Sociology
6 courses · Shasta College · 2026-2027 Catalog
Classes: Fall 2026
SOC-2 Social Problems
- Units
- 3
- Hours
- 54 lecture total (when offered in the distance education format, hours will total 162)
- Advisory
- Essay-writing skills and eligibility to enroll in a transfer-level English Composition course, or English Placement Level 6 or higher
- Transfers to
- CSU, UC
- C-ID
- SOCI 115
This course explores significant social problems in contemporary society, including the role of power in defining social problems. It examines the process of how social problems arise in society, and their consequences. As an introduction to this topic, the course will focus on understanding how and why social problems develop and the controversies that accompany them. The course will be organized into three main units. The first will consider different theoretical perspectives as well as social science research methods used to identify and understand social problems. The second unit of the course will examine specific social problems associated with the relationship between social inequality and social structure. The third unit of the course will discuss institutional and organizational policies that develop as a result of social problems and the outcomes of those social policy approaches. This course may be offered in a distance education format.
SOC-3 Statistics for the Behavioral Sciences
- Units
- 3
- Hours
- 54 lecture total (when offered in the distance education format, hours will total 162)
- Prerequisite
- Intermediate Algebra as determined by multiple measure or Math Placement Level 4 or higher
- Transfers to
- CSU, UC
- C-ID
- SOCI 125
This course is an introduction to the basic statistical methods and analyses commonly used in the behavioral sciences. Topics include descriptive and inferential statistics; levels and types of measurement; measures of central tendency and dispersion; normal, t, and chi-square distributions; probability and hypothesis testing; and correlation and regression. Applications of statistical software to the behavioral sciences and/or other social science data is required. This course may be offered in a distance education format.
SOC-15 Sociology of Mass Media
- Units
- 3
- Hours
- 54 lecture total (when offered in the distance education format, hours will total 162)
- Advisory
- Essay-writing skills and eligibility to enroll in a transfer-level English Composition course, or English Placement Level 6 or higher
- Transfers to
- CSU, UC (with credit limitation)
This course examines the central role mass media plays in daily life. Starting from a microsociological standpoint, students will examine how knowledge and experiences are increasingly mediated by the mass media in its various forms. The course also explores the effect of media, including television, radio, newspapers, and the Internet, on social institutions which in turn permeate and shape public policy, the economy, education, and even the family. The course will examine ways in which mass media contributes to social/cultural power and stratification and will use the “process of mutual determination” to examine the relationship between media, individuals, and society. This course may be offered in a distance education format.
SOC-25 Race, Ethnicity, and Society
- Units
- 3
- Hours
- 54 lecture total (when offered in the distance education format, hours will total 162)
- Advisory
- Essay-writing skills and eligibility to enroll in a transfer-level English Composition course.
- Transfers to
- CSU, UC
- C-ID
- SOCI 150
This course examines the social, economic, political, and cultural dynamics of race and ethnicity in the United States. It utilizes theory to assess the comparative histories, cultures, and intellectual traditions of Native Americans, African Americans, Latino/as, and Asian Americans. It introduces major concepts used to understand the lived experiences of historically racialized groups such as social construction of race, racial formation, critical race theory, internal colonialism, and intersectionality. The course emphasizes the role of resistance and agency in advancing the goals of self-determination, decolonization, and equity. This course may be offered in a distance education format.
SOC-30 Sociology of Gender
- Units
- 3
- Hours
- 54 lecture total (when offered in the distance education format, hours will total 162)
- Advisory
- Essay-writing skills and eligibility to enroll in a transfer-level English Composition course, or English Placement Level 6 or higher
- Transfers to
- CSU, UC
- C-ID
- SOCI 140
Gender is arguably the most salient characteristic determining one’s place in any society. Gender is the first thing you notice about another person and your assessment of a person’s gender shapes your expectations of that person. These expectations (which are often requirements) place very real constraints and limitations on individuals. The sociology of gender focuses on the social construction of gender. Other theories of gender such as biological explanations will be discussed in comparison to the social constructionist approach. The course will begin with an examination of key theoretical approaches to the study of gender. Special attention will be paid to how gender is constructed at the level of society as well as how we engage in the re-creation and construction of gender in our everyday lives. Gender will be explored as an institution and a system as well as how it influences individuals. Because gender does not exist in a vacuum, gender will be discussed in relation to its intersection with other social locations such as race, class, sexuality, age, and ethnicity. The differential effects of gender along these lines will be discussed and highlighted through all of the applied topics. This course may be offered in a distance education format.
SOC-94 Sociology Work Experience Education
- Units
- 1-14
- Hours
- 54-756 Work Experience Education hours
- Transfers to
- CSU
The Sociology Work Experience Education course allows the student to gain on-the-job experience through employment/volunteerism at an approved job site. Students are responsible for arranging placement that is related to their major. A faculty member supervises all WEE courses to ensure that the work experience is of educational value. The course stresses good work habits and meeting of competencies through actual on-the-job performance. A student may repeat this course since course content varies and skills are enhanced by supervised repetition and practice. A maximum of 14 units may be earned in a single semester.