Sociology and Anthropology
Professors Ballantine, Cargan (Emeritus), Islam (Emeritus), Melko (Emeritus), Riordan (chair)Associate Professors Bellisari, Bergdahl, Durr, Koebernick (Emeritus), Orenstein, Shepelak, Steele, Steinberg (WSU-Lake Campus)
Assistant Professors Kim, Lahm, Norris, Owens, Small
Instructors Eguaroje, Guzzo, Jahanbegloo, Stremlin
Sociology
Sociology is concerned with social relations: how people relate to each other as individuals, in families, or in groups; how they communicate in business and governmental situations; and how their behavior is judged as socially acceptable, deviant, illegal, or immoral. The Bachelor of Arts program in sociology trains students to observe and measure these interactions, predict likely outcomes from certain situations, and determine how we can develop programs to change behavior for the good of individuals and society.Sociology graduates typically find careers that involve dealing with people, often working for large businesses or organizations, or in community service, public relations, teaching, or research. Sociology majors are required to take five or more upper-level courses designed to develop their writing skills and thinking capacity.
Degree Requirements-Sociology
Bachelor of Arts DegreeSee General Education Requirements
| General Education Requirements | 56 |
| Required Courses: | |
| Aera III: SOC 200 | |
| Area VI: Any approved Liberal Arts College | |
| Component course | |
| Departmental Requirements | 63 |
| SOC 201, 204, 300, 301, 303, 306, 406, 442 | 30 |
| Any two of the following: | |
| SOC 320, 340, 345, 360, 380 | 8 |
| 300- and 400-level SOC electives (minimum) | 25 |
| Related Electives | 12 |
| Twelve hours in any single approved discipline at the 300-400 level. | |
| Foreign Language and Research Methods Requirement | 20-28 |
| Electives | 33-41 |
| Total | 192 |
Sociology Honors Program
The department encourages qualified students to conduct independent research through the department's honors program. Students are eligible for the program if they have a minimum GPA of 3.0 overall and 3.5 in sociology. Departmental honors are awarded at graduation. Through SOC 490, students must complete an honors project under the guidance of an honors advisor. Interested students should contact the departmental office for further information.Minor in Sociology
The minor in sociology allows students to supplement their education in many fields. Students take SOC 306 (Sociological Methods) and five courses at the 300-400 level, four of them from one of the following concentrations: social organizations; deviance/criminology; social change; family/socialization. The minor requires a total of 28 credit hours.Anthropology
Anthropology studies the behavior and biology
of the human species, both current and past,
often drawing on information from the social and
biological sciences. The Bachelor of Arts program
in anthropology focuses on three areas: cultural
anthropology, archaeology, and physical
anthropology.
Cultural anthropology exposes students to
ways of life, belief systems, and value systems
that differ from their own, examining the ways in
which cultures deal with universal human problems,
from the basic needs of food and shelter to the
metaphysical questions of existence. Typical subjects
for cultural anthropology include ecology and
subsistence techniques, economics, political systems,
religion, and cultural change.
Archaeology deals with cultures of the past.
Archaeologists search for and study the material
remains of past cultural activity and try to
reconstruct the behavior patterns, technology, and
social customs of people who no longer exist.
Physical anthropology focuses on the
biological aspects of the human species. Physical
anthropologists study the fossil evidence to
determine how evolution has influenced human
behavior and biology. Studies of biological
variability in modern populations are also part of this
discipline, since many physical differences among
populations are the result of their having adapted to
different environments.
Anthropology majors should normally complete
the 200-level introductory courses before taking 300-
or 400-level courses.
Degree Requirements-Anthropology
Bachelor of Arts DegreeSee General Education Requirements
| General Education Requirements | 56 |
| Required Courses: | |
| Area II: CST 241 | |
| Area VI: Any approved Liberal Arts College | |
| Component course | |
| Departmental Requirements | 56 |
| ATH 241, 242, and 448 or 468 | 12 |
| Cultural electives | 12 |
| Archaeology electives | 12 |
| Physical electives | 8 |
| Electives in the major | 12 |
| (ATH 369, Field School in Archaeology, may count for no more than six hours toward major requirements.) | |
| Related Requirements | 12 |
| Selected from economics, geography, history, political science, psychology, sociology, and certain courses from biological sciences, geological sciences, and communication | |
| Foreign Language and Research Methods Requirement | 24-32 |
| Electives | |
| Total | 192 |
Anthropology Honors Program
The department encourages qualified students to conduct independent research through the department's honors program. Students are eligible for the program if they have an overall minimum GPA of 3.0 and an average of 3.5 in anthropology by the end of their junior year. Departmental honors are awarded at graduation. Through ATH 492, students are required to complete an honors project under the guidance of a faculty honors advisor. Interested students should contact the departmental office for further information.Minor in Anthropology
The minor in anthropology provides a cluster
of courses that form an introduction to the subfields
of anthropology. It is intended for students in other
majors who wish to supplement their study with the
perspectives unique to anthropology.
The minor in anthropology consists of 30 credit
hours. This includes 10 hours in three introductory
courses (ATH 241, 242, and CST 241) that expose
students to the subfields of cultural and physical
anthropology and archaeology. Upper-level courses
are structured to allow students to examine the
content of each subfield in greater depth. The
required course in theory can be taken in either
archaeology (ATH 468) or cultural anthropology
(ATH 448).
| Anthropology Minor Requirements | |
| ATH 241, 242; CST 241 | 12 |
| One course from cultural anthropology | 4 |
| One course from archaeology | 4 |
| One course from physical anthropology | 4 |
| One theory course (ATH 448 or 468) | 4 |
| One course: selective (any area) | 4 |
| Total | 32 |
| Students are expected to maintain a 2.0 overall GPA. | |
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