This course identifies and explores issues involved in the interacation between humans and the environment. Students are introduced to social impact assessment as a means for identifying the ways resource exploitation leads to both the development and decline of communities. Food production is used to illustrate these impacts because it plays a significant role in community organization, human survival, and environmental resilience. Students enrolled in 4530 complete a semester length experiential field project relevant to the course material.
Prerequisite(s): SOC 1110 Introduction to Sociology or SOC 2530 Population and Environment.
(Normally offered alternate years.)
SOC 1110 Introduction to Sociology (4 hours)
This course is an introduction to using the sociological perspective as a method of social inquiry. Students explore such basic concepts as culture, socialization, social structure, social interaction, and social change. They study and apply the theories and research methodologies used to investigate human social interaction. These concepts are applied to social topics such as race, class, gender, family, crime, population, environment, and others.
(Normally offered each semester.)
Archway Curriculum: Foundational Literacies: Scientific Investigations: Social Science
Archway Curriculum: Integrative Core: UC Reflected Self Thread
SOC 2530 Population and Environment (4 hours)
This course examines the demographic and social dynamics of population size, composition, and distribution. It addresses the relationships among population, human health, development and the environment. Strong cross-cultural emphasis. A major focus is the development of a semester research paper contrasting the status of the Millennium and Sustainable Development Goals, environmental status, and health in a more- and less- developed country.
Archway Curriculum: Essential Connections: Writing Instructive
Archway Curriculum: Essential Connections: Diversity Instructive: Global
Archway Curriculum: Integrative Core: Humans in the Natural Environment Thread
