Sociology and Anthropology 

Courses at Lincoln Center Campus

 Sociology

Anthropology

SOLU 1100  Introduction to Sociology (3 credits) An introduction to sociology with a focus on its nature as a scientific discipline. The analysis of society through the use of sociological theories, concepts and methods. This course serves as a prerequisite to all other sociology courses and seeks to stimulate students to continue to deepen their understanding of societies. (Every semester)

SOLU 2701  Introduction to Criminal Justice (4 credits) An overview of the criminal justice system: law, its sociology, and its social and political functions. A critical examination of law enforcement agencies, the judicial system and corrections.

SOLU 2716  Social Change (4 credits) Various theories of social change will be considered, in keeping with the aim of the course, which will be to develop a frame of reference for studying change in the “advanced" and “developing?societies of the modern world.

SOLU 2800  Sociological Theory (4 credits) A survey of classical and contemporary theory that gives students a grasp of the history, nature and significance of theory for the study of contemporary societies and sociocultural processes.

SOLU 2821  Delinquency in the City (4 credits) Urban delinquents and their origins in terms of the social, cultural and political forces that effectively label some teenage "rulebreakers?as "deviant?and/or "criminal" elements of society. Perspectives will be explored in reference to the teenage gang typology as violent, criminal, and drug-centered to determine the forces that provide stability, cohesion and status to these subcultural groups. (Alternate years)

SOLU 2845  Drugs, Law, and Society (4 credits) This course examines the social organizations of illegal commerce in narcotics and other drugs, looking at this transnational business from the point of production to the points of consumption throughout the world. (Every year)

SOLU 2859  Organized Crime (4 credits) The growth and development of organized crime in the United States, beginning with its immigrant roots in the 19th century and focusing on vice and political corruption, the failure of prohibition, rackets, the drug trade, and professional sports gambling. insights into the social structures of crime in terms of political and economic realities. (Alternate years)

SOLU 2925  Media, Crime, Sex, Violence (4 credits) An analysis of mass media reporting, presentation and explanation.

SOLU 2960  Popular Culture (4 credits) This course will investigate the nature of contemporary popular culture. How do people spend their "spare time?" Does this vary with social class? Is sport the new religion? And how does this differ from that of earlier periods and simpler societies? (Every year)

SOLP 3000  Latino Images in Media (4 credits) An analysis of changing Latino images in U.S. media. The emphasis will be on English language film and television productions. Gender, color, and class issues will be examined.

SOLU 3017  Inequality in America (4 credits) A study of the ways in which inequalities of wealth, power and prestige are institutionalized in complex societies. Social class and social status as they relate to other aspects of social organization and affect the life chances of individuals.

SOLU 3050  Sociology of the Self (4 credits) This course examines sociological theories of subjectivity and identity. Emphasis will be placed on recent debates about essentialism and difference. Questions that will be asked include: Is there such a thing as essential selp. What does it mean to be alive at the dawning of the new millennium? Who are we? How do we relate to others? What are the effects of gender, race and sexuality on our life experiences and choices?

SOLU 3070  City and Its Neighborhoods (4 credits) The study of contemporary urban-industrial societies and urban centers in terms of their historical development, subgroups, and social, political, and economic patterns. Special emphasis on the processes of neighborhood change and urban planning. (Alternate years)

SOLU 3136  Ireland/Irish-Americans (4 credits) From the mass migration brought on by the Potato blight in 1840's Ireland to the late 20th century troubles in Northern Ireland. Irish Americans have exhibited loyalty to the United States as well as their ancient homeland. Patriotism to the USA and support for Irish independence movements have marked the rise of Irish-Americans in urban politics, in the Catholic Church, and in social and economic life.

SOLG 3260  The Politics of Reproduction (4 credits) The biological reproduction of the human species is a complex process that engages all major institutions of society: family, religion, morality, health, economy and government. Using cross-cultural and social historical materials, this course will amine cases in which the control over reproduction is contested, focusing on such issues as family limitation, new reproductive technologies and child custody.

SOLU 3300  Sociology of Gender and Power (4 credits) This course examines how gender relations underwrite and are reinforced by configurations of power in contemporary society. Attention will be given to the relationship between gender and race/ethnicity, and gender and sexuality, in order to identify characteristics and effects of hegemonic masculinity and femininity in the USA today. Key asocial institutions including family, work and punishment will be studied. Elements of race, class and sexuality will be considered.

SOLU 3321  Work, Business in Society (4 credits) The social organization of business and industry. Social relations of production in the workplace. Ways in which work roles are related to other aspects of people's lives. (Alternate years)

SOLP 3427  Hispanics in the USA (4 credits) Explores the Hispanic mosaic in the U.S. Special emphasis is given to Hispanic education, culture and assimilation; the political significance of Hispanics; issues of gender, color and race; and work and the changing economy. (Alternate years)

SOLU 3610  The Family (4 credits) Thestudy of American family patterns within the context of cultural variations throughout the world. Course will examine past myths about the American family; present trends in American family life, such as changing sex roles, new concepts of child rearing, and adjustment of kin networks to metropolitan settings; and newly emerging forms of marriage and the family. (Every year)

SOLU 3670  Hispanic Women (4 credits) An examination of the changing roles of Hispanic women with regard to Hispanic men, motherhood, the labor force experience, sexual awareness, media myths, political and economic power, and women’s liberation. The structural position and changing conceptions of Hispanic women in the Americas will be examined through the lenses of analytical work and literature.

SOLU 3713  Criminology (4 credits) This course surveys the state of knowledge and theories explaining criminal behavior and attempts to control it by society. Although the sociological perspective on crime is emphasized, class discussion and the text attempt to examine the subject from a multidisciplinary point of view, especially with respect to legal, biological and psychological views of crime.

SOLU 3723  Discipline and Punishment (4 credits) This course introduces students to the historical development of theories and practices of punishment. Particular attention will be given to the work of Michel Foucault and to feminist interpretations of Foucault. Through considering the breadth of theoretical scholarship on punishment, students will be encouraged to develop a critique of current practices and ideology. Race, class and gender will be considered throughout and students will be encouraged to reflect constantly on the limitations of "justice' in any system of discipline or punishment.

SOLG 4394  The United Nations, Women and Youth (4 credits) The contemporary global situation of women and youth; the role of the United Nations as a forum for policy formulation and implementation on their behalf, the work of U.N.-affiliated nongovernmental agencies. Extensive use of U.N. source material.

SOLU 4999  Tutorial in Sociology (4 credits) Supervised individual study. Provides an opportunity for students to work closely with an individual faculty member on a specific topic or project. (Permission)

 Anthropology

ANLG 1413  Lanquage and Culture (4 credits) An introduction to linguistic science emphasizing the structure, functions, and origins of languages as the symbolic system of communication peculiar to humans.

ANLG 2447  Passages: Life Cycles (4 credits) Although the life cycle is biologically based, societies differ in the way they conceptualize the stages of life. This course explores differing concepts of person- hood and how a person is linked to moral beliefs and ideologies of power. We examine the way rites of passage (e.g., birth, initiation ceremonies, marriage, parenthood, and death) shape personhood in different cultures. We consider how the perspectives of psychology and anthropology complement, challenge, and enrich our understanding of the life cycle.

ANLG 2619  Magic, Science and Religion (4 credits) Magic, science and religion will be analyzed, compared and contrasted. Problems in the comparative study of these topics, especially of religion, the "supernatural," and world view, are discussed in the context of various cultures. (Every other year)

ANLG 2886  Male and Female in Society (4 credits) Are sex roles biologically determined or culturally defined? A cross-cultural perspective provides a unique opportunity to explore answers to this question through an examination of the roles of men and women in marriage and the family and in economic, political, and religious institutions, as well as how such roles are inter- related with conceptions of masculinity, femininity, honor, and shame.

ANLU 2890  Visual Anthropology (4 credits) Culture affects what and how we see, and what we see affects our culture. Film, still photography and video each enable anthropologists to capture and analyze aspects of this relationship, and of culture in general. (Every other year)

ANLG 3193  Peoples of the Mideast (4 credits) A survey of the social and religious diversity of the Middle East. Among the topics addressed are ethnic and tribal communities; gender relations and the honor code; urban-rural relations; local and national politics. (Every other year)

ANLG 3195  Peoples of Europe (4 credits) The cultural anthropology of Europe, from the arrival of prehistoric populations to modern nations and their ethnic, linguistic and religious groups. Among the topics are ecology, kinship, informal economy, codes of behavior, identity (regional, ethnic, national, and supranational), and relationships between Christian and Muslim communities.

ANLG 3196  People of the Americas (4 credits) This course explores the indigenous cultures of the Americas before and after the arrival of Europeans. it discusses the early migrations; the impact of the con- quest; kinship, social and political systems; religious beliefs and rituals; and world views.

ANLG 3345  Health, Medicine and Curing (4 credits) This course discusses social and cultural practices that influence health, well- being, and recovery from disease and injury. Among the topics explored: the cultural construction of certain diseases and physiological process in America; die impact of AIDS on African and Western society; the link between an exotic disease like Kuru (New Guinea) and other neurological diseases such as Creutzfeld-Jacob and the so-called 'mad-cow" disease in Europe; and issues of mental health and ethnopsychiatry such as Salem witchcraft and the incidence of anorexia in modern and medieval times.

ANLG 3725  Culture and Culture Change (4 credits) Selected issues in the relationship of human behavior and culture. Issues dealt with in this course include the concept of culture, culture and the individual, culture contact, and culture change. (Every other year)

ANLG 4999  Tutorial in Anthropology: Cross-Cultural Issues (4 credits) Supervised individual study project.