Spring 2022  |  SOC 4111 Section 001: Sociology of Deviance (65891)

Instructor(s)
Class Component:
Lecture
Credits:
3 Credits
Grading Basis:
A-F or Audit
Instructor Consent:
No Special Consent Required
Instruction Mode:
In Person Term Based
Times and Locations:
Regular Academic Session
 
01/18/2022 - 05/02/2022
Tue, Thu 01:00PM - 02:15PM
UMTC, West Bank
Blegen Hall 317
Enrollment Status:
Open (47 of 55 seats filled)
Also Offered:
Course Catalog Description:
This course considers why and how certain attributes and behaviors are defined as deviant, the consequences of deviant labels, and how norms, values, and rules are made and enforced. We will discuss basic concepts that cut across deviance theories and research, including social control, subcultures and deviant careers. We will explore theories of and societal reaction to deviant behavior. We will also discuss methodology and how the "social facts" of deviance are determined and disseminated. Finally, we will examine case studies addressing crime, organizational and occupational deviance, substance use, sexuality, body image, and more. prereq: Soc 3101 or 3102 recommended; Sociology majors/minors must register A-F
Class Notes:
Click this link for more detailed course information: http://classinfo.umn.edu/?uggen001+SOC4111+Spring2022
Class Description:
Whether something is considered deviant or normative is constantly shifting, as the rapid change in thinking around marijuana legalization, marriage equality, and many other issues illustrates. This course asks why and how certain attributes and behaviors are defined as deviant, the consequences of deviant labels, and how norms, values, and rules are made and enforced. Rather than focusing on deviant behavior(s), this course examines how attributes or behavior come to be defined as deviant, the social consequences of deviant labels, and how social groups create and apply norms, values, and rules. There are four units. We first take up basic concepts that cut across theories and research on deviance, including social control, subcultures, and deviant careers. The second unit is devoted to theories of deviant behavior and societal reaction. We then discuss methodology and how the "social facts" around behaviors considered deviant are determined and disseminated. Case studies in topical areas are the fourth focus, addressing crime, organizational and occupational deviance, substance use, heteronormativity and sexuality, suicide, disability, and mental illness. Course objectives include the following: (1) To understand how deviance is defined and produced; (2) To gain a working knowledge of the key sociological explanations of deviance; (3) To critically apply these ideas to selected case studies; and, (4) To critique and evaluate institutional responses to deviance and control. There is one basic text for the course and supplemental readings available online in Adobe pdf format. The Adler and Adler reader is a collection of excerpts from classic and contemporary writings on deviance, with a much heavier emphasis on the social construction of deviance. If you purchase an earlier edition of the text, please understand that you will be responsible for the material in the most recent editions. Most of the supplementary readings will come from my local work with Minnesota graduate and undergraduate students on topics such as disenfranchisement, sexual harassment, and workplace deviance. This is more difficult material, but I will explain the research during lectures.
Who Should Take This Class?:
Anyone interested in sociology and social definitions of deviant and conforming behavior is welcome. A background in intro sociology or intro criminology is helpful, but not required.
Learning Objectives:
To understand how deviance is defined and produced.

To gain a working knowledge of the key sociological theories of deviance.

To apply the conceptual tools of these theories to selected case studies.

To critically evaluate institutional responses to deviance and control.

Grading:
25% Midterm Exam
30% Final Exam
25% Reports/Papers
10% Special Projects
10% Class Participation
Exam Format:
Mixed -- typically 70% essay
Class Format:
50% Lecture
10% Film/Video
25% Discussion
10% Small Group Activities
5% [optional] Service learning, media, and in-class exercises.
Workload:
70 Pages Reading Per Week
16 Pages Writing Per Term
2 Exam(s)
1 Paper(s)
Other Workload: Service learning is available as an option for the paper assignment.
Textbooks:
https://bookstores.umn.edu/course-lookup/65891/1223
Instructor Supplied Information Last Updated:
22 October 2021

ClassInfo Links - Spring 2022 Sociology Classes

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