An examination of historical, cultural, and institutional determinants of violence in the American family system. Consideration is given to the topics of spouse, child, and elderly abuse as well as programs for prevention and treatment. Research Methods and Methodology. An examination of the principles of social research including the research process, choosing the research problem, constructing social explanations, measurement, survey and field research techniques, and the analysis, interpretation, and application of survey research data. Students gain experience in coding and entering data, recoding variables, and creating composite measures with the use of computer software.
Students develop their own hypotheses and conduct independent statistical analyses of survey data.
Encouraged for all social science majors. An examination of various sociological paradigms and the theories within each. Consideration is given to the works of classical theorists such as Auguste Comte, Karl Marx, Max Weber, Emile Durkheim, and George Herbert Mead as well as the contemporary writings of Talcott Parsons, Robert Merton, Herbert Blumer, C. Wright Mills, George Homans, and Erving Goffman. The primary objective of the practicum is to enable students to link classroom learning to work situations. Arranged with the chairperson.