Anthropology and sociology examine humanity from global systems to interpersonal interaction. These sister disciplines help us to understand social structures and individual roles within them, the effects of colonialism on colonies and colonial powers, oppression and privilege, imperialism and self-determination and local responses to global conditions. The sociological imagination and the anthropological perspective together help us to understand how we both affect and are affected by the social and physical world around us.
This major provides students with an understanding of the dynamics of culture, cultural survival, ethnicity, race, gender, class, sexuality, etc., and the foundations for conducting research so they will be able to participate in the creation of a more equitable and sustainable world.
Sociology and Anthropology Major
The total number of courses required for the major is 15 (43-48 semester hours). At least six of the courses (18-19 semester hours) taken for the major must be at the 300-level or above.
Required Courses
All of the following (22-24 sem. hrs.)
ANTH 161 Introduction to Anthropology (3 sem. hrs.)
MATH 151 Elementary Statistics (3 sem. hrs.)
SOC 151 Principles of Sociology (3 sem. hrs.)
SOC 401 Senior Essay and Research Seminar in Sociology and Anthropology (4 sem. hrs.)
One Methods Course:
SS 294 Research Methods for the Social Sciences (4 sem. hrs.)
or ANTH 361 Ethnographic Methods (4 sem. hrs.)
One Theory Course:
SOC 363 Sociological Theory (3 sem. hrs.)
or ANTH 330 Anthropological Theory and Ethnography (3 sem. hrs.)
Experiential Learning: 2-4 credits from experiential learning opportunities.
These can either be internships with sociology and anthropology (SOCA) faculty acting as either on-site or faculty sponsors, or OCS J-term courses taught by SOCA faculty (i.e. OCS 300 Hawaii or OCS 305 Belize). A semester abroad would also meet this requirement. (2-4 sem. hrs.)
Four additional courses all under the SOC designation (CRIM 115 could count) or all under the ANTH designation (RELG 330 could count) and three courses in the other (21-24 sem. hrs.)
The SOCA faculty recommend (but do not require) taking one or more of the following courses outside of the major. Students should be aware that many of these courses have pre-requisites.
CREA 275 Creative Nonfiction (3 sem. hrs.)
ECON 209 Introduction to Political Economy (3 sem. hrs.)
ECON 255 The Political Economy of Globalization (3 sem. hrs.)
ECON 350 Economics of Developing Countries (3 sem. hrs.)
ENGL 380 Writing Literary Criticism: Methods and Theory (3 sem. hrs.)
ENVR 101L Introduction to Environmental Science (4 sem. hrs.)
FMS 101 Introduction to Cinema Studies (3 sem. hrs.)
FMS 281 Film and Literature (3 sem. hrs.)
HIST 372 Colonial Encounters (3 sem. hrs.)
PHIL 235 Modern and Post-Modern Philosophy (3 sem. hrs.)
POLS 151 Introduction to International Studies (3 sem. hrs.)
POLS 221 Liberalism and Its Critics (3 sem. hrs.)
PSY 235 Forensic Psychology (3 sem. hrs.)
PSY 250 Human Sexuality (3 sem. hrs.)
PSY 330 Indigenous Psychologies (3 sem. hrs.)
PSY 340 Psycholinguistics (3 sem. hrs.)
PSY 349 Cognition and Culture (3 sem. hrs.)
RELG 275 Religions of Asia (3 sem. hrs.)
RELG 330 Native Americans and the Environment (3 sem. hrs.)
THEA 320 Marginalized Voices: Women Playwrights (3 sem. hrs.)
WGS 245 Body Politics (3 sem. hrs.)
WGS 260 Indigenous Women’s Experiences (3 sem. hrs.)
WGS 301 Feminist Theory (3 sem. hrs.)
WGS 310 Feminist Methodologies: Intersectionalities (3 sem. hrs.)
Sociology Minor
The total number of courses required for the minor is 6 (18-19 semester hours).
Required Courses
All of the following (9-10 sem. hrs.)
SOC 151 Principles of Sociology (3 sem. hrs.)
SOC 277 Social Inequality: Class and Ethnicity (3 sem. hrs.)
Either SS 294 Research Methods for the Social Sciences (4 sem. hrs.)
or SOC 363 Sociological Theory (3 sem. hrs.)
Three more courses under the SOC designation (9 sem. hrs.)