Learning Objectives

The Department of Sociology at CSU Channel Islands helps you build strong skills in critical thinking, research, and communication. The learning objectives below highlight what you will gain through the program. Together, these skills prepare you to make sense of the world around you and to apply your knowledge in your future career and community.

The Department of Sociology Learning Objectives

Develop effective communication, written and oral, about the field of sociology within the classroom and through a variety of arenas including service learning, international experiences, student research, and internships.
Obtain sociological knowledge of core areas and substantive topics and the ability to think critically about them.
Understand the role of theory in the application of conceptual frameworks in the research process.
Understand the role of evidence in the social sciences and the application of systematic empirical inquiry.
Develop professional skills for post-graduation plans within and outside of sociology.
Provide opportunities that are linked with the University’s Mission Pillars to stress multiculturalism, community engagement, international experience, and interdisciplinary studies.
Be able to effectively engage with and apply their “sociological imagination” to think critically about the social world and what separates sociology from other social science disciplines.

Course Learning Outcomes

SOC 100 Introduction to Sociology

Explain the Sociological perspective and how it compares and contrasts to the perspectives of other social scientific disciplines in making sense of the human experience (GE SLO 4.2).
Discuss various social structures, institutions, and ideologies, and how they interconnect to shape individuals' lives (GE SLO 4.1).
Describe how the major social groups (e.g. race, class, and gender) are socially constructed and how they experience inequalities.
Explain processes of socialization, social control, deviance, and power and how they operate in different societies and cultures.
Understand how the tools of analysis and methods of sociology can be applied to the systematic study of society (GE SLO 4.3).

SOC 201 Social Problems

Discuss how social problems are socially constructed, and how the Sociological view--that social problems are public not personal--differs from other social science approaches (GE SLO 4.2).
Explain how social, cultural, political, historical, and economic systems interact to cause social problems (GE SLO 4.1).
Identify how social problems disproportionately affect different groups in society to shape the human experience.
Articulate the connections between sociological theories and policy implications.

SOC 202 Introduction to Research Methods

Articulate logic of scientific thinking in the social sciences, including how to ask questions about social issues and/or institutions.
Read and analyze scientific research as critical consumers (critical thinking component).
Demonstrate research competence by conducting a simple quantitative study via a class project using existing data sources or simple data collection.

SOC 300 Social Inequalities

Describe biological, psychological, and sociological perspectives on human behavior, particularly theories explaining human differentiation (stratification) patterns.
Illustrate the history of human stratification and its development.
Analyze and compare dominant theories about social differentiation within human societies.
Identify sources of empirical data that inform sociological perspectives on managing social inequality in the US and demonstrate an understanding of how to evaluate these data.
Contrast cross-cultural and international approaches to ensuring social justice and solving problems of inequality.
Survey and distinguish between ideological and practical justifications offered for the existence of social inequality.
Deploy conceptual and methodological tools for the sociological analysis of different lifestyles and life chances associated with measures of inequality.
Describe the social constructionist perspective of race, class, gender, and sexual orientation.
Demonstrate the sociological imagination through an articulation of the roles of social structures and institutions in the creation and maintenance of stratification.
Demonstrate an understanding of the common methods and tools sociologists use to study stratification.

SOC 305 Writing in the Social Sciences

Identify key journals, disciplinary organizations, and appropriate research topics in sociology.
Locate and critically evaluate disciplinary journal articles and other common publication types for a particular research topic.
Analyze the function and organization of common journal article structures, such as introductions, literature reviews, methods, and findings.
Interpret visual representations of social science data, such as charts, tables, and figures.
Apply appropriate citation formats used in the social sciences (ASA mandatory, APA optional).
Understand various types of plagiarism, and how to cite and paraphrase to avoid passing off others' ideas as one's own.
Write and speak effectively in various forms.

SOC 311 Classical Sociological Theory

Describe what theory is and how it is used.
Explain how classical theory is still used by contemporary scholars
Demonstrate ability to analyze original source material in the form of monographs and articles by classical thinkers (Marx, Weber, Durkheim, Simmel, DuBois, and others) from the 19th century to mid century
Apply key classical social theories to current social problems and issues
Construct outline of the history of the emergence of the discipline of sociology and the social sciences.

SOC 315 Contemporary Sociological Theory

Identify key contemporary thinkers and their ideas in each of the major emerging paradigms in sociology.
Articulate and apply contemporary sociological use and theory.
Describe and communicate knowledge of contemporary theory in sociology.

SOC 325 Quantitative Research Methods and Analysis

Demonstrate an understanding of key methodological terminology like independent and dependent variables, level of measurement, operationalization, population, sample, generalizability, probability and non-probability sampling.
Articulate the basic steps taken in quantitative research design (surveys and secondary data analysis) including hypothesis development and the strengths and weaknesses of these methods.
Explore and analyze secondary datasets or survey data to find variables and answer research questions.
Select the appropriate quantitative research method and statistical analysis to answer a research question and report results.
Understand the ethical considerations of quantitative research design and become familiar with human subjects research approval.

SOC 327 Qualitative Research Methods and Analysis

Understand the epistemology behind qualitative research, and how that differs from quantitative research.
Explain the theoretical debates within qualitative methods (such as grounded vs. theory-informed ethnography: deductive or inductive, interpretivist vs. critical methodology, reflexivity and positionality).
Identify research methods terms (including, but not limited to: sampling, operationalization, generalizability, informed consent, ethics of human subjects research) within exemplar qualitative studies.
Practice research design and data collection techniques (including, but not limited to:developing research questions, designing an interview protocol, writing field notes, moderating a focus group, and transcribing an audio recording) within the context of the varied methodological tools.
Demonstrate proficiency with coding as a systematic process of meaning-making and submit thematic analysis.

SOC 332 Race and Ethnicity

Understand racial/ethnic groups are social constructs, malleable and change across time and place.
Examine the experiences of various racial and ethnic groups in the United States and beyond, paying close attention to the intersection of categories of identification like gender, class, sexuality and how they contribute to social locations of advantage and disadvantage.
Describe and analyze theories from multiple perspectives (e.g. biological, anthropological, historical, political, psychological, and sociological) that are used to make sense of racial/ethnic inequalities and race/ethnic relations (GE SLO 4.2).
Identify the mutually reinforcing relationships between race and ethnic identities and social structures, institutions, ideologies, power, privilege, and oppression.(GE SLO 4.1).
Understand the utility of qualitative and quantitative methodologies in the study of race/ethnic inequalities and relations (GE SLO 4.3).

SOC 334 Gender and Sexuality

Define and describe the difference between sex, gender, and sexuality.
Use cross-cultural and historical examinations of gender and sexuality to understand the ways gender and sexuality are social constructs, malleable, fluid, and changing across time and place, and within individuals (GE SLO 7.2).
Describe and analyze theories from multiple disciplines that attempt to explain the origins of gender and sexuality, the way we come to embody them, and inequalities stemming from them (GE SLO 7.2).
Explain the ways gender and sexuality organize our social lives, including in our health and welfare, education, work, families, politics, etc. (GE SLO 7.1).
Demonstrate some of the ways in which gender and sexuality intersect with race, ethnicity, and social class to shape human experiences (GE SLO 7.1).

SOC 335 Latiné/x Realities: Identity, Inequality & Resistance

Convey how issues relevant to social, cultural, political, contemporary/historical, economic, educational, or psychological realities interact with each other (GE SLO 4.1).
Discuss how social sciences conceive and study human experience (GE SLO 4.2).
Demonstrate an understanding of the historical, current, and future conditions of Latinx/é populations in the United States, including how colonial legacies and systemic inequalities shape lived experiences.
Apply social science methods, such as interviews, surveys, and content analysis, to explore Latinx/é experiences and connect individual stories to broader social patterns (GE SLO 4.3).
Demonstrate understanding and apply central theoretical and conceptual tools, such as the sociological imagination, intersectionality, and racial formation theory, to analyze Latinx/é identity, racial ideologies, and social structures.
Explore inter-relatedness and intersection of race and ethnicity with class, gender, sexuality, and other forms of difference, hierarchy, and oppression (GE SLO 7.1).
Engage social justice, indigeneity, transnational, transborder, and global issues, appreciating identities and situations as diasporic communities, and as interrelated realities in American society (GE SLO 7.1).

SOC 338 Come as You Are: Sexual Pleasure and Bodies in Ecstasy

Identify the anatomical structures and neurological processes involved in sexual arousal, paying particular attention to the diversity of genital anatomy across species and analyze the implications of cultural, scientific, and historical erasure of female sexual anatomy.
Critically discuss the scientific, historical, and cultural narratives surrounding female orgasm and ejaculation, including the influence of pornography, and articulate how these narratives shape societal expectations, gender norms, and individual sexual pleasure experiences (GE SLO 4.1; GE SLO 7.3).
Evaluate the ways in which social identities (e.g., sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, race, class) influence individuals' access to and experiences of sexual pleasure across different social and cultural contexts (GE SLO 4.2).
Analyze how historical and contemporary social institutions have shaped societal norms and power dynamics around sexual pleasure, particularly in relation to sex, gender identity, race, sexual orientation, class (GE SLO 4.2).

SOC 339 Through the Smoke: The History, Science, Politics, and Culture of Weed

Use cross-cultural and historical examinations of cannabis to demonstrate understanding the ways that attitudes and beliefs about cannabis are social constructs-products of their cultural, political, historical, and social times (GE SLO 4.1; GE SLO 7.3).
Describe and analyze current federal and state cannabis laws.
Define the parts of the cannabis plant and explain the ways cannabis affects the body, including risks and side effects of use.
Demonstrate some of the ways in which race, ethnicity, and social class relate to the criminalization and decriminalization of cannabis to shape human experiences (GE SLO 4.2).
Explain the ways multiple social institutions (media, criminal justice, economic and work institutions) benefit and change as a result of cannabis criminalization/decriminalization to shape human experiences (GE SLO 4.2.).

SOC 352 Social Movements

Demonstrate an understanding of the real world dynamics of social movements such as common issues and challenges by drawing from empirical examples (case studies).
Distinguish the main theoretical approaches to the sociological study of social movements by explaining differences across those perspectives and drawing from the relevant research literature.
Apply systematic empirical inquiry to the study of social movements, focusing on how data and evidence are used to explain social movement processes and outcomes.

SOC 355 Environmental Sociology

Describe key concepts within Environmental Sociology, including: treadmill of production, individualization of responsibility, ecological imperialism, and risk society.
Explain both sides of central debates in the subfield.
Analyze the research methods used in an academic journal article on Environmental Sociology .
Apply environmental sociological concepts to multiple empirical contexts.
Compare and contrast similar yet distinct concepts in Environmental Sociology.

SOC 357 Sociology of Globalization and Development

Demonstrate an understanding of the processes of globalization and development as distinct but interrelated phenomena.
Distinguish among main theoretical approaches to the sociological study of globalization and development by explaining those differences and navigating the research literature.
Demonstrate and explain their understanding of systematic empirical inquiry, focusing on how data and evidence were used to explain social phenomena, to identify how global processes shape developmental outcomes.

SOC 362 Sociology of The Family

Define what is meant by the family and key sociological perspectives on the family as an institution, including the social construction of family.
Recognize how, when, and why the modern family and traditional gender roles emerged.
Identify and describe the diversity of contemporary family structures and households, including the major life course transitions related to family life, and the ways they are linked with social inequalities.
Analyze contemporary family debates.
Understand common theoretical perspectives and research methods used to study the family from a sociological perspective.
Understand how gender, class, sexuality, race and ethnicity, and nationality function in all facets of family life.

SOC 365 Sociology of Education

Understand the theoretical concepts, methods, and debates within sociology of education.
Identify current social debates relating to educational inequalities, particularly across race, class, gender, and immigration status.
Describe the ways social structures and ideologies shape how schools function as social institutions.
Analyze how schools as social institutions reproduce structural inequalities in broader society.
Recognize common data and methods used in research in the sociology of education.
Explain how research in sociology of education may be effectively used to solve inequalities in schools.

SOC 370 Criminology

Evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of various criminological research methods and data sources.
Explain various sociological theories of crime.
Identify the correlates of crime.
Demonstrate how social inequalities are related to criminality and social control.

SOC 372 Urban Sociology

Explain the central analytical components of traditional "human ecology" perspectives on cities, and how they describe processes of growth and development associated with industrial cities.
Describe the central insights and arguments presented by political economy perspective in Urban Sociology, and how they differ from traditional perspectives.
Explain the history of post-war suburbanization, and how it has changed spatial patterns and introduced new challenges to both urban equality and governability.
Distinguish among measures of segregation commonly used in the United States, and use them to make comparisons across metropolitan areas.
Analyze relationships of stratification within cities, especially race and class, and how that impacts personal interactions and political dynamics in urban settings.
Understand the utility of qualitative and quantitative methodologies in studying urban sociology.
Identify and discuss contemporary research literature in urban sociology.

SOC 374 Sociology of Organizations

Demonstrate a familiarity with common issues and challenges associated with organizational effectiveness in contemporary society.
Understand and distinguish among the main theoretical approaches to sociological study of organizations by drawing on and navigating the relevant research literature.
Apply systematic empirical inquiry to the study of organizations, focusing on how data and evidence are used to explain organizational structures and processes.

SOC 380 Sociology of Immigration

Describe and synthesize the sociological theories and concepts used to study immigration.
Evaluate various sociological theories of immigrant assimilation and incorporation.
Understand the social, economic, and political forces related to immigration policies.
Identify and discuss contemporary research literature in the sociology of immigration.
Examine the social, economic, and political experiences of historic and contemporary immigrant groups.
Understand the utility of qualitative and quantitative methodologies in sociological studies of immigration.

SOC 382 Social Demography

Develop an understanding of the demographic perspective of social structure and social change.
Explain social process related to the three components of population change: births, deaths, and migration.
Identify the connections between social processes and their differential impact on demographic social categories, such as race-ethnicity, social class, age, nativity, and disability.
Develop a toolbox of demographic theories, concepts, and methods to analyze contemporary population issues.
Identify and discuss contemporary research literature in social demography.

SOC 385 Social Psychology

Develop a fundamental understanding of the ways intra-individual processes (cognition, perceptions), and relations and interactions with others are influenced by larger social structures and institutions.
Become familiar with social psychological concepts and understand how these concepts operate across different social and institutional contexts, key theories of the field, and common research methods used by sociological social psychologists.
Develop a sociological social psychology perspective to identify the ways social inequality manifests within the self, in small group interactions, and in social structures and institutions.
Explain social psychological theories and methods to explain the creation, reproduction, and resistance to social inequalities.
Explain the relationship between self and society; how personal life experiences are shaped by society, and how you unconsciously participate in or actively resist social inequality.

SOC 390 Sociology of Culture

Identify culture as a distinct element of social life and social interaction.
Demonstrate the relation of culture to other aspects of social life, such as economy, history, politics, and ideology.
Examine the effects of culture as a symbolic system on social structure, agency, and social forms of practice.
Critically engage cultural artifacts (including, among others, art, music, drama, literature, and media) from the standpoint of sociological analyses of culture.
Develop critical thinking skills to engage various examples of current, concrete social phenomenon in terms of underlying socio-cultural causes and significance.

SOC 392 Political Sociology

Demonstrate an understanding of contemporary political systems and structures (variants of democracy and dictatorship), as well as political processes and dynamics, by drawing from historical and contemporary empirical examples.
Distinguish among the main theoretical approaches to the sociological study of democratic politics (primarily Pluralism and Power Elite perspectives) by drawing on and navigating the relevant research literature.
Implement systematic empirical inquiry to the study of politics, focusing on how data and evidence are used to explain political structures and processes.

SOC 390 Sociology of Work and the Economy

Demonstrate an understanding of the sociological perspective of work and the economy.
Distinguish among main theoretical approaches to the sociological study of work and the economy.
Explain how data and evidence were used to explain social phenomena related to work, organizations, jobs, the economy, etc.

SOC 485 Social Services and Policy

Understand the issues faced by the populations that social service professionals serve are socially constructed and not the result of individual deficiencies.
Examine how social services and policy are socially constructed, malleable, and a reflection of societal choices about who is deserving of social support.
Think critically about multiple approaches to controversial issues facing communities that social service professionals serve and debate how to address social problems and reach societal consensus with limited resources.
Analyze social policies and reflect on how their application will affect the delivery and impact of social services to different segments of the population.

SOC 489 Careers in Sociology

Explore and research career paths related to sociology and students' own personal interests.
Explore and research graduate programs in sociology and/or applied fields.
Identify employment skills acquired through sociology coursework.
Develop and enhance professional skills, including oral and written communication, quantitative, interview, and multicultural/intercultural skills, and overall level of professionalism.
Develop a portfolio of job and graduate school application materials.

SOC 490 Topics in Sociology

Identify specific problems in sociology.
Apply the appropriate analytical tools to address specific problems in sociology.
Summarize and report findings related to the description, assessment or solution of problems in sociology.

SOC 494 Independent Study

Develop a comprehensive reading list in an emerging area of the discipline or an area tailored to the student's specific research needs.
Work closely with a faculty member to produce, expand, or polish existing student work for presentation at a conference.
Design an original project that the student may wish to pursue further in post-baccalaureate work.

SOC 495 Capstone I

Conduct a thorough search of the literature on a topic in a subfield of sociology.
Identify an original research project or question situated within a theoretical framework or within a body of sociological literature.
Design a research study and all accompanying materials to answer research question, following the code of ethics of the American Sociological Association and CSUCI.
Secure IRB approval, if needed.

SOC 496 Capstone II

Carry out a quantitative or qualitative research project they designed in Capstone I, and analyze findings.
Present the findings of their research via written and oral mediums to CI faculty, students, and community.
Identify the applicability of their research outside of academia, and communicate research findings with key stakeholders outside of academia through written, oral, or other mediums.