 Credits

Provides university credit for a sophomore work experience in the area of Sociology, supervised by faculty. Learning agreement must be completed prior to registration (restricted).

Department: NAS/PS/SOCL

SOCI 311 Criminology. 3 Credits

Prerequisite(s): SOCI 101 or SOCI 201 and SOCI 221.

Corequisite(s): WRIT 201 or WRIT 221 if not previously taken.

Explores the legal aspects of crime by examining the sociological aspects of making of law. Major contemporary theories in crime as well as criminal behavior systems will be discussed.

Lecture Hours 3

Department: NAS/PS/SOCL

SOCI 326 Sociology of Gender. 3 Credits

Term Typically Offered: Fall

Prerequisite(s): SOCI 101 or SOCI 201.

Corequisite(s): N/A. Examines how gender and gender identities are constructed via social processes and examines the effects of gender inequality on individuals and societies.

3cr. Applies feminist theories to understanding the social construction of gender and the impact of gendered expectations on individuals, social practices and social structures.

Lecture Hours 3

Department: NAS/PS/SOCL

SOCI 330 Juvenile Delinquency. 3 Credits

Prerequisite(s): SOCI 101 or SOCI 201 and SOCI 221.

Corequisite(s): WRIT 201 or WRIT 221 if not previously taken.

Considers the structure and function of the juvenile court system in its relation to the societal definition of delinquent behavior and the young people designated as delinquents. Covers the relationship among delinquency and family, school, peer group and social class. Societal reactions to delinquency in terms of mechanisms of social control are also studied.

Lecture Hours 3

Department: NAS/PS/SOCL

SOCI 332 Sociology of the Family. 3 Credits

Prerequisite(s): SOCI 351 or consent of instructor.

Corequisite(s): WRIT 201 or WRIT 221 if not previously taken.

Examines the basic structures and functions and the family, male-female differences, love and sexuality, types of marital relationships and the family and child raising in different cultures. With the work of John Bradshaw the course also examines family systems theory, dysfunctional family paradigm and the relationships between the family of origin and compulsive behavior.

Lecture Hours 3

Department: NAS/PS/SOCL

SOCI 346 Rural Sociology. 3 Credits

Term Typically Offered: Fall

Prerequisite(s): SOCI 101.

3cr. Introduces students to issues associated with rural society in the United States. Students will learn about life in rural places, how rural communities are changing, and social problems affecting rural areas. Offered ONLY Online.

Lecture Hours 3

Department: NAS/PS/SOCL

SOCI 355 Population and Society. 3 Credits

Prerequisite(s): SOCI 101 or SOCI 201 or ENST 210 or consent of instructor.

Corequisite(s): WRIT 201 or WRIT 221 if not previously taken.

Provides an introduction to the field of demography. Emphasis is placed on understanding components of population change, and theories and methods of demography.

Lecture Hours 3

Department: NAS/PS/SOCL

SOCI 370 Sociology of Globalization. 3 Credits

Term Typically Offered: Fall

Prerequisite(s): SOCI 101 or SOCI 201.

Corequisite(s): N/A. Examines the global interconnectedness of economic, political, and cultural processes.

3cr. Topics covered include theories and historical analysis of globalization, global culture, and consumerism. Includes analyses of immigration, geopolitics, and social and economic inequality.

Lecture Hours 3

Department: NAS/PS/SOCL

SOCI 380 Soc of Health and Medicine. 3 Credits

Prerequisite(s): SOCI 101 or SOCI 201 or SOCI 318 or ENST 210 or consent of instructor.

Corequisite(s): WRIT 201 or WRIT 221 if not previously taken.

Considers the application of sociology to the field of health and medicine. Topics include: the relationship between sociology and health/health care; the development of scientific medicine; the influence of the social environment on health and illness; health care practitioners and their relationship with parents and each other; and the health care delivery system.

Lecture Hours 3

Department: NAS/PS/SOCL

SOCI 382 Soc Psych and Social Structure. 3 Credits

Prerequisite(s): SOCI 101 or SOCI 201 or PSYX 100 or consent of instructor.

Corequisite(s): WRIT 201 or WRIT 221 if not previously taken.

Studies how thoughts, feelings, and behavior of individuals are influenced by the actual, implied, or imagined presence of others. Emphasis is given to the symbolic interactionist perspective and the relationship between culture and cognitive processes.

Lecture Hours 3

Department: NAS/PS/SOCL

SOCI 400 Applied Research Methods. 3 Credits

Term Typically Offered: Fall, Spring

Prerequisite(s): SOCI 101 or SOCI 201, and STAT 141 or STAT 216, and Junior or Senior status.

3cr. Teaches basic skills needed to plan and conduct research and analyze data. Skills include performing literature searches, identifying potential ethical concerns and gaining informed consent, quantitative and qualitative research design and data collection, data analysis, and data interpretation. Report writing and presentation will be components of the course, and opportunities to apply learned skills both inside and outside of academic settings will be emphasized.

Lecture Hours 3

Department: NAS/PS/SOCL

SOCI 401 Animals and Society. 3 Credits

Term Typically Offered: Fall

Prerequisite(s): SOCI 101.

3cr. Examines human-animal relationships in modern society. Students will learn about the status of animals, the use of animals in various industries, and human-animal issues in contemporary society. Offered ONLY Online.

Lecture Hours 3

Department: NAS/PS/SOCL

SOCI 402 Theories of Society & Soc Beh. 3 Credits

Term Typically Offered: Fall, Spring

Prerequisite(s): SOCI 101 or SOCI 201.

3cr. Provides an introduction to both classical and contemporary sociological theories. Analyzes both theories of the social world as a whole and those that attempt to explain the events of everyday social life, as well as those that attempt to integrate the two. Critically evaluates the strengths and weaknesses of each approach to the analysis of social life and discusses how the theories may be applicable to issues and problems in our current social world.

Lecture Hours 3

Department: NAS/PS/SOCL

SOCI 415 Sociolgy of Hunting & Poaching. 3 Credits

Term Typically Offered: Spring

Prerequisite(s): SOCI 101 or SOCI 201.

Corequisite(s): WRIT 201 or WRIT 221 if not previously taken.

Provides an in-depth sociological examination of hunting and poaching in modern society. Examines the role of hunting and conservation in the United States and explores contemporary hunting issues. Students will learn criminological theories used to explain the illegal taking of wildlife resources.

Lecture Hours 3

Department: NAS/PS/SOCL

SOCI 423 Sociology of Corrections. 3 Credits

Prerequisite(s): SOCI 101 or SOCI 201.

Corequisite(s): WRIT 201 or WRIT 221 if not previously taken.

Examines philosophies of punishment and provides an introduction to institutional and community corrections. Topics include prisons, jails, and probation.

Lecture Hours 3

Department: NAS/PS/SOCL

SOCI 425 Victims and Society. 3 Credits

Prerequisite(s): SOCI 101 or SOCI 201 or SOCI 311 or SOCI 330.

Corequisite(s): WRIT 201 or WRIT 221 if not previously taken.

Applies theoretical understandings gained in Criminology and Juvenile Delinquency to construct and evaluate programs in crime prevention. The primary objective is to familiarize students with major prevention strategies, both criminalization (becoming a criminal) and victimization (becoming a victim), as well as certain operational mechanisms.

Lecture Hours 3

Department: NAS/PS/SOCL

SOCI 430 Social Inequalities. 3 Credits

Prerequisite(s): SOCI 101 or SOCI 102.

3cr. Examines social inequalities in American society, with an emphasis on class, race, gender, and sexuality and how these intersect to generate “vectors of oppression and privilege.” Reviews the classical theories of inequality and then focuses on the causes and consequences of social stratification in the United States. Examines the social construction of racial and gender categories and analyzes the ideologies that perpetuate inequalities in our culture. Concludes with a discussion of possibilities for change and a move toward greater social equality.

Lecture Hours 3

Department: NAS/PS/SOCL

SOCI 434 Sociology of Human Sexuality. 3 Credits

Term Typically Offered: Fall

Prerequisite(s): SOCI 101 or SOCI 201.

Corequisite(s): N/A. Investigates human sexuality from a sociological perspective.

3cr. Focuses on the social context of human desires, experiences, identities and meanings in historical and cultural context primarily using a social construction of human sexuality perspective.

Lecture Hours 3

Department: NAS/PS/SOCL

SOCI 435 Law and Society. 3 Credits

Prerequisite(s): SOCI 101 or SOCI 201 or PSCI 220 or instructor consent.

Corequisite(s): WRIT 201 or WRIT 221 if not previously taken.

Examines the relationship between the approaches by informal (cultural) and formal (legal) social institutions in attempting to define, organize, and ultimately to legitimately control human behavior in multicultural, historical, institutional, and constitutional contexts. The dichotomy of social justice and inequality is of special concern, along with examining the social impact (or lack thereof) of different socially and/or legally-based institutional attempts at social change implementation.

Lecture Hours 3

Department: NAS/PS/SOCL

SOCI 470 Environmental Sociology. 3 Credits

Corequisite(s): WRIT 201 or WRIT 221 if not previously taken.

Takes a holistic and systemic approach, applying sociological perspectives to environmental issues. Emphasis on ecological, social-cultural, political-economic, and demographic interactions with the environment.

Lecture Hours 3

Department: NAS/PS/SOCL

SOCI 491 Special Topics. 3 Credits

Term Typically Offered: Fall, Spring, Summer

Prerequisite(s): SOCI 101 or SOCI 201 and SOCI 400 and SOCI 402.

3cr. Investigates contemporary issues relevant to the field of sociology. Provides students with the opportunity to engage in in-depth study of emerging issues or specialized content which are not represented in the main curriculum.

Lecture Hours 3

Department: NAS/PS/SOCL

SOCI 492 Independent Study. 1-5 Credits

Prerequisite(s): consent of instructor and chairperson of department.

Provides outstanding students an individual opportunity to explore material not covered by regular Sociology courses.

Department: NAS/PS/SOCL

SOCI 494 Seminar/Workshop. 1-6 Credits

Prerequisite(s): SOCI 101 or SOCI 201.

Corequisite(s): WRIT 201 or WRIT 221 if not previously taken.

Provides an opportunity for experimental study in an area of Sociology.

Department: NAS/PS/SOCL

SOCI 498 Internship/Cooperative Educ. 1-12 Credits

Term Typically Offered: Fall, Spring, Summer

Prerequisite(s): Must be junior or senior standing and receive permission from advisor.

V1-12cr. (1-12 other/wk) Provides university credit for work experience in an area relevant to sociology. Encourages student to connect academic training with real-world experiences. Internship is supervised by academic advisor but learning agreement must be completed with Career Services prior to registration. Offered ONLY Online.

Department: NAS/PS/SOCL

SOCI 499 Senior Thesis/Capstone. 3 Credits

Term Typically Offered: Spring

Prerequisite(s): Senior standing and consent of instructor.

3cr. (3 other/wk) Provides students with the opportunity to apply their sociological knowledge to investigate social issues they have identified as holding importance to their local or regional communities. Relying on methodological and theoretical skills gained throughout the program, students will participate in a multi-step project in which they identify and research a problem, choose appropriate methods to assess the extent of the problem, and then based on the application of those methods report the findings from the project. Presentation is required.

Department: NAS/PS/SOCL