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Featured Sociology Courses: fall 2026

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Social Media and Society
SYA 3930.001 ♦ Robert Caputi ♦ Boca Raton ♦ In-Person ♦ Wednesday and Friday 12:30–1:50 PM
This course covers the sociological analysis of media and how media both influence, and are influenced by, the larger culture and society. Particular attention is paid to the meanings and social impact of movies, television programs, social media, music, advertising, and news. By the end of the term, students will be able to: demonstrate improved media literacy skills, understand the changing nature of media from analog to digital and the implications of this for individuals and society at large, theorize the connections between media and other core institutions of society including government, education, family, religion, and economics, articulate the relationships between the production, distribution, and consumption of media, and identify inequalities involving access to, and representation in, various forms of media.
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Course flyer containing a picture of a police officer standing and course details Family Politics: Families and the Welfare State
SYO 3151.001 ♦ Matty Lichtenstein ♦ Boca Raton ♦ In-Person ♦ Wednesday 2:00–3:20 PM
This course examines how social and economic forces have shaped the American family, from reform movements and charitable organizations in the colonial and industrial era, to state-run welfare services in the Progressive Era, culminating in the policies of recent decades. Students track how social institutions, socioeconomic trends, regulatory frameworks, and political shifts have influenced American values and norms linked to marriage, reproduction and child raising. Students consider how those policies may differently affect families of varying backgrounds.
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Flyer for Class Social Control and Deviance
SYP 3570.001 ♦ Robert Caputi ♦ Boca Raton ♦ In-Person ♦ Tuesday and Thursday 12:30–1:50 PM
This course examines sociological theories of deviance (non-conformity to social norms) and social control, emphasizing types and causes of deviant behavior and the means of enforcing conformity.
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Male looking down at desk that contains a laptop and various notes. Sociological Analysis: Survey of Methods
SYA 3300.002 ♦ Robert Caputi ♦ Boca Raton ♦ In-Person ♦ Tuesday & Thursday 9:30–10:50 AM
This course introduces students to social science research methods used to study and understand human societies. Students learn the fundamentals of research design, measurement, sampling, data collection, data analysis and presentation using both quantitative and qualitative methods. Students in this course gain hands-on research experience by designing, executing and presenting a pilot research project based on human subjects.
***Prerequisite required: SYD 3792 or SYG 1000***
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Tourists overlooking a city with buildings a lake and mountains.Sociology of Climate and Disaster
SYP 4464.001 ♦ Patricia Widener ♦ Distance Learning ♦ Monday and Wednesday 4:00–5:20 PM
This course provides a critical examination of climate change and natural and technological disasters by exploring the social causes, impacts, perceptions and/or consequences of disaster and climate change from a sociological perspective.
***Prerequisite required: SYA 3010 or SY1 3300***
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Male work climbing ladder that has images inbetween every step. Images include a clock, a paif of hands in a handshake, a lightbulb, a bar graph, a dart board, and a star at the very top. In the background is a sky with clouds and two women workers and another male worker waving at him from the bottom of the ladder.Sociology of Food
SYG 3244.002 ♦ Philip Hough ♦ Boca Raton ♦ In Person ♦ ednesday and Friday 9:30–10:50 AM
This course examines the relationship between our individual food choices and the larger social, cultural, economic and political forces that shape the global food system.
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Black and white photograph of a stethoscope laying on a large piece of clothFamilies in the United States
SYO 2101.001 ♦ Deborah Ford Ìý♦ Boca Raton ♦ In-Person ♦ Tuesday & Thursday 11:00AM–12:20 PM
In this course, students will explore the family as a fundamental social unit in American society. Students will examine the macro historical processes that have shaped families over time within the context of American culture. As they do so, students will develop an understanding of basic social and behavioral concepts and well-established scientific methods used by social scientists to investigate social phenomena. This is a General Education course.
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Photo of various books on a shelf.Sociological Theory
SYA 3010.003 ♦ Philip Lewin ♦ Boca Raton ♦ In-Person ♦ Tuesday & Thursday 11:00 AM–12:20 PM
This course provides an introduction and overview of some of the major theoretical traditions in sociology. Students learn about the development of sociology as a discipline, as well as how to use different sociological theories to make sense of social structures, social action and social change in the contemporary world.
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Graphic of various people working out. There is a hand holding a hand, a male squatting a barbell with weights on each side, a female upside from doing a flip, and a women and male running.Sociology of Pop Culture
SYP 3630.001 ♦ Robert Caputi ♦ Boca Raton ♦ In-Person ♦ Tuesday and Thursday 5:00–6:20 AM
This course examines different forms of popular culture, including art, music, literature, fashion and mass media from a sociological perspective. It also explores various meanings of popular culture and its complex relations with folk culture, elite culture, subcultures, countercultures, mass media and social media.
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Photograph of five hands with different skin colors ranging from fair to dark on a wooden table.Race and Ethnic Relations
SYD 3700.005 ♦ Yangsook Kim ♦ Boca Raton ♦ In-Person ♦ Tuesday & Thursday 2:00–3:20 PM
This course surveys sociological perspectives of intergroup relations. It examines the evolution of race, the construction of racial and ethnic distinctions and the roles and experiences of racial and ethnic groups in the United States from a historical perspective.
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Women holding up a sign with the word "ENOUGH" during a march of protest.
ÌýContemporary Social Problems
ÌýSYA 3930.005 ♦ Greg Lukasik ♦ Distance Learning
ÌýThis course allows students to explore answers to interesting questions regarding social problems, including how social problems emerge, how sociologists study social problems, and how social problems are affected by publice opinion and government polices. Some specific areas covered in this course include economic inequality, social problems in urban areas, deviance and crime, as well as problems related to aging, race/ethnicity, and gender. While the focus of this course is on social problems in the U.S., selected issues will be discussed and analyzed from a broader, global, and comparative perspective.