SOCIOLOGY, APPLIED
Dr. Henry P. Brehm
Room 810, Administration Bldg.
UMBC
Baltimore, Maryland 21228
(410) 455-2081
UMBC, School of Arts and Sciences
Department of Sociology and Anthropology (SOCY)
Derek G. Gill, Chair
Henry P. Brehm, Graduate Program Director
Professors
Brehm, Henry P.
Eckert, J. Kevin
Gill, Derek G.
Lewis, David T. (Emeritus)
Morgan, Leslie A.
Rothstein, William G.
Smith, Richard T.
Sokolovsky, Jay H.
Adjunct Professors
Haseler, Stephen
Lamous-Smith, Willie B.
Associate Professors
Cohen, Jere M.
Hewitt, Christopher J.
Kleinberg, Benjamin S.
Matthews, Byron A.
Pincus, Fred L.
Rappaport, Joanne
Trela, James E.
Assistant Professors
Adler, Marina A.
Fosu, Gabriel
Lottes, Ilsa L.
Prechel, Harland N.
Degree Offered: M.A. in applied sociology
Program Description: The Department of Sociology and Anthropology
offers a graduate program leading to a Master of Arts degree in
applied sociology designed to prepare students to be
analysts/researchers primarily in the areas of health or aging but
with the opportunity to focus on related areas of sociology. The
student will take core courses in basic methodological areas of
sociology and specialty courses in medical sociology or the
sociology of aging. Students may elect to focus on related
substantive areas of sociology. The aim is to provide the student
with advanced quantitative training in sociology coupled with the
development of expertise within an area of specialization.
Areas of Concentration:
A.Medical Sociology
This area of concentration should provide a graduate with
the skills necessary to work as
an analyst/researcher in agency settings associated with health
care systems and related services. Subspecialty areas of focus
include: a) the behavior of patients; b) health institutions,
organization and delivery; c) social factors in illness; and d) the
behavior of health professionals.
B.Sociology of Aging
A graduate will be equipped to work in research,
government, and nonprofit agency
settings that deal with the problems of the aged in the community.
Subspecialty areas of focus
include: a) social roles of the aged; b) social correlates of the aging
process, including health-related aspects; and c) social and cross-
cultural implications of an aging society.
C.Related Areas of Sociology
Students may wish to prepare to work in research or program agency
settings where
health or aging is not the prime concern but where the quantitative
skills learned in this program can provide a generalizable
background to serve as an analyst. This could be the case where the
focus is on issues such as family and individual functioning,
personal relationships, housing, drug abuse, etc.
Program Specialties: medical sociology, sociology of aging,
gerontological health, research methodology.
Program Admission: General admission requirements are those of the
Graduate School.
In particular, the admission decision is based upon a student's prior
academic record ("B" average or better), scores on the Graduate
Record Examination, letters of recommendation, the score for the
English proficiency test in the case of foreign students, and other
information relevant to the applicant's chances of successfully
completing the program. Applicants who are otherwise qualified,
but who have undergraduate backgrounds deficient in sociology
course
work, may be admitted, but will be required to pass SOCY 606 in
their first year in the graduate program. For such students, the
requirement to take SOCY 606 is in addition to the credit hours
needed to complete the M.A.
Applicants who qualify for full graduate status but who are not
applicants for a degree may enroll as non-degree students. Specific
requirements of the Graduate School must be met in addition to
approval of the instructor.
Students will be expected to develop proficiency in two broad areas:
one comprising appropriate research and methodological skills, and
the second comprising specialized work in medical sociology, the
sociology of aging, or a related area.
Degree Requirements: Course requirements consist of 36 credit
hours as follows:
1) 15 credit hours of specialty courses including
at least 6 credit hours in medical sociology and/or the sociology of
aging 2) 15 hours of methodology courses: SOCY 600, 604, and 605
(or 608 or
610, when available), and 6 credit hours of 607; and 3) 6 credit
hours of thesis.
A cumulative grade point average of "B" (3.0) is the minimum for
graduation. There is no language requirement for the M.A. degree.
Special Resources
Graduate Gerontology Certificate Program
Students with an interest in aging may wish to seek concurrently
the graduate Certificate in Gerontology, which is coordinated
through the Center on Aging, University of Maryland College Park.
Nearly all of the required course work can be completed at UMBC.
Interested students should contact the department for further
details and a model curriculum.
Five-Year B.A./M.A.
The sociology department offers a combined five-year B.A./M.A. for
superior full-time students with strong preprofessional interests in
aging or medical sociology. A total of nine credit hours will be
allowed for combined undergraduate and graduate degrees. Allowed
courses include all sociology courses with both 400- and 600-level
numbers that apply toward the regular M.A. degree. Application to
the combined program must be made in the second half of the
sophomore year or later. A grade point average of 3.0 or above is
required for acceptance into the combined program. Letters of
recommendation and a personal interview also are required, as well
as adequate performance on the SAT. Students who intend to apply
for the combined program are encouraged to consult with a
department adviser.
Financial Assistance: A limited number of graduate teaching and
research assistantships are available through the department;
university fellowships also may be obtained.
COURSES:
SOCY 600 Research Methodology
Credits: 3
A course designed to advance graduate students' knowledge of the
field of scientific modes of inquiry and analysis and to familiarize
them with research methods and techniques. Also listed as POSI
600.
Prerequisites: Evidence of undergraduate level of understanding of
research methods and permission of instructor. This required SOCY
& POSI course must be completed at least one semester before the
final semester in the program.
SOCY 601 Formal Organization Theory
Credits: 3
Theory and methods in the study of formal organizations; models of
internal structure; decision making and the policy process;
organizational interrelations and the larger society.
SOCY 602 Power and Policy Formation
Credits: 3
An examination of the relationship between power and policy
formation. The course analyzes how power is manifested in
dimensions of the social structure, including social classes, class
segments, and organizations, and how political coalitions emerge to
exercise power and influence policy formation.
SOCY 603 The Management of Formal Organizations
Credits: 3
This course is an examination of the internal structure of large
private, public, and nonprofit organizations. Variations in structure
are analyzed for their causes and consequences for organizational
functioning. The role of management in designing organizational
structures to achieve organizational goals is stressed.
SOCY 604 Statistical Analysis
Credits: 3
An introduction to the concepts and methods of descriptive and
inferential statistics. Bivariate and multivariate statistical
techniques will be discussed. Also listed as POSI 604.
Prerequisites: SOCY/POSI 600 or its equivalent and passing an
algebraic competency screening test. (Test is given to enrollees in
SOCY/POSI 600 or in the SOCY office for those not enrolled in
SOCY/POSI 600.) Permission of instructor. This required SOCY &
POSI course must be completed at least one semester before the
final semester in the program.
SOCY 605 Advanced Research and Evaluation Techniques
Credits: 3
Components in research design and strategy; problems in and
approaches to the application of research and statistics to program
evaluation; policy decision-making based on research data. Also
listed as POSI 605.
Prerequisites: SOCY/POSI 600 & 604 or their equivalents and
permission of instructor.
Required SOCY course.
SOCY 606 Social Inequality and Social Policy
Credits: 3
This course examines poverty and inequality in modern society. The
focus is on describing the extent of poverty and inequality,
examining theories that attempt to explain these phenomena, and
discussing the policies that have been employed to mitigate them.
In addition to class inequality, the course will consider racial and
sexual inequality. Also listed as POSI 616.
SOCY 607 Community Research Laboratory
Credits: 3
Supervised involvement in the conduct of research. All stages of the
research process will be experienced, from formulation of research
questions and preparation of proposals, to collection
and analysis of data and writing of reports. Six credit hours are
required for the master's degree.
SOCY 608 Advanced Statistical Methods
Credits: 3
Focus on concepts and methods used in multivariate statistical
analysis, and on the computer techniques and packages in use in this
process.
SOCY 610 Sample Surveys in Social Science
Credits: 3
An introduction to the techniques of survey research (sample design,
questionnaire construction, and analysis of survey data) as applied
in the social sciences. Students will participate in a survey
research project.
Prerequisite: A course in social statistics.
SOCY 613 Community Organizational Systems
Credits: 3
Community as an organizational network; role of public and private
organizations in the community and its policy system; role of
organizations in urban community action and urban redevelopment;
organizational networks and changing community structure in the
metropolitan environment; evaluation of policies and programs for
community improvement and
development.
SOCY 614 Evaluation of Educational Policy
Credits: 3
This course applies research findings from the sociology of
education to some key issues of educational policy, focusing on
primary and secondary education. Both issues of educational quality
and equality are considered, including school quality, choice
proposals, school desegregation, compensatory education, tracking,
mainstreaming, and bilingual education. The course includes an
introduction to the nature of educational policy, an overview of the
policy-making process at the local level, and a critical assessment of
policy research, with special attention given to problems of
measurement and study design.
SOCY 620 Methods of Social Epidemiology
Credits: 3
An introduction to the principles and methods of social
epidemiological investigation: methods of gathering and analyzing
epidemiological data, sociopathogenic factors in mortality and
morbidity of specific chronic diseases, and application of
epidemiological perspectives and techniques to health services
evaluation.
SOCY 621 Metropolitan Ecology and Demography
Credits: 3
A description and analysis of metropolitan ecological patterns and
processes with respect to people, activities and institutions; the
dynamics of metropolitan population growth and composition.
SOCY 629 Anthropology of the Aging and Aged
Credits: 3
Drawing upon readings about contemporary peoples from Asia, Latin
America, Africa, Europe,
and the U.S., this course examines the process of aging and what it is
like to be old in a world-
wide context. Using case studies, life histories, readings, and films,
an analysis will be made of the ways culture affects the aging
process and is linked to variation in religion, family organization,
social networks, and beliefs about the life-cycle. Global research on
aging is used to discuss specific issues such as ethnicity, long-term
care, community roles of the aged, urban development, and
homelessness.
SOCY 630 Sociology of Aging
Credits: 3
Analysis of theory and research on age stratification, cohort flow
through social position, theoretical frameworks for the study of
aging, and socialization as related to the middle and later years.
SOCY 631 Family and Aging in Society
Credits: 3
An analysis of human development and aging as they relate to the
institution of the family. Using a family life cycle perspective, the
course examines demographic trends, historical change in the
family, stages of family life, changing family roles, and
intergenerational relations.
Particular attention is paid to the mutual effects of changing family
structure and social policy in shaping the status of the aged in
society.
SOCY 632 Work and Retirement
Credits: 3
An examination of the issues and research related to work among
older persons and the
termination of work at retirement. Specific topics to be addressed
include: the work career and
aging, skill obsolescence, efficiency of older workers, age
discrimination in employment, the retirement decision, differences
in retirement by sex, consequences of retirement for health and
economic status, pension policy, and implications for the future.
SOCY 650 Demographic Analysis
Credits: 3
Methods of processing and analyzing demographic data. Measures of
mortality, fertility, migration, and population projections as applied
to census and vital statistics data will be analyzed and the more
general applications of demographic techniques to other classes of
data will be illustrated.
SOCY 651 Sociology of Health and Illness Behavior
Credits: 3
An analysis of health, illness, and the health professions and
institutions from a sociological perspective. Topics to be
considered will include mortality and morbidity, health attitudes
and
behavior, social psychology of illness, the socialization of health
professionals, the organization of health care, and patient-
professional relationships.
SOCY 652 Health Care Organization and Delivery
Credits: 3
Current issues are reviewed in health care organization, delivery,
and financing in the United States and the various policies and
approaches that impact the changing health care delivery system.
Particular emphasis is placed on the implications of technological
developments and the increasingly competitive environment for
alternative aspects of health care.
SOCY 653 Health Organizations and Health Professions
Credits: 3
Social roles and attitudes of different types of health professionals
will be described and analyzed, especially in regard to their behavior
in health organizations. The social structure of hospitals, public
health and community health planning agencies, and other health
organizations will be considered.
SOCY 654 Comparative Health Systems
Credits: 3
A comparative analysis of different types of health systems in the
United States and selected other nations, examining differences in
financing, cost, utilization, staffing, services provided, and
relations with other social institutions.
SOCY 655 Disability and Rehabilitation
Credits: 3
Conceptualization and measurement of disability, determinants and
consequences of disabling chronic conditions, services for the
disabled, and program planning and evaluation in disability and
rehabilitation. The development of social security policy and
rehabilitation will be discussed in terms of interdisciplinary
approaches.
SOCY 656 Comprehensive Health Planning for the Elderly
Credits: 3
Introduction to basic principles and methods of comprehensive
health planning, providing a sociological framework for planning
health and social service programs for the elderly.
Emphasis will be given to the assessment of needs for care at the
local and regional levels.
SOCY 657 Social History of American Medicine
Credits: 3
The history of American medical care, hospitals and ambulatory care
facilities, the role of government, public health programs, and social
issues like smoking and abortion. Each student will complete a
research paper.
SOCY 658 Sociology of Mental Health and Illness
Credits: 3
The course examines the social history of mental illness; the
concepts and treatments employed, the professional's role, the role
of social class in mental illness, social factors in psychopathology;
stress, social support, and coping processes, along with sociological
critiques of mental health practices. More currently, the course
examines deinstitutionalization and the community mental health
movement, the relationship between mental illness and the criminal
justice system, and the mental patients' rights movement.
SOCY 670 American Social Institutions and the Aged
Credits: 3
The impact of the aged population on selected social institutions in
American life; an analysis of mechanisms by which the aged
population adapts to those institutions and the ways in which the
institutions modify their functioning to deal with the aged
population.
SOCY 671 Health and Related Social Condition in Old Age
Credits: 3
Analysis of health of older people and of some of the social
conditions that are related to health. Guest lectures will be
extensively used to examine the processes that produce
physiological and psychological changes and disorders in the human
organism.
SOCY 698 Advanced Selected Topics in Sociology
Credits: 3
The specific topics will be announced in advance of the semester the
course is offered.
SOCY 699 Selected Topics
Credits: 3
Topics selected on the basis of the background interests of faculty
and students.
Prerequisites: 15 graduate credits and consent of the instructor.
SOCY 701 Directed Independent Study
Credits: 1-3
Independent reading for master's students, under supervision of
faculty member. Intended for students who desire to study
independently an aspect of medical sociology and/or
aging/gerontology not covered by regular course work. May be
repeated for credit.
SOCY 758 Advanced Seminar in Medical Sociology
Credits: 1-3
The fundamental principles of design, problem formulation, and
advanced research methods as used in research in medical sociology
and as applied to the field of sociomedical and health services
research. Presentation and critical review of current medical
sociological research, including critical discussion of student and
faculty research in medical sociology.
SOCY 778 Advanced Seminar in the Sociology of Aging
Credits: 1-3
The fundamental principles of design, problem formulation, and
advanced research methods in
the sociological study of aging and the aged. Special emphasis is
placed on the critical review of current sociological research and
analysis of age-related research problems and issues.
SOCY 799 Master's Thesis Research
Credits: 1-3
Master's thesis research under the direction of a graduate faculty
member. Six semester hours are required for the master's degree.
SOCY 801 Directed Independent Study
Credits: 1-3
Independent reading for doctoral students, under supervision of
faculty member (in POSI-SOCY track of Ph.D. program). Intended for
advanced students who desire to study independently an aspect of
medical sociology and/or aging/gerontology not covered by regular
course offerings. May be repeated for credit.