THE
FACULTY
SENATE
Senate
Document Number 5008S
Date
of Senate Approval 04/10/08
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Statement
of Faculty Senate Action:
APC Document 41: Delete
SOC 310 from curriculum;
Add
new course, SOC 337
Effective Date: Fall 2008
1. Delete: On page 238,
the entry for SOC 310:
310 Theoretical Inquiry (3)
Examines
major social theories and ways of theorizing, focusing on a range of
contemporary perspectives and the links to classical foundations of the
discipline. By applying theories to social phenomena, the course enhances
students’ abilities to make sense of human social worlds and to consider the
strengths and limitations of theoretical perspectives in terms of how they
account for diverse human experiences. Prerequisite: SOC 225. Fall and Spring.
Impact:
With
the elimination of SOC 310, students majoring in Sociology or Anthropology will
have 6 instead of 7 required courses, plus electives. Students will be able to
move faster through the required courses, and they will be able to take an
additional elective. The elimination of SOC 310 changes the balance in the
curriculum so that under the new version, the number of required and elective
courses for the major is equal.
Rationale:
The distinction between SOC 225 and 310 was never as clear as the
department intended it to be. There was considerable overlap and redundancy
from one course to the other. Eliminating SOC 310 does not mean that 225 will
automatically have to cover what was previously covered by the two courses.
Some of the SOC 310 material may be offered in the revised 465.
2. Add: On
page 238, new course, SOC 337:
337 Qualitative Methods (3)
Examines
social meanings and experiences through a holistic interpretive approach.
Course offers hands-on lessons in research design, gathering, analyzing and
interpreting qualitative data, and building theoretical explanations from findings.
Emphasis is on in-depth interviewing, participant-observations, and unobtrusive
methods including content analysis. All students conduct a research project
that will serve as the proposal for their senior thesis. Prerequisite: SOC 225.
Spring.
Impact:
In
addition to SOC 335 and ANTH/SOC 336, this new course will serve as the third
methods course.
Rationale:
This
new course will cover an area not addressed in the curriculum, since the
department has not previously offered a qualitative research methods course.