Course Descriptions

SIL 150 - Beginning Danish

SIL 151 - Continuing Danish

SIL 161 - Beginning Amharic

SIL 162 - Continuing Amharic

SIL 165 - Beginning Hungarian

SIL 171 - Beginning Hindi

Satisfies a South Asian Studies interdisciplinary minor requirement

Prerequisites & Notes
By permission only.  Visit the SILP website for instructions.

SIL 172 - Continuing Hindi

Satisfies a South Asian Studies interdisciplinary minor requirement

Prerequisites & Notes
SIL 171 or by permission only.  Visit the SILP website for instructions.

SIL 181 - Beginning Swahili

SIL 185 - Beginning Japanese

SIL 186 - Continuing Japanese

SIL 187 - Intermediate Japanese

SIL 191 - Beginning Hebrew

SIL 192 - Continuing Hebrew

SIL 193 - Intermediate Hebrew

SOC 101 - Introductory Sociology

Introduction to the scientific study of human social interaction with particular focus on the mutual influences between individuals and the groups to which they belong; the basic theories, concepts and techniques used by sociologists in their research.

Satisfies the Social-Scientific Thought requirement.
 

Prerequisites & Notes
Not open to seniors.

SOC 102 - Race, Class, Gender & Sexuality

This course addresses the multiple and intersecting ways race, class, gender, and sexuality, affect individual life chances, daily social interactions, and the larger society. We first take a detailed look at each of the core concepts: race, class, gender, and sexuality. Studying the “socially constructed” nature of these concepts, we ask what meanings and values have been attached to them, and how these social constructions help to rationalize and justify social inequality. We then analyze the significance of race, class, gender, and sexuality in a variety of institutional and interpersonal contexts, including schools, the workplace, families and relationships, and the criminal justice system.

Satisfies the Social-Scientific Thought requirement.
Satisfies the Justice, Equality, and Community requirement.

 

Prerequisites & Notes
Not open to seniors.

SOC 105 - Topics in Race and Religion

SOC 110 - COVID-19 and Society

The COVID-19 pandemic altered the social fabric of societies worldwide and upended our lives to such an extent that it is argued to have ushered in a new era. Our goal in this course is to unpack different aspects of this new era and understand how various social forces shape individual experiences. Accordingly, we will critically examine selected social issues at the macro (e.g., disparities in health outcomes, responses to illness) and micro (e.g., doomscrolling, experiences of stigma, bereavement) levels. To that end, the course will also introduce basic social-structural, interpretive, and critical approaches, though we will emphasize the social construction of reality. 
 

Satisfies Sociology major requirement.
Satisfies Public Health Minor requirement.
Satisfies Social-Scientific Thought requirement.
Satisfies Justice, Equality and Community requirement.

SOC 201 - Social Statistics

Sociologists and other social scientists must describe and interpret social facts in order to make sense of the world around them. To do this, they often rely on the analysis of quantitative data using statistical methods. This course acts as a primer to sociological statistical analysis. Students will learn to find and access social data, summarize patterns in that data, represent these patterns graphically, and explore relationships between different variables. Topics include descriptive measures, hypothesis testing, analysis of variance, chi-square, correlation, and regression. This course is designed as a gateway to quantitative sociological research, and emphasis is on practice and implementation, with students also learning to use SPSS software.

Satisfies the Mathematical and Quantitative Thought requirement.
 

Prerequisites & Notes
Cannot be taken after another college-level introductory statistics course (such as ECO 105, POL 182, or MAT 341).

SOC 205 - Race and Ethnic Relations

Comparative and historical study of social processes related to racial and ethnic differences in modern complex societies. Readings in theoretical and descriptive literature, focusing on issues of unequal distribution of power and privilege, racism, and ethnic prejudice.

Satisfies the Cultural Diversity requirement.  
Satisfies the Social-Scientific Thought requirement.

SOC 207 - Whiteness and Racial Justice

This course introduces whiteness as central to the analysis of American society, especially as it relates to inequality, power, and social change. The goal of this courses is to make clear how whiteness is central to a series of social transformations over American history through an analysis of racialized features of society - whether explicit or obscured: What accounts for the which ethnic/nation/racial groups are deemed most representative of modern Western society? How does the structure of power and politics shape the racial hierarchy over time? What explains persistent racial gaps in opportunity and wealth? How are racial attitudes embedded in religious and political structures? What are the prospects for human happiness and fulfillment for racial groups that are discounted, dismissed, or otherwise discouraged within our society? And what is the proper role for people who seek to study, and perhaps change, that society?  Readings will feature robust empirical research as well as writers with a conscious historical sensitivity on long standing structures of racialized inequality and oppression, revealing how whiteness has consequences for the understanding and achievement of efforts toward racial justice in our contemporary United States.

Satisfies a Sociology major requirement.
Satisfies Social-Scientific Though requirement.
Satisfies Justice, Equality and Community requirement.

SOC 209 - Sociology of the Good Place

This course draws upon the philosophical and sociological considerations outlined in the TV show The Good Place to grapple with the central question: to what degree is ethical consumption possible under modern capitalism? Students will watch segments of the show at home and read articles relating to given segment. The readings will cover a wide range of topics, from moral philosophy (based on the in-show teachings of the character Chidi Anagonye, a professor of ethics and moral philosophy), to gender and sexuality (emphasizing for example, the “not-a-girl” character of Janet, who has become a non-binary icon in popular cultural discourse, or the fluid sexuality of the protagonist Eleanor Shellstrop). Ultimately, this course will aim to adjudicate individual responsibility within a complex and corrupt social and economic system as summarized perfectly in the following quote from the third season:

“In America, everyone does whatever they want, society did break down, it’s terrible, and it’s great! You only look out for number one, scream at whoever disagrees with you, there are no bees because they all died, and if you need surgery you just beg for money on the internet.” - Eleanor Shellstrop
 

Satisfies Sociology major requirement.
Satisfies Social-Scientific Thought requirement.

SOC 210 - Power and Politics

Power and Politics introduces students to political sociology, and to the study of the production, conservation and distribution of power. We are members of a democratic society: the political system is a reflection of the social system and our collective construction of both legitimate authority and the just exercise of power. For these reasons, the study of power and politics is important both as a way of gaining useful knowledge and as a vehicle for deepening one’s understanding of political sociological theory. 

Satisfies a Communication Studies major and minor requirement.
Satisfies the Social-Scientific Thought requirement.
Satisfies the Justice, Equality, and Community requirement.

SOC 211 - Demagogues and Dictators

This course introduces students to the sociological study of authoritarianism focusing on demagogues, dictators, and their political systems around the world. Observing the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 and the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, many social scientists were once convinced that liberal democracy would eventually spread to every corner of the world. However, according to the Democracy Index in 2018, compiled by the Economist Intelligence Unit, only half of the world population lives under full or flawed democracy (though the index itself is often criticized as undemocratic). The supposed harbinger of liberal democracy, the United States, does not even make the list of top 20. Rather than treating demagogues and dictators as the remnants of “traditional” society or irrational anomalies of modernity against evident historical progress, this course explores the dynamics and characteristics of the exercise of governmental power at the macro level: how and why person-centered political regimes emerge, who and what sustains them, why many side with them, and how and why they wither away. In the process, larger questions of distributive injustice and the construction and perpetuation of structural inequalities are explored.

Satisfies Sociology major requirement.
Satisfies Social-Scientific Thought requirement.
 

SOC 217 - Sociology of Gender and Sexuality

This course introduces a critical approach to examining the social construction of gender and sexuality. It explores several different perspectives on gender inequality and the role of social institutions such as family, education, economy, and media in creating the experience of gender and sexuality in society.

Satisfies Gender and Sexuality Studies major and minor requirement.
Satisfies Communication Studies major and minor requirement.
Satisfies the Social-Scientific Thought requirement.
Satisfies the Justice, Equality, and Community requirement.

SOC 218 - Gendered Communication in Society (= COM 218)

Examination of the social construction of gender in both personal relationships and professional contexts. Areas to be explored may include: culture, verbal and nonverbal communication, family dynamics and close relationships, education, organizational communication, and roles in media.

Satisfies Sociology major requirement
Satisifes Gender and Sexuality Studies major and minor requirement
Satisfies the Justice, Equality, and Community requirement
 

SOC 222 - Sociology of Culture

What is “culture” and how do we study it? The concept itself often oscillates from how we express the beliefs we hold about reality, through the norms and values that orient our moral commitments, and the symbols that “contain” our beliefs. Today, cultural approaches have been incorporated into a wide range of areas in sociology, including the law, sexuality, education, science, economic markets, formal organizations, popular culture, and race and ethnicity. 

Satisfies the Social Science Thought requirement.

SOC 223 - Environmental Sociology

This course covers topics on environmental sociology with an emphasis on global phenomena and “big picture” analysis, combined with local, individual and community-level action. Key topics of analysis include capitalism, climate change, and the global treadmill of production under neoliberalism; displacement and migration due to adverse effects of climate change in the Global South; environmental racism; enlightenment epistemologies versus Indigenous knowledges about the natural world; eco-socialism and eco-feminism. Readings, texts and theories will emphasize these big picture concepts, while students complete independent projects and assignments that develop individual- and community- level initiatives to help address these macro, global-level problems.

Satisfies Sociology major requirement.
Satisfies Environmental Studies major, social-science requirement.
Satisfies Social-Scientific Thought requirement.
Satisfies Justice, Equality, and Community requirement.

SOC 225 - Religion and Non-Religion

The sociology of religion pursues an understanding of both the “social-ness” of religion itself and the mutually influencing interactions between religion and its social environment.  We will analyze religious beliefs, practices, and organizations from a sociological perspective, with a primary focus on religion in contemporary American society.

Satifies Communication studies major and minor requirement.
Satisfies the Social-Scientific Thought requirement.

SOC 226 - Sociology of Sport

In this course, we will examine sport as an institution. We will view sport through a sociological lens and consider how sport is shaped by and in turn shapes social interaction. We will focus on the opportunities and obstacles sports provide for members of different racial/ethnic, gender, and class groups. After introducing basic concepts and theories, we consider youth sports and sports in educational settings, including Title IX, gender segregation, race and reputation, and pay for college athletes. We then consider professional sports, including issues centered on players, coaches, and fans. We will also examine media portrayals and sport activism.

Satisfies Sociology major requirement. 
Satisfies Communication Studies major and minor requirement.
Satisfies Social-Scientific Thought requirement.
Satisfies Justics, Equality and Community requirement.

SOC 227 - Hip Hop and Urban Sociology

Our goal in this course is to interrogate some of the most pressing social problems that face urban Americans, paying particular attention to racial minorities who live in the most impoverished sections. We do so by comparing representations of these locales in hip hop music with social scientific research. We will cover four topics: economic inequality; housing and residential segregation; violence, crime, and punishment; and intimate life.

Satisfies Africana Studies major requirement.
Satisfies the Social-Scientific Thought requirement.

SOC 228 - Sociology of Cities and Urban Life

Today, most of the world’s people dwell in urban areas, and there is every indication that the future will be dominated by cities. Increasingly, then, the study of society is the study of urban society. Some of the principal questions of urban sociology are: (1) how and why cities come into being, (2) why they tend to become organized in particular ways, (3) how they are structured internally, (4) how people living in cities interact with one another, (5) how cities affect regions and individual nations, and (6) how urbanization and urbanism create different social problems.

Satisfies the Social-Scientific Thought requirement.
 

SOC 230 - Sociology of Work

Work not only occupies a central role in our lives, it is closely intertwined with other social institutions and social processes, especially social inequality. Work is perhaps the most important way in which society impacts our social experiences and life chances. Throughout the course, we will challenge the taken-for-granted notions about what constitutes work, what constitutes an occupation or profession, and the value of the economic vs. the social as a work outcome.  Topics will include: contemporary issues in 21st century work; a look at work during and after the Industrial Revolution; major theorist’s contributions to the study of work; work and self in the service industry; work and self among professionals and managers; and the modern distinction between work and family.

Satisfies the Social-Scientific Thought requirement.
 

SOC 231 - Leadership & Organizations

Leaders, teams, and organizations are closely intertwined in the operations of social institutions, social structures, and social processes.  The course provides an introduction to models and theories of leadership, processes inherent in the dynamics of small group interactions, and critical insights from organizational theory.

Satisfies Communication Studies major and minor requirement.
Satisfies the Social-Scientific Thought requirement.

SOC 232 - Medical Sociology

A brief early history, methods, theory, and concepts of social science research on health and health care mainly from the last half of the previous century to the present. We will explore gender, race, class, age, and social differences in the experiences of individuals as they deal with health and illness across their life course. The course will provide students with a sociological analysis of a broad array of health/illness issues and the health services industry.

Satisfies Public Health major and minor requirement.

Meets the Justice, Equality, and Community requirement.

SOC 234 - Sociology of Mental Health

This course examines mental health using theories from the sociology of health and medicine. We will analyze mental health through various perspectives: as a societal problem, a health outcome related to social inequality, a social construction, and a site of political struggle. We will first see how the concept came to be, including the medical discourse that gave rise to increased awareness and examination. Using theories of medicalization, we will see why it only became an important concept in recent human history. We will then move towards understanding how mental health is a societal problem- both in terms of increased mental health problems across populations and how this implicates our social structure. Finally, we will examine the political dimensions of mental health: how mental health is part of a shared language in medical discourse, but also in traditions that examine human rights, well-being, and social justice.

Satiafies Sociology major requirement.
Satisfied Public Health minor requirement.

Satisfies Social-Scientific Thought requirement.
Satisfies Justice, Equality, and Community requirement.

SOC 236 - Sociology of Disability

The field of Disability Studies has grown and evolved significantly in recent years, moving beyond its origins as a subspecialty of Medical Sociology. Today, it is a multidisciplinary field that draws on a broad range of perspectives to offer valuable insights into disability as a social, cultural, and political phenomenon. Disability Studies challenges conventional views that pathologize people with disabilities and fosters critical reflection on the role of disability in society. In this course, we will explore the topic of disability through a sociological lens, examining the social construction of disability and impairment, the stigma associated with disability, the social position of disabled bodies, intersectionality and disability, the politics of disability, and relevant theoretical perspectives. Our goal is to interrogate preconceptions and misconceptions about disability, promote critical thinking, and explore possibilities for positive change.

Satisfies Sociology major requirement.
Satisfies Public Health minor requirement.
Satisfies Social-Scientific Thought requirement.
Satisfies Justice, Equality and Community requirement.

SOC 237 - Boys and Men in Society

This course focuses on the diverse experiences of boys and men. We start with the social construction of masculinities across race/ethnicity, class, and sexuality. Through this, we consider the advantages as well as the costs of contemporary notions of masculinity. We examine how boys learn to be men from pre-K through college. We then turn to men’s experiences and interactions with various institutions, including work, family, and the media. We then consider the significance of violence in constructing masculinities. Finally, we focus on more inclusive conceptions of masculinity and men’s role in promoting gender equality. We view all these issues through an intersectional lens, considering gender, race, class, and sexuality. 

Satisfies Gender and Sexuality Studies major and minor requirement.
Satisfies Social-Scientific Thought requirement.
Satisfies the Justice, Equality, and Community requirement.

SOC 240 - Social Movements

An introduction to social movements as distinctive social spaces in which relatively powerless groups of people make collective efforts to affect history. Explores the major sociological approaches to studying these efforts, as well as the dynamics of social movement emergence, goals and messages, tactics and strategies, organization structures, internal conflicts, and activist identity formation.

Satisfies Communication Studies major and minor requirement.
Satisfies the Social-Scientific Thought requirement.
Satisfies the Justice, Equality, and Community requirement.

SOC 242 - Globalization & Social Change

An introduction to some of the social consequences of the multi-faceted and contested process of globalization. Explores how cultural, economic, and political globalizations are all altering the social landscape, social relationships, and social institutions including patterns of work, cultural consumption, migration, and family relations. Also looks at how diverse groups of people are actively trying to shape globalization in particular ways.

Satisfies Sociology major requirement.
Satisfies South Asian Studies minor requirement.
Satisfies the Social-Scientific Thought requirement.
Satisfies Cultural Diversity requirement.
 

SOC 246 - Modern Families

Introduction to families in the USA. Dating, cohabitation, marriage, divorce, remarriage, intergenerational relationships, domestic violence, and family policy are explored. Attention is given to issues of race, and class, gender, and sexuality.

Satisfies Gender and Sexuality Studies major and minor requirement.
Satisfies the Social-Scientific Thought requirement.
Satisfies the Justice, Equality, and Community requirement.

SOC 247 - Global Development & Underdevelopment

This course introduces theory, research, and current debates in causes of global development and underdevelopment.  The course takes a critical and empirically grounded sociological approach.  Moreover, given the growing complexity of the international development agenda, the course material occasionally also draw from other social sciences including anthropology, economics, and political science. The course begins by tracing the historical chronology of the “development project” starting from the end of World War II to the present by focusing on changing meanings and “measures” of global development over time. The second part of the course uses case studies from Africa, Asia, and Latin America to introduce  correlates of global development and institutions that engender (or hinder) socioeconomic improvement.  Substantive topics include: international trade, globalization and global governance, state formation and democratization, the failures of foreign aid, development from below and NGOs, microfinance, gender and development, and sustainable development.

Satisfies the Justice, Equality, and Community requirement.

SOC 250 - Housing

Over the last three decades, sociologists have convincingly identified housing as the “structural linchpin” of social inequalities.  By that they mean that inequalities in housing is the center of all other forms of inequalities.  In this course, we aim to investigate how housing became so central to social inequalities.  We do so by, first, defining housing as both a social good and a commodity.  Second, we review five or so decades of housing policy before turning our attention to contemporary debates in housing policy.  Third, we look into what social scientists refer to as neighborhood effects, the varied ways growing up in particular neighborhoods impact one’s social behavior and life outcomes.  In this unit, we will work in groups to investigate the impact of neighborhoods of education, economics, health, crime and punishment, and political behavior.  Finally, we marshal all we have learned to think about housing in Charlotte.  Schedules permitting, we will invite to class speakers from various Charlotte institutions who are engaged in housing policy.  We will also attend events in the city that deal with housing.  Finally, students will be assigned to investigate the housing in various Charlotte neighborhoods.

Satisfies Africana Studies major requirement (Social Thought and Institution catagory).
Satisfies the Social-Scientific Thought requirement.
Satisfies the Justice, Equality and Community requirement.

SOC 251 - Health Disparities in the U.S. and Beyond (=PBH 251)

This course will explore connections between race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and U.S.  social policy with the historical and current trends in health disparities in the USA. This course will offer a foundation in both core concepts and theoretical frameworks for understanding health disparities in the US. Additionally, this course will introduce theory and strategies for developing health interventions and policies to address the crisis of racial, ethnic and socioeconomic health disparities in the USA.

Satisfies Communication Studies major and minor requirement.
Satisfies Social-Scientific Thought requirement.
Satisfies the Justice, Equality, and Community requirement.

 

Prerequisites & Notes
PBH 110 “Introduction to Public Health” or PBH 392 “Introduction to Epidemiology”

SOC 255 - Global Perspectives of LGBTQ Human Rights

This course examines the human rights struggles of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer community using a global perspective. Using theories of social movements, human rights, world polity and insights from work on international political economy we will trace the rapid development of social movements and international policymaking impacting the LGBTQ+ community during the late 20th century to today. In addition to learning how this movement has developed and been incorporated in global policymaking, we will examine how human rights discourse is conducted and both diffused and resisted globally. We will trace the origins of activism using social movement framework, see what problems impact the community in nation around the world, and discern how international actors have responded to increased organizational demands for change.

Satisfies Sociology major requirement.
Satisfies Gender and Sexuality Studies major and minor requirement.
Satisfies Social-Scientific Thought requirement.
Satisfies Justice, Equality, and Community requirement.

SOC 265 - Population & Society

This course provides an introduction to social demography: the sociological study of human population processes and their relationship with social, economic, and political changes. The course will begin with an introduction of population characteristics, including its size, growth, and age distribution, followed by a discussion of population dynamics, which are fertility, mortality, and migration. The second part of the course will cover population topics that are relevant in planning and policy debates such as: marriage and family, population health, urbanization, population aging, population and environment, and population changes and economic development in the Global South.

Satisfies the Social and Scientific Thought requirement.

SOC 270 - Immigration and Deportation

This course examines immigration to the United States through a sociological lens, with attention to the social, political, and historical contexts of immigration and the relationships between migrants and existing institutions and identities. migration is a rich topic for raising and answering the most fundamental, perennial questions of sociology. What is a social system and how does it change as a result of migration? How does migration affect the relationship between people and the state? Between various states in the global system? To what extent can our current forms of domestic and international organization be understood as systems of stratification and social domination in terms of how migrants move, are considered, and handled? 

The course will first outline the factors shaping migration patterns-why people move-and compare immigration policies across time and space. We include a look at policies and frameworks underpinning immigration to the US, particularly the role of the government in attempting to control immigration through border controls and immigration policies. Next, we examine how ethnic and national minorities are incorporated (or resisted) into American society, exploring debates around assimilation and other models of immigrant incorporation. We consider how gender, race, class, and religion affect the reception and integration of migrants. We also focus on the criminalization of migrants in contemporary U.S. With consideration to involuntary migration, we examine human smuggling and trafficking, the legal protection of and humanitarian assistance by international organizations, nation-states, local governments, and NGOs to refugees, and displacement due primarily to violent conflict, persecution, and natural disasters. Finally, we will examine the consequences of immigration and transnationalism on nation-states and diasporic communities. 

Students should note that this class is reading, writing, and discussion intensive. Assigned readings provide background, concepts, and history required to master this broad arena of social life. Analytical writings provide practice in articulating important social dynamics and institutional processes. Recognizing the sensitivity about migration at this time, we give special attention to the diversity of perspectives contributing to the polemical discourse in the United States and elsewhere on the topic. And because “real life” involves working with other people, this class is designed to encourage a high level of interpersonal interaction through group discussions as we process course material together. You must come prepared and to talk together. Careful reading, then listening, considering, and constructively giving group feedback are core to the pedagogy of this course.

Satisfies Sociology major requirement.
Satisfies Social-Scientific Thought requirement.
Satisfies Justice, Equality and Community requirement.

SOC 280 - Introduction to Global Health (=HHV 280)

Global health is an emerging interdisciplinary field that approaches health issues as transnational challenges requiring multi-level, community-based solutions. This course introduces its major concepts, tools, and debates. Topics include global health inequities, historical and ongoing strategies for control of communicable diseases from smallpox to HIV/AIDS, the global rise in prominence of non-communicable disease, connections between social structures and the global distribution of disease, and debates over health as a human right. Students will learn to interpret and evaluate population health indicators, interact with WHO datasets, and analyze health interventions and policies from both solutions-oriented and critical perspectives.

Satisfies the Justice, Equality, and Community requirement

SOC 299 - TBD

SOC 310 - Gender, Race, and Sports

Satisfies Gender and Sexuality Studies Major and Minor requirement.
Satisfies a major or interdisciplinary minor requirement in Communication Studies.
Satisfies Social Scientific Thought requirement.
Satisfies the Justice, Equality, and Community requirement.

SOC 315 - Media Effects (= COM 315)

An exploration of relevant theories and practices of conducting media effects research in the mass mediated/disseminated communication contexts including television, radio, print, popular culture, internet, and other forms of new media. Topics include health, advertising, edutainment, stereotypes, violence, pornography, music videos, video games, news, and politics.

Satisfies a major requirement in Sociology
Satisfies Communication Studies major and minor requirement
Satisfies Film and Media Studies interdisciplinary minor requirement
 

SOC 316 - Digital Media and Social Change

This course walks students through the various ways digital media (computers, internet, cellphones) has impacted social change at the global level. From the Arab Spring movements in the early 2010s to the Black Lives Matter (BLM) protests in late 2010s on the one hand, and global turn towards right wing fascism on the other hand (e.g. the extremely online formulation of the Trumpian alt-right; “The Great Firewall” in China), digital and social media have played key roles in facilitating social and political conflicts as well as change. After the 2020 global pandemic, digital social spaces replaced traditional society in most domains and institutions, but digital media has been gearing up to transform society for far longer than this critical period in contemporary society. In this seminar, we will take a close look at the various sociological theories that might explain digital media and global social change, and apply them to case studies of contemporary social movements and counter movements across the political spectrum. 

Satisfies Sociology major requirement
Satisfies Social-Scientific Thought requirement
Satisfies the Justice, Equality, and Community requirement

Prerequisites & Notes
Pre-reqs: any 100 or 200 level sociology course; SOC 275 Mass Media or SOC 242 Globalization especially encouraged

SOC 330 - Sociology of Education (=EDU 330)

An introduction to the sociological study of education in the United States, including an examination of the school as an organization within a larger environment. Explores the link between schools and social stratification by analyzing the mutually generative functions of schools and considers how processes within schools can lead to different outcomes for stakeholders.

Satisfies the Education Interdisciplinary Minor.
Satisfies a major or interdisciplinary minor requirement in Communication Studies.
Satisfies the Social-Scientific Thought requirement.
Satisfies the Justice, Equality, and Community requirement.

SOC 331 - Theoretical Explorations of Community Engagement

An examination of community engagement through a range of theoretical lenses. After interrogating constructions of “community,” “service,” and “civic engagement,” we will explore the ways in which topics such as social justice, civic engagement, empowerment, diversity, and the ethics of service frame community work. Specific enactments of community involvement are explored including philanthropy, volunteerism, social entrepreneurship, and activism with a focus on leadership and change.

Satisfies a major or interdisciplinary minor requirement in Communication Studies.
Satisfies the Social-Scientific Thought requirement.
Satisfies the Justice, Equality, and Community requirement.

SOC 344 - Stereotypes and Humor (=COM 344)

This course centers humor communication and comedy studies with a focus on stereotypes in various public and mass communication realms, including entertainment media, stand-up comedy, interpersonal and small group settings. Theoretical frameworks on prejudice, discrimination, intersectionality, social and personal identities, and backstage/frontstage racism will anchor the course towards a critical understanding of how stereotypes, as mental shortcuts and oversimplified kernels of truth, function in their many communicative manifestations. The particular focus on the intersection of stereotypes and humor interrogates a context in which anything goes and even the most otherwise controversial, sensitive hot button topics are given a pass under the guise of humor. Many types of stereotypes take center stage in this course with special attention to those that undermine and marginalize underrepresented populations. We will consider the great potential stereotype humor holds to impact intergroup interaction dynamics in the real world. This is a discussion-based course that relies heavily upon student participation in each class meeting. The participation basis is a major component of the course grade composition. Furthermore, this is a permission-only course. If you are interested in enrolling in this course, please contact ammartinez@davidson.edu.

Satisfies Communication Studies major and minor requirement.
Satisfies Sociology major requirement.
Satisfies Social-Scientific Thought requirement.

SOC 347 - Topics on Transnationalism

Transnationalism has been defined as a “social process in which migrants establish social fields that cross geographic, cultural, and political borders.”  In this definition, migration is not simply the movement of people from one nation state to the other but a constant ongoing exchange between and across borders.  Immigrants are thus understood to be transmigrants when they “develop and maintain multiple relations-familial, economic, social, organizational, religious, and political-that span  borders” (Schiller, Basch, and Blanc-Szanton 1992:ix). To build on and confront some of the limitations of the transnationalism literature on migration, this course focuses on the motivations, processes, and consequences of migration. Through readings and other mediums, i.e. film, we confront the following questions. First, the focus on motivations reorients the transnationalism literature, and most of U.S. migration studies, to pay as much attention to emigration as it does immigration.  How does the political and socio-economic context of the home country impact motivations for leaving one’s home country? Second, a focus on the process of migration, especially on immigration policy, re-thinks the role of the nation-state in contemporary migration.  Is it as minimal as some transnational scholars argue? And, more broadly, as compared to several decades back, are nation-states less consequential in the lives of migrants in today’s globalized world?  Third, by investigating the consequences of migration, which includes both the consequences for migrants and for those they leave behind at home, this class examines the benefits of transnational lives as well as the difficulties of leading lives constrained by two nations.

Satisfies Africana Studies major and minor requirement
Satisfies the Cultural Diversity requirement
Satisfies the Social-Scientific Thought requirement

SOC 355 - Queer Families

This course disrupts traditional notions of “the family.” More specifically, we will challenge binaries: gender, sexuality, family. We start with the general assumption that there is not one acceptable or even dominant family form. This includes decentering heteronormativity and drawing on queer family theory. We draw on case studies to deconstruct family in the US, South Africa, and China. We consider shifts in opinions surrounding marriage and marriage equality and how the movement for same-sex marriage has changed these attitudes. We focus on trans families and (re)producing trans families through the case of cisgender women and transgender men. We focus on the potential of polyamory and polyqueer sexualities in breaking down sexist and racist assumptions about relationships. We examine intersectionality across different cases, with a particular focus on Black lesbian mothers, queer Latinas, and queer families in Taiwan. We also consider challenging gender through raising trans kids. The class itself will be discussion-based with occasional workshops focused on research projects.
 

Satisifes Sociology major requirement.
Satisfies Gender and Sexuality Studies major requirement.
Satisfies Gender and Sexuality Studies minor requirement.

Prerequisites & Notes
Restricted to sophomores, juniors, and seniors.

SOC 358 - The Sociology of Beatties Ford Road

There is an old tradition in sociology where scholars focus their energies on understanding the life and inner-workings of a section of one city.  The first of these kinds of works was W. E. B DuBois’ investigation of Philadelphia’s 7th Ward, which culminated in the publication of the seminal text The Philadelphia Negro.  Several decades later, Robert Park directed several studies of south-side Chicago neighborhoods that surround the University of Chicago.  The Sociology of Beatties Ford Road, which will be a collaborative effort with Johnson C. Smith University (JCSU), will follow in this tradition.  The class will be held on JCSU’s campus, with JCSU students, and a JCSU faculty.  Our objectives will be to study various aspects of social life of that neighborhood, including, but not limited to, gentrification, public health, education, criminal justice, and slavery on Latta Plantation.  We will read various examples of community studies and study their methods, but, for the bulk of the class, we will work in groups to develop our own research projects.  At the end of the semester, there is an opportunity for a few students to participate in a DRI-like summer research program to continue their research.  

Students interested in taking this course must complete the following form:  https://goo.gl/forms/c8Ohe2DwxYRI3pXZ2

SOC 361 - Sociology of Addiction

This course examines addiction using theories from the sociology of health and medicine. We examine the use, abuse, and societal context of alcohol and drugs through a sociological perspective. The goal of this course is to learn how society and political structures are related to individual or group alcohol and drug use. We begin with a social construction perspective on psychoactive chemicals. We then move into discussing the psychological and psychology components of addiction. Finally, we examine how social context can relate to how drugs are viewed, used, abused, and criminalized within particular societies.

Satisfies Sociology major requirement.
Satisfies Social-Scientific Thought requirement.
Satisfies Justice, Equality, and Community requirement.

SOC 363 - Urban Geography (= ENV 373)

Urban landscapes differ dramatically from other spaces on the planet in their physical structure, economic base, governance patterns, and intensity of social interactions. Cities are often characterized by striking inequalities in income distribution, social and spatial mobility, access to resources, and forms of cultural expression. Conflicting social forces and economic processes make urban areas vibrant and complex phenomena, and cities are often presented as both the problem and the solution for a sustainable future. This course introduces analysis of contemporary urban systems, with an emphasis on spatial and geographic patterns and processes. We will examine the contradictions and conflicts inherent in the development of U.S. and international cities, as well as the centrality of urban system development in the evolution of local and global political economies. Lectures, discussions, and field trips will provide both theoretical frameworks and contextualized experiences of urban social life. Our examinations of the changing economic, social, political, and environmental dynamics of cities will focus on a wide range of topics, including economic processes, governmental management, urban form, land use, housing, migration, transportation, socioenvironmental justice, and political ecology, among others.

Satisfies Social-Scientific Thought requirement.
Satisfies a major requirement in Environmental Studies.
Satisfies a major requirement in Sociology.
Satisfies an interdisciplinary minor requirement in Environmental Studies.

Prerequisites & Notes
No prerequisites are required.

SOC 370 - Major Sociological Theorists

Satisfies the Social-Scientific Thought requirement.

SOC 371 - Critical Race Theory (=AFR 371, =EDU 371)

This course introduces students to the development of critical race theory as a specific theoretical framework to explain or to investigate how race and racism are organized and operate within the United States.  The course will have a sociological focus with emphasis on critical race scholarship that includes, but is not limited to, an analysis of double consciousness, colorblindness, intersectionality, whiteness as property, racial microaggressions, and structures of power.  Students will also explore central tenets and key writings advanced in the 1990s primarily by African American, Latino/a, and Asian American scholars in law, education, and public policy.  The course is both reading intensive and extensive with a major writing assignment that addresses a theoretical problem that grows out of the course topics and discussions. 

Satisfies a requirement in the Africana Studies major (Geographic Region: North America).
Satisfies a requirement in the Sociology major.
Satisfies a minor requirement in Educational Studies.
Satisfies the Social-Scientific Thought requirement.

SOC 372 - Feminist Theories

Introduces students to key concepts and debates within feminist social theory.  Explores the significance of gender within social life, how gender is produced at the individual and institutional levels , as well as feminist conceptualizations of ‘the good society.’ Addresses key questions of social theory including the relationship between individuals and social structures, the construction of identities, and the meaning of power.

Satisfies the Gender and Sexuality Studies Interdisciplinary Major and Minor.

SOC 373 - Contemporary Social Theory

This course is designed to provide broad overview of contemporary social theory and introduces you to the concepts, writings, and arguments of some of the most important social theorists of the 20th century. We will discuss complex interrelated cultural, social, political and economic issues and discover how social theorists have dealt with them during the decades in the 20th century when their theories were advanced. Most important, we will endeavor to understand how these issues affect our understanding of the world and the everyday lived experience. The terms and concepts we will get familiarized with are concepts such as social mechanisms, social action, social structure, as well as modernity, post-structuralism, critical theory, rational choice theory, postmodernism, and cultural studies.  

Satisfies Social-Scientific Thought requirement

 

Prerequisites & Notes
Sophomores, Juniors, and Seniors only.

SOC 374 - Contemporary Race Theory (=AFR 374)

(Cross-listed with AFR 374.) Race, along with class and gender (and sexuality), continues to be one of the central themes in sociological research.  In most of the subfields of the discipline, researchers of all stripes believe race to be an explanatory variable.  This, however, does not mean that sociologists have one theory of race.  In fact, there are raging debates about exactly what they mean when they evoke the term.  In this class, we will engage with some of the most recent theories about race.  Because some of the debates are built on those of decades past, we will spend the first third of the course establishing the foundational terms of the conversations.  The second third will be organized around a handful of provocateurs.  We will read portions of their original offerings and then read responses from their critics.  The final third will focus on two topics that are proving to have significant impact on theorizing race: immigration and genomics.

Satisfies a requirement in the Sociology major.
Satisfies a requirement in the Africana Studies major (Geographical region: North America).

SOC 380 - Sociology of Hollywood

Hollywood is more than geography; it is a vibrant, international network of people producing entertainment for fame and profit.  This seminar pursues a sociological analysis of the social space called “Hollywood”: its genesis, operation, and influence.  The class begins with an exploration of the construction of Hollywood itself (e.g., geographic beginnings, the studio system, industry occupations, and financial realities) and then considers the broader effects of the entertainment industry on contemporary American society (e.g., relations with governmental and religious institutions, structures in film production and distribution, and the interrelationship of the entertainment industry and popular culture).

Prerequisites & Notes
Not open to first year students.

SOC 382 - Men and Masculinities

In this course we will pay close attention to the construction of masculinities and how men both affect and are affected by the current gendered social order. Throughout the course, we will consider how men are enabled or constrained by key social characteristics such as age, race/ethnicity, class, and sexual orientation. In particular, we will address the following issues: the concept of hegemonic masculinity; the gender gap in education; the challenges men face as they move from adolescence to adulthood; masculinities in the workplace; body image among men; male infertility; Black masculinity in popular culture; the criminalization of minority males; and the deterioration of white men’s sense of entitlement.

Satisfies the Justice, Equality, and Community requirement.

Prerequisites & Notes
Not open to first-year students.

SOC 386 - Religion and Young Adults

What does religious commitment look like among young adults? Our focus in this class will center on young adults in America–those often labeled “emerging adults”–and the nature of their religious involvement (or lack thereof) from adolescence through their later 20s. The continuation of any religious tradition is dependent on the ability to pass along beliefs and practices across generations. Yet, the challenges of sustaining religion appears to be increasing, although unevenly and in not-so-obvious ways. De-conversion, disaffiliation, and disbelief are growing options, and religious diversity and tolerance are more important than ever. Overall, this seminar pursues the most current sociological analysis available at the intersection of age and religion. Our class begins with a broad discussion of Karl Mannheim’s classic discussion on “the problem of generations” and a conceptual discussion of age, generation , and historical effects. The class continues with an analysis of religion in adolescence. Several research sources on the complexities of young adult religion will quickly culminate into an examination of topics including family relationships, peer influences, sexuality, parachurch organizations, college students, and dating/courtship dynamics.

Satisfies a distribution credit in Social Scientific Thought.

SOC 390 - Qualitative Research Methods

This class provides students with training in qualitative field research methods, with an emphasis on participant observation and in-depth interviewing. Students will conduct their own semester-long empirical research projects, going through the entire process of research design, data collection, coding, analysis, and writing. Readings and class sessions will focus on both theoretical foundations and techniques of interpretive, qualitative research. One of the best ways to develop research skills is to get out there and try it, to reflect on the process as you go, and to talk about what is working and not working for you with a group of colleagues and peers. Therefore, students will have extensive opportunities to reflect on their own research practices, learning by doing.

Satisfies a major or interdisciplinary minor requirement in Communication Studies.

SOC 391 - Survey Methodology

This course introduces students to survey research methods. Sociology is based on empirical data. Sociologists are trained to collect data in order to answer questions. One of the most commonly used forms of data collection within sociology is the survey. In this course, students will gain experience in designing a survey, sampling, administering a survey, and analyzing survey data. 

Counts as an elective in the Data Science interdisciplinary minor.
Satisfies a major or interdisciplinary minor requirement in Communication Studies.

SOC 392 - Quantitative Data Analysis

The purpose of this class is to prepare you as a future producer and evaluator of high-quality quantitative research - whether as a social scientist, as a decision-maker in a corporate setting, or as a designer and evaluator of social policy. Extending theoretical concepts from introductory Social Statistics coursework, this class provides students with hands-on quantitative analysis experience using existing quantitative research. We survey, and learn to replicate and evaluate, various types of regressions, structural equation models, and longitudinal analyses. Additionally, students learn to critically engage with and evaluate social network analyses, geo-spatial analyses and mixed method research methodologies. Students will complete a capstone project that builds on their existing research, ending the semester with a manuscript able to be presented at a formal conference.

Counts as an elective in the Data Science interdisciplinary minor.
Satisfies a major or interdisciplinary minor requirement in Communication Studies and Africana Studies.
Satisfies Mathematical and Quantitative Thought requirement.

Prerequisites & Notes
A semester of college-level introductory statistics course in Sociology, Economics, Political Science, Psychology, or Mathematics, such as SOC 260, ECO 105, POL 221, or MAT 341.

SOC 393 - Comparative-Historical Methods

This course examines the core theories, issues, methods, and reasoning that are commonly employed in the field of coparative-historical sociology. Students will learn how history is crucial to sociology as well as practical concerns in conducting comparative-historical research.

SOC 395 - Independent Research in Sociology

SOC 410 - Advanced Seminars in Sociology, SOC 410-419

Topics announced in advance.

Prerequisites & Notes
Third or fourth year standing and permission of the instructor.

SOC 417 - Senior Seminar: Social Media

We live in a time when social media is nearly unavoidable. Younger generations in particular are consistently connected through social media in historically unprecedented ways. A unique characteristic of social media conversations (compared to prior communications technologies) is that they leave behind digital records! In the last decade, sociologists and other social scientists have found these records (tweets, forum posts, facebook groups) are rich data sources to analyze a myriad of social patterns. In this course we will assess the variety of sociological questions that can be answered using social media data. We will read examples on topics of mental health and social movements to inspire our own ideas.

Within the umbrella of “social media,” there are so many research project possibilities for students in terms of both topics and methods. Student projects can range from analyzing publicly available social media content (discourse analysis) to conduct qualitative and mixed methods projects, or acquiring permission (IRB) to conduct virtual interviews or evaluate private forums and spaces, or drawing from secondary data sources to quantitatively analyze patterns of social media use.  Note that choosing a topic, research question and method early in the semester will ensure the smoothest experience in this class.

SOC 430 - Race and Religious Faith

The seminar focuses on the historic Black Church in America as well as religion and migration among non-native, ethnic congregations (whether church, temple, or mosque) in order to examine the relations between race-ethnicity, religion, and broader civic society today. The course also examines the rare achievement of multi-ethnic/multi-racial religious communities. The broader and complex effects of politics and globalization, economics and financial pressures, citizenship and public life, prejudice and discrimination, media and technology, innovations and social change will be discussed throughout the course.

Satisfies a requirement in the Africana Studies major (Geographic Region: North America).
Satisfies a major or interdisciplinary minor requirement in Communication Studies.
Satisfies the Cultural Diversity requirement.

Prerequisites & Notes
Third or fourth year standing and permission of the instructor.

SOC 440 - Marriage, Divorce, Remarriage

Americans love marriage. Most people will marry at some point in their lives and many will marry more than once. In fact, 40% of marriages involve a second or higher marriage for one or both spouses. At the same time, marriage rates have gone down, particularly for those with less education, and people are marrying later. In its place, more and more young adults are cohabiting, one-quarter by age 20 and three-quarters by age 30. Divorce rates remain relatively high, but there have been declines in the overall rate since the 1980s. Amidst these trends, the Supreme Court legalized same-sex marriage across the country, and the proportion of same-sex cohabiting couples who were married jumped from 38% to 61%. This course will examine these trends as well as the decisions, relationships, and conflicts behind them. Much of the course will also be spent investigating topics of interest to class members. All students will conduct research on a topic of their choice and discussions will center on readings related to students’ research topics as well as the research process itself.

Prerequisites & Notes
  

SOC 450 - Identity & Community

This course resources students to conduct individual research using a selected set of analytical perspectives on how to think about the identity (the social processes of the self) and community (the social processes of group belonging). Going beyond the most basic sociological categories used to categorize persons in social life (i.e. sex/gender, sexual orientation, class, nation, race/ethnicity), this course focuses on the processual character of identity formation and group dynamics, especially for considering how identities take shape in social interaction and how groups create, sustain, and/or fade away as sources for individual identity. Not only will we examine how the self is produced by group processes but also how structures shape and mediate between the self and others as well as how the social production of identities is bound up with power, privilege, and oppression. Beginning with classic theoretical frameworks from Emile Durkheim, Max Weber, Georg Simmel, WEB Du Bois, Erving Goffman, Pierre Bourdieu, and Ulrich Beck, this course will discuss concepts which have shown promise to be particularly helpful in understanding identity and group formation processes in order to position students to discover more particularistic sociological literature used to pursue their own individualized research project-forming a research question and analyzing concrete empirical data-centered on a particular, contemporary identity/community.

Satisfies Sociology major requirement.
 

SOC 495 - Independent Research in Sociology

SOU 310 - India: Past and Present

This course investigates how an understanding and experience of religion has influences the history and culture of modern India and its people.  Attention will be given to the social, political, and cultural milieu in which religion is practiced in India.  Central to the course is a contextual examination of religion and its influence on social relations, and how religion ameliorates or impedes social change for the common good.

Satisfies the cultural diversity requirement.

Prerequisites & Notes
Offered as part of the Semester-in-India Program.

SOU 354 - Issues in Contemporary India

Satisfies the cultural diversity requirement.

Prerequisites & Notes
Offered as part of the Semester-in-India program.

SOU 375 - Urban India

This course is offered as part of the Davidson College semester-in-India Program. Using Hyderabad as the site from which to contextualize Indian cities, students will explore a diverse array of issues facing cities in the global South. Through guest lectures on the history of Hyderabad’s urbanization, students will learn about the city’s many transformations in the twentieth and twenty-first century, focusing specifically on: labor flows and migration; geographical dislocations of the urban poor; intersection between linguistic, religious, caste, and regional communities; urban political economy; transportation; waste management; gender and public space; environmental and ecological impacts of urbanization; mapping urban developments over time.

Satisfies a minor requirement in South Asian Studies.
Satisfies a requirement in the History major.
Satisfies the methodology course requirement for students in the social science track of the Enironmental Studies major.
Satisfies the Social-Scientific Thought requirement.
Satisfies the cultural diversity requirement.

SOU 385 - Public Health in India

Satisfies the cultural diversity requirement.

Prerequisites & Notes
Offered as part of the Semester-in-India program.

SPA 101 - Elementary Spanish I

An introduction to speaking, understanding, reading, and writing Spanish. Requires attendance at Assistant Teacher sessions twice a week and online work through the Language Resource Center. Conducted in Spanish.

Prerequisites & Notes
Placement required. Students who have completed up to Spanish 2 in high school may register in SPA 101 and do not need to take the Spanish Placement Exam. Students who have taken Spanish 3 or higher in high school, must take the placement exam. 

SPA 102 - Elementary Spanish II

Development of further skills in speaking, understanding, reading and writing Spanish through a review of grammar and readings in the literature and culture of Spain and/or Latin America. Requires attendance at Assistant Teacher sessions twice a week and online work through the Language Resource Center. Conducted in Spanish.

Prerequisites & Notes
Spanish 101, or its equivalent, or Placement Exam.

SPA 103 - Intensive Elementary Spanish (2 credits)

Intensive introductory course equivalent to Spanish 101 and 102. Meets six class-hours per week plus four hours weekly with an Assistant Teacher. Completes two semesters of Spanish in one semester. Counts as two courses. Conducted in Spanish.

SPA 201 - Intermediate Spanish

Extensive reading and discussion in Spanish of texts of moderate difficulty in the cultures and literatures of Spain, Latin America and US Latino; grammar study; extensive conversation practice. Requires attendance at Assistant Teacher sessions once a week and online work through the Language Resource Center. Service learning may be required. Meets the degree requirement for proficiency in foreign language. Conducted in Spanish.

Prerequisites & Notes
Spanish 102, or its equivalent, or Placement Exam.

SPA 203 - Advanced Intermediate Spanish Abroad

SPA 219 - Independent Study: Language and Linguistics

Study under the direction and supervision of a faculty member who approves the topic(s) and determines the means of evaluation.

SPA 241 - Latin American Literature in Translation

Selected works of Latin American literature in English translation. Readings and class discussions are in English.

Satisfies the Literary Studies, Creative Writing, and Rhetoric Distribution requirement
Satisfies the cultural diversity requirement.

SPA 260 - Conversation and Composition

In this course, students will improve their oral and written communication in Spanish, as well as deepen their knowledge of and approach to the Spanish-speaking world. A variety of readings and digital media (e.g., films, shorts, videos, podcasts) will be the starting point for conversations and as well as written and oral assignments, which will include both informal and academic registers. 

Our topic for the semester will be human rights and social justice in the contemporary Spanish-speaking world, including Spain, Latin America, and the U.S. Topics may include racial justice, immigration, violence against women, reproductive rights, political oppression, LGBTQ+ rights, responsible use of resources, and linguistic rights.

Conducted in Spanish. Requires a conversation session with an Apprentice Teacher once a week. This course should be taken before 271 and/or 272, and is strongly recommended for students planning to study abroad.

Counts towards the major and minor in Hispanic Studies.

 

Prerequisites & Notes
Spanish 201 or its equivalent.

SPA 271 - Hispanic Humanities

Spanish 271 / Spanish 272 is a two-course sequence designed to be a more in-depth introduction to the foundational knowledge and theoretical approaches to Hispanic cultural production from the Middle Ages to the present across primary sources, genres, geographical and temporal borders. The overarching goal is to ensure both breadth and depth before students take more focused upper-level classes at the 300 and 400 level

271 is more focused on texts from the Hispanic Literary and Cultural Traditions of the Medieval Ages to the 1800s.

Satisfies a requirement in the Hispanic Studies major and minor.
Satisfies the Methods requirement for the Gender and Sexuality Studies major in the Literary and Cultural Representations track.
Satisfies a requirement in the Latin American Studies major and interdisciplinary minor.
Satisfies a requirement in the Global Literary Theory interdisciplinary minor.
Satisfies the Literary Studies, Creative Writing, and Rhetoric requirement.
Satisfies the Cultural Diversity requirement.

Prerequisites & Notes
Spanish 260 or its equivalent.

SPA 272 - Hispanic Humanities

Spanish 271 / Spanish 272 is a two-course sequence designed to be a more in-depth introduction to the foundational knowledge and theoretical approaches to Hispanic cultural production from the Middle Ages to the present across primary sources, genres, geographical and temporal borders. The overarching goal is to ensure both breadth and depth before students take more focused upper-level classes at the 300 and 400 level.

272 is primarily centered on texts from the Hispanic Literary and Cultural Traditions of the 19th-21^st Centuries.

Satisfies a major or minor requirement in Hispanic Studies.
Satisfies the Methods requirement for the Gender and Sexuality Studies major in the Literary and Cultural Representations track.
Satisfies an interdisciplinary minor requirement in Global Literary Theory.
​Satisfies an interdisciplinary minor requirement in Latin American Studies.
Satisfies the Literary Studies, Creative Writing, and Rhetoric requirement.
Satisfies the Cultural Diversity requirement.

Prerequisites & Notes
Spanish 260 or its equivalent.

SPA 302 - Advanced Grammar

Problems in Spanish grammar and idiom-building, particularly those faced by English-speaking people; problems of translation; an overview of Spanish phonetics; and a brief study of the evolution of the Spanish language. Conducted in Spanish.

Counts towards the major and minor in Hispanic Studies.

Prerequisites & Notes
Prerequisite 260 or its equivalent, unless has chair’s approval. 

SPA 303 - Advanced Grammar and Composition

Writing-intensive course. Review, expansion, and fine-tuning of grammatical knowledge; building and use of a growing body of vocabulary and idiomatic expressions. Conducted in Spanish.

Counts towards the major and minor in Hispanic Studies.

Prerequisites & Notes
Spanish 260 or its equivalent.  Placement exam may be required. 

SPA 304 - Spanish Sociolinguistics

This class explores language as a social and dynamic phenomenon that reflects the idiosyncrasies of those who produce it. Drawing on both theory and direct analysis of primary sources, we will study the linguistic behavior of Spanish speaking communities in Latin America, Spain and the United States as determined by sociocultural factors that influence linguistic production: historical, ethnic and cultural factors, contexts of production, and individual features such as gender, age, social class, economic status, or professional occupation. Conducted in Spanish.

Satisfies a major and minor requirement in Hispanic Studies.
Satisfies the Justice, Equality, and Community requirement.

Prerequisites & Notes
Spanish 260 

SPA 305 - Introduction to Hispanic Linguistics

This course is an introduction to the study of human language with an emphasis on Spanish. The main goal of the course is to get students familiar with the various ways in which Spanish “works” and to expose them to the basic characteristics of the language. The course introduces the Spanish sound system (phonetics and phonology), word formation (morphology), sentence structure (syntax), and meaning (semantics). The course discusses, as well, some of the reasons why these systems may change among Spanish speakers (variation).

Prerequisites & Notes
Spanish 260 should be taken in advance of this class.

SPA 306 - Hispanic Bilingual Communities

This is a linguistics course on child and adult bilingualism with a focus on the Spanish-speaking world. The course explores different types of bilingualism, as well as the phenomenon of language contact in Latin America, Spain, and the U.S. from a historical, social, and structural perspective.

Satisfies Hispanic Studies major requirement.
Satisfies the Literary Studies, Creative Writing and Rhetoric requirement.
Satisfies Cultural Diversity requirement.

 

Prerequisites & Notes
Conducted in Spanish.

Prerequisites & Notes

Spanish 260 or its equivalent.

SPA 307 - The Bilingual Mind

This course exposes students to the psycholinguistics of bilingualism, by presenting a comprehensive introduction to the foundations of bilingualism, language processing, language acquisition, as well as cognition and the bilingual brain. This course is accessible to students with little or no previous exposure to the field, but it will also challenge and expand the knowledge of students who already took SPA 305 (intro de Hispanic Linguistics) and/or SPA 306 (Bilingual Hispanic Communities, which focuses on the social and educational aspects of bilingualism). This course will be taught to a group of bi/multilingual students (as it will be conducted in Spanish). 

Satisfies Hispanic Studies major and minor requirements
Satisfies Social-Scientific Thought requirement.

Prerequisites & Notes
SPA 260

SPA 311 - Teaching Spanish in the Elementary School

In this course, students will read theoretical material about language learning and language pedagogy as specifically related to children learning Spanish as a foreign language and put the readings into practice through participation in the Davidson SK8S (Spanish in K-8 School) program. Students will learn how to plan a curriculum, develop lesson plans, implement lessons, and assess their students’ learning. Teaching in SK8S is required. Conducted in Spanish with readings in English and Spanish.

Satisfies Hispanic Studies major and minor requirement.
Satisfies Educational Studies minor requirement.
Satisfies the Justice, Equality, and Community requirement.

Prerequisites & Notes
SPA 260 or equivalent required. Students concurrently enrolled in SPA 260 are eligible. SPA 271 or SPA 272 is strongly recommended.