Catalog

The Mission

Welcome

History 

The Campus

Admission to Lycoming

Financial Matters

Student Affairs

Academic Policies and Regulations

The Academic Program

The Curriculum

The Board of Trustees

Administrative Staff

Administrative Assistants

Faculty

The Alumni Association

Communication with Lycoming College

 

SOCIOLOGY-ANTHROPOLOGY (SOC)
Professor: Wilk (Chairperson)
Assistant Professor: Ross
Visiting Assistant Professor: McCall
Part-time Instructor: Mahoney

     The Sociology-Anthropology Department offers two tracks in the major. Both tracks introduce the students to the fundamental concepts of the discipline, and both tracks prepare the student for graduate school.
     Track I emphasizes the theoretical aspects of sociology and anthropology. Track II emphasizes the application of sociology and anthropology to human services.

Track I - Sociology-Anthropology requires the core course sequence SOC 110, 114, 229, 330, 430, 444 and three other courses within the department with the exception of SOC 443. REL 226 may also be counted toward the major.

Track II - Human Services in a Socio-Cultural Perspective Track II - Human Services in a Socio-Cultural Perspective requires SOC 110, 222, 229, 330, 430, 443, and 444. In addition, students must select two courses from among the following: SOC 220, 228, 300, 334, and 335. Students are also required to choose two units from the following courses: PSY 110, ECON 224, PHIL 219, and SOC 230. Recommended courses: ACCT 110, 226; SPAN 111, 112; HIST 126; and PHIL 334.
     Majors in both tracks are encouraged to participate in the internship program. Students interested in teacher certification should refer to the Department of Education on page 99.
     The following courses satisfy the cultural diversity requirement: SOC 229, 331, 334, 335, 336, and 337. The following courses, when scheduled as W courses, count toward the writing intensive requirement: SOC 229 and 331.

Minor
     A minor in sociology and anthropology consists of SOC 110 and four other SOC courses approved by the department, three of which must be numbered 220 or above.

110
INTRODUCTION TO SOCIOLOGY
    An introduction to the problems, concepts, and methods in sociology today, including analysis of stratification, organization of groups and institutions, social movements, and deviants in social structure.

114
INTRODUCTION TO ANTHROPOLOGY
     An introduction to the subfields of anthropology; its subject matter, methodology, and goals, examination of biological and cultural evolution, the fossil evidence for human evolution, and questions raised in relation to human evolution. Other topics include race, human nature, primate behavior, and prehistoric cultural development.

220
MARRIAGE AND THE FAMILY
     The history, structure, and functions of modern American family life, emphasizing dating, courtship, factors in marital adjustment, and the changing status of family members.
Prerequisite: SOC 110 or consent of instructor.

222
INTRODUCTION TO HUMAN SERVICES
     This course is for students interested in learning about, or entering, the human services profession. It will review the history, the range, and the goals of human services together with a survey of various strategies and approaches to human problems. A twenty-hour community service component is an optional element of the course.
Prerequisite: SOC 110 and/or PSY 110; or consent of instructor.

228
AGING AND SOCIETY
     Analysis of cross-cultural characteristics of the aged as individuals and as members of groups. Emphasis is placed upon media portrayals as well as such variables as health, housing, socio-economic status, personal adjustment, retirement, and social participation. Sociological, social psychological, and anthropological frames of reference are utilized in analysis and description of aging and its relationship to the individual and society. Prerequisite: SOC 110.

229
CULTURAL ANTHROPOLOGY
     An examination of cultural and social anthropology designed to familiarize the student with the analytical approaches to the diverse cultures of the world. The relevancy of cultural anthropology for an understanding of the human condition will be stressed. Topics to be covered include the nature of primitive societies in contrast to civilizations, the concept of culture and cultural relativism, the individual and culture, the social patterning of behavior and social control, an anthropological perspective on the culture of the United States.

230
SELF AND SOCIETY
     This course is concerned with the behavior of individuals who occupy positions in social structures, organizations and groups. The focus is on the behavior of individuals as it is
controlled, influenced, or limited by the social environment; and the manner in which the
behavior of individuals reacts upon, shapes and alters social structures and enters into the functioning of groups. This course will also explore symbolic interactionism, a major theoretical perspective in sociology which focuses primary attention on the way in which individuals define and continually redefine reality on the basis of social interaction.
Prerequisite: SOC 110 or consent of instructor.

235
SOCIAL HISTORY OF AMERICAN FAMILIES
     This course traces the historical developments that lead to contemporary family debates on issues including, but not limited to, welfare support and reform, fertility and abortion politics, divorce and child custody issues, and women’s employment outside of the home. In addition, the course examines the American family from the perspective of historical sociology with particular emphasis on the interplay of the family as it relates to historic reforms in the economic, political, educational, religious, and legal institutions. Covering approximately a four-century time frame, the changing composition of families is studied with an emphasis on racial, ethnic, and social class variations. Throughout the course "family" is addressed as a gendered institution and its implications for men’s and women’s lives.
Alternate years.

300
CRIMINOLOGY
     Analysis of the sociology of law; conditions under which criminal laws develop; etiology of crime; epidemiology of crime, including explanation of statistical distribution of criminal behavior in terms of time, space, and social location.
Prerequisite: SOC 110 or consent of instructor.

330
RESEARCH METHODS IN SOCIOLOGY-ANTHROPOLOGY
     In studying the research process in sociology-anthropology, attention is given to the process of designing and administering both qualitative and quantitative research. Students complete an original field work project in a public setting. Additionally, students will learn to compile and analyze quantitative data through a micro computer statistical software package. Different methodological skills considered include: field work, questionnaire construction, unobtrusive research, and program evaluation. The course must be taken in the junior year.
Prerequisites: SOC 110 and MATH 123.

331
SOCIOLOGY OF GENDER
     Virtually every society known to us is founded upon assumptions of gender differences and the politics of gender inequality. This course focuses on the ways in which gender is socially constructed and institutionalized in societies. Topics to be considered include cultural constructions of masculinity, femininity, heterosexuality, and homosexuality; institutional sites of gender differentiation such as work, family, military, and education; media representations of gender and sexuality; and reproduction politics. Emphasis is placed on various theories that have been advanced to explain gender stratification. Prerequisite: SOC 110. Alternate years.

334
RACIAL AND CULTURAL MINORITIES
     Study of racial, cultural, and national groups within the framework of American cultural values. An analysis will include historical, cultural, and social factors underlying ethnic and racial conflict. Field trips and individual reports are part of the requirements for the course.
Prerequisite: SOC 110 or consent of instructor.

335
CULTURE AND PERSONALITY
     Introduction to psychological anthropology, its theories and methodologies. Emphasis will be placed on the relationship between individual and culture, national character, cognition and culture, culture and mental disorders, and cross-cultural considerations of the concept of self.
Prerequisite: SOC 229 or consent of instructor.

336
THE ANTHROPOLOGY OF PRIMITIVE RELIGIONS
      The course will familiarize the student with the wealth of anthropological data on the religions and world views developed by primitive peoples. The functions of primitive religion in regard to the individual, society, and various cultural institutions will be examined. Subjects to be surveyed include myth, witch-craft, vision quests, spirit possession, the cultural use of dreams, and revitalization movements. Particular emphasis will be given to shamanism, transcultural religious experience, and the creation of cultural realities through religions. Both a social scientific and existential perspective will be employed.
Pre-requisite: SOC 229 or consent of instructor.

337
THE ANTHROPOLOGY OF AMERICAN INDIANS
     An ethnographic survey of native North American Indian and Eskimo cultures, such as the Iroquois, Plains Indians, Pueblo, Kwakiutl, and Netsilik. Changes in native lifeways due to European contacts and United States expansion will be considered. Recent cultural developments among American Indians will be placed in an anthropological perspective.

430
SOCIAL PROBLEMS
     Building on the research skills acquired in SOC 330, students will complete an original quantitative research project on a topic of their own choosing. The theoretical emphasis of this course covers the social construction and life course of a social problem. Additionally, several social problems will be analyzed in depth.
Prerequisite: SOC 330.

443
HUMAN SERVICES IN HELPING INSTITUTIONS
     The course examines the organizational and conceptual context within which human services are delivered in contemporary society. Subjects to be covered include ethnographic study of nursing homes, prisons, therapeutic communities, mental hospitals, and other human service institutions. The methodology of fieldwork will be explored so as to sensitize the student to the socio-cultural dimensions of helping environments and relationships.
Prerequisite: SOC 110 or 229, or consent of instructor. Alternate years.

444
SOCIAL THEORY
     The history of the development of sociological thought from its earliest philosophical beginnings is treated through discussions and reports. Emphasis is placed upon sociological thought since the time of Comte.
Prerequisite: SOC 110 or consent of instructor.

470-479
INTERNSHIP (See index)
     Interns in sociology-anthropology typically work off campus with social service agencies under the supervision of administrators. However, other internship experiences, such as with the Lycoming County Historical Museum, are available.

N80-N89
INDEPENDENT STUDY (See index)
     An opportunity to pursue specific interests and topics not usually covered in regular courses. Through a program of readings and tutorials, the student will have the opportunity to pursue these interests and topics in greater depth than is usually possible in a regular course.

490-491
INDEPENDENT STUDY FOR DEPARTMENTAL HONORS (See index)

{ HOME | ABOUT | PROSPECTIVE STUDENTS | CURRENT STUDENTS }
{ ALUMNI | ACADEMICS | ADMIN | SPORTS

{ SITE MAP | INFO REQUEST }



Tel.: 570-321-4000
700 College Place, Williamsport, Pennsylvania 17701 USA

Any questions or problems E-Mail webmaster@lycoming.edu
Copyright © 2005 Lycoming College