Social Science Courses

Anthropology

ANTH 202,General Anthropology

 Introduces students to fossil man, prehistoric archaeology, the origins of civilization, and the nature of human culture. (3-0-3) (S)

ANTH 211,Human Origins

 Analyzes the evidence for human evolution and the emergence of Homo sapiens. Examines man's primate heritage and the beginnings of human society. (3-0-3) (S)

ANTH 212,Stonehenge and the Origins of Europe

 Surveys the Bronze Age origins of medieval feudalism, with Stonehenge taken as a monument to its beginning. This course addresses the question: Does Europe of the Middle Ages derive from the heritage of Barbarian Europe or from the classical heritage of the Roman Empire following its collapse? (3-0-3) (S)

ANTH 344,Science Fiction of H. G. Wells

 Examines the social and political thought of H.G. Wells as revealed in his early scientific romances. The course also examines why Wells called these romances ``sociological fables.'' (3-0-3) (S)

ANTH 345,Modern Science Fiction

 Surveys the literature of science fiction after it was established as a publisher's category in response to the research revolution. (3-0-3) (S)

ANTH 346,History to Come

 Readings in the science fiction of Robert A. Heinlein, including all of his ``future history'' stories. Like H.G. Wells, his acknowledged master of the sf genre, Heinlein is a writer of sociological significance. Examined in this light is his key idea, that of ``time binding.'' The instructor is Heinlein's authorized biographer. (3-0-3) (S)

ANTH 347,H.G. Wells: Things to Come

 A showing of H.G. Wells's ``Things To Come,'' with a reading of the early film treatment, the published scenario, and the post-production script. The lectures place the film, with other works of Wellsian science fiction, in the context of totalitarian idealism. (3-0-3) (S)

ANTH 412,China Past and Present

 Analyzes Chinese civilization from prehistoric origins to modern outcome. The pattern of change and continuity from Confucian China to Communist China. (3-0-3) (S)

ANTH 491,Individual Research

 Allows students with special skills and interests who would like, in their own projects, to explore some new areas of anthropological research. Prerequisite: Consent of instructor. (Credit: Variable; maximum 5 credit hours) (S)

Political Science

PS 200,American Government

 Surveys American politics and government. The informal political institutions, such as parties and interest groups, are analyzed and related to the formal governmental institutions, such as the presidency and the Congress. Emphasis is placed on how the American political culture shapes these institutions and how public policies are produced. (3-0-3) (S)

PS 201,Politics and Public Policy

 Analyzes how social problems become public problems and how the government develops public policies and with what effect. Emphasizes the characteristics of the American policy-making process. Case studies are used to clarify the process. (3-0-3) (S)

PS 205,Political Parties and Public Opinion

 Examines political parties as agents of change and stability in the United States. Considers political socialization, political groups, public opinion, and political participation. Reviews historical development of the American party system through voter realignments and changing political issues. Analyzes party structure and organization, partisan competition, nominations, elections, and party government. (3-0-3) (S)

PS 256,Law in American Society

 Examines the nature of law and the legal system in our society. Special attention will be paid to the institutions of the legal system, how they are supposed to function, and how they actually do function. Topics for study include the police, prosecutors, lawyers, judges, juries, grand juries, and public defenders. In addition, courts ranging from trial courts to the U.S. Supreme Court are studied. Finally, the impact of U.S. Supreme Court decisions on the system of justice in the U.S. are explored. (3-0-3) (S)

PS 273,Great Political Thinkers

 Introduces students to the ideas of the world's great political philosophers. Plato, Aristotle, Hobbes, Locke, Rousseau, Marx, and others will be covered. (3-0-3) (S) NOTE: All political science courses numbered above 300 require as prerequisites successful completion of a 200-level political science course or departmental approval, at least one other course marked with an (S), and ENGL 101.

PS 303,Politics and the Media

 Analyzes the media's role in contemporary American politics and government. Emphasis is placed on how the media, both newspapers and television, manufacture the news and how the news influences political and government agenda, decision making, and public policies. (3-0-3) (S)

PS 315,Urban Politics

 Examines city and metropolitan politics and government. Emphasizes how economic and demographic changes influence local politics, how local politics work, and how state and national policies influence local politics. Special attention is devoted to Chicago politics. (3-0-3) (S)

PS 316,Popular Culture and City Politics

 The course uses films and literature to explore how the city has been depicted in popular culture. Themes and topics include: the ``search for order'' in the family, the workplace, and the neighborhood; religion, race, and ethnicity; conformity and alienation. These themes will be discussed in terms of the larger social, political, and economic systems. The course also examines the ``physical city'' as an expression of dominant and competing values of the larger culture. Special attention will be given to Chicago. (3-0-3) (S)

PS 317,Chicago Politics

 The study of Chicago's politics and government from both historical and contemporary perspectives. Emphasis is placed on changes that have significantly shaped the direction of Chicago's politics. Special attention is devoted to social class, ethnicity, race, and ideology as factors that have influenced the Democratic political machine and its opposition. (3-0-3) (S)

PS 318,Contemporary Constitutional Issues

 The course examines how decisions about some of our basic rights are made. Emphasizes U.S. Supreme Court decisions in the areas of criminal law, desegregation, education, welfare, housing, and consumer law. Related topics of special interest to students in the class can be added to the syllabus. Supreme Court decisions are read and supplemented by textual material. (3-0-3) (S)

PS 330,International Relations

 Examines the relations among nations from the perspective of both the international system and the nation state. Emphasizes the transformation in the international system caused by the development of nuclear weapons and the revolution in trade and communications; compares the nature, function, and purpose of modern warfare and other forms of conflict with the prospects for international order through law, organization, communications, and arms control. Gives special attention to the international policies of the United States toward various regions and its role in international organizations. (3-0-3) (S)

PS 332,Politics of Science and Technology

 Explores the complex interrelationships among science, technology, and politics, with emphasis on the political issues created by contemporary nuclear physics and molecular biology. Gives roughly equal attention to: the politics of scientific discovery; the development of government organization for science and scientific advice to government; the impact of industrialized science and advanced technology on the economy and science; and the growing debate over the social implications of science and technology and how they can be predicted, measured, and controlled. (3-0-3) (S)

PS 333,National Defense Policy

 Examines the formulation and implementation of national security and military policy in the United States. Surveys the emergence and growth of military strategy and the defense establishment, with primary emphasis on contemporary issues, institutions and policies, and prospects for the future. Emphasizes the impact of nuclear weapons on military strategy and security and the contemporary conflict between nuclear escalation and arms control. (3-0-3) (S)

PS 338,Energy and Environmental Policy

 Places energy and environmental policy in domestic and global contexts. Traces the economic and political implications of dependence on fossil fuels and the attempt to develop alternate energy sources and promote conservation. Assesses the environmental effects of resource consumption and the effort to control these effects by increased efficiency and regulation of pollution. Explores such problems as nuclear waste, acid rain, global warming, and defrostation. Examines national and international attempts at economics, political, and technological solutions. (3-0-3) (S)

PS 339,Nuclear Energy and Society

 Explores the relationship between nuclear energy--science, technology, and products-- and society--national, local, and global. Gives detailed attention to the discovery of nuclear fission and its exploitation during World War II and after, culminating in the contemporary nuclear arms race. Examines the emergence and growth of nuclear power and the rise of the controversy over its safety, security, and economy. Considers the risks of continued proliferation, the prospects for arms control and the ``peaceful atom,'' and the chances for survival in a nuclear world. Uses films, case studies, guest lectures, and simulations where appropriate. (3-0-3) (S)

PS 345,The American Presidency

 Surveys the evolution of the office and powers of the presidency as a result of historical forces, institutional factors, and the actions of those who have served as President. Studies the relationships of presidents with political parties, Congress, the bureaucracy, media, and the public, emphasizing both domestic and foreign policy. Gives major attention to changes in the presidential selection process and their implications for those who run and win the office. Examines the alleged crisis of the contemporary presidency and the proposals for overcoming it. (3-0-3) (S)

PS 351,Public Administration

 Examines the nature of administrative organization, decision making in organization, and organization structure and processes: division of work, authority, communications, and planning. Considers the role of the government executive. Analyzes relation of fiscal procedures and personnel management to organization. (3-0-3) (S)

PS 355,Political Sociology

 Surveys major issues and problems in the field of political sociology. Topics include the forms of political power structures, elitist approaches to politics, community and national power structure, and political socialization. (3-0-3) (S)

PS 452,Bureaucracy

 Analyzes bureaucracy in its social context. The evolution of the theory and practice of bureaucracy as a form of control, coordination, and social order are considered. Emphasizes government bureaucracies, with selected examples from other organizations. (3-0-3) (S)

PS 453,Regulatory Policy and Politics

 Examines the changing role of government regulation of private and public activities from a political and administrative perspective. Explores reasons for the growth of government regulation from the Progressive era through the New Deal to the social regulation of the 1970s and for the subsequent controversy over economic and social deregulation. Investigates the regulatory process, including administrative law, standards for rule-making, and the involvement of organized groups and the courts. Studies specific cases from such areas as transportation, environment, energy, public health, and research and development. (3-0-3)

PS 462,American Governmental Institutions

 Constitutes an advanced course in American government primarily for the political science major or student taking the Public Administration Option. The course focuses on the policy-making process with special emphasis given to the relationship between politics and administration at all levels of government. Prerequisite: PS 200 or consent of instructor. (3-0-3) (S)

PS 477,Topics in the Study of Politics

 Provides students a reading and seminar course on a selected topic of politics. Subject matter will change in successive offerings of the course. (3-0-3) (S)

PS 497,Directed Readings in Political Science

 Consists of independent reading and analysis, centered on particular problems and supervised by a member of the political science faculty. Prerequisite: Consent of instructor. (Credit: Variable; maximum credit 4 hours) (S)

Sociology

SOC 200,General Sociology

 Introduces students to the structure and operation of society by using the basic sociological concepts of social institutions, social processes, and social change. Analyzes individual behavior from the point of view of cultural and group influences. Emphasizes the structure and problems of American society. (3-0-3) (S)

SOC 201,Social Psychology

 Examines how contemporary society molds individuals to its image. Topics include: human instinct, values and needs, attitudes, the process of socialization, suggestion and propaganda, rumor, prejudice, social conflict, conformity, social values, and interaction. (3-0-3) (S)

SOC 240, Social Problems

 Analyzes selected problems affecting American society, including: poverty among and discrimination against minorities; crime and delinquency; urban problems; United States and world population problems; foreign policy and militarism. (3-0-3) (S)

SOC 242,Industrial Society

 Analyzes social issues of particular relevance to scientists and engineers: demographic trends and their effects on schools, labor markets, workplaces, and other institutions; the changing role of the United States in the world political economy; the impact of changing technology on work and employment; the shift to a service economy; the Japanese challenge to American business and industry; responses of both the public and private sectors to these issues. (3-0-3) (S)

SOC 245,Criminology

 Considers social and legal conceptions of crime in historical perspective. Research methods, ecology of crime, patterns in criminal behavior, and current theories of crime are analyzed. The societal reaction to criminal behavior, methods of control, punishment, and rehabilitation. (3-0-3) (S)

SOC 248,Juvenile Delinquency

 Considers delinquency as a socio- psychological process. Sources of information, research methods, and empirical research data are analyzed and used to evaluate current theories. The societal reaction to delinquency; its definition, prevention, and treatment. (3-0-3) (S)

SOC 249,Sociology of the Family

 This course examines the family in its cultural, social, and economic contexts: how the family forms, function, and ideology are related to other aspects of society; and how the family serves as the environment for interpersonal behavior. Among the topics to be considered are feminine and masculine roles, alternative lifestyles, parenthood, and the changes in family related to the human life-cycle. (3-0-3) (S)

SOC 259,Race and Ethnic Relations

 The course examines the social, psychological, and cultural dimensions of race and ethnic relations in the context of modern society. Major theories regarding the origins and impact of interracial and interethnic conflict are analyzed, with special emphasis placed on the consequences of such conflict for the wider society. Governmental responses to prejudice and discrimination also are examined. (3-0-3) (S) NOTE: All sociology courses numbered above 300 require as prerequisites successful completion of at least one sociology course at the 200 level, at least one other course marked with an (S), and ENGL 101.

SOC 301,The Social Dimension of Science

 Examines how social and psychological factors influence the reasoning and behavior of scientists. Through contrasting traditional views of science with actual scientific practice, the course aims at understanding such phenomena as ``hype,'' resistance to scientific discovery, controversy, vicious competition, error, self-deception, and fraud. (3-0-3) (S)

SOC 302,Science and Belief

 Explores the relationship between science and belief through comparing Western science with other belief systems, science with religion, and science with pseudo-science. The course also examines cultural and ideological influences on scientific knowledge and public faith in science. (3-0-3) (S)

SOC 311 Comparative Social Structure

 Examines theories of social organization with particular focus on complex bureaucratic organizations, social stratification, and social change; also considers basic social institutions (e.g., family, government) in light of relevant theories. (3-0-3) (S)

SOC 321,Social Inequality

 Evaluates the patterns and dimensions of social, economic, and political inequality in American society and how these compare with other societies; who gets ahead and why; the relationship of social class to other features of society; some consequences of social stratification; and outlooks for the future of inequality in the United States. (3-0-3) (S)

SOC 346,Population Dynamics

 Considers the structure and organization of society as indicated by demographic characteristics such as births, deaths, marriage, and migration. Reviews the computation, analysis, and utilization of demographic techniques. (3-0-3) (S)

SOC 348,Deviant Behavior and Conformity

 Analyzes the definition, development, and control of deviant behavior in relation to social processes. Societal reaction to and the amount, distribution, and behavior systems of various forms of deviance (drug addiction, suicide, crime, alcoholism, illegitimacy, etc.) are examined. (3-0-3) (S)

SOC 350 Urban Sociology

 This three-part course investigates the role cities have played in the development of industrial societies; analyzes the historical development of American cities and the problems they face today, including poverty and racial tensions, fiscal strain, and population and industrial decline (with an emphasis on Chicago); and examines urban patterns and problems in the third world. (3-0-3) (S)

SOC 352,School and Society

 Analyzes the organization and purpose of schooling in American society, including: the historical development of American education; the relationship of schooling to life chances and individual success; the bureaucratic characteristics of schooling; contemporary problems facing American education and proposals recommended for their solution; and how the U.S. educational system compares with those of other societies. (3-0-3) (S)

SOC 353,Women in Society

 Examines the historical role and present status of women in the United States with respect to socialization, education, marriage and the family, legal discrimination, and the workforce, particularly the professions. Provides a cross-cultural comparison of women's roles in traditional and modern societies. (3-0-3) (S)

SOC 355,Political Sociology

 Surveys major issues and problems in political sociology, including the forms of political power structures, elitist approaches to politics, community and national power structure, voting behavior, nation building and modernization, and civil-military relations. (3-0-3) (S)

SOC 362,Technology and Social Change

 Examines major changes in social institutions and the role that technical innovations have played. Introduces the student to various approaches to assessment and forecasting. (3-0-3) (S)

SOC 371 Occupations and Professions

 This course considers all factors affecting work, including the transition from school to work; the determinants of earnings and other job benefits; job satisfaction; labor unions and professional associations; class position in American society; the effects of foreign competition; government labor force policies; and the work environment in a comparative perspective. (3-0-3) (S)

SOC 374,Medical Sociology

 Examines the social dimensions of patient and physician behavior, medical and nursing education, the organization of medical settings--particularly the hospital; social epidemiology; the politics of health care, unorthodox medicine, the delivery of services, and the systems of other nations. (3-0-3) (S)

SOC 401,Social Psychiatry

 Examines social and cultural foundations of mental illness and its treatment. Topics include: social disorganization; the effects of urban living; the labeling process; ethnic and religious influences upon help-seeking behavior; and differences in treatment outcomes as a function of characteristics of mental health institutions, as well as therapeutic approaches and ideologies. (3-0-3) (S)

SOC 408,The Labor Force

 Examines labor force surveys: their history; the different types which have developed; their validity, reliability, precision, and representativeness. Topics covered will include the measurement of employment and unemployment, development of the labor force concept, occupational and industrial classification, trends in the size and composition of the labor force. (3-0-3) (S)

SOC 411 The Social Use of Space

 Explores the interaction of spatial and social dimensions of the city, including such topics as territoriality, neighboring, perceptions of community, effects of physical design and scale on human behavior, and urbanism and suburbanism as ways of life. Emphasizes case studies and direct observation of actual communities, with special attention to Chicago. (3-0-3) (S)

SOC 431 Development of Sociological Thought

 Surveys ideas and issues that have influenced the history of sociology and continue to bear significantly on current theory. Analyzes major figures, schools of thought, conceptual themes, and controversies. (3-0-3) (S)

SOC 480 Sociology of Disability and Rehabilitation

 Examines the institutions and groups that interact with disabled individuals. Topics include the service professions and rehabilitation; labeling and disability; sheltered care versus mainstreaming; disability and the family; the role of support groups; employment of individuals; and a cross-cultural survey of rehabilitation. (3-0-3) (S)

SOC 491,Undergraduate Research in Sociology

 Students engage in supervised readings or research in order to obtain more intensive training in special interest areas of sociology. Prerequisite: Consent of instructor. (Credit: Variable)

SOC 497,Directed Readings

 Students read selected literature on a particular topic. Prerequisite: Consent of instructor. (Credit: Variable) (S)
Last Updated October 28, 1994
Comments, suggestions, complaints can be addressed to: Falke Bruinsma.