Undergraduate Department of Sociology

College of Social Sciences and Public Policy

Website: https://coss.fsu.edu/sociology/home

Chair: Kathryn Tillman; Professors: Barrett, Brewster, Burdette, Carr, Davis, Reynolds, Rohlinger, Sanyal, Schrock, J. Taylor, M. Taylor, Tillman, Ueno; Associate Professors: Buggs, Hauer, Homan, McFarland, Singh; Assistant Professors: Brooks, Chang, Li, Moss-Pech; Teaching Faculty III: Munson; Teaching Faculty II: Bamford, Roach; Teaching Faculty I: Russell; Professors Emeriti: Carlson, Eberstein, Fendrich, Ford, Hardy, Hazelrigg, Isaac, Kinloch, Martin, Nam, Orcutt, Padavic, Quadagno; Affiliate Faculty: Budhwani, Dowd-Arrow, Gundogan, Lessan, Modi, Perez-Felkner, Ramirez-Surmeier, Ramos, Schwabe, Warren, Weiss

Few fields have as broad a scope as sociology, the study of human groups and social life. The sociology major's interests range from families to the many types of societies; from crime to religion; from the divisions of race and class to the integrating symbols of culture; and from the sociology of occupations to politics. At Florida State University, the Department of Sociology examines all these matters and others. Current research is ongoing in diverse areas such as gender, sexuality, race and ethnicity, social movements, health and aging, and population.

There are several reasons for pursuing a sociology degree. First, sociology addresses circumstances and events that affect students' lives today and in the future. Second, a sociology major provides a broad-based, liberal arts education that promotes understanding and sharpens analytical skills. Third, a sociology major is excellent preparation for a career in professions that require an ability to think and write analytically. Sociology graduates have found employment in academia, business, law, medicine, politics, and government. Fourth, sociology prepares students for advanced graduate work in anticipation of careers in research and teaching.

Sociology majors learn how to analyze the hiring, termination, and promotional practices of organizations; anticipate the changes individuals will undergo in their life; practice market research; detect social trends; analyze statistical data; evaluate public policies; assess the impact of technological innovations; interpret political and social change in world systems; conduct surveys and interpret their results; project fertility and mortality patterns; and appreciate classic theories of social order and change.

The facilities and resources available to sociology majors include access to the microcomputer lab in the College of Social Sciences and Public Policy and opportunities to work closely with faculty on research projects. The department provides a wide range of courses on important aspects of social life, leading to greater understanding of human society and a variety of skills that are increasingly essential for citizens in a postindustrial, information-based, and rapidly changing global society.

Digital Literacy Requirement

Students must complete at least one course designated as meeting the Digital Literacy Requirement with a grade of “C–” or higher. Courses fulfilling the Digital Literacy Requirement must accomplish at least three of the following outcomes:

Evaluate and interpret the accuracy, credibility, and relevance of digital information
Evaluate and interpret digital data and their implications
Discuss the ways in which society and/or culture interact with digital technology
Discuss digital technology trends and their professional implications
Demonstrate the ability to use digital technology effectively
Demonstrate the knowledge to use digital technology safely and ethically

Each academic major has determined the courses that fulfill the Digital Literacy requirement for that major. Students should contact their major department(s) to determine which courses will fulfill their Digital Literacy requirement.

Undergraduate majors in sociology satisfy this requirement by earning a grade of “C–” or higher in CGS 2060, CGS 2064, or CGS 2100.

State of Florida Common Program Prerequisites for Sociology

The Florida Virtual Campus (FLVC) houses the statewide, internet-based catalog of distance learning courses, degree programs, and resources offered by Florida's public colleges and universities, and they have developed operational procedures and technical guidelines for the catalog that all institutions must follow. The statute governing this policy can be reviewed by visiting https://www.flsenate.gov/Laws/Statutes/2021/1006.73.

FLVC has identified common program prerequisites for the degree program in Sociology. To obtain the most up-to-date, state-approved prerequisites for this degree, visit: https://cpm.flvc.org/programs/25/189.

Specific prerequisites are required for admission into the upper-division program and must be completed by the student at either a community college or a state university prior to being admitted to this program. Students may be admitted into the University without completing the prerequisites but may not be admitted into the program.

Core Program

For acceptance to the sociology major, students must have successfully completed Florida State University's math and English requirements for CoreFSU Curriculum with a grade point average (GPA) of 2.0 or better and meet “mapping” requirements. Sociology majors are encouraged to complete all CoreFSU Curriculum requirements before admission to the College of Social Sciences and Public Policy. To fulfill the computer skills requirement, students should complete CGS 2060, CGS 2064, or CGS 2100, with a grade of “C–” or better.

Degrees

Students may earn a Bachelor of Arts (BA) or a Bachelor of Science (BS) degree in sociology.

Major

Students must complete thirty semester hours in sociology, with a grade of “C–” or better in each course. All students must take the following three core courses (9 hours):

SYA 4010 Sociological Theory,

SYA 4300 Methods of Social Research,

and

SYA 4400 Social Statistics.

Students must take at least one course from the following list* (3 hours):

IDS 3430: Sociology of Hip Hop Culture

SYA 4930: Latinos in the United States

SYA 4930: Sociology of Indigenous Peoples

SYD 3774: Culture and Society

SYD 4700: Race and Minority Group Relations

SYD 4730: African Americans in Modern Society

*Students may petition the Undergraduate Program Director for approval of a course not on this list.

Students must take an additional 18 credits of Sociology electives to complete the major.

Transfer students must earn a minimum of fifteen semester hours in sociology at Florida State University. Transfer of the required upper-division courses (SYA 4010, 4300, and 4400) is subject to the approval of the department chair or Director of Undergraduate Studies.

Sociology majors must also complete a minor in another discipline. The number of hours for this minor is determined by the department in which the student minors.

Minor

Minor in Sociology

A minor in Sociology may be earned by completing any fifteen semester hours in sociology with a grade of “C–” or better in each course. At least nine of the fifteen semester hours must be completed at Florida State University.

Honors in the Major

The Department of Sociology offers a program of honors in the major to encourage talented juniors and seniors to undertake independent and original research as part of their undergraduate experience. For requirements and other information, see the “University Honors Office and Honor Societies” chapter of this General Bulletin.

Definition of Prefixes

DEM—Demography

IDH—Interdisciplinary Honors

IDS—Interdisciplinary Studies

SYA—Sociological Analysis

SYD—Sociology of Demography/Area Studies

SYG—Sociology: General

SYO—Social Organization

SYP—Social Processes

Undergraduate Courses

Introductory Course

SYG 1000. Introductory Sociology (3). This course is an introduction to the fundamentals of sociology. In the course, emphasis is placed on exposure to the basic findings of empirical research studies in a wide range of areas traditionally examined by sociologists.

SYG 2010. Social Problems (3). This course represents a study of various contemporary social problems in an urbanized society, which may include such topics as education, the family, politics, the economy, race relations, drug use and alcoholism, over-population, and other issues.

Sociological Theory and Methods of Research

SYA 4010. Sociological Theory (3). This course introduces the student to the kind of theory that has developed in the field of sociology since its foundation, moving through to the contemporary scene. Major theoretical fields, major theorists, and dominant theoretical issues that continue to be part of the sociological approach to explanation are covered. This is a required course for sociology majors.

SYA 4300. Methods of Social Research (3). This course is a broad coverage of research design, data collection, and data analysis. This is a required course for sociology majors.

SYA 4400. Social Statistics (3). This course involves the application of statistical techniques to sociological data as illustrated in the research and writing of social scientists. As a course for majors, it represents an important part of the student's methodological training with respect to the statistical analysis of data typically used by sociologists. The student is expected to carry out a number of exercises involving the statistical analysis of sociological data and to interpret the results. This is a required course for sociology majors.

SYA 4936. Sociology Skills Seminar (1). (S/U grade only.) This seminar course helps students answer the question “What can I do with a degree in sociology?” Students learn to apply their sociological imagination and sociological perspective to help them determine what they want to do after graduation.

SYA 4940. Sociology Internship (3-6). (S/U grade only.) In this course, students gain real world applied experience. Student interns gain valuable work experience, develop professional skills, cultivate valuable contacts, and investigate possible career options. Students receive academic credit for internship placement in approved agencies and organizations.

The Family

SYG 2430. Sociology of Marriage and the Family (3). This course focuses on marriage and family relationships over the life course. Topics covered include dating, love, sexuality, cohabitation, marriage, divorce, reconstituted families, parenting, and marital and family relationships in later life. The major course objective is to critically analyze some of our most private social relationships from a sociological perspective.

SYO 3100. Families and Social Change (3). This course is a basic sociological approach to conditions, issues, and problems of familial organization within the context of changing institutional structures of modern society. Attention is given to such questions as: How have spouse roles changed, and why? How do changes in the organization of work affect family experience? How are family and kinship patterns affected by an aging population? etc.

Personality and Society (Social Psychology)

SYG 3205. Sociology of Food (3). This course examines the processes involved in food production, distribution, and consumption. Students use sociological frameworks for understanding how the social structural forces at play in influencing how we eat and how the food industry influences our lives.

SYG 3244. Social Recipes: Exploring Italian Society Through Food (3). This course focuses on Italy and uses food as a lens through which to learn about key elements of any society, including its systems of inequality, social institutions, and social relationships. Our exploration will incorporate all aspects of food and its production, distribution, and consumption.

SYP 3000. Social Psychology of Groups (3). This course represents the study of social psychology from a sociological perspective. Specifically, it is an analysis of the influence of groups and the individual on each other, including the study of norms, group pressure, leadership, motivation, and social personality.

SYP 3350. Collective Action and Social Movements (3). This course explores the origins and organization of social movements, the dilemmas and challenges facing social movements, the relationship between social movements and political institutions, and the role of social movements in causing social change.

SYP 4062. Sexual and Reproductive Health (3). This course examines a number of sexual and reproductive health issues and may include topics such as demographic trends in fertility; the social construction of sexual and reproductive health; reproductive rights; the medicalization of sexual functioning; and the effects of racism, poverty, and sexism on sexual health and reproduction.

SYP 4650. Sports and Society (3). This course explores the topic of sport from a critical perspective focusing especially on inequalities in gender, race, class, and power. This class jointly examines sports as a social mirror that reflects status inequalities as well as the role of sports in perpetuating social inequalities.

Population and Human Ecology

SYD 3020. Population and Society (3). This course examines the causes and consequences of population change in the United States and the world with an assessment of the impact of demographic change on various social institutions.

SYD 3600. Cities in Society (3). This course takes a global perspective on the transformation of prehistoric, non-urban groups to contemporary urban societies. Students obtain background knowledge about our “global village” and how we arrived in it, along with analytical skills that allow them to evaluate and address fundamentally new cultural, political, and economic challenges posed by our increasingly urbanized and interconnected world.

Social Issues and Change

SYA 3741. Sociology of Death and Dying (3). This course explores the structure of human response to death, dying, and bereavement with a focus on sociocultural and interpersonal context. The course explores how cultural and medical factors shape experience of a “good death,” grief over the life course, functions of funeral practices, and death-related ethical debates such as physician assisted suicide.

SYD 2740. Sociology of Law and Hispanics (3). This course examines the minority group status of Hispanics and Hispanic subgroups using a sociology of law lens. The course is a hands on gathering of research-based studies and social demographics on past and current political representation, effects of legislative, and judicial decisions, and legal training on the American experience of Hispanics. The course also traces the processes of minority creation for four categories of Hispanics: Mexicans, Puerto Ricans, Cubans, and Central/South Americans, as well as their process of subordination since their entry to USA.

SYD 3774. Culture and Society (3). This course explores the meanings of culture in contemporary U.S. society, with a focus on cultural representation, cultural products, and cultural (re)production. Students are introduced to sociological, feminist, critical race, and queer theoretical perspectives on “taste” (also known as cultural capital), power, and cultural representation, emphasizing how culture shapes our experiences and understandings of socially constructed phenomena such as class, race, sexuality, and gender.

SYD 3800. Sociology of Sex and Gender (3). This course examines how gender, as an identity, interaction, institution, and inequality, influences individuals' lives and organizes society.

SYD 3806. Sociology of Sexuality (3). This course encourages students to engage in critical thinking, reading, writing, and discussion regarding all facets of the sociology of sexuality. Students are challenged to think critically as they examine sexual behaviors and practices from a sociological perspective. Students apply their imagination to a sociological analysis of sexuality.

SYD 4510. Environmental Sociology (3). This course examines the larger social forces that shape our natural environment; the social foundations of environmental problems; and the social responses to environmental issues, conflicts, and movements.

SYD 4700. Race and Minority Group Relations (3). This course explores historical and contemporary race relations in the United States from a sociological perspective. Specifically, students study the underlying issues that characterize the relations between and among different ethnic and racial groups in the United States.

SYD 4730. African-Americans in Modern Society (3). This course examines the African-American experience in the U.S. with the goal of understanding how historical conditions and events shaped current circumstances. Focus is on African-Americans as situated in all major institutions (economy, polity, family, education, religion, welfare, military, criminal justice) and the consequences of their placement. The course applies sociological theories of race/ethnicity to past and current developments.

SYO 4374. Gender, Work, and Family (3). This course examines the forces that create, reproduce, and erode inequalities centering on gender, work, and family. The course requires a critical perspective analyzing the cultural and structural forces that generate and sustain the gender gap in the professional and domestic domains.

SYO 4402. Medical Sociology (3). This course explains why and how social structure influences the distribution of health and illness and illustrates how the medical care system is organized and responds.

SYP 3454. The Global Justice Movement (3). This course critically examines the history, organization, strategies, ideology, opponents, culture, and future prospects of the global justice movement.

SYP 3730. Aging and the Life Course (3). This course introduces students to aging from a variety of perspectives, integrating information from various social science disciplines. This course focuses on several important areas of theory and research, including the way older people interface with society and the tools used to study older adults and aging processes.

SYP 4550. Alcohol and Drug Problems (3). This course presents a review and analysis of sociological approaches to the study of alcohol and drug problems. It addresses theoretical perspectives on recreational and deviant drinking and drug use and introduces important empirical methods in the study of alcohol and drug problems and current debates over alcohol and drug policy.

SYP 4570. Deviance and Social Control (3). This course addresses the kinds of, causes of, and reactions to behavior that many people find to be immoral, repulsive, untoward, or merely odd. The course stresses how crucial it is to avoid taking a moralistic stance when studying deviance and to hold one's moral beliefs in abeyance, so as to understand rather than to judge.

Social Organization

SYO 3200. Sociology of Religion (3). This course focuses on the basic sociological perspective of the social organization and forms of religious life in modern society. In the course, religious groups are studied as organizations that contribute to social stability, social conflict, and social change.

SYO 3460. Sociology of Mass Media (3). This course provides a sociological view of mass communications by critically examining the origin, history, and functions of the American mass media and its effect on social life.

SYO 3530. Social Classes and Inequality (3). This course explores the origins and organization of social movements, the dilemmas and challenges facing social movements, the relationship between social movements and political institutions, and the role of social movements in causing social change.

SYO 4250. Sociology of Education (3). This course presents a sociological approach to the study of education as a social institution, its structure, functions, and role in contemporary life.

SYO 4300. Sociology of Politics (3). This course deals with American political institutions, political organizations, pressure groups, and the public's participation in political processes. Discussion focuses on current political issues from a sociological perspective.

SYO 4461. New Media and Social Change (3). This course surveys some of the research outlining the influence of mass media on individuals, institutions, and culture. The course pays attention to both “old” media (e.g., television and newspapers) and “new” media (e.g., websites, and social media) and broadly explores how technological changes effect social institutions and society.

SYP 3540. Sociology of Law (3). This course examines the interrelationship between the legal order and the social order. Limitations of civil and criminal law for conflict management and for implementation of social policy are considered.

Others

IDH 3117. Social (In)Equalities: Social Construction of Difference and Inequalities (3). Prerequisite: Admission to the Honors Program. This course explores the structures and institutions of social inequality along the intersectional axes of class, race, and gender/sexuality by focusing on how these categories are socially constructed, maintained, and experienced.

IDH 3118. Utopias/Dystopias: A Homage to “Social Dreaming” (3). This course examines utopian thinking and differing perspectives on state-society relations and the question of individual freedom within society through various materials such as political manifestos, movies, novels, or poems.

IDH 3407. Global Urbanization: Urban Diversity and Culture in the Age of Globalization (3). Prerequisite: Admittance to the Honors Program. In this course, students focus on the great urban diversity (e.g., language, citizenship, religion, ethnicity/race, class and socioeconomic status, gender, and sexuality). Through class materials and assignments, students acquire a solid perspective on how urban diversity is transformed into inequalities and exclusion in the cities.

IDH 3430. Global Inequalities: The Local and the Global in the Modern World-System (3). This course focuses on global inequalities and takes them as an outcome of the long-term, large-scale transformation of the modern world system. It examines various ethical perspectives regarding globalization and developmentalism.

IDS 2322r. Sexual Health in the Modern World (3). This course analyzes and synthesizes information centering on a number of current sexual and reproductive health issues. Course materials include the interdisciplinary theorizing of feminists, medical social scientists, anthropologists, demographers, and public health scholars. May be repeated to a maximum of nine semester hours.

IDS 2323. Gendered Bodies over the Life Course (3). Prerequisite: Honors student. This course examines how gender – as it is embedded in individual, interactional, and institutional dimensions of society – gets woven into experiences of our bodies over the entire life course.

IDS 2339. The Boundaries Between Us: Exploring Racial Inequality in the U.S. (3). This course explores the issue of contemporary racial inequality in the United States. More specifically, the course has been designed to provide students with information about trends and patterns of racial inequality in the U.S. today, allowing them to explore competing explanations for continuing racial inequality, and challenging them to propose and critically assess ideas about potential mechanisms for change.

IDS 2393. The Hunger Games Trilogy: Collective Action and Social Movements (3). This course is an introduction to the sociological study of collective behavior and social movements. This course is organized to highlight themes in the Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins, which students analyze during the semester. Students have an opportunity to research a movement of their choosing during the semester.

IDS 3137. Politics of Reproduction (3). This course is an introduction to studying the social and political dimensions of human reproduction. In each class, students address historical context, sociopolitical trends, and contemporary debates regarding specific themes and topics related to reproductive politics. Course material and discussions draw from varied perspectives and interdisciplinary resources, including sociology, demography, anthropology, history, medicine, and public health.

IDS 3342. Boomers and Millennials: Changing Generations (3). In this course, students are guided through original empirical research to appreciate the sources of changes across contrasting generations, and to follow up the impact of generational change for a wide range of social, economic and political dimensions of everyday life. Research projects compare different generations at equivalent points in the life cycle.

IDS 3430. Sociology of Hip Hop Culture (3). This course challenges students to examine themes and messages expressed within the subculture of Hip Hop through the application of major sociological perspectives and theories. The course also examines the reciprocal relationship between Hip Hop culture and the broader American society, through engagement with scholarly literature, examination of empirical evidence and execution of student research projects.

IDS 3433. Modern Death (3). Death and dying are fundamental to discussions about social positions and processes, and they reflect who we are and inform how we function as a society. This course is an introduction to studying the social and ethical dimensions of death in the modern world. In each class, we will address historical context, medical and technological trends, and contemporary debates regarding specific themes and topics related to death.

IDS 3512. Examining the Educational Achievement Gap (3). This course empowers students to critically examine the Achievement Gap in education by exploring how personal, political, cultural, economic and social experiences and structures shape the educational landscape. Students gather and analyze research and empirical evidence in order to explicate the arguments, assertions and assumptions about the achievement gap through a range of assessments.

SYA 4905r. Directed Individual Study (3). Consent of instructor and departmental chair required. May be repeated to a maximum of nine semester hours.

SYA 4930r. Selected Topics in Sociology (3). May be repeated to a maximum of nine semester hours.

SYA 4931r. Honors in the Major Research (1–6). In this course, students accepted into the Honors in the Major program complete an original research or creative project in their major area of study. This course must be repeated at least twice to complete a minimum of six (6) credit hours total, but may be repeated up to a maximum of twelve credit hours in total.

SYA 4932r. Tutorial in Sociology (1). Prerequisite: Upper-division sociology major or minor status. This course is a reading and analysis of primary literature on selected topics in contemporary sociology. May be repeated to a maximum of three semester hours.

SYA 4935r. Capstone for Outstanding Majors (3). In this course, through course readings, discussion, and projects, students learn more about how to apply social theory and methods to conduct research and design programs to address social inequality. The course focus varies from offering to offering, depending on the instructor's area of expertise. Students are invited to enroll in this course based on GPA. May be repeated to a maximum of six semester hours when content changes.

For listings relating to graduate coursework, consult the Graduate Bulletin.

2024-2025 UNDERGRADUATE BULLETIN