Course Descriptions
Sociology | Criminal Justice | Anthropology
Sociology Courses
201S. An Introduction to Sociology. Lecture 3 hours; 3 credits. An introduction to the discipline and methods of sociology. Major topics include socialization, social inequality, family, education, gender roles, ethnic and minority relations.
226S. Honors: Introduction to Sociology. Lecture 3 hours; 3 credits. Open only to students in the Academic Honors College. A special honors section of SOC 201S.
300U. Social Problems. Lecture 3 hours; 3 credits. Prerequisite: SOC 201S. An analysis of the major social problems confronting groups and individuals in a society marked by rapid change. Emphasis is given to the study of social phenomena including both historical and comparative perspectives.
303U. Introduction to Marriage and the Family. Lecture 3 hours; 3 credits. Prerequisite: SOC 201S. A wide variety of topics are covered, including gender-role socialization, dating, premarital sex, power, negotiation, conflict and violence as well as satisfaction in relationships, singlehood, cohabitation, commuter and dual-career relationships, and relationship dissolution.
306U. Religion and Society. Lecture 3 hours; 3 credits. Prerequisite: SOC 201S or consent of the instructor. Sociological analysis of religion as a social institution, of the functions of religion and its relationship to other institutions and to social change, and of the religious behavior of individuals.
309U. Population and Society. (writing intensive course) Lecture 3 hours; 3 credits. Prerequisite: six semester hours in the social sciences. This course offers an introduction to the field of population and its interconnection to broader social changes. It introduces students to the concepts, issues and concerns in population studies and examines the interaction between population processes and economic development, social changes and environment. Topics include theories, fertility, mortality, migration, distribution and composition, population and development, population and environment, and policy. Emphasis is given to a critical assessment of population processes as both causes and consequences of development and societal changes with a focus on comparative patterns between developing countries and the more developed countries.
310. An Introduction to Social Work. Lecture 3 hours; 3 credits. Prerequisite: SOC 201S. The rise of social work as a significant segment of modern, urbanized society, with special emphasis on its evolving philosophy, professionalization, its relation to the social services, and the varied community problems to which it devotes attention.
316. Juvenile Delinquency. Lecture 3 hours; 3 credits. Prerequisite: CRJS 215S or SOC 201S or permission of instructor. A study of juvenile misbehavior in the contemporary community, its nature, extent, treatment, and control, including juvenile court procedure and philosophy.
320U. Social Inequality. Lecture 3 hours; 3 credits. Prerequisite: SOC 201S. An analysis of social differentiation, stratification, and social class. Emphasis is placed upon modern American society, with some comparison with historical and contemporary systems of other societies.
323. Sociology of Minority Families. Lecture 3 hours; 3 credits. Prerequisite: SOC 201S. Examination and explanation of minority families' lives in relationship to other societal institutions and historical developments. The course focuses on issues of minority families and places these issues in a sociological framework, e.g., stratification, poverty and gender.
325. Social Welfare. Lecture 3 hours; 3 credits. Prerequisite: SOC 201S. An introduction to the broad field of social welfare. The philosophy, values, purposes, goals, and functions of social welfare are examined.
330U. Society and the Individual. Lecture 3 hours; 3 credits. Prerequisite: SOC 201S. Social psychological theory and research on current topics of interest on the relationship of the individual to society.
337. Introduction to Social Research. Lecture 3 hours; 3 credits. Prerequisite: CRJS 215S or SOC 201S. An overview of the scientific approach to the study of social phenomena. Includes the application of descriptive measures, graphic techniques, survey and experimental analysis to the study of these phenomena and techniques for making qualitative judgments about such research.
340U. Sociology of Women. Lecture 3 hours; 3 credits. Prerequisite: SOC 201S or six credits in social sciences. An exploration of the role and status of women in contemporary American society from a feminist sociological perspective.
342. Feminist Research Methods. Lecture 3 hours; 3 credits. Prerequisites: WMST 201 and an introductory social science research methods course. An introduction to feminist critiques of mainstream social science research methods and to feminist approaches to social science research as applied to current issues pertaining to women.
343U. Sociology of Sexuality. Lecture 3 hours; 3 credits. Prerequisite: SOC 201S. Study of the sociological research and theory on sexuality. Wide range of issues covered including childhood sexuality and arousal, premarital sex, adult erotic behavior, response to pornography, rape and incest.
352U. War and Peace. Lecture 3 hours; 3 credits. Prerequisite: 6 hours of social science courses or permission of the instructor. An introduction to the nature and implications of nuclear weapons. Focus on sociological and psychological dimensions of the nuclear threat.
353. Sociology of the Middle East. Lecture 3 hours; 3 credits. Prerequisite: SOC 201S. A comparative survey of population and culture and other sociological characteristics of Middle Eastern and Arab League States.
367. Cooperative Education. 1-3 credits (may be repeated). Prerequisite: approval of the department and Career Management, in accordance with the policy for granting credit for Cooperative Education programs. Available for pass/fail grading only. Student participation for credit based on the relevance of the work experience, criteria, and evaluative procedures as formally determined by the department and Career Management prior to the semester in which the work experience is to take place.
368. Internship. 1-6 credits. Prerequisite: permission of the department. This course allows students to volunteer in an agency related to their major for pass/fail credit. Students must volunteer for 50 hours per course credit. Internships for less than 3 credits require prior approval by the Internship Faculty Director.
369. Practicum. 3-6 credits. Prerequisite: permission of the department. This course is for students participating in the Career Advantage Program (CAP).
395, 396. Topics in Sociology. 3 credits each semester. Prerequisite: SOC 201S or permission of the instructor. A study of selected topics designed for nonmajors, or for elective credit within a major. These courses will appear in the course schedule booklet, and will be more fully described in a booklet distributed to all academic advisors.
402/502. Child Welfare. Lecture 3 hours; 3 credits. Prerequisite: SOC 201S. A study of the historical and social aspects of child care. Among the problems considered are day care, guardianship, foster homes, illegitimacy, adoptions, and institutional care.
403W. Violence in the World of Children. Lecture 3 hours; 3 credits. Prerequisite: 6 hours in the social science perspective or SOC 201S or CRJS 215S. This "child-centered" course examines the interaction of adults in violent conflict with the world of children, children's experience of violence and its meaning in the lives of children. Topics include: valuing children, violence toward children in culture, families, and schools; child physical and sexual abuse and neglect, gangs, violent communities, and children and war. The effects of childhood experiences of violence, children's coping with violence, and alternatives to violence are also developed.
405/505. Social Change and Social Movements. Lecture and discussion 3 hours; 3 credits. Prerequisite: SOC 201S. Analysis of the nature and causes of social change, major social movements, and their impact upon contemporary society.
409. Sociological Theory. Lecture 3 hours; 3 credits. Prerequisite: SOC 201S. The development of sociological thought during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Analysis of major contributions to the development of systematic thinking in contemporary sociology.
415. Sociology of Work and Occupations. Lecture 3 hours; 3 credits. Prerequisite: SOC 201S. The study of the social processes involved in the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services within various political economic systems. Includes the study of occupations and the nature of work.
421/521. Deviant Behavior. Lecture 3 hours; 3 credits. Prerequisite: SOC 201S or CRJS 215S. A study of various definitions and forms of deviant behavior, theoretical explanations of causes of deviant behavior and the impact of deviant behavior on society and the individual.
423U/523. Women, Health and Healing. Lecture 3 hours; 3 credits. Prerequisite: 6 hours of social science perspective courses. An examination of women's experiences with health and illness and women's roles in the health-care system as patients and care providers from a feminist sociological perspective.
426U/526. The Sociology of Minority Groups. Lecture 3 hours; 3 credits. Prerequisite: SOC 201S. The study of the process of and responses to the oppression of racial, religious, ethnic, and national minorities in a variety of countries within a historical and comparative perspective. Special emphasis given to American minorities and especially African Americans.
427U/527. Violence Against Women. Lecture 3 hours; 3 credits. Prerequisite: SOC 201S or CRJS 215S or completion of social science perspective or permission of the instructor. A critical analysis of violence against women as an institution of social control. Examines violence in the context of social and political inequality and feminist critique. Issues explored include pornography, prostitution, sexual harassment, incest, battering and rape.
436. Capstone Research Project. Lecture 3 hours; 3 credits. Prerequisites: SOC 337, STAT 130M and senior status. Students will work in groups to plan, design, and carry out a research project. Final papers which report the results of the study will be presented in a formal research seminar. The projects will reflect knowledge gained from undergraduate work and training received in STAT 130M and SOC 337.
438. Sociology of Education. Lecture 3 hours; 3 credits. Prerequisite: 6 hours in sociology. Sociological theory and research investigating contemporary education as a social institution.
440U/540. Sociology of Health and Illness. (writing intensive course) Lecture 3 hours; 3 credits. Prerequisite: 6 hours in the social science perspective. The study of social and social-psychological factors related to health, illness, and treatment with a focus on social epidemiology, the medical industry, and health, illness, and sick-role behavior.
441U/541. Drugs and Society. Lecture 3 hours; 3 credits. Prerequisite: SOC 201S or CRJS 215S. The study of sociological and social psychological explanations of drug-using behaviors and of legal and medical control of drugs. Topics include changes in the legal status of drugs, cross-cultural and historical variations in the control and use of drugs, and social epidemiology of drug use in contemporary society.
446/546. Social Issues Across the Life Cycle. Lecture 3 hours; 3 credits. Prerequisite: 6 hours in sociology. This course focuses on age stratification across the life course. An analysis of social forces and issues affecting lives at various stages of the life cycle is offered.
495/595, 496/596. Topics in Sociology. 3 credits each semester. Prerequisite: SOC 201S or permission of the instructor. The advanced study of selected topics designed to permit small groups of qualified students to work on subjects of mutual interest which, due to their specialized nature, may not be offered regularly. These courses will appear in the course schedule booklet, and will be more fully described in a booklet distributed to all academic advisors.
497/597, 498/598. Tutorial Work in Special Topics in Sociology. 3 credits each semester. Prerequisites: senior standing and approval of the department chair. Independent reading and study on a topic to be selected under the direction of an instructor. Conferences and papers as appropriate.
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Criminal Justice Courses
215S. Introduction to Criminology. Lecture 3 hours; 3 credits. Introduction to criminology as a science, including the study of crime, criminals, and society's response to them.
222. The Criminal Justice System. Lecture 3 hours; 3 credits. A study of social response to criminal behavior as cases move through the machinery of justice. Describes the interdependence of crime statistics, law enforcement, criminal courts, and correctional procedures for purposes of analyzing the entire system.
226S. Honors: Introduction to Criminology. Lecture 3 hours; 3 credits. Open only to students in the Honors College. Special honors section of CRJS 215S.
262. Law and the Criminal Justice System. Lecture 3 hours; 3 credits. The course covers both substantive and procedural law related to the definitions, investigations, processing and punishment of crimes. It is meant to provide the students with an overall understanding of the articulation between law and the criminal justice system.
316. Juvenile Delinquency. Lecture 3 hours; 3 credits. Prerequisite: CRJS 215S or SOC 201S or permission of instructor. A study of juvenile misbehavior in the contemporary community, its nature, extent, treatment, and control, including juvenile court procedure and philosophy.
317. Correctional Institutions. Lecture 3 hours; 3 credits. Prerequisite: CRJS 215S. Examines the history of prisons and jails, their formal and informal organization, their effects on individuals, and issues and philosophies of penal reform.
318. Probation, Parole and Community-Based Corrections. Lecture 3 hours; 3 credits. Prerequisite: CRJS 215S. Examines the history, law, administration and social setting of probation, parole and other noninstitutional sentencing alternatives. Also explores nontraditional alternatives to criminal adjudication such as arbitration and diversion programs.
319. Public and Private Security. Lecture 3 hours; 3 credits. Prerequisite: CRJS 215S or permission of the instructor. The organization of security systems in public and private agencies and institutions.
320. Law and Social Control. Lecture 3 hours; 3 credits. Prerequisite: CRJS 215S or permission of the instructor. Examines the creation, use and effectiveness of formal and informal mechanisms of social control for both criminal and non-criminal deviant behavior. Cross-cultural comparisons are given special emphasis.
323. Police in American Society. Lecture 3 hours; 3 credits. Prerequisite: CRJS 215S. Examines the role of police in a free society. Police functions, subculture, community relations and decision making receive special attention. Problems such as police corruption, violence and the methods by which society attempts to control police behavior are also discussed.
325U. Women and Crime. Lecture 3 hours; 3 credits. Prerequisite: CRJS 215S or permission of the instructor. Examines the role of women as offenders, victims and employees of the criminal justice system. Theories of female criminality and the treatment of female offenders are explored. Attention is given to the victimization of women, specifically wife abuse and rape, problems of minority women, and the impact of current legislation.
350. Victimology. Lecture 3 hours; 3 credits. Prerequisite: SOC 201S or CRJS 215S or six hours of social science perspective. Examination of the multifaceted problem of criminal victimization. Focuses on defining victimization, the incidents of victimization, social characteristics of victims, treatment of victims in the criminal justice system, and efforts designed to alleviate the consequences of victimization.
355. Crime and the Community. Lecture 3 hours; 3 credits. Prerequisite: CRJS 215S or SOC 201S. This course will focus on the effect of crime on communities and the ways in which communities affect crime. The class will consider both ethnographic community studies as well as larger-scale demographic analysis.
367. Cooperative Education. 1-3 credits (may be repeated for credit). Prerequisite: approval of the department and Career Management in accordance with the policy for granting credit for Cooperative Education programs. Available for pass/fail grading only. Student participation for credit based on the academic relevance of the work experience, criteria, and evaluative procedures as formally determined by the department and Career Management prior to the semester in which the work experience is to take place.
368. Internship. 1-6 credits. Prerequisite: approval by the department. This course allows students to volunteer in an agency related to their major for pass/fail credit. Students must volunteer for 50 hours per course credit. Internships for less than three credits require prior approval by the Internship Faculty Director.
369. Practicum. 1-3 credits.
395, 396. Topics in Criminal Justice. 3 credits each semester. Prerequisite: CRJS 215S or permission of the instructor. A study of selected topics designed for non-majors or for elective credit within a major. These courses will appear in the course schedule booklet, and will be more fully described in a booklet distributed to all academic advisors.
401U/501. Understanding Violence. (writing intensive course) Lecture 3 hours; 3 credits. Prerequisite: CRJS 215S or SOC 201S. Examines a variety of forms of violence from suicide, child abuse, rape and family violence to terrorism, torture, death squads and the death penalty, and hate violence. Explores the circumstances, rationalizations, patterns, explanations and effects on survivors.
403W. Violence in the World of Children. Lecture 3 hours; 3 credits. Prerequisite: 6 hours in the social science perspective or SOC 201S or CRJS 215S. This "child-centered" course examines the interaction of adults in violent conflict with the world of children, children's experience of violence and its meaning in the lives of children. Topics include valuing children, violence toward children in culture, families, and schools; child physical and sexual abuse and neglect; gangs, violent communities and children and war. The effects of childhood experiences of violence, children's coping with violence, and alternatives to violence are also developed.
410/510. Correctional Treatment. Lecture 3 hours; 3 credits. Prerequisites: CRJS 215S and SOC 236. Methods and programs which attempt to correct the behaviors of juvenile delinquents and adult criminal offenders are explored. Treatment strategies employed in both community and institutional settings are examined. Techniques of classification and the role of the correctional worker are also discussed.
415. Courtroom As a Social System. Lecture 3 hours; 3 credits. Prerequisite: CRJS 222. An overview of the role of all of the actors in the American courtroom, the interaction of these actors and the effect of social forces on their behavior. Includes prosecutor, plaintiff and defense lawyers, judges, juries, eye witnesses, expert witnesses, and court staff.
416. The American Jury. Lecture 3 hours; 3 credits. Prerequisite: CRJS 222. A review of the literature, law and practical materials that cover the American jury system from the creation of the master list through the verdict. Includes history, social context and jury selection.
418W. Crime, Society, and the Media. Lecture 3 hours; 3 credits. Prerequisite: CRJS 215S or 222. A critical exploration of media portrayals of crime and criminal justice. News and entertainment genres are examined. Connections between crime, culture, politics, society and individual behavior, and the mass media receive special attention.
421/521. Deviant Behavior. Lecture 3 hours; 3 credits. Prerequisite: SOC 201S or CRJS 215S. A study of various definitions and forms of deviant behavior, theoretical explanations of causes of deviant behavior, and the impact of deviant behavior on society and the individual.
423/523. Public Policy in Criminal Justice. Lecture 3 hours; 3 credits. Prerequisite: CRJS 215S. A study of the nature, development, and utilization of public policy within agencies of the criminal justice system. Topics include policy formulation, constraints on policy makers, influence of constituencies, and the role of research information. Case studies of issues such as crime control, prison overcrowding, police use of deadly force, the death penalty and parole guidelines will be undertaken.
426/526. Criminological Theory. Lecture 3 hours; 3 credits. Prerequisites: CRJS 215S and senior standing, or permission of the instructor. An in-depth study of the major theoretical issues in criminology. Deals extensively with issues of crime causation.
427U/527. Violence Against Women. Lecture 3 hours; 3 credits. Prerequisite: SOC 201S or CRJS 215S or completion of Social Science perspective or permission of instructor. A critical analysis of violence against women as an institution of social control. Examines violence in the context of social and political inequality and feminist critique. Issues explored include pornography, prostitution, sexual harassment, incest, battering and rape.
436. Capstone Research Project. Lecture 3 hours; 3 credits. Prerequisites: STAT 130M, SOC 337 and senior standing. Students will work in groups to plan, design, and carry out a research project. Final papers which report the results for the study will be presented in a formal research seminar. The projects will reflect knowledge gained from undergraduate work and training received in STAT 130M and SOC 337.
441/541. Drugs and Society. Lecture 3 hours; 3 credits. Prerequisite: SOC 201S or CRJS 215S. The study of sociological and social psychological explanations of drug-using behaviors and of legal and medical control of drugs. Topics include changes in the legal status of drugs, cross-cultural and historical variations in the control of drugs, and social epidemiology of drug use in contemporary society.
448/548. Women, Sex Discrimination and the Law. Lecture 3 hours; 3 credits. Prerequisite: CRJS 215S or permission of the instructor. This course introduces students to legal issues which specifically affect women and examines historical attitudes which have been used to justify differential treatment of women. It explores various legal approaches used to achieve equal protection under the law and examines a variety of specific topics such as: the equal protection analysis; Title VII and Title IX and their relationship to sex discrimination; affirmative action; and reproductive freedom.
450/550. Blacks, Crime and Justice. Lecture 3 hours; 3 credits. Prerequisites: CRJS 215S and 322U. Examines historical and contemporary theories and research on African-Americans, criminal behavior and the administration of justice. Selected topics will include African-American perspectives, the death penalty, victimization, police brutality, and justice systems in Africa and the Caribbean.
462/562. Substantive Criminal Law. Lecture and discussion 3 hours; 3 credits. Prerequisite: CRJS 215S. This course deals with the major substantive concepts involved in American criminal law, including development of criminal law, elements of criminal liability, defenses against criminal responsibility, and descriptions and definitions of specific offenses.
475/575. Criminal Justice Systems Around the World. Lecture 3 hours; 3 credits. Prerequisite: CRJS 215S. The study of criminal justice systems around the world in order to understand how criminal behavior is defined and responded to in various cultures. Cultural differences will be highlighted in order to recognize that definitions of and responses to crimes closely reflect the cultures in which they exist.
495/595, 496/596. Topics in Criminal Justice. 3 credits each semester. Prerequisite: CRJS 215S or permission of the instructor. The advanced study of selected topics designed to permit small groups of qualified students to work on subjects of mutual interest which, due to their specialized nature, may not be offered regularly. These courses will appear in the course schedule booklet, and will be more fully described in a booklet distributed to all academic advisors.
497/597, 498/598. Tutorial Work in Special Topics in Criminal Justice. 3 credits each semester. Prerequisites: senior standing and approval of the department chair. Independent reading and study on a topic to be selected under the direction of an instructor. Conferences and papers as appropriate.
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Anthropology Courses
110S. Introduction to Anthropology. Lecture 3 hours; 3 credits. A survey of what we know about the emergence of humans: where we came from; how we developed physically and why; how human cultures became more complex through time; and the variety of human ways of life today.
195, 196. Topics in Anthropology. 1-3 credits each semester. These courses will appear in the course schedule booklet, and will be more fully described in a booklet distributed to all academic advisors.
226S. Honors: Human Origins and Ways of Life--An Introduction to Anthropology. Lecture 3 hours; 3 credits. A special Honors section of ANTR 110S. Open only to students in the Honors College.
295, 296. Topics in Anthropology. 1-3 credits each semester. A study of selected topics designed for nonmajors or for elective credit within a major. These courses will appear in the course schedule booklet, and will be more fully described in a booklet distributed to all academic advisors.
300U. Human Cultures Around the World. Lecture 3 hours; 3 credits. Prerequisite: ANTR 110S. A cross-cultural examination of human economic, social and ideological behavior, with the aim of showing both human cultural diversity and the ways in which the various parts of culture (e.g., trade, marriage practices, witchcraft, etc.) go together to make coherent wholes.
303U. Biological Anthropology. Lecture 3 hours; 3 credits. Prerequisite: ANTR 110S. Human physical and cultural evolution from our earliest primate beginnings through the appearance of anatomically modern humans.
304U. Digging Up the Past. Lecture 3 hours; 3 credits. Prerequisite: ANTR 110S or completion of social science requirement or permission of the instructor. A comprehensive study of the philosophical and scientific foundations of archaeology and of a general prehistory to which they are applied. The course includes discussions of methods and theories used to reconstruct ancient Egypt and Mexico and other early cultures.
305U. North American Archaeology. Lecture 3 hours; 3 credits. Prerequisite: ANTR 110S, or completion of the social science requirement or permission of the instructor. The study of the prehistory of native cultures north of Mexico from the peopling of the New World to contact with Europeans.
306U. North American Indians. Lecture 3 hours; 3 credits. Prerequisites: ANTR 110S or historical perspective, or permission of the instructor. A regional examination of aboriginal cultures in North America at about the time of European contact, with an update on what has happened to these cultures since.
320U. The Sexes in Cross-Cultural Perspective. Lecture 3 hours; 3 credits. Prerequisite: ANTR 110S, completion of the social science perspective or permission of the instructor. An examination of the socialization and perpetuation of sex roles in different societies around the world. The course investigates issues of gender and sexuality throughout an individual's life.
369. Practicum. 1-3 credits.
377,378. Extracurricular Studies. 1-6 credits each semester. Prerequisite: Approval by the department and the dean, in accordance with the policy on granting credit for extracurricular activities. Available for pass/fail grading only.
395,396. Topics in Anthropology. 1-3 credits each semester. Prerequisite: ANTR 110S or permission of instructor. A study of selected topics, designed for nonmajors, or for elective credit within a major. These courses will appear in the course schedule booklet, and will be more fully described in a booklet distributed to all academic advisors.
406U/506. The Indians of Virginia Through Four Centuries. Lecture 3 hours, 3 credits. Prerequisite: ANTR 110S or permission of the instructor. A study of the lives of the native Americans of Virginia both before and after the English settled here. This course covers aboriginal woodland Indian culture, the way it changed after the English came, and the continuing problems the Indian descendants have had in a state which recognizes only blacks and whites.
495/595, 496/596. Topics in Anthropology. 1-3 credits each semester. Prerequisite: senior standing or approval of the department chair. A study of selected topics designed for either majors or nonmajors. These courses will appear in the course schedule booklet, and will be more fully described in a booklet distributed to all academic advisors.
497/597, 498/598. Tutorial Work in Special Topics in Anthropology. 3 credits each semester. Prerequisites: senior standing and approval of department chair. Independent reading and study on a topic to be selected under the direction of an instructor. Conferences and papers as appropriate.
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