SOSC390
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TOPICS:
Course Description
The descriptions and topics of this course vary from semester-to-semester as well as from instructor-to-instructor. Prerequisites: varies with the topic offered.
GENDER AND SEXUALITY: This course involves a multifaceted and critical look at lived experiences of gender and sexuality. In the past 50 years, research on gender and sexuality has expanded beyond simple gender differences and similarities to include the social construction of gender, the gendered nature of social institutions, and the way that gender intersects with race/ethnicity, sexual orientation, social class, and other social categories. These will be themes throughout this course as we explore current issues related to media constructions of femininity and masculinity, sexual orientation, violence and trauma, transgender identities, and contemporary legal issues.
TRAUMA: This course will provide an overview of psychological theory and research on trauma and traumatic stress. Specific topics covered include: responses to childhood trauma (especially sexual abuse), combat, natural disasters, and terrorism. We will consider developmental, cognitive, neuropsychological, clinical, and social/contextual theoretical frameworks as we explore these topics. The course is designed to acquaint you with some of the key issues, questions, and findings in the study of trauma and traumatic stress.
SOCIAL CHANGE THROUGH ADVOCACY: This course will examine the importance of using advocacy to make social change. Students will learn various advocacy skills to positively impact social issues like poverty, healthcare, education, and civil rights. Reasons for engaging in advocacy and skills to practice advocacy with individuals, communities, social service systems, and governments will be identified. Emphasis will be given to vulnerable populations like children, people living in poverty, and other marginalized groups.
SOCIAL MOVEMENTS: Social movements play an important role in shaping our societies. Driven by common concerns, groups of people come together, articulate shared ideas and goals, organize, and act to change social relations that influence their lives. Social scientists and activists share one key aim: learning about and understanding how our actions give rise to and can change the societies we live in. Of the two, activists are often more likely to get a chance to put their ideas to the test. In this course, students will examine a diversity of perspectives on social movements from contemporary research in sociology and anthropology. We will focus on the importance of the experience and knowledge of the members of movement communities, and will juxtapose their perspectives with scholarly ones. The students will apply and advance their understanding in an ethnographic project examining a current social movement of their choice.
DECODING HEALTH POLICY: This course will guide students through effective strategies in understanding the relationship between health policies and the effects the policy has on managing the complexity of healthcare systems in the US. Students will analyze and evaluate the policies to develop complex proposals on how to improve systematic functioning and healthcare operations.
New Jersey's Governor Race 2025: In this course, we will focus on three of the state’s most pressing issues: affordable housing,
property taxes, and the K-12 public education system. We will analyze current policies, examine
the platforms of gubernatorial candidates, and hear from campaign representatives. This will
provide you with the opportunity to engage in the policy process and explore how to contribute
to shaping real-world policy solutions.
Additionally, we will dive into the workings of the New Jersey Legislature, consisting of 40
Senators and 80 Assemblymembers. Students will study existing legislation, the legislative
process, and potential legislative solutions to issues like housing, taxation, and education.
The course will also provide insights into the roles of local and county governments in policy
development and service delivery. Students will gain a deeper understanding of how New
Jersey’s government functions and learn how to actively participate in political processes.
HUMAN CENTERED LEADERSHIP
This course will examine approaches to human-centered leadership of organizations. Topics will focus on meeting the needs of the modern workforce and establishing organizational cultures that promote employee well-being, growth, and productivity. Students will gain a foundational understanding of organizational structure, behavior, communication, motivation, and change. The role of leaders in creating a culture of trust, fostering collaboration, and empowering individuals to contribute to organizational missions will be emphasized. Case studies, discussions, multimedia, and practical exercises will be utilized to analyze and apply various leadership roles and skills, including emotional intelligence; inclusion; and ethical decision-making.
SOCIETAL ETHICS
This course provides an introduction to theories in ethics and allows students to explore a wide variety of legal, ethical, and moral issues that impact law and society. Topics will include, but are not limited to, immigration, incarceration, college students’ rights, popular culture, criminal justice, and social change.
GENDER AND SEXUALITY: This course involves a multifaceted and critical look at lived experiences of gender and sexuality. In the past 50 years, research on gender and sexuality has expanded beyond simple gender differences and similarities to include the social construction of gender, the gendered nature of social institutions, and the way that gender intersects with race/ethnicity, sexual orientation, social class, and other social categories. These will be themes throughout this course as we explore current issues related to media constructions of femininity and masculinity, sexual orientation, violence and trauma, transgender identities, and contemporary legal issues.
TRAUMA: This course will provide an overview of psychological theory and research on trauma and traumatic stress. Specific topics covered include: responses to childhood trauma (especially sexual abuse), combat, natural disasters, and terrorism. We will consider developmental, cognitive, neuropsychological, clinical, and social/contextual theoretical frameworks as we explore these topics. The course is designed to acquaint you with some of the key issues, questions, and findings in the study of trauma and traumatic stress.
SOCIAL CHANGE THROUGH ADVOCACY: This course will examine the importance of using advocacy to make social change. Students will learn various advocacy skills to positively impact social issues like poverty, healthcare, education, and civil rights. Reasons for engaging in advocacy and skills to practice advocacy with individuals, communities, social service systems, and governments will be identified. Emphasis will be given to vulnerable populations like children, people living in poverty, and other marginalized groups.
SOCIAL MOVEMENTS: Social movements play an important role in shaping our societies. Driven by common concerns, groups of people come together, articulate shared ideas and goals, organize, and act to change social relations that influence their lives. Social scientists and activists share one key aim: learning about and understanding how our actions give rise to and can change the societies we live in. Of the two, activists are often more likely to get a chance to put their ideas to the test. In this course, students will examine a diversity of perspectives on social movements from contemporary research in sociology and anthropology. We will focus on the importance of the experience and knowledge of the members of movement communities, and will juxtapose their perspectives with scholarly ones. The students will apply and advance their understanding in an ethnographic project examining a current social movement of their choice.
DECODING HEALTH POLICY: This course will guide students through effective strategies in understanding the relationship between health policies and the effects the policy has on managing the complexity of healthcare systems in the US. Students will analyze and evaluate the policies to develop complex proposals on how to improve systematic functioning and healthcare operations.
New Jersey's Governor Race 2025: In this course, we will focus on three of the state’s most pressing issues: affordable housing,
property taxes, and the K-12 public education system. We will analyze current policies, examine
the platforms of gubernatorial candidates, and hear from campaign representatives. This will
provide you with the opportunity to engage in the policy process and explore how to contribute
to shaping real-world policy solutions.
Additionally, we will dive into the workings of the New Jersey Legislature, consisting of 40
Senators and 80 Assemblymembers. Students will study existing legislation, the legislative
process, and potential legislative solutions to issues like housing, taxation, and education.
The course will also provide insights into the roles of local and county governments in policy
development and service delivery. Students will gain a deeper understanding of how New
Jersey’s government functions and learn how to actively participate in political processes.
HUMAN CENTERED LEADERSHIP
This course will examine approaches to human-centered leadership of organizations. Topics will focus on meeting the needs of the modern workforce and establishing organizational cultures that promote employee well-being, growth, and productivity. Students will gain a foundational understanding of organizational structure, behavior, communication, motivation, and change. The role of leaders in creating a culture of trust, fostering collaboration, and empowering individuals to contribute to organizational missions will be emphasized. Case studies, discussions, multimedia, and practical exercises will be utilized to analyze and apply various leadership roles and skills, including emotional intelligence; inclusion; and ethical decision-making.
SOCIETAL ETHICS
This course provides an introduction to theories in ethics and allows students to explore a wide variety of legal, ethical, and moral issues that impact law and society. Topics will include, but are not limited to, immigration, incarceration, college students’ rights, popular culture, criminal justice, and social change.