Required and Elective Courses
The department proposes to offer a first-rate sociology major that contributes to the mission of the college while retaining maximum flexibility in its offerings. The robustness of the sociology major will be ensured by requiring five courses of all students majoring in sociology: an introductory course addressing basic theory and methods of the discipline (151), two research methods courses (255, 320), an advanced theory course (318), and a capstone course (395). These courses, already required of sociology majors at Calvin, are consistently recognized by sociology programs in the Christian College Coalition and other colleges and universities in the U.S. and Canada to be foundational to a major in sociology. They are also the courses that graduate programs of sociology consistently require of incoming students and those whose content has been covered most carefully in the past on the Graduate Record Examination in sociology.

Flexibility of offerings and in faculty hiring will be retained by not offering formal tracks in the major. Instead, students will be required to complete their eleven course major by taking any six elective courses in addition to the five required courses. One of these six electives may be a sociology interim course.

While flexibility of offerings is important, it also is true that students have developing theoretical and occupational interests and often are looking for courses and labels that represent and reinforce those interests. For example, incoming students frequently ask whether the department offers a program in anthropology or criminal justice. As its best effort at balancing flexibility and meeting student interests, the department has built enough variety into its elective offerings to respect what it perceives to be the primary areas of interest among students interested in sociology while at the same time developing offerings that contribute to the mission of the college. Certain of these offerings can be grouped in different ways to meet the interests of the students, serve the mission of the college, include sub-areas of the discipline of sociology, and respect national trends in sociology curricula. Interested students will be directed to these groupings through advising. Examples of these groupings and their connections to the mission of the college are given below.

Anthropology or cross-cultural studies
Students wishing to emphasize cross-cultural studies in their choice of sociology electives can be advised to consider taking Sociology 153, Introduction to Cultural Anthropology; 253, Intercultural Communication; 3xx, Anthropology of Religion; 380, Sociology Internship (with a cross-cultural emphasis), and a sociology interim course with a cross-cultural emphasis.

This grouping complements recent developments in the college's programming and student interest. The college's strategic plan, academic programming, and student enrollment patterns increasingly have shown a keen interest in multi-cultural and cross-cultural issues. This agenda has been prioritized in Calvin's strategic plan and the new core reflects a broad desire to instill in students not only awareness and sensitivity to cross-cultural interaction but also tools by which to positively participate in such interaction. These emphases are evident in the Global and Historical Studies as well as the Cross-cultural Engagement components in the new core curriculum. Several major and minor programs have incorporated content on intercultural sensitivity into their programming by requiring Sociology 253, Intercultural Communication or offering it as an elective (majors in CAS and sociology; minors in Third World Development Studies, missions, and archaeology; and the English as a Second Language Program). Calvin's off-campus programs also exemplify this agenda. Currently, Calvin offers well-enrolled, off-campus programs in France, Hungary, Honduras, Ghana, China, and Spain.

Law and Criminology studies
Students wishing to emphasize criminology or criminal justice studies in their choice of sociology electives can be advised to consider taking Sociology 210, The Criminal Justice System, Sociology 306, Sociology of Deviance, Sociology 319, Special Problems and Current Issues in Criminal Justice, Social Work 370, The Helping Interview, Sociology 380, Internship in Sociology (with a criminal justice emphasis), and a sociology interim course (with a criminal justice emphasis).

Continuing to offer some criminal justice courses at Calvin-especially perspectival courses-- makes good disciplinary sense to the department. Sociological analysis of deviance, crime, and society's response to non-normative behaviors raises similar questions to those identified generally in sociology. For example, economic inequality, individual and institutional racism, and social injustice are enduring features of the make-up of the criminal justice system. These problems are evident in the way crime and deviance are defined, controlled, and punished. The rapid expansion of the criminal justice system over the past fifty-years further adds to the importance of these offerings. A possible grouping for students in criminal justice also comports well with Calvin's mission. Given the importance of the criminal justice system in society, professors and students at Calvin should be exploring how a Reformed vision of ".relationships guided by principles of love, justice, and righteousness.." (Calvin College Catalog 2001/2002, p. 7) can be applied to the structuring of criminal justice system and to how healing can occur between offenders and victims.

More pragmatically, continuing to offer some courses in criminal justice is important because Calvin continues to have students who wish to focus on criminal justice studies. At present, there are thirty-three majors. Just four years ago there were sixty-four majors. The field and job openings continue to grow and it is likely Calvin will continue to have students drawn to this field. Calvin College also has many alumni serving in this field who look to the college and department for perspectival leadership.

Urban studies
Students wishing to emphasize urban studies in their choice of sociology electives can be advised to consider taking Sociology 250, Diversity and Inequality in North American Society; Sociology 3xx, Urban Sociology; Sociology 308, Demography and World Population Problems, Soc 314, Contemporary Social Problems; 380, Internship in Sociology (with an urban studies emphasis), and a sociology interim (with an urban studies emphasis).

With each passing year more people live in urban communities. In the U.S., for example, the U.S. Census Bureau (1995) reports that the percentage of the population living in urban areas has nearly doubled over this century from 40 to 75 percent. While urbanization is a world-wide phenomenon, the above sociology electives focus mainly on the process in the U.S. and more specifically on the purposes, problems, and prospects of U.S. cities. Because many of the problems associated with U.S. cities are tied to economic inequality and individual and institutional racism, these offerings include content related to these issues including society's structured attempts through policies and programming to reduce these problems. Biblical notions of social and economic justice and a New Testament vision for human relationships are explored in these offerings to create a foundation for transforming the problems and injustices so characteristic of urban life. The integration of faith and learning in these courses includes a summary of Abraham Kuyper's theological perspective on reconciliation and social renewal.

In addition to sociology majors who wish to emphasize the study of urban problems and opportunities, there will be students from other majors who share that interest and will take one or two courses from these offerings. Social work majors, for example, often take positions working with poor and disenfranchised families and persistently mentally ill persons who are homeless. They will be well served by these offerings.

Sociology Courses

151 Sociological Principles and Perspectives
153 Introduction to Cultural Anthropology
210 The Criminal Justice System
250 Diversity & Inequality in the United States
253 Intercultural Communication
255 Social Science Statistics
302 Urban Sociology
303 Anthropology of Religion
304 The Family
308 Demography & World Population Problems
311 Religion and Society
314 Contemporary Social Problems
315 Sociology of Sport
316 Social Gerontology
317 Death, Dying and Bereavement
318 Sociological Theory
319 Special Problems and Current Issues in Criminal Justice
320 Social Research
380 Internship in Sociology
390 Independent Study
395 Sociology Integrative Seminar

IDIS 205 Societal Structures and Education