University of Texas at El Paso Academic Catalog

Academic Catalog

Sociology Courses

Courses

SOCI 1301.  Introduction to Sociology.  

Introduction to Sociology: [TCCN SOCI 1301]. This course covers foundational terminology and concepts in sociology as they relate to social institutions, the development of society, characteristics of group life, and social inequalities. The course should cover debates about class, race, gender, power, and social justice.

Department: Sociology

3 Credit Hours
3 Total Contact Hours
0 Lab Hours
3 Lecture Hours
0 Other Hours

Prerequisite(s): (A01 score between 19 and 36 AND A05 score between 23 and 36 ) OR (S01 score between 500 and 800 AND S05 score between 1070 and 1600 ) OR (TAKL score between 2200 and 3153 AND TAKW score between 3 and 6 ) OR (TSIR score between 351 and 390 ) OR (TAKE score of 1 AND TAKL score between 2200 and 3153 ) OR (SXAC score of 1 ) OR (SXSA score of 1 ) OR (SXTA score of 1 ) OR (SXDG score of 1 ) OR (SXMA score of 1 ) OR (SXMN score of 1 ) OR (SXOI score of 1 ) OR (SXTR score of 1 ) OR (ENGL 0312 w/C* or better ) OR (RWS 1301 w/C or better ) OR (ENGL 1611 w/C or better ) OR (RWS 1601 w/C or better ) OR (COMM 1611 w/C or better ) OR (ESOL 1311 w/C or better ) OR (ENGL 0310 w/C* or better ) OR (ENGL 0311 w/C* or better ) OR (S11 score between 480 and 800 ) OR (2TSE score between 5 and 8 AND 2TWR score between 945 and 990 ) OR (2TDW score between 5 and 6 AND 2TSE score between 5 and 8 AND 2TWR score between 910 and 944 ) OR (AEXE score of 40 ) OR (BCPE score of 1 ) OR (HIST 1301 w/C or better ) OR (HIST 1302 w/C or better ) OR (PSYC 1301 w/C or better ) OR (POLS 2310 w/C or better ) OR (POLS 2311 w/C or better)

SOCI 1302.  Social Problems.  

Social Problems: [TCCN SOCI 1306] A study of selected social problems in our society, including causes, interrelationships, and programs of amelioration. Recommended background: SOCI 1301

Department: Sociology

3 Credit Hours
3 Total Contact Hours
0 Lab Hours
3 Lecture Hours
0 Other Hours

SOCI 1310.  Cultural Geography.  

Introduction to Cultural elements, their spatial distribution, and their interrelationship to the physical environment. The course should cover debates about class, race, gender, power, and social justice. This course is identical to ANTH 1310 and GEOG 1310.

Department: Sociology

3 Credit Hours
3 Total Contact Hours
0 Lab Hours
3 Lecture Hours
0 Other Hours

SOCI 2312.  Measure/Inference-Social Resea.  

Measurement and Inference in Social Research (3-0) Sociological factors and their measurement, developoment and use of scales, assumptions underlying the use of statistical models in analysis of social data, application and limitations of statistical analysis. Prerequisite: MATH 1319 or MATH 1409 or MATH 1508 or MATH 1320 or STAT 1380.

Department: Sociology

3 Credit Hours
3 Total Contact Hours
0 Lab Hours
3 Lecture Hours
0 Other Hours

Prerequisite(s): (MATH 1319 w/C or better ) OR (MATH 1320 w/C or better ) OR (MATH 1508 w/C or better ) OR (MATH 2301 w/C or better ) OR (MATH 1411 w/C or better ) OR (MATH 1312 w/C or better ) OR (MATH 2313 w/C or better ) OR (MATH 1310 w/C or better)

SOCI 2315.  Soci of Marriage and Family.  

The Sociology of Marriage and the Family: [TCCN SOCI 2301] The historical development, current problems, and prospects of the American marriage and family institutions. Recommended background: SOCI 1301.

Department: Sociology

3 Credit Hours
3 Total Contact Hours
0 Lab Hours
3 Lecture Hours
0 Other Hours

SOCI 3300.  Ecological Sociology.  

Ecological Sociology (3-0) The study of human societies as part of ecological systems. The use of ecological principles and models in sociological description and explanation is discussed. Recommended background: SOCI 1301. (SOCI 3300 is the same course as ANTH 3303.)

Department: Sociology

3 Credit Hours
3 Total Contact Hours
0 Lab Hours
3 Lecture Hours
0 Other Hours

SOCI 3306.  Cultural Diversity.  

Cultural Diversity (3-0) A cross-cultural comparison of human behavior addressing the areas of family life, marriage, kinship, and ritual. The course will also deal with the potential for misunderstandings that arise in the context of cross-cultural interactions. Recommended background: SOCI 1301.

Department: Sociology

3 Credit Hours
3 Total Contact Hours
0 Lab Hours
3 Lecture Hours
0 Other Hours

SOCI 3307.  Sports, Society and Culture.  

This course will examine the multi-faceted role of sports in contemporary society. Through an anthropological perspective we will explore the socio-cultural dimensions of teams, athletes, fans, cheerleaders, and coaches. We will also learn about the business of sports and ethnic, gender, and class aspects of the sporting experience. This course is the same as ANTH 3307.

Department: Sociology

3 Credit Hours
3 Total Contact Hours
0 Lab Hours
3 Lecture Hours
0 Other Hours

SOCI 3309.  Mesoamerican Cultures.  

Mesoamerican Cultures (3-0) A survey of the prehistoric through contemporary cultures of Mesoamerica, including (among others) Olmec, Maya, Toltec, Aztec, colonial New Spain, Mexico, and Central America. Emphasis will be put on the historical continuities and transformations of Mesoamerica, connecting the past to the present. Recommended background: SOCI 1301. (SOCI 3309 is the same course as ANTH 3309.)

Department: Sociology

3 Credit Hours
3 Total Contact Hours
0 Lab Hours
3 Lecture Hours
0 Other Hours

SOCI 3311.  Methods of Research.  

Methods of Research (3-0) Basic procedure and methodology of sociology as applied by the profession to various areas of social investigation. Prerequisite: SOCI 1301.

Department: Sociology

3 Credit Hours
3 Total Contact Hours
0 Lab Hours
3 Lecture Hours
0 Other Hours

Prerequisite(s): (SOCI 1301 w/D or better)

SOCI 3312.  Drug Use, Abuse, Trafficking.  

This course studies, from a cultural perspective, the use, abuse, and trafficking of drugs. It examines cross-cultural uses and abuses of drugs in various contexts: private, public, ceremonial, medicinal, recreational, religious, etc. It explores taboos, laws, prohibitions, beliefs, and stereotypes about drugs as well as representations of drug use and abuse in popular culture. Additionally, the class will focus on the subject of drug trafficking and the public debates, crackdowns and cultural wars associated with illegal drugs. Recommended background: ANTH 1302 or SOCI 1301. SOCI 3312 is the same course as ANTH 3312.

Department: Sociology

3 Credit Hours
3 Total Contact Hours
0 Lab Hours
3 Lecture Hours
0 Other Hours

SOCI 3315.  Urban Sociology.  

Urban Sociology (3-0) A consideration of the nature of cities, both non-Western and Western, preindustrial and industrial. The impact of urbanization upon a region and individuals will be discussed Recommended background: SOCI 1301. (SOCI 3315 is the same course as ANTH 3315.)

Department: Sociology

3 Credit Hours
3 Total Contact Hours
0 Lab Hours
3 Lecture Hours
0 Other Hours

SOCI 3317.  Indig Cultures of Latin Amer.  

Indigenous Cultures of Latin America (3-0) A survey of the Native American cultures of Latin America, focusing on patterns of similarity among groups and the distribution of different adaptations relative to environmental diversity. Attention will be paid to circumstances and actions of indigenous peoples in comtemporary Latin America. Recommended background: SOCI 1301. (SOCI 3317 is the same course as ANTH 3319.)

Department: Sociology

3 Credit Hours
3 Total Contact Hours
0 Lab Hours
3 Lecture Hours
0 Other Hours

SOCI 3320.  Indig Cultures of North Amer.  

Indigenous Cultures of North America (3-0) A survey of the Native American cultures of the United States and Canada, with an emphasis on their development in various environmental settings and the regulatory and legal contexts in which they now exist. Recommended background: SOCI 1301. (SOCI 3320 is the same course as ANTH 3320.)

Department: Sociology

3 Credit Hours
3 Total Contact Hours
0 Lab Hours
3 Lecture Hours
0 Other Hours

SOCI 3321.  Indians of the Southwest.  

Indians of the Southwest (3-0) Ethnographic and ethnohistorical perspectives on the socio-politics, economics, belief systems, and technologies of contemporary Native American groups such as the Apache, Hopi, Hualapai, Navajo, Pima, Tarahumara, and Tohono O'odham. May include guest lectures by tribal representatives. Recommended background: SOCI 1301. (SOCI 3321 is the same course as ANTH 3321.)

Department: Sociology

3 Credit Hours
3 Total Contact Hours
0 Lab Hours
3 Lecture Hours
0 Other Hours

SOCI 3322.  Sex, Culture, and Evolution.  

This course presents a socio-anthropological view of human sexuality: Its prehistoric origins, cultural diversity, and current controversies. Readings offer a cross-cultural perspective on sexual relationships and identities, with particular attention to how sexuality articulates with other areas of culture such as class, education, and social control. This course is the same as ANTH 3322 and WS 3322. When offered it will be crosslisted with ANTH 3322 and WS 3322.

Department: Sociology

3 Credit Hours
3 Total Contact Hours
0 Lab Hours
3 Lecture Hours
0 Other Hours

SOCI 3323.  Advanced Social Problems.  

Advanced Social Problems (3-0) This course addresses social problems by applying advanced sociological analysis. It uses three frameworks to examine social problems: moral standpoints; democratic standpoints; and societal standpoints.

Department: Sociology

3 Credit Hours
3 Total Contact Hours
0 Lab Hours
3 Lecture Hours
0 Other Hours

Classification Restrictions:
Restricted to class of JR,SR

SOCI 3324.  Deviance.  

Deviance (3-0) This course examines the key concept of deviance in terms of how deviant acts and actors can be both functional and dysfunctional to the social order. The course considers 1) how collective conceptions of "deviant behavior" are created, maintained, and altered over time, 2) the existing theoretical paradigms that organize and account for deviant behavior, 3) the nature and dynamics of deviant behaviors that attract the attention of social scientists, the media, public policy makers and others.

Department: Sociology

3 Credit Hours
3 Total Contact Hours
0 Lab Hours
3 Lecture Hours
0 Other Hours

SOCI 3325.  Chicanos & Mexicans in the U.S.  

Chicanos and Mexicans in the United States (3-0) Major social and cultural aspects of the Mexican-origin experience in the United States, including immigrant and generationally-deep populations. Topics may include families, kin, and networks, communities, work, consumption, ethnic identity and racism, social and politial movements, religion, gender, and cultural hybridity and change. (SOCI 3325 is the same course as ANTH 3325).

Department: Sociology

3 Credit Hours
3 Total Contact Hours
0 Lab Hours
3 Lecture Hours
0 Other Hours

Classification Restrictions:
Restricted to class of JR,SR

SOCI 3326.  Migration.  

Migration (3-0) Covers migation within and across borders. Considers major theories of migration, social and cultural dimensions of migration, and the experiences of migrants. Topics may include migrant/immigrant labor, social and cultural integration, gender, immigration laws and policies, undocumented status, and new directions in migration research. (SOCI 3326 is the same course as ANTH 3326).

Department: Sociology

3 Credit Hours
3 Total Contact Hours
0 Lab Hours
3 Lecture Hours
0 Other Hours

Classification Restrictions:
Restricted to class of JR,SR

SOCI 3327.  Social Inequality.  

This course provides students with a critical understanding of the social construction of race, class, gender, and citizenship inequalities in the United States and globally. Moreover, the implications of these inequalities will be examined in the context of various social, economic, and political systems in the United States. Students will come away with knowledge of the concepts of inequality and privilege and how they operate simultaneously at institutional- and individual-levels. Recommended background: SOCI 1301.

Department: Sociology

3 Credit Hours
3 Total Contact Hours
0 Lab Hours
3 Lecture Hours
0 Other Hours

SOCI 3330.  Language/Power on the Border.  

Language and Power on the Border (3-0). An examination of language issues in our border region, focusing on bilingualism, bilingual education, immigration, the English-Only movement, family language socialization, and linguistic racism and classism. Knowledge of both English and Spanish is helpful but not required. (SOCI 3330 is the same course as ANTH 3330.)

Department: Sociology

3 Credit Hours
3 Total Contact Hours
0 Lab Hours
3 Lecture Hours
0 Other Hours

SOCI 3331.  Family Violence.  

Family Violence (3-0) This course surveys definitions, prevalence, and theories of family violence in the United States. Special emphasis is given to 1) the impact of variation in definitions of family violence on scientific research and conclusions; 2) the societal response to family violence; 3) the effectiveness of policing strategies of domestic violence. Prerequisite: SOCI 1301 with a grade of "C" or better. (SOCI 3331 is the same course as CRIJ 3321.)

Department: Sociology

3 Credit Hours
3 Total Contact Hours
0 Lab Hours
3 Lecture Hours
0 Other Hours

Prerequisite(s): (SOCI 1301 w/C or better)

SOCI 3332.  Intro to GIS-Social Sciences.  

Introduction to Geographic Information Systems for the Social Sciences (2-2) Provides an introduction to Geographic Information Systems (GIS), a tool for integrating and analyzing spatial data to visualize relationships, seek explanations, and develop solutions to pressing societal problems. The foundations of GIS will be emphasized in relation to its applicability in the social sciences. Students will demonstrate knowledge about the history of GIS, data quality and acquisition, interpretation and analysis, and real-world GIS applications. Includes a lab component in which students perform a variety of problem-solving tasks to demonstrate concepts covered in lectures. (SOCI 3332 is the same course as ANTH 3332).

Department: Sociology

3 Credit Hours
4 Total Contact Hours
2 Lab Hours
2 Lecture Hours
0 Other Hours

SOCI 3333.  Juvenile Delinquency.  

Juvenile Delinquency (3-0) An investigation of the social and legal definitions of juvenile delinquency; major theories of juvenile deviancy; the social system of the gangs; factors contributing to apprehension, conviction, detention, and parole; assessment of present and potential prevention programs. Prerequisite: SOCI 1301.

Department: Sociology

3 Credit Hours
3 Total Contact Hours
0 Lab Hours
3 Lecture Hours
0 Other Hours

Prerequisite(s): (SOCI 1301 w/D or better)

SOCI 3341.  Special Undergraduate Topics.  

Special Undergraduate Topics (3-0) Special topics of current interest in sociology. May be repeated for credit when topic varies. Recommended background: SOCI 1301.

Department: Sociology

3 Credit Hours
3 Total Contact Hours
0 Lab Hours
3 Lecture Hours
0 Other Hours

SOCI 3348.  Criminology.  

Criminology (3-0) Theories, causes, characteristics, and social function of crime in our society. Methods of prevention and reduction of crime will be analyzed. Prerequisite: SOCI 1301.

Department: Sociology

3 Credit Hours
3 Total Contact Hours
0 Lab Hours
3 Lecture Hours
0 Other Hours

Prerequisite(s): (SOCI 1301 w/D or better)

SOCI 3358.  Ethnographic Methods.  

Ethnographic Methods (3-0) Theory and practice in the elicitation of ethnographic data. Participant observation, interviewing, and the development of questionnaires will be conducted in the laboratory and field settings. Recommended background: SOCI 1301. (SOCI 3358 is the same course as ANTH 3358.) .

Department: Sociology

3 Credit Hours
3 Total Contact Hours
0 Lab Hours
3 Lecture Hours
0 Other Hours

SOCI 3361.  Contemporary Mexican Culture.  

Contemporary Mexican Culture (3-0) A course about the social and regional diversity of modern Mexico with special emphasis on indigenous cultures. Recommended background: ANTH 1302.

Department: Sociology

3 Credit Hours
3 Total Contact Hours
0 Lab Hours
3 Lecture Hours
0 Other Hours

SOCI 3362.  Medical Sociology.  

Medical Sociology (3-0) Cultural factors in medical beliefs and practices; professionalization of medical practitioners; group factors in medical practice and medical care programs. Recommended background: SOCI 1301.

Department: Sociology

3 Credit Hours
3 Total Contact Hours
0 Lab Hours
3 Lecture Hours
0 Other Hours

SOCI 3370.  Gender Roles and Society.  

Gender Roles and Society(3-0) Sociological evaluation of the emergence and institutionalization of gender stratification and the relationship between gender roles and social status, class,and power. Gender socialization, changing roles, and consequences for society will be discussed. Recommended background: SOCI 1301.

Department: Sociology

3 Credit Hours
3 Total Contact Hours
0 Lab Hours
3 Lecture Hours
0 Other Hours

SOCI 4301.  General Sociological Theory.  

General Sociological Theory (3-0) Study of the major concepts of general sociology as these have been developed by contemporary sociologists and by the founders of the field.

Department: Sociology

3 Credit Hours
3 Total Contact Hours
0 Lab Hours
3 Lecture Hours
0 Other Hours

Prerequisite(s): (SOCI 1301 w/D or better)

SOCI 4303.  Internship in Sociology.  

A course in which students do internships relevant to sociology. Weekly reports, meetings with the internship supervisor, and substantial written assignments with academic content are also required of students. The internship gives students opportunities to apply academic training in practical settings, preparing them for careers and advanced study. Prerequisites: Departmental approval required.

Department: Sociology

3 Credit Hours
3 Total Contact Hours
0 Lab Hours
0 Lecture Hours
3 Other Hours

SOCI 4304.  Envir. Just. & Min. Comm U.S..  

Environmental Justice and Minority Communities in the U.S. (3-0); Cross listed with AFST 4304; POLS 4304; ANTH 4304 and CHIC 4304. An examination of environmental justice issues in the U.S., with an emphasis on communities, agencies and efforts that address sustainable development in the U.S.-Mexico border region. The underpinnings of the environmental justice movement in the U.S. and the regional policy formulation and practice implications for these communities will be central to the course. The course may require field trips.

Department: Sociology

3 Credit Hours
3 Total Contact Hours
0 Lab Hours
3 Lecture Hours
0 Other Hours

SOCI 4308.  U.S.-Mex Border Society/Cult.  

U.S.-Mexico Border Society and Culture: An overview of major social and cultural features of the U.S.-Mexico border. Also includes in-depth examination of selected topics such as migration, border crossing and border restriction, global manufacturing and communities, and complex cultural formations. (SOCI 4308 is the same course as ANTH 4308).

Department: Sociology

3 Credit Hours
3 Total Contact Hours
0 Lab Hours
3 Lecture Hours
0 Other Hours

Classification Restrictions:
Restricted to class of JR,SR

SOCI 4312.  Thinking Spatially.  

Thinking Spatially (3-0) Provides an appreciation of geographical perspectives on space and place. Students will become familiary with geographical theory and methods, which they will apply to the analysis of important social and natural phenomena, such as health and disease, crime, environmental hazards, urbanization and development, and long-term social and environmental change. (SOCI 4312 is the same course as ANTH 4312).

Department: Sociology

3 Credit Hours
3 Total Contact Hours
0 Lab Hours
3 Lecture Hours
0 Other Hours

SOCI 4313.  Advanced Spatial Analysis.  

Advanced Spatial Analysis (3-0) This course will be problem-based, and the centerpiece will be a semester GIS research project that each student will prepare. This will include definition of a problem amenable to spatial analysis, acquisition of appropriate data sources, organization of the data layers in a GIS, spatial analysis of the database, and a written and oral presentation of the results. In addition, a selection of advanced concepts and techniques in GIS analysis will be covered. Prerequisite: ANTH 3332 or SOCI 3332 or GEOG 3332 with a grade of "C" or better. (SOCI 4313 is the same course as ANTH 4313).

Department: Sociology

3 Credit Hours
3 Total Contact Hours
0 Lab Hours
3 Lecture Hours
0 Other Hours

Prerequisite(s): (ANTH 3332 w/C or better ) OR (SOCI 3332 w/C or better ) OR (GEOG 3332 w/C or better)

SOCI 4346.  Global Health.  

Global processes-such as migration, urbanization, environmental change, and economic interdependence spread diseases and later health conditions. To deal with these challenges, new ways of thinking about health are demanded. This course explores health and disease in global terms, with special focus on the most vulnerable. It covers issues such as the causes and consequences of health disparities, how global processes play out in local communities, and how cross-cultural perspectives can help us understand and address disease. Recommended background: ANTH 1302 or SOCI 1301. (SOCI 4346 is the same course as ANTH 4346.)

Department: Sociology

3 Credit Hours
3 Total Contact Hours
0 Lab Hours
3 Lecture Hours
0 Other Hours

SOCI 4347.  Population Analysis & Problems.  

Population Analysis and Problems (3-0) Statistical analysis of the population of the World, the United States and the Southwest. Study of fertility, mortality, and migration patterns and their social consequences. Recommended background: SOCI 1301. . .

Department: Sociology

3 Credit Hours
3 Total Contact Hours
0 Lab Hours
3 Lecture Hours
0 Other Hours

SOCI 4348.  Sociology of Disability.  

This course analyzes disability through sociological lenses, exploring the ways ability and disability experiences are socially constructed. We will explore cultural meanings of ability, disability, and citizenship, examining how these values have been contested and reshaped in various time periods throughout U.S. history. Central to the course will be explorations of how disability inequality intersects with other forms of oppression. Finally, we will explore how people with disabilities have organized to challenge oppression and write new narratives about their lives.

Department: Sociology

3 Credit Hours
3 Total Contact Hours
0 Lab Hours
3 Lecture Hours
0 Other Hours

SOCI 4349.  Visual Sociology.  

Visual sociology involves the use of photographs, film, and video to study society. This course will focus on photo-based strategies for sociological research. In particular, we will examine the uses of video-photographic technologies to capture images and apply critical analyses to study social structures and social relations along the US-Mexico border. Additionally, we will explore the sociological dimensions of visual expression on society. This is a sociology research course and will not emphasize technical training in photography.

Department: Sociology

3 Credit Hours
3 Total Contact Hours
0 Lab Hours
3 Lecture Hours
0 Other Hours

SOCI 4350.  Social Class in the U.S..  

In this course we will apply sociological lenses to understand social class and inequality in the United States. We will examine the dramatic changes in our economy that have occurred over the last four decades and the impact these changes have had on the lives of people at various places on the economic ladder. We will also explore how people draw and reinforce symbolic boundaries between classes. Throughout the semester we will give particular attention to the ways social class intersects with other forms of stratification, including race, gender, educational attainment, and disability.

Department: Sociology

3 Credit Hours
3 Total Contact Hours
0 Lab Hours
3 Lecture Hours
0 Other Hours

SOCI 4390.  Independent Study.  

Independent Study (0-0-3) Independent study in an area which is too specialized to offer as an organized class. Supervised individual reading research leading to development of a major paper or report. Prerequisites: Twelve hours of advanced sociology and department approval.

Department: Sociology

3 Credit Hours
3 Total Contact Hours
0 Lab Hours
0 Lecture Hours
3 Other Hours