Courses

Sociology Courses

3. Introduction to Sociology (3 hours)
This introductory course presents the basic processes of human interaction in everyday life while introducing students to the theories and methods governing social inquiry. The sociological perspective is used to study the impact of the forces of culture, socialization, social stratification, race, gender, and population on human thoughts and actions. (Normally offered each semester.)

4. Social Problems (3 hours)
By studying the interconnections between social structure, social forces, and societal problems, students learn to apply the sociological perspective to analyze and understand selected social problems in the United States. A primary objective is to show that the social forces which produce institutional arrangements and social problems operate to shape students’ own views of those arrangements and problems. Strong emphasis is placed on the relationship between culture and social inequality and the various social problems under study. (Normally offered each year.)

110. Social Statistics (3 hours)
An introduction to descriptive and inferential statistics and their applications to sociological and social work research. Statistical procedures include central tendency measures, variability, I-test, one-way ANOVA, correlation, univariate regression, and chi square. The course also includes specific emphasis on probability, hypothesis testing, data presentation, and computer analysis of data using existing standard packages such as SPSS and MicroCase. (Normally offered each spring semester.)
Prerequisite(s): Sociology 3 or 4.

115. Population, Resources, and Environment (3 hours)
An examination of population in its demographic, dynamic, and social aspects. The course also examines the problems associated with the interaction between populations and the environment. Strong cross-cultural emphasis. (Normally offered each spring semester.)

116. Race Relations and Minority Groups (3 hours)
An analysis of the characteristics and problems of racial and minority groups with special emphasis on the themes of prejudice and discrimination. This course focuses primarily on race relations and minority experiences in the United States. (Normally offered each semester.)

120. Sociology of the Family (3 hours)
An analysis of various interrelationships of man and woman with emphasis on love, courtship, marriage, and family. Institutional, social, and legal perspectives are presented in a cross-cultural and historical frame of reference to elucidate the dynamic relationship between the family, its members, and broader U.S. society. (Normally offered each semester.)

150. Hispanics and Latinos in U.S. Society (3 hours)
This course is designed to introduce students to the diverse relationships between minority groups of Spanish speaking ancestry and U.S. society. Mexican-American experiences will be featured along with the topics of immigration and bilingualism. The course will also cover the contributions and experiences of Cuban Americans, Puerto Ricans, and people of Central and South American ancestry. (Normally offered each fall semester.)

190. Selected Topics (1, 2, or 3 hours)
An intermediate-level course designed to treat subject matter not covered in other departmental courses or to provide study of subject matter introduced in other courses. The title, content, and credit hours will be determined by current mutual interests of faculty and students.

206. Group Dynamics (3 hours)
This course introduces students to the basic principles of small group structure and interaction. Topics such as goals, cohesiveness, communication, conflict, and leadership will be investigated. (Normally offered every other year.)
Prerequisite(s): Sociology 3.

211. Crime and Delinquency (3 hours)
An examination of contemporary problems in crime and delinquency with emphasis upon the theories of deviant behavior and correction. Cross listed with Criminal Justice 211. (Normally offered each fall semester.)
Prerequisite(s): Criminal Justice 101 and Sociology 3 or 4.

213. Correction and Penology (3 hours)
Analysis of the history, theory, structure, and function of contemporary penal institutions. Cross listed with Criminal Justice 213. (Normally offered every third spring.)
Prerequisites: Criminal Justice 101 and Sociology 3 or 4.

215. Environmental Sociology and Social Impact Assessment (3 hours)
This course will identify and explore problems that arise specifically because of the impacts of human beings on the environment, and impacts of the environment on human activity. The course will focus especially on social impact as a method systematically identifying the effects of both development and decline of communities as a consequence of changes in resource exploitation. (Normally offered alternate years.)
Prerequisite(s): Sociology 3 or 115.

216. Seminar: Racial-Ethnic Experiences (3 hours)
Intended as a capstone course for students minoring in American minority studies, this seminar assumes significant prior knowledge and interest on the part of the student. It features experiential learning and strong student involvement focused on the meaning and significance of race and ethnicity. Responsibility for classroom activity will be shared by students and instructor. The course also requires field experience in the community. Topics covered include stratification, family structure, subcultural9 variation, religion, heritage, social psychology, interpersonal communication, and conflict resolution. (Normally offered alternate years.)
Prerequisite(s): Sociology 3 and 116 or approval of the instructor.

222. Sociology of Gender (3 hours)
This course explores sex and gender relations as major features of social life; it considers the social construction of gender and examines the impact of gender ideologies on the social positions of women and men. In particular, it emphasizes the inequality of women’s social positions in modern societies, and the embedded gender inequality in social institutions. (Normally offered alternate years.)
Prerequisite(s): Sociology 3 or 4.

223. Sociology of Work (3 hours)
This course is a sociological exploration of the structure and function of the world of work. It includes an emphasis on the changing structure of the economy, the nature of work groups, the problems of labor/management relations, and gender inequality in the workforce. (Normally offered alternate years.)
Prerequisite(s): Sociology 3 or 4.

227. Social Stratification (3 hours)
This is an advanced level sociology course that uses the basic concepts, theories, and principles of sociology to analyze social inequality and its consequences in society. Emphasis is placed on the American class system and its consequences as they pertain to wealth, poverty, and social mobility. A section of the course will focus on the analysis of global inequality. (Normally offered alternate years.)
Prerequisite(s): Sociology 3 or 4.

230. Social Change and Social Movements (3 hours)
This course examines the processes of social change from a sociological perspective. In particular, it looks at the origins, dynamics, and consequences of social movements such as the labor movement, civil rights, feminism, gay rights, and the environmental movement. Social movements emphasized vary with instructor. (Normally offered alternate years.)
Prerequisite(s): Sociology 3 or 4.

234. Community in Urban Society (3 hours)
An examination of urban communities and societies and their historical roots. The course also examines demographic and ecological trends, cross-cultural variations, and current theories about urban processes and community in order to foster an understanding of this dominant form of human social organization. (Normally offered alternate years.)
Prerequisite(s): Sociology 3 or 4.

236. Research Methods in Social Science I (3 hours)
Analysis of methods and techniques used in sociological and social work research and their relationships with theory and research design. Course content emphasizes survey research, questionnaire construction, experimental design, use of statistics, secondary analysis, and evaluation research. (Normally offered each fall semester.)
Prerequisite(s): Sociology 3.

237. Research Methods in Social Science II (3 hours)
Introduction to research methods used in sociological, anthropological, and social work research. Course content includes ethnomethodology, observation, participant observation, in-depth interviewing, content analysis, case study, and single-subject research design. (Normally offered each spring semester.)
Prerequisite(s): Sociology 3 or 4.

242. Sociological Theory (3 hours)
This course is an analysis of the major theoretical perspectives of classical and contemporary sociological theory. It is oriented toward the understanding, application, and continued development of these theoretical perspectives. (Normally offered each semester.)
Prerequisite(s): Sociology 3.

290. Selected Topics (1, 2, or 3 hours)
An upper-level course designed to treat subject matter not covered in other departmental courses or to provide study of subject matter introduced in other courses. The title, content, and credit hours will be determined by current mutual interest of faculty and students.

291. Independent Advanced Readings (3 hours)
Intensive readings in the discipline.

296. Special Projects (1, 2, or 3 hours)
Supervised individual projects in conjunction with departmental research and student interest. Special projects may not duplicate courses described in the catalog.
Prerequisite(s): Approval of the instructor.

297. Directed Field Work (3-6 hours)
Supervised field work and study in conjunction with an institution. May be repeated for a maximum of 6 credit hours.
Prerequisite(s): Approval of the instructor.

299. Senior Thesis (3 hours)
Independent field research required for all majors.
Prerequisite(s): Sociology 236, 237, 242 and approval of the instructor.

Anthropology Courses

50. Introduction to Anthropology (3 hours)
An introduction to human biological evolution, prehistoric cultural development and nature, and linguistics.

151. Cultural Anthropology (3 hours)
This course reviews the origin and development of culture in preliterate human societies. It focuses on the major social institutions of family, economics, political organization, and religion. (Normally offered each semester.)

153. Latin American Cultures (3 hours)
This course deals with Latin American cultures from an anthropological perspective. It will cover stratification and its effects on indigenous populations and contemporary cultures, and the effects of culture change on them. (Normally offered alternate years.)

154. Native American Cultures (3 hours)
This course examines a wide range of Native American cultures. It includes an exploration of cultures before contact by European populations and contemporary issues facing both reservation and urban Native American populations. (Normally offered each spring semester.)

155. Sub-Sahara African Cultures (3 hours)
This course examines selected cultures from Sub-Sahara Africa with careful attention to culture formation before contact with European culture as well as the effects of colonization and the effects of increases in technology. (Normally offered alternate years.)

156. Asian Cultures (3 hours)
This course examines selected Asian cultures from an anthropological perspective, including the effects of stratification and culture change. It provides a general survey of prehistoric cultures as well as some of the issues related to Western expansion in Asia. (Normally offered alternate years.)

158. Cultures and Economics of Europe (3 hours)
This course is designed to examine Europe as a culture area. Specific emphasis will be on class systems, peasantry, contemporary life, and tradition and change. Although there are clearly differences among European cultures, they also share common roots in the feudal system. It will also study romance language formation and the drive for the contemporary European economic community. (Normally offered alternate years.)

162. Political Anthropology (3 hours)
This course will be an examination of the relationships between population density and the formation of political structures. It will also study contemporary peoples in Africa, India, and the Near East. It will set the stage for a discussion of some of the current political difficulties that traditional peoples face in their interactions with Western cultures from the United States and Europe. (Normally offered alternate years.)

163. Anthropology of Religion (3 hours)
This course summarizes anthropological theories on religious systems and ritual systems. It will also examine relationships between religious systems, population density, and environment in pre-industrial societies. Ethnographic studies from pre-industrial Europe, the Near East, Polynesia, and Asia will be included. (Normally offered alternate years.)

261. Economic Anthropology (3 hours)
This course examines the relationships between economic and environmental forces in pre-industrial societies. Many contemporary pre-industrial societies are still struggling with issues centering around Communism and Capitalism. This course will trace some of those issues to their origin and point out potential scenarios for contemporary non-Western societies. African, Latin American, and Polynesian cultures will be the focus of this course.
Prerequisite(s): Anthropology 151 or permission of the instructor.

291. Independent Advanced Readings (3 hours)
Intensive readings in the discipline.

292. Field Studies: A Foreign Culture (3 hours)
An opportunity for students to learn from direct experience and personal interaction guided by lectures in the field and selected readings. Students will be guided to formulate and carry out specific research and/or establish constructive relationships with the subjects.
Prerequisite(s): Sociology 3 and Anthropology 151 or approval of the instructor.

293. Field Studies: Native American Life (3 hours)

See Anthropology 292.

299. Senior Thesis (3 hours)
Independent field research required for all majors.
Prerequisite(s): Anthropology 162, Sociology 236, 242 and approval of the instructor.

Social Work Courses

15. Introduction to Social Work (3 hours)
Survey of the field of professional social work, including the roles, philosophy, values, skills, and knowledge base needed. Areas of practice and career expectations are explained. (Normally offered each fall semester.)

120. Social Welfare Policy, Services, and Delivery Systems (3 hours)
This course studies the historical development of social welfare policies, services, and institutions and addresses contemporary policy and service delivery. The social, political, and value systems that create policies are studied. A systems perspective focuses on the relationship between policy, services, and institutions at the local, state, and federal levels. International perspectives on social policy are discussed for comparative purposes. Primary areas of focus are public welfare, aging, and mental health. Policy implementation and change are discussed. (Normally offered each spring semester.)

127. Human Behavior and the Social Environment I (3 hours)
A course to synthesize and examine the body of knowledge concerning how the individual, group, family, and community systems interrelate with each other and the larger social context from the lifespan stages of birth through adolescence. Content will be drawn from the biological, psychological, sociological, eco-political, and cultural-environmental systems. The importance of professional ethics in the assessment process is also examined. (Normally offered each fall semester.)

128. Human Behavior and the Social Environment II (3 hours)
A course to synthesize and examine the body of knowledge concerning how the individual, group, family, and community systems interrelate with each other and the larger social context from the lifespan stages of early adulthood through aging and death. Content will be drawn from the biological, psychological, sociological, eco-political, and cultural-environmental systems. The importance of professional ethics in the assessment process is also examined. (Normally offered each spring semester.)

135. Family Violence (3 hours)
This course will expose students to the various types of violence experienced by individuals and families across their lifespan. An introduction to various theories used in working with survivors of abuse will be presented and students will learn about bruises and fractures associated with child abuse. The influence of societal “isms”, culture, gender, and sexual orientation related to violence will be incorporated into the material being discussed. (Normally offered each spring semester.)

190. Selected Topics (1, 2 or 3 hours)
An intermediate-level course designed to treat subject matter not covered in other departmental courses or to provide study of subject matter introduced in other courses. The title, content, and credit hours will be determined by current mutual interests of faculty and students.

208. Group Methods (3 hours)
This course provides an understanding of the theoretical underpinnings as well as the practical applications of group work as a vehicle for social work. It also explores how and why groups function and develop skills and techniques of membership and leadership. (Normally offered each spring semester.)
Prerequisite(s): SocialWork 15 or permission of the social work program director.

209. Macro Methods: Community Organization, Planning and Administration (3 hours)
An introductory course to the administration and planning of social service organizations. Major emphasis upon community, organization, and legislative analysis; management skills; program planning; and evaluation. A practice-oriented course including simulations, in-class projects, volunteer experience, and personal introspection. (Normally offered each spring semester.)
Prerequisite(s): Social Work 15 and 120 or permission of the social work program director.

210. Micro Methods: Individuals and Families (3 hours)
Emphasis on social work theory and practice skills. Study of communication patterns, empathic response and assessment of client situations. Experiential learning through role playing, observation, and discussion. (Normally offered each fall semester.)
Prerequisite(s): SocialWork 15 or permission of the social work program director.

225. Strengths Perspective Practice (3 hours)
This course is designed to introduce students to the fundamentals of strengths perspective theory, assessment, and intervention with individuals, families, and communities. Students are also introduced to concepts from related solution-oriented intervention approaches. Strategies and techniques for structuring the helping process in a way that maximizes client self-determination and the probability of successful goal attainment will be emphasized. (Normally offered alternate years.)
Prerequisite(s): Social Work 15 and junior standing or permission of the social work program director.

245. Social Work in Health Care (3 hours)
The course surveys the field of social work in the health care arena. A generalist social work perspective will be used to address the social work roles of assessment, intervention, advocacy, and policy analysis in the health care environment. Social work roles at the individual, group, and organizational/community levels will be addressed. (Normally offered alternate years.)
Prerequisite(s): Social Work 15 and junior standing or permission of the social work program director.

265. Research Methods (3 hours)
An introduction and overview of research methods used in generalist social work practice. Course content includes both quantitative and qualitative methods and emphasizes critiquing research, program evaluation, methods of data collection and analysis, single-subject design, ethical considerations, and the application of evidence-based practice to improve policy and social service delivery. (Normally offered each semester.)
Prerequisite(s): Junior standing, Social Work 15, and Sociology 110 or Psychology 110 or Economics 110 or Business Administration 110 or Business 106 (for Wesleyan Advantage program only).

291. Independent Advanced Readings (1-3 hours)
Intensive readings in the discipline.

293. Field Studies: Native American Life

See Anthropology 293.

296. Special Projects (1, 2, or 3 hours)
Supervised individual projects in conjunction with departmental research, community services and student interest. Special projects may not duplicate courses described in the catalog.
Prerequisite: Approval of the social work program director.

297. Field Practicum (1-9 hours)
Supervised learning experiences in selected social work agencies. This experience introduces a variety of social work practice roles and enables the student to apply social work knowledge, skills, and values in a real practice situation. May be taken as a block placement for 9 credit hours or as a concurrent placement over two semesters for a total of 9 credit hours.
Prerequisite(s): Social Work 210 and 208 or 209, with grades of “B-” or better, and approved pre-field placement consultation.

299. Senior Thesis (3 hours)
Independent field research required for all majors.
Prerequisite(s): Social Work 265 and approval of the instructor.

Criminal Justice Courses

101. Introduction to Criminal Justice (3 hours)
A survey course providing an overall view of the criminal justice system, the law, law enforcement, the courts, and corrections. (Normally offered each fall semester.)

110. Police and Community (3 hours)
The analysis of the structure-function of law enforcement and the dilemma confronting the police in relation with the community. (Normally offered alternate years.)
Prerequisite(s): Criminal Justice 101 and Sociology 3 or 4.

114. Juvenile Justice (3 hours)
This course examines the unique framework and workings of the Juvenile Justice system. The Juvenile Justice system is in the process of on-going profound changes in both legal rights and corrections. We will examine the reasons why Juveniles commit crimes and status offenses. The current issues in Juvenile Justice such as: gangs, growth in "female" criminal involvement, and the hardening of juvenile offenders. (Normally offered alternate years.)
Prerequisite(s): Criminal Justice 101.

190. Selected Topics (1, 2, or 3 hours)
An Intermediate-level course designed to treat subject matter not covered in other departmental courses or to provide study of subject matter introduced in other courses. The title, content, and credit hours will be determined by current mutual interests of faculty and students.

201. Criminal Law (3 hours)
Survey of criminal law with emphasis on basic legal procedure developed by the courts and legal problems of law enforcement. (Normally offered every third spring.)
Prerequisite(s): Criminal Justice 101 and Sociology 3 or 4.

211. Crime and Delinquency (3 hours)
An examination of contemporary problems in crime and delinquency with emphasis upon the theories of deviant behavior and correction. Cross listed with Sociology 211. (Normally offered each spring semester.)
Prerequisite(s): Criminal Justice 101 and Sociology 3 or 4.

213. Correction and Penology (3 hours)
Analysis of the history, theory, structure, and function of contemporary penal institutions. Cross listed with Sociology 213. (Normally offered every third spring.)
Prerequisite(s): Criminal Justice 101 and Sociology 3 or 4.

297. Directed Field Work (4-8 hours)
Supervised field work and study in a criminal justice institution. May be repeated for a maximum of 8 credit hours.
Prerequisite(s): Minor in criminal justice and approval of instructor.

Nebraska Wesleyan University