Sociology, Department of

Introduction
Learning Goals and Student Learning Outcomes
Programs and Courses Offered

Department Chair

Michael Perez

Department Office/Website

College Park 900
657-278-3531
hss.fullerton.edu/sociology

Faculty

Anthony Alvarez, John Bedell, Dennis Berg, Dana Collins, Randoll Contreras, Alan Emery, Roberta Espinoza, Jorge Fontdevila, Ronald Hughes, Hilla Israely, Sharon Kim, Edythe Krampe, Patricia Literte, Michael Perez, Carter Rakovski, Devon Thomas, Berna Torr, Eileen Walsh, Joseph Weber

Introduction

Sociology is the systematic and scientific study of society and social behavior. The sociologist looks beyond individual and unique events to the predictable broad patterns and regular occurrences of social life that influence individuals. Studies range from the profound impact of post-industrial societies on family life, crime, mass communications, gender, race, ethnicity and intergenerational relations to the study of emotions and the values that govern daily social encounters.

The sociology major is designed to provide undergraduate preparation leading to careers in social work, politics, law, public administration, the nonprofit sector, international development, marketing, urban and environmental planning, public relations, human resource management, criminal justice, counseling and other social service professions. The Bachelor of Arts in Sociology will also prepare a student for advanced studies in several areas, including sociology, social work, environmental studies, education, public health and urban planning.

Learning Goals and Student Learning Outcomes

The following goals and learning outcomes have been established for students pursuing a degree in Sociology:

Sociological perspective

Define and apply the basic concepts of sociology including culture, status, roles, norms, institutions, social class, race, gender and inequality
Understand the role of theory in sociology, evaluate the foundations of sociological theory and evaluate major modern theories, such as functionalism, conflict theory, symbolic interactionism and feminist theory
Understand the macro structure of society, evaluate and apply various theoretical positions explaining social order and social change, evaluate and apply various theoretical positions explaining the functions of social institutions and their interrelatedness
Understand the microstructure of society, evaluate and apply various theoretical positions explaining the reciprocal relations between individuals and the groups in which they are embedded

Research Methods

Understand the design of research, including sampling, measurement and data collection, construct a sampling design illustrating the principles of random selection and stratification, identify possible measures of concepts, distinguish between reliability and validity, identify strengths and weaknesses of alternative methods of data collection
Understand ethical issues that arise in the course of research, identify the critical ethical issues in research, such as confidentiality, informed consent and minimization of risk of subjects, be aware of various professional codes of ethics, such as the code of ethics of American Sociological Society, identify studies that illustrate the critical ethical issues in research

Data Analysis and Computer Competency

Understand both quantitative and qualitative analysis of data, present statistical information about one or more variables, compute and interpret various statistics about variables in samples, conduct inferential testing in order to generalize about population parameters using sample statistics, use qualitative data in generating and testing a theory, write a research report using both quantitative and qualitative data
Acquire computer competency for analyzing and presenting sociological findings, become familiar and competent in the use of various online databases of published research, become familiar and competent in the use and application of various software packages for both quantitative and qualitative data analysis (e.g., SPSS), become familiar and competent in the use and application of various word processing software for the purpose of writing sociological papers and reports (e.g., Word), become familiar and competent in the use and application of various software packages for the purpose of presentations (e.g., Power Point, Excel), become familiar and competent in the use of the Internet and Web pages for the purpose of researching and gathering sociological information

Skills

Think critically, identify the structure of an argument presented in oral or written form, identify any weaknesses in the structure of an argument, its background, assumptions and its evidence, identify basic fallacies in reasoning
Communicate effectively by competent reading, writing and speaking, read and understand professional-level sociological reports, write a clear, grammatical, well-thought out well-organized report of sociological findings, make oral presentations of sociological content acquired in small groups, as well as outside of the classroom
Identify, locate, evaluate and competently use information, acquire basic understanding of information-seeking practices and retrieval tools from both traditional sources and the expanding of digital sources, acquire skills in accessing, evaluating and using information, recognize the power of information and demonstrate ethical behavior and academic integrity as students, consumers and producers of information

Sociological Internship

SOCI 495 offers opportunities to participate in supervised field activities. Students must make arrangements with the Internship Coordinator during the semester prior to enrollment in the course.

Independent Study

SOCI 499 allows students to expand upon their special interests in the field of sociology. Independent studies are usually in areas not covered by the normal course offerings of the department and consists of individual research projects. Enrollment in the course requires that students meet regularly with their faculty supervisors.

Programs and Courses Offered

Programs

Bachelor of Arts

Sociology, B.A.

Master of Arts

Sociology, M.A.

Non-Degree

Sociology Minor

Courses

Sociology

Courses are designated as SOCI in the class schedule.