Sociology (SOCI) 365

Overview

This course focuses on one of the most popular and topical areas of sociology — the study of what has often been defined as "abnormal" or "deviant" behavior. Partly because of sensationalized media coverage of dramatic cases of "abnormal" social behavior, university courses in the "sociology of deviance" have continued to attract the highest enrolments in most department of sociology. However, what has been classified as "deviant" behavior has varied widely across different societies and cultures, and has also changed over time in our own society. Thus vagrancy and homelessness were once defined as deviant states punishable by imprisonment or by confinement in workhouses or other correctional institutions. Today, homelessness is more likely to be seen as an unfortunate state remediable through social welfare or other anti-poverty programs. Similarly, whereas homosexuality was once sanctioned as a criminalized "deviant" behavior, today members of the gay, lesbian and transgendered community have successfully challenged their former "deviant" social labels, and – at least in Canada – have won their right to be treated as full and equal members of our society. At the same time, as many formerly stigmatized behaviors (such as vagrancy, homosexuality, abortion, unwed mothers, etc) have lost their deviant labels, other previously accepted behaviors are now seen as deviant, and may even be criminalized. Examples of recently criminalized "deviant" behaviors include stalking, hate speech, cyber-bullying, domestic violence, etc. However, the study of social "deviance" includes not only criminal behavior, but all forms of behavior that violate social rules and conventions; irrespective of whether these behaviors are criminally sanctioned.

The first two units introduce key concepts, ideas, and principles that represent an essential grammar, language, and a set of working principles at the heart of the sociology of deviance.

• Unit 1 considers how deviance might be defined and explores how this sociological definition is likely to be different than a view of deviance held by non-sociologists.
• Unit 2 introduces some principles for making comparisons and briefly describes the methodology and logic used in sociology to determine the truth of ideas.

Units 3, 4, 5 and 6 introduce broad approaches or paradigms to understanding the world.

• Unit 3 considers how deviance was explained from a moralistic and religious point of view justified by authority and feeling.
• Unit 4 describes how reason, rationality, and law shifted the understanding of rule-breaking away from pure moral considerations and ultimately toward laws and criminal codes.
• Unit 5 discusses how biological ideas came to dominate and how scientific principles influenced the study of deviance.
• Unit 6 describes the emergence of a systematic sociology, sociology based on an adaption of biological and evolutionary theory.
• Finally, the sociological perspective begins to emerge fully in Unit 7 with the presentation of ideas and theories about deviance that evolved at the University of Chicago in the 1920s.
• Units 8 and 9 are the central parts of the course from a sociological perspective; they introduce two specific theories that have remained at the core of the sociology of deviance ever since they first appeared.
• Units 10 and 11 introduce modern variations and versions of sociological theory.
• Unit 12 is a reflection on what the sociology of deviance means and what it might have contributed to our understanding.

Outline

Unit 1: Beginning—The Sociology of Deviant Behaviour

Unit 2: Science, Truth, and Uncertainty

Unit 3: Demonology and Theological Conceptions of Deviance

Unit 4: Rationality, Reason, and Deviance

Unit 5: Biology and Exclusion

Unit 6: Themes and Concepts

Unit 7: Social Disorganization and Cities

Unit 8: Social Structure and Anomie

Unit 9: Differential Association and Cultural Theories

Unit 10: Subcultural Theory, Social Control Theory, and Social Reaction Theories

Unit 11: Back to the Basics—Postmodern and Postcultural Theories

Unit 12: The Future of the Sociology of Deviance

Evaluation

To receive credit for SOCI 365, you must achieve a course composite grade of at least "D" (50 percent) and a grade of at least 60 percent on the final examination. The weighting of the composite grade is as follows:

To learn more about assignments and examinations, please refer to Athabasca University's online Calendar.

Course Materials

All materials will be available to students online.

Challenge for Credit Course Overview

The Challenge for Credit process allows students to demonstrate that they have acquired a command of the general subject matter, knowledge, intellectual and/or other skills that would normally be found in a university level course.

Full information for the Challenge for Credit can be found in the Undergraduate Calendar.

• Undergraduate Challenge for Credit Policy
• Undergraduate Challenge for Credit Procedures

Challenge Evaluation

To receive credit for the SOCI 365 challenge registration, you must achieve a grade of at least “C-” (60 percent) on the challenge examination.

Undergraduate Challenge for Credit Course Registration Form

• Challenge for Credit Form