Sociology
Program Description
The Sociology Program's mission is to provide majors with an understanding of the scientific study of human groups in modern societies and the social and cultural forces that affect them. The sociological perspective is central to grasping the social and cultural forces that remake our lives on a daily basis.
Why take this major?
The Sociology Program's mission is to provide majors with an understanding of the scientific study of human groups in modern societies and the social and cultural forces that affect them. The sociological perspective is central to grasping the social and cultural forces that remake our lives on a daily basis.
Student Learning Outcomes
- Awareness how systems of oppression (poverty, racism, sexism, classism) shape society
- Provide the intellectual toolbox that allows students to understand the social hierarchies in here in the US and globally.
- Provide student with the training that they are both thoroughly literate in data analysis, research method and writing.
Program Contact Information
Brian Wyant, Ph.D.
Chair, Sociology and Criminal Justice
351 Hayman Hall
wyant@lasalle.edu
215-991-3554
Degree Earned
B.A.
Number of Courses Required for Graduation
Major: 12
Total: 38-40
Number of Credits Required for Graduation
Major: 36
Total: 120
GPA Required for Graduation
Major: 2.0
Cumulative: 2.0
Progress Chart
Level One - Core Courses
12 courses and 2 modules required
Universal Required Courses (4 Courses)
Students must complete the following 4 courses.
ILO 8.1: Written Communication
ENG 110 - College Writing I: Persuasion
ILO 5.1: Information Literacy
ENG 210 - College Writing II: Research
ILO 1.1: Understanding Diverse Perspectives
FYS 130 - First-Year Academic Seminar **
NOTE. The following students use Level 2 Capstone Experience in Major instead of FYS 130: Honors, BUSCA, Core-to-Core, Transfer, and Non-Traditional/Evening.
ILO 2.1: Reflective Thinking and Valuing
REL 100 - Religion Matters
Elective Core Courses (4 Courses)
Students must complete 1 course in each of the following 4 ILOs.
ILO 3.1a: Scientific Reasoning
Choose course within ILO
ILO 3.1b: Quantitative Reasoning
SOC 301 - Principles of Statistics
ILO 6.1: Technological Competency
Choose course within ILO
ILO 8.1a/12.1: Oral Communication/ Collaborative Engagement
Choose course within ILO
Distinct Discipline Core Courses (4 Courses)
Students must complete 1 course in each of the following 4 ILOs. Each course must be from a different discipline. (A "discipline" is represented by the 3- or 4-letter prefix attached to each course.)
ILO 4.1: Critical Analysis and Reasoning
SOC 150 Principles of Sociology
ILO 9.1: Creative and Artistic Expression
Choose course within ILO
ILO 10.1: Ethical Understanding and Reasoning
Choose course within ILO
ILO 11.1: Cultural and Global Awareness and Sensitivity
Choose course within ILO
Universal Required Modules (2 Courses)
Students must complete the following 2 non-credit modules.
The Modules are not required for Transfer Students, Core-to-Core Students, or BUSCA Students. BUSCA students are required to take modules if/when they pursue a bachelor’s degree.
ILO 7.1a
Health Literacy Module
ILO 7.1b
Financial Literacy Module
Major Requirements
Major requirements include 4 Level Two ILO requirements, fulfilled through the major.
Students in this major must complete 38-40 courses in total in order to graduate. 12 courses will be from this major program.
Level Two (4 Courses)
Students must complete 1 course/learning experience in each of the 4 commitments.
ILO 2.2: Broader Identity (Capstone Course/Experience)
SOC 310 - ILO 2.2
Choose one ILO from 3.2a, 3.2b, 4.2, 5.2, 6.2, 7.2a, or 7.2b: Expanded Literacies
SOC 231 - ILO 4.2
ILO 8.2b: Effective Expression (Writing-Intensive Course)
SOC 262 - ILO 8.2b
Choose on ILO from 10.2, 11.2, or 12.2: Active Responsibility
SOC 480 - ILO 12.2
All Other Required Courses
Sociology Core: (8 courses)
SOC 150 Principles of Sociology (SOC 150 is a prerequisite for all upper level SOC courses)
SOC 151 Social Problems and Social Policy
SOC 231 Love, Relations, Family or SOC 260 Men and Woman in Cont. Society
SOC 262 Dynamics of Race and Ethnicity
SOC 301 Stat 1
SOC 302 Stat 2
SOC 310 Social Theory
SOC 480 Methods (Cross listed with CRJ 480)
Sociology majors must take at least four of these courses:
SOC 233 Work and Occupations
SOC 238 Environment and Society
SOC 265 Sociology of Law
SOC 237 The City: Conflict and Change
SOC 270 Sociology of Education
SOC 306 Complex Organizations
SOC 308 Social Inequality in Contemporary Society
SOC 312 Social Movements in Contemporary Society
CRJ 161 Intro to Criminology
CRJ 340 Crimes of the Powerful
CRJ 350 Violence in Society
CRJ 387 Gender, Crime and Justice
SOC 481 Research Methods (Cross listed with CRJ 483)
SOC 340 Internship -- Students who meet the GPA requirements, have junior standing, and can be recommended by the chair should be strongly encouraged to take an internship.
Free Electives
In addition to the requirements listed above, students must take enough courses to the fulfill graduation credit requirements for their School and major.
Dual Major Requirements
REQUIRED FOR DUAL SOCIOLOGY/CRIMINAL JUSTICE DEGREE:
Dual Sociology and Criminal Justice Majors must take these TEN classes:
- CRJ 161 Introduction to Criminal Justice
- CRJ 261 Criminology
- CRJ 480 Research Methods (Cross-listed with SOC 480)
- CRJ 495 Senior Seminar: Ethical Issues in Criminal Justice or SOC 481 Research Seminar (Counts as CRJ 483)
- SOC 150 Principles of Sociology
- SOC 151 Social Problems and Social Policy (Counts as CRJ 151)
- SOC 262 Dynamics of Race and Ethnicity in Contemporary Societies
- SOC 231 Love, Interpersonal Relationships, and Family or SOC 260 Men and Women in Contemporary Society
- SOC 301 Principles of Statistics
- SOC 302 Statistical Analysis and Data Base Design
- SOC 310 Sociological Theory
Dual majors must take at least FOUR of these Sociology courses:
- SOC 238 Environment and Society
- SOC 265 Sociology of Law (CRJ Elective)
- SOC 270 Sociology of Education
- SOC 306 Complex Organizations in Contemporary Society
- SOC 308 Social Inequality in Contemporary Society
- SOC 312 Social Movements in Contemporary Society
Dual majors must take least FOUR of these Criminal Justice courses:
- CRJ 161 Introduction to Criminal Justice
- CRJ 340 Crimes of the Powerful
- CRJ 350 Violence in Society
- CRJ 387 Gender, Crime and Justice
- CRJ 201 Social Problems and Social Justice (Counts as SOC 151)
- CRJ 280 Criminal Law
- CRJ 320 Delinquency and Juvenile Justice (Cross-listed with SOC 320)
- CRJ 324 Policing: Theory and Dynamics
- CRJ 325 Criminal Courts
- CRJ 326 Institutional and Community Corrections
- CRJ 483 Criminal Justice Research
- SOC 265 Sociology of Law
- CRJ 340 Crimes of the Powerful
- ENG 308 Legal Writing
- SOC Internship (SOC 340) or CRJ Internship (CRJ 481-482). Students who meet the 2.75 GPA requirements, have junior standing, and can be recommended by faculty and the department chair are strongly encouraged to take a Sociology (SOC 340) or CRJ Internship (CRJ 481-482)
Minor Requirements
The sociology minor requires 6 sociology classes.
Recommended Course Sequence
Sociology majors should take SOC 150 as a first class and then take lower level requirements. In their junior year students should take SOC 301 (Principles of Statistics) in the fall semester and SOC 302 (Statistical Analysis and Data Base Design) in the spring semester. In their senior year students take SOC 480 (Research Methods) in the Fall and SOC 481 (Research Seminar) in the spring semester.
Course Descriptions
SOC 150 - Principles of Sociology
SOC 150 introduces students to the ways human groups cooperate and conflict with one another and the expected and unanticipated consequences of these relations in American society as well as in the worldwide community. The overarching goal of the course is to help students understand how individual human development is a group experience from infancy to old age, how the social world impacts their lives, and how they, in turn, affect the lives of others in this social world.
Number of Credits: 3
When Offered: Fall, Spring
How Offered: Face-to-Face
ILO Met: ILO 4.1 - Critical Analysis and Reasoning
SOC 151 - Social Problems and Social Policy
Cross-listed with CRJ 151
This course is an exploration of how social conflict and social organization affect human and societal well-being. Topics: mental health, personal safety, economic well-being, and intergroup relations in an industrial society and a developing nation.
Number of Credits: 3
How Offered: Face-to-Face
ILO Met: ILO 4.1 - Critical Analysis and Reasoning
SOC 231 - Love, Interpersonal Relationships, And Family
This course examines the myths, trends, and the reasons behind these trends in the changing world of interpersonal relations. Topics include mate selection, marriage and its alternatives, parenting, parting by divorce or death, and trying again.
Number of Credits: 3
How Offered: Face-to-Face
SOC 233 - Work and Occupations
This course is an analysis of the social organization of work in modern societies, including the concept of career, the development of professionalization, the nature of work-satisfaction, and the impact of bureaucratization. Special attention is given to occupational subcultures such as law, medicine, public service, the military, and education.
Number of Credits: 3
How Offered: Face-to-Face
SOC 237 (257) - The City: Conflict and Change
This course is a study of world cities; their growth and influence on personality; urban violence and its control; neighborhood development and metropolitan planning; and the effects of national and international economic forces on cities in developing and industrial nations.
Number of Credits: 3
How Offered: Face-to-Face
ILO Met: ILO 4.1 - Critical Analysis and Reasoning
SOC 238 (258) - Environment and Society
This course is an analysis of the human and social structural causes of modern environmental problems and a presentation of a systematic approach toward environmental protection reforms.
Number of Credits: 3
How Offered: Face-to-Face
SOC 260 - Men and Women in Contemporary Society
This course explores male and female gender roles in the contemporary United States and in the world. An examination of socialization in childhood and adulthood, sexual politics, and power structures and dynamics within the family and the workplace. Special attention to the effects of class and race on gender role formation.
Number of Credits: 3
How Offered: Face-to-Face
SOC 262 - Dynamics of Race and Ethnicity in Contemporary Societies
This course is an analysis of the dynamics of race and ethnic relations and of the intersection of race, gender, and class in historical and contemporary contexts. An inquiry into the issues of pluralism and diversity in unity.
Number of Credits: 3
When Offered: Fall
How Offered: Face-to-Face
ILO Met: ILO 11.1 - Cultural and Global Awareness and Sensitivity
SOC 263 - Anthropology
This course explores the spread of humans on earth; racial variations and their significance; cultures in less complex societies and industrial societies across the world; and the impact of these cultures and societies on one another.
Number of Credits: 3
How Offered: Face-to-Face
SOC 265 - Sociology of Law
This course analyzes the law as a social process in historical and comparative perspectives, in particular historical legal traditions such as the British common law, the Napoleonic code, and some other legal systems.
Number of Credits: 3
How Offered: Face-to-Face
SOC 270, 370, 470 - Special Topics in Sociology
These are courses designed to cover special or emerging interests in sociology. Topics have included: sociology of conflict, the Holocaust and its causes, computers and society, sociology of sports, and social gerontology. Special permission needed to be used to meet major requirements.
Number of Credits: 3
How Offered: Face-to-Face
SOC 301 - Principles of Statistics
This course introduces students to statistical analysis for social sci- ences: Presentation and interpretation of data, descriptive statistics, theory of probability and basic sampling distribution, statistical inference including principles of estimation and tests of hypotheses, introduction to correlation and regression, and first principles in the construction and critique of quantitative arguments for research questions in the social and behavioral sciences and public policy.
Number of Credits: 3
When Offered: Fall
How Offered: Face-to-Face
ILO Met: ILO 3.1.b - Quantitative Reasoning
SOC 302 - Statistical Analysis and Data Base Design
In this course, students learn about the principles of data analysis using statistics, with emphasis on developing critical thinking skills and performing analyses on real data sets. After completing this course, students will be able to design and analyze basic statistical studies, to understand and criticize statistical methods in research projects and the media, and to appreciate the power and utility of statistical thinking. Examples and methods are drawn primarily from the behavioral, natural, and social sciences, and from public policy. The course will cover the following topics: database design, survey and experimental design, exploratory data analysis, and modeling.
Number of Credits: 3
When Offered: Spring
How Offered: Face-to-Face
Prerequisites: SOC 301 or permission of instructor
SOC 305 - Society and The Individual
This course is a study of the influence of society and culture, as mediated by the social group, on the social, cultural, and personal behavior of the individual.
Number of Credits: 3
How Offered: Face-to-Face
SOC 306 - Complex Organizations in Contemporary Society
A study of the founding, transformation, and disbanding of organizations, the pace of organizational evolution in modern societies as well as the sources of change and stability in contemporary organizations in the U.S. and in other societies, particularly organizational structures, processes, environments, culture, innovation, and effectiveness.
Number of Credits: 3
How Offered: Face-to-Face
SOC 308 - Social Inequality in Contemporary Society
This course analyzes the structure of social stratification and the impact of globalization and economic restructuring on structured inequality in the United States and in the world, using the structural perspective and the world system theory.
Number of Credits: 3
How Offered: Face-to-Face
SOC 309 - Health, Healing, And Health Care
This course provides an introduction to the sociology of health, healing and health care, and to social epidemiology. Examines the relationship between healthcare providers and their patients, with special attention to alternative health care providers and bioethics. Analyzes the health care systems in the United States and in some developed and developing countries.
Number of Credits: 3
How Offered: Face-to-Face
SOC 310 - Sociological Theory
This course is a study of the basics of contemporary sociological theory and its classical roots, with an emphasis on helping students apply theoretical thinking to everyday life events.
Number of Credits: 3
When Offered: Fall
How Offered: Face-to-Face
Prerequisites: SOC 150
SOC 312 - Social Movements in Contemporary Society
This course examines the dynamics of social change and of specific social movements, such as the environmental justice movement, the civil rights movement, the women's movement, the health movement, and others.
Number of Credits: 3
How Offered: Face-to-Face
SOC 320 - Delinquency and Juvenile Justice
Cross-listed with CRJ/SWK 320 (formerly CRJ 220)
This course addresses a comparative and historical survey of juvenile delinquency and juvenile justice. Study of the nature, magnitude, and social location of youth crime; analysis of causal theories; and overview of programs aimed at delinquency prevention and control.
Number of Credits: 3
How Offered: Face-to-Face
SOC 335 - Mass Incarceration: Causes, Consequences, and Alternatives
This course first explores and critically assesses the main explanations proposed for the rise and perpetuation of mass incarceration in the United States, including an increasingly punitive and retributive shift, the war on drugs, white supremacy and racial control, and privatization/profit motives. The course then examines the main consequences of mass incarceration for individuals, families, neighborhoods, and broader society. Understanding the causes and consequences of mass incarceration, the course concludes with an evaluation of various alternatives and reforms to mass incarceration.
Number of Credits: 3
When Offered: Fall, Spring, Summer
How Offered: Face-to-Face, Online
SOC 340 - Sociological Internship and Practice
This elective course requires 15 hours per week (for three credits) of a supervised internship. Students may take an internship in place of a sociology elective, beginning the summer between sophomore and junior year. To receive 3 credits, the internship must be approved in advance by the internship director for the department. The department recommends that you take 4 regular classes and the internship will count as your 5th class that semester. Your grade is determined from a midterm question and answer, a final paper and your on-site supervisor's evaluation of your internship performance.
Number of Credits: 3
How Offered: Face-to-Face
Prerequisites: Rising junior or senior status, and minimum overall GPA of 2.7
SOC 345 - Restorative Justice
Restorative justice is a strategy that seeks to repair the harms done to those affected by a crime or conflict, including harmed parties (aka "victims"), responsible parties (aka "offenders"), and other community members. The course begins with a critical examination of how restorative theory and practice address the limitations of conventional justice system processing in the United States. The use of restorative justice in various contexts, including the criminal justice system as well as within correctional and educational settings, is also explored. Restorative justice's role in advancing racial, social, and gendered justice is evaluated, including an examination of how restorative models fit within other reform and abolitionist strategies.
Number of Credits: 3
When Offered: Fall, Spring, Summer
How Offered: Face-to-Face, Online
SOC 355 - Drugs, Crime, and Justice
Cross-listed with CRJ 355
This course is designed to provide students with an in-depth understanding of a variety of issues related to drug use, abuse, addiction, drug-related crime and drug control. The course begins with an examination of the effects of drugs on individuals and society, including prevalence rates, theories of addiction and the harms and benefits of use and abuse. The next unit assesses the relationship between criminal activity and drug use, abuse and criminalization. The final unit critically evaluates various drug control strategies, including supply reduction, demand reduction and possible alternatives.
Number of Credits: 3
How Offered: Face-to-Face
SOC 385 - Theories of Deviance
Crosslisted with CRJ 385
This course is an intensive analysis of contemporary theories of deviant behavior. Theories examined through seminar discussions of primary materials and critiqued by consideration of research findings. Social policy implications discussed and specific criminal justice programs considered in the light of these theories.
Number of Credits: 3
How Offered: Face-to-Face
SOC 480 - Research Methods
This course is an introduction to the social research processes, using both quantitative and qualitative approaches. Construction of a research proposal.
Number of Credits: 3
When Offered: Fall
How Offered: Face-to-Face
Prerequisites: Taken concurrently with SOC 301
SOC 481 - Research Seminar
The experience provides an opportunity to conduct original research in one area of social reality employing a research method of the student's choosing.
Number of Credits: 3
When Offered: Spring
How Offered: Face-to-Face
Prerequisites: SOC 302 (or taken concurrently); SOC 480