AUSOC - Augustana Faculty - Sociology

Introduction to sociology focusing on understanding the relation between the individual and society using concepts like social control, class, role, self, reference group, ideology, and world view. Through the use of some popular films, specific attention is paid to understanding the way we (as particular individuals) are, in taken-for-granted ways, shaped by our membership in large and small groupings. The implications of this shaping for our ideas of freedom, individuality, and morality are debated and examined.

Introduction to sociology focusing on the relation between social institutions and everyday life. Through an examination of institutions like law, family, education, politics, religion, and economy, the course develops an understanding of themes such as changes in family organization, the relation between delinquency and power, and the relation between religion and economy.

Ethnographic materials from non-Western societies are utilized to examine culture, social structure, and social process. Particular attention is paid to everyday life within various types of societies and how sociological ways of knowing are enriched by an attentiveness to cross-cultural research.

Introductory exploration of the issues of global economic development, global wealth and poverty, and global inequality. Alternative theoretical perspectives are introduced. Prerequisite: One of AUSOC 101, 103, 105.

Introduction to sociological perspectives on social problems. Various theoretical orientations are applied to contemporary Canadian social issues such as poverty, gender issues, Indigenous rights, human sexuality, and regionalism. Prerequisites: One of AUSOC 101, 103, 105, AUIDS 160 (2020) or AUCRI 160, or consent of the instructor. Note: Credit may be obtained for only one of AUSOC 222 and AUCRI 222 (2020).

Survey of the origin and the development of classical sociological theory, with particular emphasis on Marx, Durkheim, and Weber. Prerequisite: One of AUSOC 101, 103, 105.

Survey of the contributions of modern and contemporary sociological theorists, particularly Weber, Parsons, Mead, and others. Prerequisite: One of AUSOC 101, 103 or 105; and AUSOC 232.

Examination of the relation between the method of inquiry and the problem which inquiry addresses. It is designed to acquaint students with numerous approaches to social research, covering all phases of the research process including formulation of a research problem, design of instruments, collection of data and analysis of results. Particular attention is given to qualitative methods, including interviewing, observation, focus groups, and unobtrusive measures. Students will be expected to conduct original research assignments. Prerequisite: One of AUSOC 101, 103, 105.

What kind of communication is mass communication, and in what ways in particular is this different from other forms of communication? What does it mean to live in an age of mass culture? The construction and character of mass society as one organizational and communicative possibility, using notions of postmodernism and post-industrialism. Prerequisite: AUSOC 101, 103 or 105.

Inquiry into the nature of the social, moral, and theoretic ground of human communities, taking as its starting point an examination of the sociological research on the urban/rural difference. Involved in this is an examination of the kinds of social theories that best help us understand the nature of community. For all of the above, Canada is the case study. Prerequisite: One of AUSOC 101, 103, 105, consent of the instructor.

Examination of the Western family from ancient Hebrew to contemporary times. It involves the study of the development of the modern nuclear family organization and the controversy over its demise. The relation of the family to wider social structures and society is also considered. Prerequisite: One of AUSOC 101, 103, 105, consent of the instructor.

Examination of the relation between gender as a social institution and our experiences of sexual identity and gender. The way gender differences are constructed and sustained as part of the reality of everyday life is also examined. Prerequisite: One of AUSOC 101, 103, 105, consent of the instructor.

Sociological examination of the life of women in contemporary Cuba, focusing on the experience of women within families, workplaces, and education. Note: Credit may be obtained for only one of AUSOC 279 and AUSPA 253. The course is available only as part of the Cuba semester abroad program.

Intensive study of a specific area of sociology as defined by the student and a supervising instructor. Prerequisite: Consent of the instructor. Notes: An Application for Individual Study must be completed and approved before registration in the course. The course is intended primarily for a student planning to pursue graduate studies in sociology.

Intensive study of a specific area of sociology as defined by the student and a supervising instructor. Prerequisites: AUSOC 301 or 401, and consent of the instructor. Notes: An Application for Individual Study must be completed and approved before registration in the course. The course is intended primarily for a student planning to pursue graduate studies in sociology.

Study of selected topics at an advanced level that allows for a focus that is both specific and deep. Prerequisites: 3 units at a senior level in Sociology and 3rd year standing, or consent of the instructor.

Study of selected topics at an advanced level that allows for a focus that is both specific and deep. Prerequisites: 3 units at a senior level in Sociology and 3rd year standing, or consent of the instructor.

Original research project as developed by the student and supervising instructor. Prerequisite: Consent of the instructor. Notes: An Application for Individual Study must be completed and approved before registration in the course. The course is intended primarily for a student planning to pursue graduate studies in sociology.

Original research project as developed by the student and supervising instructor. Prerequisite: Consent of the instructor. Notes: An Application for Individual Study must be completed and approved before registration in the course. The course is intended primarily for a student planning to pursue graduate studies in sociology.

Examination of fieldwork as it pertains to a qualitative sociology. Topics include epistemology, participant observation, unstructured interviews, managing and interpreting data, and research ethics. Each student completes an original field research project. Prerequisite: AUSOC 236 or AUPOL 200 and 3rd year standing, or consent of the instructor.

This course places food into broader sociocultural context to better understand why we eat what we eat. Topics will include: patterns of food production, distribution and consumption; the role of rood in relation to embodiment, identities, culture, class, and gender; the socio-cultural and political-economic organization of local, national, and global food systems; the implication of the food system for health, urban-rural relations, ecological sustainability, and social justice; food as a site of power relations, contestation, and social movements. In sum, this course will offer a sociological perspective of the food system and of engagements for its social transformation. Prerequisites: 3 units at a senior level in Sociology and 3rd year standing, or consent of the instructor.

Theoretical and empirical examination of the connection between the natural environment and the social world. This involves inquiry into the sociological dimensions of some major contemporary environmental problems including air, water and soil pollution, decreased biodiversity, deforestation, climate change, and ozone depletion. Particular attention is paid to the social and political connections among issues of industrialization, development, globalization, inequality, gender, social change and environmental destruction. Prerequisites: One of AUSOC 101, 103 or 105, and 3 units at a senior level in AUSOC or AUENV, and 3rd year standing, or consent of the instructor. Note: Credit may be obtained for only one of AUSOC 358 and AUENV 358.

An inquiry into visual representation in and of society; this includes the social dimensions that encompass the making, interpretation, and use of visual images, especially photographs, in collective life and within contemporary sociological research. Prerequisites: AUSOC 101, 3 units at a senior level in Sociology and 3rd year standing or consent of the instructor.

Examination of various theoretical approaches to gender, primarily the various forms of feminism. This course will engage a range of current gendered issues and utilize theoretical debates to gain a better appreciation of the breadth and depth of gendered experience. Prerequisite: One of AUSOC 232, 233, 275, or any course listed in the Women's Studies program; and 3rd year standing; or consent of the instructor.

Examination of some of the global processes of social change, including theoretical perspectives of development and globalization, such as modernization theory, World Systems theory and sustainable development. Prerequisite: 3 units at a senior level in Sociology, or one of AUSOC 101, 103 and 105 plus participation in an international program; and 3rd year standing; or consent of the instructor.

Political process seen as social action. An examination of the sociological import of themes such as the forms of power (e.g., authority, force), political organization (e.g., democracy, totalitarianism, the nation state), and political processes (e.g., leadership, party formation, political recruitment). Prerequisites: 3 units at a senior level in Sociology and 3rd year standing, or consent of the instructor.

Intensive study of a specific area of sociology as defined by the student and a supervising instructor. Prerequisite: Consent of the instructor. Notes: An Application for Individual Study must be completed and approved before registration in the course. The course is intended primarily for a student planning to pursue graduate studies in sociology.

Intensive study of a specific area of sociology as defined by the student and a supervising instructor. Prerequisites: AUSOC 301 or 401, and consent of the instructor. Notes: An Application for Individual Study must be completed and approved before registration in the course. The course is intended primarily for a student planning to pursue graduate studies in sociology.

Study of selected topics at an advanced level that allows for a focus that is both specific and deep. Prerequisites: Two of AUSOC 101, 103, 105; and consent of the instructor.

Original research project as developed by the student and supervising instructor. Prerequisite: Consent of the instructor. Notes: An Application for Individual Study must be completed and approved before registration in the course. The course is intended primarily for a student planning to pursue graduate studies in sociology.

Original research project as developed by the student and supervising instructor. Prerequisite: Consent of the instructor. Notes: An Application for Individual Study must be completed and approved before registration in the course. The course is intended primarily for a student planning to pursue graduate studies in sociology.

Issues in contemporary theory. Central concepts and arguments proposed by a variety of theorists are examined. Topics covered vary by instructor. A student confronts primary texts. Prerequisite: 6 units at a senior level in Sociology.