Sociological analysis and interpretation of selected topics of special interest in the areas of social organization, social disorganization, and social interaction. Topics treated and instructors will vary from semester to semester. A study focusing on the processes of aging primarily in American society and including attention to the special problems related to the middle and later stages of the life cycle. A study of the sociological and social psychological perspectives on death and dying in contemporary societies with particular emphasis on the meanings of death, on dying as a social process, and on death in the context of both social organization and the life cycle. An examination of education as a formal institution and as a social system.
Emphasis is placed upon the nature and functions of education organization in modern societies.
A course of independent study open to superior students by permission of the professor and approval of the Chair of the department. May be repeated with different emphasis. Requirements include a 300 hour internship within an organization in the public or private sector, plus seminars on working as applied sociologists. To qualify for enrollment, students must complete all prerequisites established by the Department. Internships are offered only during the fall and spring semester.