GRAD > SOCIOL
Sociology Courses
SOCIOL 598 Field Experience Project +
Description:
This course includes site visits and observation time spent in the field at state or social service agencies. More Info
Offered in:- TBA
SOCIOL 600 Foundations of Applied Sociology +
Description:
This course is required for all formally accepted first-year students. The purpose of the course is a) to engage students in the field and substance of applied sociology, in order to strengthen their understanding of how theories, concepts, and sociological research are central to social problem-solving, policymaking, and the skills required in a variety of occupational settings; b) to involve students at the beginning of their graduate education in designing their studies to meet their educational, career, and personal objectives; and c) to maximize and facilitate student utilization of the curriculum, faculty, and departmental/university resources. More Info
Offered in:- TBA
SOCIOL 604 Classical Sociological Theory +
Description:
Classical social theory is a required introductory course for graduate students in the Sociology Department. You will study the work of major canonical theorists, such as Karl Marx, Emile Durkheim, and Max Weber (''the Big Three''), as well as other early theorists who are key to contemporary applied sociology, such as Harriet Martineau and W.E.B Du Bois. Upon completing the requirements for this course, you can expect not only to have a solid knowledge of classical sociological theorists but also a critical insight into sociology as a discipline. We will discuss how ''the canon'' of sociological theory was and continues to be constructed and its influence on contemporary scholarship. More Info
Offered in:SOCIOL 606 Social Semiotics and Cultural Analysis +
Description:
This doctoral level sociology seminar is intended to provide participants with an introduction to semiotics and cultural analysis. We will look at modes of expression and expressiveness; explore how culture manifests numerous modes of expressiveness, and how they are also embedded within culture. We will discuss the process through which cultures develop meaningful links in terms of sensibility, understanding, and meaning making. Our discussions will be associated with an in-depth analysis of the role of semiotics in culture and society and in doing so we will analyze the parallel between the function of the sign and the function of the signifying objects. More Info
Offered in:SOCIOL 607 Contemporary Sociological Theory +
Description:
Social theory is trained reflection on ways of knowing social life. But it is not only this, and it never begins purely as trained reflection. Social theory arises first and foremost from everyday life, from an enormous variety of contexts of conversation, discussion, and interaction between ordinary people. These are the same contexts that lead to the formation of such things as social movements, political parties, trade unions, and organized mass actions such as consumption, strikes, and revolutions. Social theory emerges from these contexts and is only a more reflective expression of the disputes and agendas that dominate ordinary communication about social and political issues. It is itself a social and political issues. It is itself a social product with a multitude of everyday contexts of origination. More Info
Offered in:SOCIOL 608 Urban Sociology +
Description:
This sociology seminar covers theoretical perspectives and empirical research on how cities are shaped by social and economic forces, as well as various (e.g., racial, political) ideologies. We will also investigate how cities, in turn, shape social life - in both positive and negative ways. More Info
Offered in:SOCIOL 609L Qualitative Methods and Field Research +
Description:
This course is designed to introduce students to qualitative research methods; its specific focus is on policy research and aging. Students practice the skills needed to observe the world around them by attending to social phenomena, descriptively and analytically. The course functions as both a seminar and a research workshop, and students learn by engaging in a field work project. More Info
Offered in:SOCIOL 610 Teaching Sociology: Theory & Practice +
Description:
This seminar is designed for graduate students who are interested in teaching careers at the college and university level and/or in the scholarship about teaching and learning. Teaching assistants who are involved in classroom practice are also welcome. The course will address both the theory and practice of teaching with a focus on the kinds of backgrounds, experiences, and learning styles that UMass Boston students bring to the classroom. More Info
Offered in:SOCIOL 630 Applied Social Psychology +
Description:
This course has been designed to introduce students to sociological theories about interaction and to motivate students to explore how the theories about which they learn can make change in the `real world'. During the seminar, the class will cover a mixture of contemporary and classical research literature in the attempt to make sense of interactions in everyday social life and to use the ideas and concepts from the literature to address social problems. More Info
Offered in:- TBA
SOCIOL 642 Issues in Contemporary Social Policy +
Description:
This course provides special emphasis on contemporary social policy issues. It examines principals of social policy analysis and the impact of social policy decisions on recipients and non-recipients of social services. Special attention is given to research on contemporary problem areas such as immigration, homelessness, public sector health and mental health, social justice issues, and crime and delinquency. More Info
Offered in:- TBA
SOCIOL 646 Sociology of Gender +
Description:
How are gender and gendered identities socially constructed? In what ways does gender intersect with and influence issues of power and inequality in society? Gender is one of the most central axes of inequality, along with class, race, ethnicity, nationality, citizenship, and sexuality. We will examine gender as an ever-present organizing principle of social life that has broad-ranging effects, from micro-level individual interactions up to macro-level economic and political processes. We will consider different theoretical approaches and discuss the ways in which gender is social and cultural, rather than ''natural'' and ''biological.'' Next we will look at the construction of gendered identities, sexuality, and the performance of masculinity and femininity in everyday life. Furthermore, we will explore how gender relations are being shaped by, as well as are shaping, larger processes of globalization. By the end of this course, you should be familiar with sociological perspectives on gender and the social construction and reproduction of gender categories. More Info
Offered in:- TBA
SOCIOL 647 Sociology of Race and Racism +
Description:
This course introduces students to the major sociological theoretical perspectives and current empirical research on racial inequality. We will mostly examine how social analysts have framed race and racism in the USA since about the 1950's, with a few examples from non-US contexts to push our thinking beyond American constructions. At the end of the semester, students should have attained a clear and comprehensive view of how issues around race and the intersection of race, class, and gender have been framed by social analysts over the last several decades. More Info
Offered in:SOCIOL 650 Meth Of Research I +
Description:
Focuses on methods of collecting information about social beliefs and social process, including the operation of social services and other programs. The course requires students to conduct exercises that will give them first hand experiences in various approaches to data collection and management. Emphasis is given to techniques of survey, field, and experimental research. Students are introduced to the use of computers. More Info
Offered in:SOCIOL 651 Quantitative Methods +
Description:
This class provides introductory training for graduate students in the interpretation, analysis, and presentation of quantitative data for the social sciences. The course covers descriptive statistics, data visualization, cross-tabulation and regression analysis for social data. It also provides introductory training for computer-based statistical analyses; no prior experience with statistical software is required. More Info
Offered in:SOCIOL 652 Advanced Quantitative Methods +
Description:
This class provides training in quantitative analyses that moves beyond the more basic techniques covered in the preceding course SOCIOL 651. The course begins with a review of multiple regression before spending the rest of the semester covering specialized regression techniques. More Info
Offered in:SOCIOL 660 Fundamentals of Survey Methodology +
Description:
This course introduces students to the principles of survey design that are the basis of standard practices in the field, providing tools to design and implement survey data collection and for evaluating surveys. Topics include: sampling, nonresponse, survey instrument development and evaluation, survey interviewing, post survey data processing, and research ethics. More Info
Offered in:SOCIOL 661 Designing and Evaluating Survey Questions +
Description:
This course will teach students what is known about how the characteristics of survey questions affect the likely validity of the resulting data. It will also teach them how to evaluate how well questions meet the standards that we set for them. The course will introduce students to the underlying science of how to design and evaluate questions and will provide them with experience in actually carrying out question design and evaluation. More Info
Offered in:SOCIOL 662 Applied Survey Sampling - Design and Analysis +
Description:
This course is designed to teach students the principles of probability sampling for general populations. It will teach them about the various types of sampling methods including simple random, stratified, cluster, and probability proportionate to size. It will help them to understand when certain methods are preferable and how adding complexity to a sample design can affect data analysis. Topics will also include developing survey weights and analyzing data from complex samples. More Info
Offered in:SOCIOL 664 Practicum in Survey Research Techniques +
Description:
This course offers students hands-on experience in planning and conducting a survey, focusing on sampling, questionnaire development, and interviewing techniques. Students will put survey best practices into action in the development of a survey instrument by planning and moderating focus groups. They will evaluate questions by conduction cognitive interviews and completing behavior coding of recorded interviews. Students also participate in a sample listing exercise in the Boston area and conduct face-to-face pretest interviews. More Info
Offered in:- TBA
SOCIOL 665 New Techniques in Survey Data Collection +
Description:
This course is designed to introduce students to the newest and most state-of-are methods of survey data collection, an appreciation of their history and development, as well as their rapidly developing research programs. Purposes both methodological (to improve the instrument and forward the state-of-the-art in survey techniques) and substantive (addressing research questions in sociological frameworks) will be addressed. More Info
Offered in:- TBA
SOCIOL 667 Sociology of Law +
Description:
A general analysis of the social origins and consequences of law and legal process; special emphasis on law as a method of conflict resolution and as a social control structure, and on law and social change. Attention also given to law in other societies, including non-literate societies, to the evolution and development of legal structures, and to patterns of due process and criminal law. More Info
Offered in:- TBA
SOCIOL 682 Sociology of Health and Illness +
Description:
This course highlights the role of the social sciences in dealing with problems of health care practice, focusing on research contributions to health maintenance, prevention, treatment, and quality of care. Topics include the nature and goals of client-practitioner relationships, health education, behavioral and psychosomatic medicine, and the linkages between social problems and medical problems. More Info
Offered in:- TBA
SOCIOL 692 Communities and Crime +
Description:
This class focuses on the nature of the social structures and group dynamics that shape neighborhood context, which in turn influence other social processes, like crime and responses to crime. Other foci include the intellectual development of the study of crime and communities, inequality, and contemporary issues in community development and change. More Info
Offered in:- TBA
SOCIOL 694 Master's Research Seminar +
Description:
This course guides students in their design and completion of the master's paper. It operates as an intellectual workshop where throughout the semester students share with the group the process as well as the results of their research. Special attention is given to the formation of research questions, research methodology, and writing appropriate literature reviews. More Info
Offered in:SOCIOL 696 Independent Study +
Description:
In-depth study of a particular topic according to the student's interests. Independent study projects are expected to make an important contribution to a student's training in applied sociology. All projects are under the supervision of a faculty advisor, who is responsible for guiding and evaluating the student's work. More Info
Offered in:SOCIOL 697 Special Topics in Applied Sociology +
Description:
An advanced seminar on selected topics in applied sociology. The course content and credit vary according to topic. Details on special topics courses will be announced during the advance registration period. More Info
Offered in:- TBA
SOCIOL 698 Field Work +
Description:
Intensive field work and/or internship in a public or private research or practice setting jointly supervised by faculty and agency-based staff. Placements made according to student interest and internship availability. More Info
Offered in:SOCIOL 700 Proseminar I: Introduction to Graduate Sociology +
SOCIOL 701 Proseminar II: Planning a career in Sociology +
Description:
The goal of this preseminar is to help you think about the develop plans for your particular career plans in sociology. We will discuss upcoming program requirements (comprehensive exams, dissertation), and well as how to think about graduate school as an opportunity for professional development, both within your courses and TA/RA experiences and beyond. More Info
Offered in:SOCIOL 702 Proseminar III: Developing professional skills and preparing for job market +
Description:
The goal of this proseminar is to help you think about and develop plans for your particular career plans in sociology. Much of our time will be spent talking about the job market (academic and applied) and how to tailor your work to fit different types of jobs. More Info
Offered in:- TBA
SOCIOL 897 Special Topics +
SOCIOL 899 Dissertation Credits +