The class provides an excellent background for any student wanting to pursue a career in such areas as business, nursing, teaching, or human relations. The course will use a variety of themes which will in turn allow students to see the interesting connections between these otherwise separate areas of study. Extensive use of discussions, videotapes, guest speakers, and a field trip will enhance experiences. Social Issues highlight contemporary problems such as ethnic groups, environmental challenges, domestic violence, developmental disabilities, and current events. Issues include government structure at both Federal and State levels, criminal law, juvenile justice, torts, family law, and individual rights and liberties.
Sociology is the scientific study of human social relationships at the group level.
Sociology attempts to discover patterns and regularities in human behavior and to examine properties of the social group itself in terms of the influences they exert upon the individual. The core of sociological inquiry is the scientific method, forming and testing hypotheses and constructing theories to better explain and predict human behavior. The class is structured and oriented to use scientific processes, statistics, historical data, cross-cultural observations, and research experiments to enhance the student's knowledge of the social world in a scientific manner. Emphasis is put on developing the students' ability to do college-level reading of primary sources and textbooks, critical thinking, and analytical writing.