Introductory Sociology Course Structure

INSTITUTIONS: 20%

Institutions are stable structures or mechanisms of social order. They govern the behavior of individuals within a given community. They are defined by their social purpose, which rises above individuals and their intentions to establish rules for behavior.

• Economic
• Educational
• Family
• Medical
• Political
• Religious

SOCIAL PATTERNS:

The study of the trends and behaviors of people within large

• Communities
• Community
• Demography
• Human ecology
• Rural/urban patterns

SOCIAL PROCESSES: 25%

Social processes are how individuals and groups interact, change, and establish patterns of behavior that may change through continued interactions.

• Collective behavior and social movements
• Culture
• Deviance and social control
• Groups and organizations
• Social change
• Social interaction
• Socialization

SOCIAL STRATIFICATION (Process and Structure): 25%

Social stratification is a society’s categorization of people into socioeconomic strata, based upon their occupation and income, wealth and social status, or derived social or political power.

• Aging
• Power and social inequality
• Professions and occupations
• Race and ethnic relations
• Sex and gender roles
• Social class
• Social mobility

THE SOCIOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE: 20%

• History of sociology
• Methods
• Sociological theory