ACADEMICS
SOCIOLOGY
COURSE CONCENTRATION
- CRIME, LAW AND DEVIANCE
The Crime, Law and Deviance
concentration requires SOC 201, Social Inequality. A grade of C or
better must be achieved in SOC 201.
* -
Required courses for Crime, Law and Deviance concentration.
Elective
courses - At least one of the following courses must be taken to
complete the concentration: SOC 208; SOC 319; and SOC 337.
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SOC 201 Social Inequality *
Structural analysis of social inequality within American society and the
global community. Emphasis on the causes, extent and social
consequences of inequality, especially those based on race, gender, social
class and the level of economic development. (Satisfies the General
Education Social Contexts and Institutions and Cultural Diversity and International Perspectives
Requirements.) Prerequisite: SOC 101 or permission. Cr. 3
SOC 208 Problems of Violence and
Terrorism
The nature and causes of revolutionary and government-sponsored
international terrorism. The future of terrorism and how to cope with
it. The institutionalization of terrorism in pre-modern and contemporary
totalitarian states. The social causes of war and social conflict.
Social preconditions for the maintenance of a sustainable peace. An
examination of the nature of human aggression. (Satisfies the General
Education Human Values and Social Context/Social Contexts and
Institutions, and Cultural Diversity and International Perspectives
Requirements.) Prerequisite: SOC 101 or permission. Cr. 3
SOC 214 Crime and Criminal Justice
*
The causes, extent and nature of crime in American society and the
operation of the criminal justice system. Emphasis given to theories and
dynamics of criminal behavior and to the efforts of police, courts and
prisons to prevent and to control criminality. (Satisfies the General
Education Human Values and Social Context/Social Contexts and
Institutions Requirement.) Prerequisite: SOC 101 or permission. Cr. 3
SOC 220 Deviance and Social Control *
The study of deviant behaviors, individuals and groups, with emphasis on
social order, power and identity. Use of the sociological
perspective to explore definitions of deviance, processes by which
individuals become labeled as deviant, the nature of deviant identifies
and societal consequences of constructions of deviance. (Satisfies the General
Education Social Contexts and Institutions Requirement.) Cr. 3
SOC 314 Law and Society *
Presents a sociological perspective on law and the legal system in the
United States. Topics include problems in defining law, sociological
theories of the origins and consequences of law, the relation between
law and social change, studies of the legal profession and legal
discretion in the criminal justice system. Prerequisite: SOC 101 and
either SOC 213, SOC 214, or POS 100, or permission. Cr. 3
SOC 319 Domestic Violence and Social
Structure
Examines domestic conflict and violence both nationally and within the
State of Maine. Emphasizes the social and political context of domestic
violence including the ways in which a society's culture and social
organization contribute to and reinforce this behavior. Incidence,
processes and consequences of domestic violence are explored as well as
strategies for change. Prerequisite: 6 hours of Sociology, or
permission. Cr. 3
SOC 337 Sociology of Mental Illness
Examination of the sociological concepts of mental illness. Analysis of
the relationship between mental illness and the sociological factors
responsible for these disorders. Cross-cultural examination of mental
illness. The nature and structure of mental care institutions.
Prerequisite: 6 hours of Sociology, or SOC 101 and PSY 100, or
permission. Cr. 3
