Page 249 of Boston College 2006-2007 University Catalog by Boston College University

Undergraduate and Graduate Course Offerings SC 378 Introduction to Social Work (Fall/Spring: 3) Cross Listed with PS 600, SW 600 The purpose of this course is to give students an overview of the field of social work. Starting with a discussion of the history of social work and the relevance of values and ethics to the practice of social work, the course then takes up the generalist method of social work intervention. The course also examines the current policies and programs, issues, and trends of the major settings in which social work is practiced. The Department SC 422 Internships in Criminology I (Fall/Spring: 3) Prerequisite: Permission of instructor Students are provided the opportunity to apply social and behavioral science material in a supervised field setting consistent with their career goals or academic interests. Internships are available following consultation with the instructor in court probation offices and other legal settings where practical exposure and involvement are provided. Students are encouraged to plan to participate during the full academic year to derive maximum benefit. SC 507 Sociology of Mental Health and Illness (Spring: 3) The purpose of this seminar is to consider what a sociological perspective brings to our understanding of mental health and illness. The goal throughout will be to examine critically how history, institutions, and culture shape our conceptions of mental illness and ill persons. We will especially examine how a medical model has triumphed in defining the causes and cures for mental illness. Students will be expected to participate in weekly discussions, to carry out research on a topic of their own interest, and to present their findings towards the end of the semester. David Karp SC 514 Advanced Studies in Comparative and Historical Sociology (Spring: 3) Offered Periodically This course provides an introduction to the field of comparative and historical sociology a subfield whose practitioners use a range of methods, from the analysis of historical documents to large-scale, crossnational comparisons based on secondary data. We will explore these different methods, and see how they are applied to a wide array of topics. Although the recurring themes of the course (and of the subfield) are capitalism and the modern national state, we will explore how these themes relate to such diverse topics as gender, race, sexuality, economic development, and social welfare. Sarah Babb SC 540-541 Internship in Sociology I and II (Fall/Spring: 3) Prerequisite: Permission of instructor Previously SC 340-341 This internship program is designed for students who wish to acquire practical work experience in a human service, political, social research, or social policy agency private or governmental, profit or nonprofit. Students have the primary responsibility of locating their own placement setting, however, both the instructor and the BC Internship Program Office in the Career Center can be of help. John B. Williamson SC 550 Important Readings in Sociology (Spring: 3) Prerequisite: Permission of the department This course is designed as the first in the sequence of courses required of students who have been admitted into the Sociology Departments Undergraduate Honors Program. Ordinarily, students will take this course during the spring of their junior year. The purpose of this seminar will be to read and discuss a series of books that are generally thought to be important contributions to the field. The books chosen will reflect a range of substantive issues, methodological approaches, and theoretical perspectives. The abiding question throughout this seminar class will be the following: What are the characteristics of powerful and compelling sociological work? David A. Karp SC 555 Senior Honors Seminar (Fall: 3) Prerequisite: Permission of the department Only students who have been accepted into the Sociology Honors Program should enroll. This course is required of participants in the Sociology Department Honors Program. Students develop a research prospectus that is to be the basis of the Senior Thesis. This is an interactive seminar stressing hands-on experience. Skills in topic selection, research design, and theory construction are emphasized. Paul Gray Diane Vaughan SC 556 Senior Honors Thesis (Spring: 3) Prerequisite: Permission of the department Continuation of SC 555. After having completed their research proposal in SC 555, Students in the Undergraduate Sociology Honors Program then complete the data collection, the analysis, and the writing of their senior thesis during the spring of the senior year. In SC556.01 students complete their thesis research under the direction of their faculty advisor. Although SC556.01 is normally a 6 credit course, students may opt to complete their thesis using only 3 credits. Ordinarily, students are expected to complete their thesis by April 15, approximately two weeks before all senior honors students present the findings of their research in a public meeting. Paul Gray David Karp SC 578 Corporate Social Responsibility (Spring: 3) Contemporary capitalism is in a crisis because of the general lack of social responsiveness on the part of corporate executives, shareholders, investors, and other economic stakeholders. In response, movements have arisen in recent decades to respond to this crisis including socially responsive investing, shareholder and consumer action, and corporate social responsibility. This seminar, through shared readings and discussions, will consider the ways in which these movements are responding to the crisis in capitalism. We will consider alternative and more productive forms of economic and business conduct. Ritchie P. Lowry SC 579 American Economic Crisis and Social Change (Fall: 3) Previously listed as SC 346 This course offers a new way to think about America, focusing on the connection between our deepest values as a nation and our intertwined economic and social problems. Our economic problems include growing poverty and inequality, a shrinking job market, and the failure of many of ARTS AND SCIENCES The Boston College Catalog 2006-2007 249

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