Sociology (SOC)

Sociology is the scientific study of human society and social life. In this course, we analyze how people influence and are influenced by other people and the social structures in which they live. We examine key concepts, theories, and ideas in sociology, including subfields such as culture, sex and gender, race and ethnicity, crime and deviance, and collective action and social movements.

Substance Use and Abuse is a survey course designed to familiarize students with the terminology, concepts, and contemporary issues pertaining to drug and alcohol use from a social science perspective. In this course, you will become acquainted at the introductory level with the historical and cultural processes that define addictions today, the pharmacological aspects of drugs and their impact on humans and animals, psychological processes related to alcohol and drug use, the various treatment and recovery modalities available, and ever-evolving policies and public health debates regarding substance use. Students also will learn the methods that researchers use to study alcohol and drug use in animals and humans. This course is the same as PSY 121 and course repeat rules will apply. Students should consult with their major department regarding any restrictions on their degree requirements.

The one credit UB Seminar is focused on a big idea or challenging issue to engage students with questions of significance in a field of study and, ultimately, to connect their studies with issues of consequence in the wider world. Essential to the UB Curriculum, the Seminar helps transition to UB through an early connection to UB faculty and the undergraduate experience at a comprehensive, research university. This course is equivalent to any 198 offered in any subject. This course is a controlled enrollment (impacted) course. Students who have previously attempted the course and received a grade of F or R may not be able to repeat the course during the fall or spring semester.

The three credit UB Seminar is focused on a big idea or challenging issue to engage students with questions of significance in a field of study and, ultimately, to connect their studies with issues of consequence in the wider world. Essential to the UB Curriculum, the Seminar helps students with common learning outcomes focused on fundamental expectations for critical thinking, ethical reasoning, and oral communication, and learning at a university, all within topic focused subject matter. The Seminars provide students with an early connection to UB faculty and the undergraduate experience at a comprehensive, research university. This course is equivalent to any 199 offered in any subject. This course is a controlled enrollment (impacted) course. Students who have previously attempted the course and received a grade of F or R may not be able to repeat the course during the fall or spring semester.

This course will provide students with an understanding of state and federal social welfare policies and the impact they have on special populations, particularly those in poverty. In addition, students will learn the theoretical bases for social welfare policies and analyze them from sociological, economic, and political perspectives. We will examine the theory, structure, and policies of state and federal welfare agencies as well as the lived experiences of the poor and near-poor.

This course introduces students to the many concepts of community organizations and how they are formed, structured, and managed. The course is conducted through lectures, readings, and writing assignments; community visits; and guest lectures. Analyzes community organizing as a profession practiced by various individuals and groups.

Considers theories of how the arts function in modern societies and cultures, including reflection, shaping, social control, and influence. We will also examine audiences and institutions and their roles in shaping the arts.

What constitutes a social problem, and who defines what a social problem is? Why do some social problems receive so much attention, while others are ignored? What are the consequences of defining social problems in a particular way? This course examines these questions drawing on case studies of contemporary social issues, on a wide range of topics such as income inequality, harassment, racism, mass incarceration, and immigration.

What does diversity mean in the contemporary United States? Under what conditions is diversity positive or negative? This course applies a sociological lens to the meaning and experience of diversity, paying particular attention to dimensions of difference such race, ethnicity, religion, class, (dis)ability, sexuality, and gender. This course is the same as SSC 212, and course repeat rules will apply. Students should consult with their major department regarding any restrictions on their degree requirements. Per the university repeat policy, SOC 211 may be used to replace the grade for UGC 211, by petition only.

Special topics in sociology determined by individual faculty interest. Topic titles and content vary from semester to semester. Check with the department for current offerings.

This course introduces concepts from demography and population research. Students will learn demographic theories and methods and topics such as the demographic transition of populations; population processes such as fertility, mortality, and migration; the impact of population change on social institutions; and the regional, national, and global effects of population growth.

What makes us happy? This course takes a sociological approach to explore the nature and meaning of happiness, and the interplay between individual and social happiness. Among the topics we will consider are different ways happiness has been measured by social scientists, the roles that families and friends play in happiness, and levels of happiness among different sociodemographic groups (gender, age, race/ethnicity, social class). We will also explore broader questions about how happiness differs among cultures and nations, and whether happiness should be a consideration in formulating public policies.

This course is about using scientific rigor to examine the world around us. It requires re-evaluating everyday methods of gathering information and drawing conclusions and using theory, causal modeling, and carefully collected data to arrive at logical, complete, and better-supported explanations of events and social phenomena. Students will learn about and practice doing sociology. The skills developed provide the foundations necessary to conduct professional research and to become better consumers of information.

This course introduces students to the vocabulary, concepts, and statistical techniques used by quantitative social scientists to describe and test hypotheses about the social world. Students will learn how to (1) describe data distributions, (2) formulate and test research hypotheses, (3) describe and probe the relationship between two or more factors, characteristics, or events in the social world, and (4) interpret and evaluate published statistics.

Societal aging is accompanied by a host of challenges, including how to provide care, income, and engagement opportunities for a growing population of older people. By examining societal trends related to aging students gain an understanding of how different societies adapt to these new challenges. Other topics may include: work and retirement, health, care work and family, death and dying, and changing patterns of inequality with age. This course is the same as SSC 300, and course repeat rules will apply. Students should consult with their major department regarding any restrictions on their degree requirements.

Modern life is lived within organizations. This course covers the development and spread of rationalization and bureaucracy in Western societies, formal and informal relationships within organizations, workplace dynamics and inequality, technology and workplace dignity, as well as organizational decision-making, culture, power, and failure.

Why do individuals commit crime? This course examines and assesses a variety of theories from each of the three main criminological paradigms classical, positivist, and critical, with special attention to the role of important crime correlates such as class, gender, and race. In addition to theories of crime, the course also turns a critical lens to sources of crime knowledge (including popular media and national data sources), and introduces punishment philosophies and how they relate to theories of criminality. This course is the same as SSC 307, and course repeat rules will apply. Students should consult with their major department regarding any restrictions on their degree requirements.

This course is an introduction to the theories and research associated with the life course perspective in sociology. This perspective incorporates a life-long perspective on human development, in recognition of the developmental processes undergone by individuals throughout their lives, and emphasizes the continuities that exist between early-life circumstances and later-life outcomes. The life course framework is based on four central themes: the intersection of history and biography, the salience of links to significant others and between different life domains (e.g. work, family), the role of individuals in shaping their own life trajectories within social constraints, and the significance of the timing of events. This course is the same as SSC 311, and course repeat rules will apply. Students should consult with their major department regarding any restrictions on their degree requirements.

Change seems to be everywhere. In fact constant rapid change is a defining characteristic of modern societies. How do social scientists explain social change? Throughout the course we will explore broad patterns of social transformations and the effects of globalization on culture.

What is the purpose of education, and why do inequalities in educational attainment and academic achievement persist in the United States? These questions will be a primary focus of the class, with an emphasis on issues of race, class, gender, and neighborhood.

Understanding the relationship between drugs and their social context provides insights into why, despite the risks, people find consciousness alteration meaningful. Topics covered in this course may include: the kinds of experiences/problems that arise from drug use; shifting perspectives on drug use in society; the emergence of drug crusades and drug legislation in America; the relationship between drug use and crime; the prevention and treatment of alcohol and drug problems; and current domestic and international drug control policies.

From the earliest surviving film, which features an idyllic English garden in 1888, to contemporary blockbusters, filmmakers have incorporated the non-human world to explore relationships between people and people, and people and environments. In this class we will use films to examine how the history and current status of our interactions with the natural world are expressed through film, using recent Hollywood hits and foreign classics, documentaries, film noir and more. En route, we will study the creative process inherent in filmmaking. Through these films we will track filmmakers' changing attitudes towards environmental themes. In addition, we will use these films as tools to track the material history of humanity¿s interaction with the environment. Throughout, we will critically examine how both the process of filmmaking as well as how films themselves can help us to develop a richer understanding of our indelible relationship to the natural world.

This course evaluates families as social institutions, and examines how social factors such as race, class, and gender shape contemporary families. Additional topics may include historical trends in family formation as well as contemporary public policies. This course is the same as SSC 313, and course repeat rules will apply. Students should consult with their major department regarding any restrictions on their degree requirements.

This course explores the social and cultural construction of gender, focusing on the ways that femininities and masculinities are constructed from infancy through adulthood in the United States. Includes how gender shapes--and is shaped by--major social institutions such as media, sports, and work, as well as other characteristics such as social class, race/ethnicity, and sexuality. This course is the same as SSC 316, and course repeat rules will apply. Students should consult with their major department regarding any restrictions on their degree requirements.

Have you ever noticed the striking differences between rich and poor city neighborhoods? Have you ever looked for a job in a city and found only advertisements for waiting tables? This course explores everyday city life in the U.S. and the social structural conditions that shape it. Topics may include: deindustrialization, economic decline, and segregation; gentrification and the service economy; and, globalization and/or political activism. Students learn about the day-to-day realities of living, working, and having fun in a city, all within the broader social context of inequality, history, and the economy.

This course examines the varying functions of criminal justice institutions: police, prosecutors, courts, probation services, and prisons and jails. Students will explore how the structure and practice of the criminal justice system varies across countries and will think critically about changes in the purpose and effectiveness of criminal justice institutions in the U.S. over time. Students will also understand the theoretical and practical role of these institutions in (re)producing or mitigating social inequality. This course is the same as SSC 318 and course repeat rules will apply. Students should consult with their major department regarding any restrictions on their degree requirements.

What accounts for the underrepresentation of women in some jobs, and the overrepresentation of women in others? Why is there a wage gap between men and women? How does the division of household labor influence women's and men's participation in the paid labor force? This course examines the role that gender plays in shaping the experience of work, including causes and implications of occupational sex segregation and wage inequality, and social policies affecting gender relations in work organizations. Also examines the interaction of work and family life, including the allocation of household work and control of resources.

This course is organized around several themes: how delinquency is defined and measured, the sociological factors that put a child at risk for becoming a part of the juvenile justice system; the roles of gender, race, and class, as well as culture, families, schools, and communities, in predicting delinquency; and, responses to juvenile delinquency via the juvenile court process, youth corrections in the community, and out of home juvenile placements. Students will also examine how contact with the juvenile justice system may lead to or prevent future contact with the criminal justice system in adulthood. This course is the same as SSC 319 and course repeat rules will apply. Students should consult with their major department regarding any restrictions on their degree requirements.

Racial inequality pervades the social history of the United States: From the enslavement of Africans to the Jim Crow laws of the Deep South to the high levels of racial residential segregation in American cities, the inequity associated with skin color remains a powerful force in determining life chances. In this course we will study the social forces that have formed the experiences of racial and ethnic groups in the U.S., and that have maintained the unequal nature of them. We will also study how issues of immigration and globalization provide a more thorough understanding of racial and ethnic dynamics in the U.S., and we will touch on whether or not these dynamics are applicable to other geo-political settings.  This course is the same as SSC 325 and course repeat rules will apply. Students should consult with their major department regarding any restrictions on their degree requirements.

This course explores notions of illness, health, and health care from a sociological perspective. Students examine conceptions of health and wellness, epidemiology and the history of medicine, health disparities within the US (such as by gender, age, race/ethnicity, social class and other characteristics), and access to health care. This course is the same as SSC 322 and course repeat rules will apply. Students should consult with their major department regarding any restrictions on their degree requirements.

The United States is an immigrant nation; understanding migration experiences is central to understanding ourselves. This course provides a sociological framework for exploring historical and contemporary immigration, primarily (but not exclusively) to the United States. We use theories of international migration to understand how and why people move from one country or region to another; to explore the immigrant experience in terms of social, economic, and spatial adaptation; and to consider racial and ethnic experiences of migration past, present, and future.

This course focuses on victims of crime, as well as the emotional and social psychological consequences associated with victimization. Students will develop an understanding of the impact of crime on victims and communities, the relationship (and overlap) between victims and offenders, as well as the victim¿s treatment, roles, and rights in the criminal justice system. We will also examine the social construction of victimization, including how race, gender, and class shape societal response to harm and victimization, and how and why society defines certain harmful acts as more serious than others, and some victims as more important than others. The course will also provide a comprehensive review of the history and theories of victimology.

How do class origins, race and ethnicity, and gender affect the life chances and experiences of individuals? This course surveys a broad range of theories associated with social stratification, and reviews recent empirical findings from social-scientific research on inequality. We examine patterns of inequality in the United States and elsewhere, investigating both the causes and consequences of inequality.

Explores how films are a vehicle for social commentary, analysis, and criticism, particularly with regard to controversial topics and social problems. This is not a class on film theory or production or the film industry, but rather the sociological implications of film. Cinematic Sociology explores the dual role of film: a window into globalizing cultures and a social force that shapes globalizing trends. Sociological theories and methods are used both to see films analytically and to extend sociological investigation beyond the classroom, connecting what is viewed to real world observations.

What do poverty and wealth mean? Who is poor, who is rich, and what are the causes and consequences of each? What should be done, if anything, about wealth and poverty? This course explores issues related to poverty and wealth, including housing/homelessness, crime/incarceration, and immigration, race, and gender.

What is the relationship between work and inequality? How has social change influenced the meaning and experience of work? We will explore issues such as: the rise of technology; the prevalence of workplace flexibility; the growth of contingent work; discrimination in the workplace; globalization and immigration; and, the complex relationships between gender, work and family. We also examine a range of social welfare policies, worker organizations, corporate practices, and labor market regulation.

The goal for this course is to develop critical concepts for the analysis of popular culture. What is popular culture, and how is it mediated in various contexts? How do we consume popular culture and why do we consume it the way we do? Among the topics we consider are: the relationship between popular culture and subcultures; power and popular culture; and, aspects of propaganda and advertising.

Adolescence is a unique stage of the life course. This course explores social processes and the socialization of children and adolescents, including patterns of parent/teenager/peer relationships, generational succession, and age stratification and the status system, self-identity, adolescent sexuality, and youth subcultures. This course is the same as SSC 335, and course repeat rules will apply. Students should consult with their major department regarding any restrictions on their degree requirements.

What is culture? This course is designed to provide an overview of the sociology of culture. We will cover the foundational works that outline and define culture and cultural systems. We will discuss how culture is produced and changes over time. We will consider the groups and networks that produce and respond to cultural systems, and the inequalities that are established and reproduced within cultural systems.

Recently, crime rates in the U.S. have dropped, yet the prison population has grown rapidly. We explore this paradox by examining theories of crime and punishment, changes in the nature and extent of American punishment over time, and socio-economic implications of such changes. Students will develop a critical understanding of hot button penal issues, ranging from the death penalty and mandatory minimum sentencing, to the treatment of prisoners. Students will also develop the skills to evaluate the efficacy of penal reforms.

Sexuality is at once one of the most personal and most social parts of any persons existence. Sexuality is explored at the micro-level, including sexual practices and sexual identities of individuals, including differences by gender, age, class, and race. We also examine sexuality at the macro-level, focusing on how sexuality is shaped within institutions and by the social and historical context.

This course will introduce students to the study of crime and deviance within a life course framework. We will examine how involvement in crime develops and changes from childhood into adulthood (and between generations), and we will apply prominent criminological theories to different stages of life to examine how these perspectives help us understand crime over the life course. Topics covered in this course include the role of parents and peers in the progression of delinquency, the transition to adulthood, and the role of turning points (such as marriage and employment) in redirecting one's criminal trajectory.

Is a capitalist economy inherently destructive to the environment, or can the economy be greened? This course provides an overview of the major topics that sociologists study to understand the relationship between society and the environment: the social construction of nature, the political economy of environmental problems, environmental inequalities, science and risk, and environmental policy. By learning a sociological perspective on the environment, students learn how peoples cultures inform their views and behavior regarding issues such as bottled water, tuna fishing, and coal mining. Ultimately, students can understand environmental issues more clearly and can devise more thoughtful, more effective strategies to address those issues.

This course focuses on how urban space affects forms of interaction among various social groups and, in turn, how social groups shape the production and consumption of the built environment. The course examines how spatial organization shapes and is shaped by the behaviors, life course, opportunity structures, and collective actions of different gender, sexual, class, religious, ethnic, and racial groups in the contemporary city.

This course explores the important and under-studied intersection between gender and crime, focusing on how gender shapes contact with the justice system as offenders, victims, and as workers in the criminal justice system. We will explore a number of issues related to gender and crime, including delinquency and offense patterns by gender (and the gender gap in official crime statistics), the gendered nature and experience of victimization, the interaction between gender and various stages of the criminal justice system, the experiences of women who work as criminal justice practitioners, and how race, class, age, and sexuality intersect with gender to create unique criminal and victimization patterns for particular groups of men and women.

Travel often seems like an opportunity for an exotic adventure, and tourism something we look forward to as a break from work. However, travel and tourism encompass much more than that. They are not simply experiences of personal value, they also have profound social, economic, political, historical, and environmental significance. This course addresses a range of sociological topics that address travel and tourism as both work and play: how tourist attractions are created, sold, and consumed; how narratives about place, history, and community are constructed and shape our understandings of the places that we visit and the people who inhabit them; the costs and benefits of tourist-driven economies, and how tourism re-enforces or erodes inequalities of race, class, gender, and national origin.

This course acquaints students with a sociological understanding of the causes, consequences, and treatment of social deviance. Students will critically evaluate definitions of deviance and analyze various social psychological and social structural explanations for deviant behavior, making special note of the policy implications of each theoretical perspective. The course covers specific acts of deviance, from violent behavior and mental illness to the deviant behavior of corporate elites and the police. Theories of deviant behavior will be deployed to explore issues related to the treatment/punishment of social deviants. This course is the same as SSC 346 and course repeat rules will apply. Students should consult with their major department regarding any restrictions on their degree requirements.

Have schools become less safe over time? What role do schools play in deterring and punishing deviant behavior? How do race, gender, and class impact students¿ experiences of school violence and school discipline? In this course, students will engage sociological research and theories to answer these overarching questions. Central topics include bullying, school shootings, the school-to-prison pipeline, sexual assault and other crimes on college campuses, and media and policy responses to school violence.

Scholars from a variety of disciplines study cities, suburbs, and metropolises, among other spatial phenomena. In this course we will explore their ideas taking a sociological approach to urban trends and city life more specifically. We will discuss sociological theories and research about the development and consequences of cities and city life, the spatial patterns of metropolitan areas, and the sources of inequality in urban areas in addition to many other topics. This course is the same as SSC 347 and course repeat rules will apply. Students should consult with their major department regarding any restrictions on their degree requirements.

This course explores the development of sociological theory and forerunners of sociological thought. The course covers mostly the theories Marx, Durkheim, Weber, and Simmel, with an emphasis on the strengths and weaknesses of each theoretical approach.

Social scientists often study the relationships between individual consumption (particularly in affluent societies) and sustainability¿or the carrying capacity of the planet as it is shaped by human behavior. Sociologists are particularly concerned with how social behavior¿tourism, energy use, transportation, dining, and ¿stuff¿ (material objects purchased for individual use)¿may contribute to unsustainable patterns of resource expenditure¿whether those resources are time, money, tolerable environments, livable cities, drinkable water, arable land, etc. This course uses sociological concepts and categories to better understand processes and experiences of social consumption that center around ideas of short and long-term sustainability.

A common assumption is that society is driven forward by scientific and technological innovation. The steam engine powered the Industrial Revolution, air conditioners produced the suburbs, and Facebook has transformed human social interaction. Is this really the case? Are there better ways to understand the relationship between science, technology, and society? This course will explore the importance of science and technology in modern societies. It will encourage students to think critically about what counts as scientific knowledge, how science and technology are produced and disseminated, and how science and technology are deeply woven, and are inseparable from political, historical, and social forces.

This course examines the relationship between the environment and the law, focusing on what are now being called ¿environmental crimes.¿ Broadly construed, an environmental crime is an illegal act by a state, corporation, or individual that ¿harms¿ an ecosystem to the detriment of another population. In this class we will ask exactly what it means to commit such an act, explore the different ways in which people have treated environmental crimes across societies and historical periods, and interrogate the social structural and cultural foundations involved in defining, prosecuting, and officially sanctioning environmental crime. Through the lens of green criminology, we will examine environmental law and justice, explore social scientific tools for understanding environmental crimes including databases that track ecological harm and socio-environmental theories, and dig deeper into special topics, such as global warming, land use change, and both endangered and invasive species management.

This course is designed to introduce students to the sociological examination of racial/ethnic disparities in involvement in crime and the Criminal Justice System. Students will learn about the social production and organization of crime, the role of the criminal justice system in dealing with crime, and the consequences that result from crime control policies and practices. This course will pay particular attention to the role that mass incarceration has played in perpetuating inequality. Topics covered in this course include (but are not limited to): the collateral consequences of involvement in the criminal justice system, `the mark of a criminal record,¿ racial/ethnic differences in crime and system involvement, and cumulative disadvantage as a result of the system.

Explores the central role of food in social life, considering similarities and differences in the sociality of food across communities, places, regions, and nation-states. The sociological significance of food is approached from multiple perspectives: institutionally as part of economic and political systems; interpersonally, as an important element of identity and socialization; organizationally, as part of community and family structure; and as an embodiment of class, culture, age, and gender.

This course surveys the nature of political power, cultural dimensions of politics, and dynamics of political change. Its centerpiece is critical analyses of institutional mechanisms and social processes through which political power is constructed, distributed, and maintained. Special attention is devoted to (1) the ways political power intersects with structures of class, gender, and race and (2) the politics of globalization. Students gain capacity for critical analysis of, and active engagement in, political life.

What do we mean when we say family? How and why are families changing, and what do these changes mean for individuals and society more broadly? Students will engage sociological perspectives on how to address inequalities within families, such as intimate partner violence, and inequalities between different types of families, such as between single mother families and their heterosexual married counterparts. Students will come to understand how families are embedded within and constitutive of other social institutions and structures of inequality. Students will develop their sociological imaginations and critically evaluate scientific and popular claims about the family and families in the past, present, and future.

Public policies have profound influence on American families' lives, yet often fail to accomplish what policymakers intend. For example, despite policies intended to meet the needs of working families, nearly one in five American children lives in poverty, most in households with working parents. Child poverty threatens their well-being and perpetuates social inequality. In this course we will take a dominantly sociological approach to understand the motivation, implementation and impact of family-oriented public policies, and consider a range of viewpoints that inform current policy debates.

This course surveys the connections between the mass media, crime, and criminal justice. It explores how the criminal justice system, criminals, and crimes are portrayed in the entertainment and news media and the effects that these portrayals have on society and the criminal justice system. Special attention is given to the role that the media play in the social construction of crime and justice.

Special topics in sociology determined by individual faculty interest. Topic titles and content vary from semester to semester. Check with the department for current offerings.

In this course students consider the relation between the individual and society. They examine major theoretical problems, such as: human nature; communication and language; perception; socialization; role playing; and the interdependence of values, ideologies, and social structures.

This course introduces law as a social institution, with a focus on how some of its central features (lawyers, disputes, rules, etc.) are related to wider historical and social characteristics. Students will explore theoretical approaches to understanding the relationship between law and society, the role of law in everyday life, the social organization of the legal profession, and the relationship between law and social change. This course is the same as SSC 373 and course repeat rules will apply. Students should consult with their major department regarding any restrictions on their degree requirements.

The military is a social institution, and this courses focuses on both the internal structure and practices of the military and its relation to other institutions (such as government or family), military leadership, policy issues and the role of the military in diplomacy and internal relations, and the social psychological effects on service members, veterans, and their families and friends.

This course provides an overview of current issues in health and inequality, including the impact of social class, race, and gender on health; the social processes and institutions underpinning health disparities; and current health policy debates (including debates about U.S. healthcare reform). The course reviews global health disparities, and attends to health disparities within the U.S. This course is well suited for social science majors, health science majors, and others who wish to deepen their understanding of the social determinants of health.

Dramatic changes in how we form relationships, build families, dissolve relationships, and care for our elders have occurred over the past 50 years. In this course, we examine to what extent these changes are unique to the U.S. or have been experienced by families elsewhere. We also address the causes and consequences of family changes in different societies and how governments respond to new challenges of changes in family life.

The course provides a sociological perspective on death and dying. Course topics include definitions of death, the demographics of death, social meanings of death and dying, how institutional cultural values and practices affect the dying process, legal and ethical issues surrounding the "right to die" movement, and state killing, including war and capital punishment.

This course explores the origins, dynamics, and consequences of collective behavior and social movements. Over the course of the semester, students will examine a range of theoretical approaches, concepts, and topics including ideas about collective action, the emergence of social movements, recruitment and leadership, interactions between social movements and media, the role of political authorities and the broader public, various forms of social movement tactics, and factors that contribute to movement success and failure.

Whether we live in urban, suburban, or rural settings, social and economic features of the neighborhoods where we live and work can have major health effects ranging from mortality and general health status to disability, birth outcomes, chronic conditions, health behaviors, mental health, injuries and violence. In this course, we consider how the social environments of neighborhoods shape the physical and mental health of individuals, and how neighborhoods contribute to persistent health disparities. Special attention will be devoted to conceptual and methodological challenges to detecting the prevalence and magnitude of neighborhood effects on health.

Can racism be solved with new laws and better attitudes, or is something deeper at stake? Is it possible to be colorblind? Students in this course explore such questions, learning how race and racism work in such arenas as politics, the economy, communities, law and the criminal justice system, education, pop culture, and intimate relationships and in relation to gender, class, and ethnicity. They will study racism as an institutional phenomenon that may or may not involve hate and outright discrimination.

This course will focus on understanding why crime varies across neighborhoods and communities. Students will discuss the ways in which the community is associated with one¿s involvement in crime, as well as how contexts most susceptible to criminal behavior develop over time. Students will be introduced to prominent criminological theories improving our understanding of why some communities and neighborhoods have more crime than others, and we will incorporate other perspectives to examine the intersection between individuals and their surroundings. Topics of this course include perceptions of crime in neighborhoods, interactions with police in certain neighborhoods, violence, and the presence of drugs in communities. As a whole, this course will discuss how social inequality in the United States affects the concentration of crime.

This course examines issues surrounding race, class, and gender in the United States armed forces, including women in combat, sexual assault, gays in the military, and racial integration. Using sociological concepts, theories, and methods, students analyze both the internal organization and the practices of the armed forces and the relationships between the military and other social institutions.

Crime has become a global phenomenon: drug and human traffickers, identity thieves, computer hackers, and wildlife poachers demonstrate that criminals are expanding their global reach alongside legitimate businesses. In this course we use sociological concepts and categories to better understand crime, criminals, victims, and law enforcement policies that are global in scope and implication.

This course focuses on writing about and effectively reporting high quality social scientific evidence for different types of audiences. Students learn theories behind, and gain experience writing, policy briefs, descriptive work, state of the field, and evaluation reports for non-profit organizations and government agencies; academic/scientific articles; routine reports for industry and the private sector; and evidence-based editorial/ opinion articles for advocacy groups and to promote positive social change. The course fulfills the UB Curriculum CL2 requirement. Communicating social scientific ideas and evidence with clarity and confidence is an essential skill set for social science students who will eventually work in a range of professional employment settings or attend graduate and/or professional schools.

This course takes place behind prison walls. Involving roughly equal numbers of UB students and incarcerated students, the course provides a unique setting for "inside" and "outside" students to exchange ideas and gain theoretical knowledge and practical understanding of a variety of crime and justice issues. Participation in this course requires deep self-exploration, the merging of academic and experiential knowledge, an embrace of active learning, and the collective practice of imagining alternative futures and exploring the most appropriate means for arriving at them. Course enrollment is only by permission of instructor.

Population aging is a worldwide phenomenon. In this course we use sociological theories and concepts along with empirical research to understand how current social policies affect not just elderly people, but citizens of different ages in countries around the world.  We consider how evidence could inform policy changes to address the evolving needs of different age groups in regional and national populations, given increasing proportions of elderly people.

This course provides a critical evaluation of how sociological theories and research associated with welfare states can provide insights into the development, revision, and application of social policies. Central components of this course include the origin and history of the welfare state and differences in national approaches to social policy that shape the welfare of citizens. Throughout the course, students will consider the significance of social, economic, and political factors that influence policymaking, policy implementation, and policy-related outcomes.

Special topics in sociology determined by individual faculty interest. Topic titles and content vary from semester to semester. Check with the department for current offerings.

In this course, students design and execute an independent research project. The project may involve primary data collection and analysis, secondary data analysis, or a meta-analysis of previously published studies on a topic or research question of sociological significance.

What is the role of health care facilities and health care systems in society? How are we to understand variations in the quality and availability of health care? This course examines a range of sociological perspectives related to the origins and delivery of health care, including training and socialization of care providers, governmental versus private control, and individual rights within health care.

Typically conducted in a community agency, government office, or private setting. Gives students the opportunity to observe and participate in a variety of work experiences related to sociology. Open to sociology majors or social justice minors with junior or senior class standing only.

Participation in the departmental honors program

A program of work agreed upon by the student and a faculty sponsor. Requires a faculty sponsor in the department before registering.