SOCIOLOGY (SOCI)

This first-year seminar is designed to 1) research and document the consequences of welfare reform and 2) participate in the political debate over reauthorization of the welfare law.

Fast food restaurants have become a model for everyday life. Some scholars even talk about the "McDonaldization" of the world. By that scholars mean a drive toward greater efficiency, predictability, calculability, and control by technologies in modern organizations. Sociologists call this process "rationalization," which will be examined in this course. Honors version available.

This course will present a comparative and multidisciplinary perspective on how globalization affects labor markets and inequality.

Familiarity with basic genetics or a social science field is helpful. This course focuses on how advances in molecular genomics over the past decades benefit sociology and other social sciences.

Examines the nature, causes, and consequences of happiness from diverse social science perspectives. Addresses such questions as, What is happiness? Can we measure happiness? If so, how? Does money buy happiness? Does happiness vary among social groups, cultures, and nations? What is the role of happiness in formulating public policies? Honors version available.

In this seminar, students delve into the meaning and measurement of race in society, how it changes over time and space, and what it signals for the future of race/ethnic relations in the United States. Seminar activities include data collection and analysis and critical examination of race/ethnicity in popular culture.

Although women now attend and graduate from college at a higher rate than men in the US, they remain underrepresented in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). This course explores the causes and consequences of why women (and other underrepresented groups) are less likely to pursue education and careers in the STEM fields. To do so, we will draw on sociological insights from the study of gender, education, work and occupations, and science and technology studies. Throughout the course, students will engage with social science research as well as contemporary news articles, films, and podcasts on these topics. Honors version available.

This first-year seminar introduces students to black feminist theory and praxis. We will explore central themes and conversations around intersecting systems of domination. We will critically interrogate power and how inequality shapes institutions and our day-to-day lives. Topics will include: intersectionality; sociology of knowledge; social movements and solidarity; and abolition.

Despite its wealth, the U.S. has some of the highest poverty and inequality levels among rich democracies. This seminar uses a sociological lens to explore what it means to live in poverty and experience inequality in the "land of opportunity." Topics include perceptions, patterns, causes, inequality across different domains (e.g., housing, education, labor market, health etc.) that shape poverty, and implications. Throughout the course, we will discuss the significance of historical and place context as well as different axes of inequality (e.g., gender, race/ethnicity, age, disability). Ultimately, this course highlights why the American Dream is difficult for many to attain.

Special topics course. Content will vary each semester. Honors version available.

Introduces the sociological perspective by examining how individuals and groups shape, and are shaped by, social forces. Topics include the forces behind social stability and change, the structures of inequality, and the evidence-based study of social processes that shape everyday experiences in education, work, media, health, and social movements. Honors version available.

An introduction to comparative sociology. The course surveys social inequality in human societies. Topics include a discussion of major types of societies that existed, social inequality across social classes, gender and race/ethnicities, as well as population issues, development of technology, and family structure that underlie a society's stratification system. The second part of the course focuses on social inequality in the contemporary world. We examine social inequality along three main social ''faultlines'': economic classes, race/ethnicity, and gender/sex. The course provides a brief introduction to social genomics, which incorporates recent advances in genomics in social sciences. Honors version available.

The individual in society. An examination of how people conduct their interactions with others in different kinds of social relationships. Emphasis on the social psychological causes and consequences of such conduct.

This course examines the relationship between population and society from a global perspective. As an introductory course in the field of population studies and demography, it emphasizes three key aspects of 'doing' demography: developing a demographic perspective that connects social phenomena to population factors; learning a range of quantitative measures and techniques that describe population and its changes; and acquiring a working knowledge of population trends, including their socioeconomic determinants and policy implications.

Examines race, racism, and privilege. Introduces major sociological concepts, debates, and evidence concerning the social construction of race, and the many manifestations of racism and privilege, historically and currently. The course highlights the asymmetrical power relations between groups that produce and sustain inequality while also considering the factors that lead to social change.

This course provides an introduction to criminology and criminal justice. Topics include individual, group, and structural explanations of crime; inequality in the criminal justice system; theories of crime prevention; policy evaluation.

Examination of the social differentiation between men and women. Attention to the extent, causes, and consequences of sexual inequality and to changes in sex roles and their impact on interpersonal relations.

This class takes a sociological approach to the study of sexuality and gender, including an exploration of sexuality and gender as social constructions, the emergence of sexual and gender identities, intersectionality (gender/sexuality/race/class), historical and current inequalities and discrimination faced by sexual and gender minorities, heterosexual privilege, activism/mobilization to challenge discrimination against sexual minorities, and the ways sexuality operates in and through various institutions: media, schools, sport, family, religion, and the workplace.

This course examines adolescence from a sociological perspective, or how the social, economic, and cultural contexts in which adolescents live shape their experiences. Students will learn from 1) dynamic engagement with sociological theory and research on adolescence, 2) active participation in an adolescent-serving community organization - Movement of Youth, and 3) thoughtful reflection on how well existing theory and research match with observations made during service work.

Why are some people religious and others are not? Why does religion unite some communities and spark conflict in others? How does religion intersect with race, gender, and power in America today? This course unpacks religion as both a unifying and divisive force in families, institutions, and society. From megachurches to Asian temples, you'll explore how religious beliefs shape politics, family life, and social justice. Using real-world cases, you'll develop the analytical tools to understand religion's complex role in our interconnected world. Honors version available.

This course introduces the sociological study of families, asking what "family" means and how it changes across time, cultures, and social contexts. Students examine family formation, diversity, and change; relationships between partners, parents, and children; and the influence of race, class, gender, sexuality, and policy. Topics may include dating and marriage, cohabitation, parenthood, work and family, violence, and the child welfare system. Emphasis is placed on critically analyzing families within broader social structures.

Why do we work, and how does work shape our lives? This course examines the social organization of work through classical theory, ethnographic accounts, and first-person narratives. Students will explore how individuals experience work, how workplaces function, and how they reproduce inequality. Emphasizing critical sociological thinking, the course equips students with tools to analyze formal workplaces in the U.S. and reflect on the broader meaning of work in society.

The United States has lower life expectancy than most high-income countries, wide health disparities, and the highest health care spending in the world. This course explores these issues and serves as an introduction to the study of U.S. population health. Key themes include the introduction of theoretical frameworks and data sets foundational for studying U.S. population health; exploration of trends and disparities in U.S. population health; and consideration of policy options to improve population health.

This course provides students with an introduction to population health, with an emphasis on three perspectives: demographic methods for assembling data and evidence, the social determinants of health framework, and the role of global institutions and movements in population health.

Periodic offering of courses on developing topics in the field.

Required of sociology majors. A study of theoretical perspectives in sociology, their relation to contemporary social issues, and their roots in classical social thought. Students may not receive credit for both SOCI 250 and SOCI 253.

Required of sociology majors. Methods of data collection, with attention to problem selection, sources of information, choice of methods, and research design. Operationalization and measurement; sampling, construction of questionnaires, and interviewing; observation techniques; experimentation.

How can we use data to understand society and make sound conclusions? This course introduces the fundamentals of social statistics, from descriptive analysis to probability, inference, and causal inference. Students will learn to use statistical software to organize, visualize, and analyze real-world data, while developing the ability to interpret and critique statistical claims. By the end, students will gain practical skills and a critical perspective for evaluating evidence in research and everyday life.

Draws on historical, political, economic, and sociological perspectives to analyze social, cultural, and institutional change.

This course covers theory and practice of social and economic justice, beginning with an exploration of the theories of justice, shifting to analyses of numerous forms of injustice, including those that disproportionately target individuals along the lines of race, gender, sex, immigrant status/nationality, and social class. The course also explores the history of influential movements for justice and strategies of contemporary struggles. This course has a 30-hour service-learning component.

This course analyzes social movements throughout history, examining the advocacy strategies that shaped campaigns for social and economic justice. Students develop persuasive communication techniques while studying how movements build power, craft compelling narratives, and forge coalitions across diverse communities. Through critical analysis, they learn to adapt these strategies for different contexts and audiences.

The course examines how human genomic information can be incorporated into social sciences. Topics include twin studies; an introduction to basic principles of molecular genetics; evolutionary psychology; sex, gender, and genomics; ethical issues in genetic studies; and epigenetics. Honors version available.

Periodic offering of courses on developing topics in the field. Honors version available.

Periodic offering of courses on developing topics in the field.

Great ideas don't always result in entrepreneurial success -- you also have to know your audience or customer base. In this research methodology course, students will receive hands-on experience in conducting interviews and focus groups and engaging in participant observation in order to determine potential customer/client interest in a product, service, or nonprofit. Special attention will be paid to analyzing research findings in order to create actionable insights. Cross-referenced with Shuford Program in Entrepreneurship.

The surge of digital technology over the past three decades has reconfigured society - increasing political polarization, generating new types of discrimination in job searches, and expanding government surveillance. This course introduces the budding field of computational sociology. We will examine the ways that new kinds of data are being collected and analyzed and the impact these changes are having in society.

This course is for students selected as Undergraduate Learning Assistants (ULAs) for sociology courses.

Permission of the department. This course is an internship experience directly relevant to the student's academic progress in sociology and/or management and society. Pass/Fail only.

This course offers students the opportunity to participate in a faculty-led collaborative sociology research project. Students may engage in various stages of the research process, including developing research questions, conducting literature reviews, gaining hands-on experience with sociological methods, critically evaluating findings, and communicating results.

Permission of the director of undergraduate studies. Special reading and research in a selected field under the direction of a member of the department.

How do organizations shape our lives and our society? This course explores the role of formal organizations in contemporary life, from local communities to global markets. Students will examine sociological theories of organizations, analyze how they reinforce social actions and inequalities, and consider their future in the 21st century. Through critical evaluation and applied analysis, students will gain tools to understand and assess the influence of organizations on broader social structures.

This course explores how ordinary people organize to advocate for change. Examines social and political movements across the political spectrum, analyzing the conditions that spark mobilization, the strategies activists use, and their consequences. Case studies include historical and contemporary examples from the United States and around the globe.

Social stratification explores how human society gets divided into haves and have-nots. It includes patterns of unequal resource distribution and the processes through which these inequalities occur. It also examines how individuals can change their social position over time. And, it asks how different dimensions of social status (such as race, class, and gender) matter for stratification patterns and processes.

The city as a social, spatial, and political-economic phenomenon in the modern world. Analysis of urban demographic trends, spatial characteristics and economic functions. Substantive topics include segregation, social turmoil, unemployment, fiscal problems, suburbanization, and urban public policy. Students may not receive credit for both SOCI 414 and SOCI 417.

Examination of the structure and operation of institutions where economy and society intersect and interact, such as education, industrial organizations, on-the-job training, labor markets, and professional associations. Emphasis on the contemporary United States, with selected comparisons with Western Europe and Japan.

Designed to help students read complex pictures of contemporary China and to understand how China's rise affected people's lives, both inside and outside of China, from a sociological perspective. The course does not assume any background in Chinese studies.

Investigates issues such as tradition and social change, religious authority and contestation, and state building and opposition in Muslim societies in the Middle East and around the world.

Analysis of the relationship between state and civil society, with a focus on systems of power and the social foundations of state institutions.

This course focuses on the interaction between humans and their natural environments. Students will investigate the causes and consequences of environmental problems and their connections to dominant economic and political structures, cultural values, population dynamics, resource consumption, technologies, and systems of inequality.

This course applies a sociological lens to the study of mental health and illness, providing an overview of three broad areas of sociological research on mental health: definitions and measurement; social origins; and societal responses. The primary goal is to understand mental health and illness as a result of social circumstances - moving away from individual-level explanations to consider how the definitions, causes, and consequences of mental illness are structured by interpersonal, institutional, and cultural factors.

An overview of theory and research on education and schooling, with an emphasis on inequalities in educational opportunities, education as a social institution, and the changing context of schools and schooling. Substantial field work for experiential education. Students may not receive credit for both SOCI 423 and SOCI 426.

How does law shape everyday life? This course examines how law is produced, experienced, and contested across institutions and communities. Topics include legal consciousness, legal pluralism, how disputes become cases, law on the books vs. law in action, and law's role in policing, courts, and social change, with attention to race and inequality. Students gain tools to read legal claims sociologically and to analyze policy debates with evidence.

A special version of SOCI 130 for juniors, seniors, and beginning graduate students. Students may not receive credit for both SOCI 425 and SOCI 130.

An overview of theory and research on education and schooling, with an emphasis on inequalities in educational opportunities, education as a social institution, and the changing context of schools and schooling. Students may not receive credit for both SOCI 423 and SOCI 426.

This course examines characteristics of the jobs (the occupations and industries available in the labor market) and the workers (classified by gender, race, age, education) that comprise the labor force. Topics include the changing nature of work (automation and AI, employment relations and the gig economy, quality of jobs), the role of immigration, and the ways in which people are matched to jobs. Students will gain an understanding of work and workers in the United States.

This advanced seminar investigates fundamental questions about religion's role in human societies through hands-on research. Students engage with classic and contemporary social theories about religion while designing and conducting research projects in local religious congregations. Through collaborative research, students develop social research skills while exploring how religion shapes individual lives and broader social dynamics. Honors version available.

Explores key sociological concepts through the lens of food: labor, power, social status, political economy, social inequalities, social movements, globalization, and social justice. Additionally, this course examines the emergence of food related social movements, food policy, and food related social problems, including famine, obesity, food deserts, food insecurity, GMOs (genetically modified organisms), CAFOs (concentrated animal feeding operations), industrial agriculture, environmental degradation, and poor health.

The process of aging from birth to death, with a concentration on the later years of life, examined from a broad perspective. Topics include individual change over the life-course, the social context of aging, and the aging of American society.

Why do people leave their homes for unfamiliar places? This course examines migration as a defining force shaping modern America. Through documentary films, news analysis, scholarly writings and family migration stories, students explore the economic and political realities and experiences behind immigration statistics. We'll investigate refugee, border policies, and how communities adapt to newcomers. Students will develop skills in interviewing, policy and media analysis, and understanding how personal stories connect to broader social patterns.

Conceptualizations of gender, race, and class and how, separately and in combination, they are interpreted by the wider society. Emphasis on how black and working-class women make sense of their experiences at work and within the family.

The course examines how emotions are organized within social groupings and institutions. Differences in socialization by gender, ethnicity, social class, and age will be explored.

Analysis of current problems in general social theory; action and structure, justice and equity, social change and reproduction. Contrast and evaluation of leading approaches to solutions.

This course explores U.S. poverty and public policy through a sociological lens. It examines key aspects of poverty (e.g., measurement, trends, causes, consequences), the U.S. welfare system (e.g., social assistance program, welfare reform, international comparisons), and other substantive policy areas (e.g. food/housing insecurity, employment, healthcare, education). This course encourages critical reflection and assessment of poverty and the motivations and implications of anti-poverty policies and other policies that impact Americans.

Health is not simply an individual-level characteristic affected by genes, behavior, and healthcare. Indeed, individual-level health is profoundly affected by social resources like education, money, and friendships; institutions like churches and schools; and larger contexts such as neighborhoods and states. This course broadens the study of health far beyond the individual to think deeply about the social forces, including inequalities, that are important for the health of individuals and populations.

This course examines how organizations negotiate with one another in economic, political, and social settings. Students analyze conflicts among corporations, governments, labor unions, nonprofits, and advocacy groups through case studies and negotiation simulations.

Permission of the department. SOCI 691H is required of senior honors candidates. Individual student research (under supervision of an advisor). Weekly seminar to discuss work on honors thesis, as well as special topics in sociology.

Permission of the department. Individual student research under supervision of an advisor. Weekly seminar to discuss work on honors thesis as well as special topics in sociology.

Permission of the instructor. Graduate study in sociology for undergraduate students. Undergraduate students taking a 700- or 800-level course in sociology register via this course and complete all requirements for the associated graduate course.

Graduate standing in sociology or permission of the instructor. Historic social ideas of Western culture are considered against a background of general cultural analysis in terms of systematic theory. Required of all graduate degree candidates in sociology.

Provides an introduction to measurement theory and a review of various methods of data-gathering. Gaining experience with a variety of techniques of measurement and preparing a pretested research proposal are required for all students.

Provides an introduction to probability theory, descriptive statistics, inferential statistics, and the algebra of expectations. Emphasis is on elements useful to research sociologists, including bivariate regression and correlation.

The course presents regression analysis and related techniques. The major topics are the assumptions of the regression model, dummy variables and interaction terms, outlier diagnostics, multicollinearity, specification error, heteroscedasticity and autocorrelation. The final section introduces path analysis, recursive models, and nonrecursive systems.

This course is required for graduate study in Sociology at UNC. The main goal is for students to develop basic literacy and proficiency in the methodological approaches commonly known as "qualitative methods," including semi-structured interviewing, participant observation, case studies, and content analysis.

Permission of the instructor. Introduction to techniques and programs for analyzing categorical variables and nonlinear models. Special attention is given to decomposition of complex contingency tables, discriminant function analysis, Markov chains, and nonmetric multidimensional scaling.

Permission of the instructor. Theoretical and substantive issues in social network analysis. Focus is on models of social structure.

This course examines models sometimes referred to as LISREL models. Topics include path analysis, confirmatory factor analysis, measurement error, model identification, nonrecursive models, and multiple indicators.

This course provides an introduction to event history analysis or survival analysis, random effects and fixed effects models for longitudinal data, multilevel models for linear and discrete multilevel data, and growth curve models.

Students will learn the methods of participant observation and in-depth interviewing. Each student will collect data (provide detailed fieldnotes and transcriptions of interviews) in one group or setting for the duration of the course. Such topics as gaining access, ethics of research, and analysis of data will be covered.

Permission of the instructor. Statistical aspects of experimental designs, with emphasis on applied problems involved in executing a statistically sound design.

The different sampling techniques are discussed. Major emphasis on planning of large-scale sample surveys rather than on statistical theory.

Reviews alternative data collection techniques used in surveys, concentrating on the impact these techniques have on the quality of survey data. Topics covered include errors associated with nonresponse, interviewing, and data processing.

Examines the stages of questionnaire design including developmental interviewing, question writing, question evaluation, pretesting, questionnaire ordering, and formatting. Reviews the literature on questionnaire construction. Provides hands-on experience in developing questionnaires.

A number of external speakers from government and industry will describe various problems they encounter in surveys. Students will be challenged to develop proposals for addressing the problems, citing the literature as appropriate.

Introduces basic statistical concepts and practices emphasizing the analysis of real data. Provides training in the use of the SAS statistical analysis system and the practical problems of stratification, clustering, and weighting in survey analysis.

The structure and dynamics of social movements and their societal environment, with special reference to sociopolitical movements of minority and low status groups in industrialized and third world societies.

The relationships between social structure and political decisions. Regimes and social structure; bureaucracies, political associations, and professions; science and politics; closed and open politics; political movements and change.

This course examines the development, achievements, present crisis, and future of welfare states in advanced industrial democracies.

Exploration and use of techniques for the comparative study of social processes and historical events. Special attention is devoted to methodologies that facilitate the collection, analysis, and interpretation of historical and/or comparative phenomena.

This course reviews the historical and contemporary sociological literature on race and ethnicity. Students will gain an advanced state-of-the-art understanding of how racial and ethnic groups emerge and evolve, how these constructs shape societies, how they influence intergroup relations, and their role in identity formation.

Introduces students to a wide range of studies to develop familiarity with the empirical, theoretical, and methodological foundations of family research in sociology. Examines demographic trends; relationship formation, dissolution, and dynamics; childbearing, childrearing, and parenthood; family structure/transitions; work/family issues; health and caregiving; gender, race/ethnicity/nativity, and social class; intergenerational and interhousehold families; and policies affecting families.

Provides an intense introduction to the life course as a theoretical orientation and methodology (logic of inquiry).

Student will learn key theories and methodological approaches for how social processes, socio-spatial organization, and social inequality are associated with health patterns, changes, and disparities; theories/approaches for studying human health from a biological perspective; and strategies using integrated social and biological research perspectives and address advantages and challenges.

This seminar surveys the major theoretical paradigms, methodological tools and empirical studies of aging and cohort analysis that are of enduring importance to the understanding of social change, epidemiologic trends, and related population and life course processes and dynamics. It aims to provide a sweeping review of the theoretical models in recent life course and aging research and introduce useful guidelines on how to conduct empirical analysis.

Graduate seminar that integrates theory and research on health and developmental trajectories across the early life course using the design and data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (Add Health). Within the social and epidemiology life course frameworks, this course facilitates student research using Add Health.

A basic introduction to the discipline of demography. Materials covered include population history, data sources, mortality and fertility trends, and differentials and techniques of analysis.

A continuation of SOCI 830. Materials covered include population growth and stable population theory, migration and distribution, population policy, and population estimates and projections.

Treats migration trends, patterns, and differentials and their effects on population distribution in continental and regional areas. Attention is given to theoretical and methodological problems in the study of population movement.

Study of fertility differentials by social and economic factors, changes over time, the manner in which these factors affect fertility, and the implications thereof for fertility-control programs.

This advanced seminar covers mortality date and measurement, the inequality of death, trends in morbidity and mortality, and explanations of mortality decline. Social demographic perspectives receive primary emphasis.

Analysis of major theories of and approaches to the study of social inequality, with attention to how the various theories and approaches are operationalized. Focus on recent research in labor markets and worldwide inequality.

Reviews theory on variation in men's and women's gender roles, with emphasis on industrialized societies and women's roles.

Theory and research in the study of the location and growth of urban areas, the effect urban areas have upon behavior, and the study of social behavior in different urban subareas. Each member of the seminar completes a project interrelating theory and research.

This graduate seminar will study trends, causes, and consequences of poverty in America, covering the topics of single-mother families, child poverty, low-wage work, immigrant families, and welfare reform and social policy.

Black Feminist Theory centers praxis, justice, and liberation in the production of knowledge. This graduate level course engages writings in black feminist theory to critically interrogate social inequality at the intersections of racism, capitalism, and heteropatriarchy. In this course, we will focus on the histories of these systems in a global context and how black feminist theory challenges traditional modes of knowledge production and hegemonic claims that reproduce these structures. Specifically, we will explore themes of epistemic violence, colonialism and racial capitalism, social movements, reproductive justice, and carcerality from diverse black feminist perspectives in sociology and beyond.

Permission of the instructor. Structural features of organizations. Behavior in organizations. Organizational career patterns. Comparative analysis of structure, behavior, and careers in different types of organizations. Interorganization and organization-environment relations.

The changing occupational system. Structural types of labor markets. Occupational organization, role sets, power relations, careers, and satisfaction in different types of labor markets and occupations.

This seminar provides a broad introduction to the sociology of health and illness. Classic and contemporary perspectives, as well as empirical evidence, are covered. Questions such as, "how (and why) are health and illness socially constructed and socially distributed?" and "what can be done to address these phenomena?" are examined.

Focuses on substantive and theoretical issues in this field and their intellectual origins. Topics include organizations, art, religion, science, class, and politics. Quantitative and qualitative approaches are examined.

An introductory, graduate-level survey of the sociology of religion as a field of study, reviewing literature on important theoretical approaches and key problems and issues in the field.

This course examines the production of scientific knowledge. The focus is on the processes by which scientific knowledge and technological artifacts are constructed through cultural practices and the organizational of scientific work.

Permission of the instructor.

Applied workshop in sample survey design and implementation. The student works in a data collection center under the guidance of the instructor. Course focuses on real world problems in data collection and their practical, cost-effective solutions.

Permission of the instructor. The course description for a particular semester is available in the departmental office.

Continuing seminars in selected topics.

Permission of the instructor.

Library research or field research on a selected topic under guidance of the instructor.

Permission of the instructor. Special work on selected problems of research methodology.

Permission of the instructor. Special work on selected problems of research methodology.

Permission of the instructor. This seminar exposes students to a variety of issues related to journal publication in sociology, such as types of journals and collaboration, the experience of writing an article for submission to a journal, reviewing articles for journals, and responding to editorial decisions.

Doctoral candidacy in sociology or permission of the instructor. Examines the teacher's role and the teaching process, planning a course and constructing syllabi, testing for teaching or grading, evaluating teacher performance and the needs of different student populations.

Course material will cover how to write an introduction, literature review, methods section, results section, and discussion. It will also include overviews on the style of academic writing, citation practices, and how to think about situating a research paper within a body of scholarly literature. Readings will stem from published resources on academic writing. Assignments include submissions of student writing (e.g., drafts of a literature review) and peer review of other students' written work. The final course requirement is a defended MA thesis or a thesis draft with a scheduled defense.

Individual research in a selected field under the direction of a member of the department.

Individual research in a selected field under the direction of a member of the department.