Sociology
About
Our mission is to provide sociology students with the theory and methods required to transfer and succeed at a four-year university or college, or to begin working in a sociology-related job.
What is “sociology”?
“Sociology” is the study of social life, social change, and the social causes and consequences of human behavior using the methods of social science. Sociologists investigate the structure of groups, organizations, and societies, and how people interact within these contexts. The subject ranges from the family to organized crime, to newly emerging religions; the divisions of race, gender, and social class to the shared beliefs of a common culture; and from the sociology of work to the sociology of the environment.
What Can I Do with a Sociology Degree?
The BCC sociology program provides marketable social science job skills and prepares sociology majors to transfer to universities and 4-year colleges. Students get marketable social science skills by:
- learning how to conduct ethnographic interviews;
- doing service-learning projects;
- learning how to write social science reports; and
- learning how to conduct and analyze research.
These skills are important in marketing, social work, business, criminology, government, and various non-profit organizations that help people facing social problems.
Sociology majors get guaranteed admission into Cal State by earning our BCC Sociology AA-T Degree.
Sociology Course Student Learning Outcomes
Soc 01: Introduction to Sociology
Students will be able to:
- Define core sociological terms and/or key theoretical approaches to social phenomena
- Demonstrate how identities such as race, class, gender, age, sexual orientation, religion, and nationality contribute to a range of social experiences and social perspectives.
Soc 2: Social Problems
Students will be able to:
- Apply sociological concepts and theories to written text and/or media.
- Explain how a selected social problem is caused by cultural, structural, and economic factors.
Soc 5: Minority Groups
Students will be able to:
- Correctly apply the sociological concepts and theories learned in the course to written text or multi-media content.
- Analyze how the life experiences and outcomes of a minority group (or an American who is a member of a minority group) have been impacted by their minority status.
Soc 06: Comparative Social Movements Since the 1960s
Students will be able to:
- Correctly apply the sociological concepts and theories learned in the course to written text or multi-media content.
- Describe and assess the tactics, strategies, impact, resources, opportunities, and organizational form of a selected social movement organization – using the course concepts and theories.
Soc 07: Sociology of Gender
Students will be able to:
- Analyze how social structure and culture shape gendered identities and experiences, using ethnographic or content analysis research methods.
- Correctly apply sociological theories, terms, and concepts concerning gendered experiences and phenomena to readings or video clips.
Soc 08: Crime and Deviance
Students will be able to:
- Define core sociological terms and concepts utilized in the study of crime and deviance
- Demonstrate how deviant and criminal identities are socio-cultural constructs that intersect with other social identities such as race/ethnicity, class, gender, age, and sexual orientation.
Soc 13: Sociology of the Family
Students will be able to:
- Describe major historical and social changes impacting the institution of the family
- Explain how diversity and inequality impact the structure and functioning of families
Soc 18: Sociology of Death and Dying
Students will be able to:
- Describe core sociological concepts as they relate to the topic of death and dying
- Apply key theoretical paradigms and explain how these paradigms inform our understanding of death and dying
Soc 120: Introduction to Research Methods
Students will be able to:
- Explain why different theoretical perspectives require different social scientific research methodologies.
- Effectively plan, design, and execute either a research proposal or an original research project.
Contact Information
Lead Faculty
Linda McAllister, PhD
Rm 557, BCC Sociology Dept.
(510) 981-2998
lmcallister@peralta.edu
Mark Swiencicki, Ph.D
mswiencicki@peralta.edu
Part-Time Faculty
Darrol Hughes
dhughes@peralta.edu
Marx Gomez-Liendo
mgliendo@peralta.edu
Niku Sharei
nsharei@peralta.edu