Faculty of Arts

Bachelor of Arts in Sociology 

Courses Description

SOCI 131 Introduction to Sociology (Cr. 3)

This course introduces the learners to sociology, such as fields and topics taught, intellectual trends with respective readings of social phenomena and issues and basic concepts, key intellectuals (Cont, Durkheim, Fiber, Marx), with due consideration to the historical social intellectual Ibn Khaldun. It also focuses on historical circumstances of sociology and multiple social theories that addressed society with research and analysis, with different introductions and conclusions, so the course is a general introduction to sociology, which addresses topics of family, social interaction, society and culture, social status, gender and body sociology.

 

SOCI 231 Sociology of the Family (Cr. 3)

This course addresses issues of the family in terms of structure, internal strength relations, relations with other structures in society and multiple influences. To that end, the course addressed the historical evolution of the family, its role, function, position and relation with society as part of the power, authority and dominance relation, and their functions related to system value and ethics system, structural conflicts among generations and gender relations, all associated with the relations system and social engineering inside family and society.

Prerequisite: SOCI 131

 

SOCI 233 Classical Theory (Cr. 3) 

This course presents development and autonomy of sociology as a science, separated from religious conceptions, as a manifestation of changes originated in Europe in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Thus, the course addresses the importance of ‘social theory’ and the first founders (Cont, Durkheim, Fiber, Marx). The course deals with role of Ibn Khaldun in social thinking as an Arab-Islamic contribution to scientific analysis of the social-historical evolution. The course intends to introduce students to analytical tools of the theorists in their comparisons and reading of social phenomena in contemporary time (with focus on phenomena in the Palestinian society).

Prerequisite: SOCI 131

 

SOCI 235 Modern Soc. Theory (Cr. 3) 

As a sequel of the ‘classic sociology theories’ course, this course addresses the contemporary social readings based on ideas and theories of the classic sociology (Marx, Durkheim, Fiber), and afterwards shows the contemporary theoretical trends (Frankfurt, structural, featuring, reciprocal, functional structural and symbolic interactive schools), as well as contributions of contemporary theorists (Parsons, Gramchi, Bolanzas, Altosire, Foko), where focus of the course is on modes of control and dominance, whether through the state or dominant status, and through contributions of many theorists (Linen, Foko, Saeed, Bordeo,…). The course addresses three of the important issues of contemporary sociology (culture, modernity, and globalization).

Prerequisite: SOCI 233

 

SOCI 244 Psycho-social Problems (Cr. 3)

This course intends to introduce students to in-depth analysis of main psychological and social problems, such as drug addiction, child abuse, juveniles, domestic violence, values conflict and conflict of generations, with focus on social and economic policies and their influence on age groups (teenagers, youth, and elderly).

 

SOCI 245 Statistics for Soc. Scs (Cr. 3)

This course intends to introduce students to basic principles of statistics and practical applications (e.g.: SPSS), where students are provided with adequate skills to analyze social phenomena statistically using SPSS, and they are taught how to enter/process statistical data, find proper statistical analysis, analyze/read data through result analysis, test hypotheses with proper exams for each or research questions, how to extract results and write proper reports for each hypothesis. The focus will be on measures of central tendency and dispersion, T-test, Q-Squire test, One Way Annova, Correlation, Regression and Multi regression.

 

SOCI 321 Palestinian Social History  

The course explores changes in the Palestinian social structure since the late 19th century until the present day resulting from changes at specific points of history. The course addresses the historical point which had an impact in changing the Palestinian social structures. The course will explore changes in the structures of social intititutions, process of urbanization and its relation with the development of the middle class, the refugee camp as a place for marginalized groups, changes in social stratification, social structure of authority, and change of roles of social actors and social groups.

Prerequisite: SOCI 131

 

SOCI 331 Methods of Soc. Research (Cr. 3) 

This course addresses researching and researchers in social studies as part of an agreed academic methodological framework, in terms of stages and steps of researching, and ethics of researching and social worker, which constitute an academic reference in dealing with social phenomena based on an academic method in social and human researches (qualitative, quantitative). Students will be provided with some skills associated with determining topic and formation of researches with academic ways, besides tools used in information/data collection, classification and analysis.

Prerequisite: SOCI 131

 

SOCI 334 Arab Society (Cr. 3) 

This course intends to introduce students to the Arab society, and analyzes social, cultural, political and economic phenomena in historical and social context. Features of the Arab society at the present time are taught, as well as social, cultural and political systems and their features in social structures and institutions, and individual attitude in the Arab contexts. Moreover, social reality will be presented, which goes through an interim stage characterized with attempts to overcome backwardness and achieve resurrection. Also, social status will be presented, including bias and racist/ sectarian class division.

Prerequisite: SOCI 131

 

SOCI 335 Social Stratification (Cr. 3) 

This course addresses class division and association with social movement in societies divided on ethnic and sectarian. The course attempts to establish these topics basically based on theories of Marx, Bolanzas, Altosire, Fiber, so the course links contemporary class division to changes that included labor division, high-level technological development in production, high education opportunities, economic relations and forms of ownership that brought social, economic and political inequality.

Prerequisite: SOCI 233

 

SOCI 363 Sociology of Body and Authority  

The course analyzes the body as a cultural, social and political structure. This structure faces various strategy to control, conform, and monitor it from various authorities: social, political, religious, economic in the society. The strategies aims to force conforming, redefinition of the body, and the is reflected in social practices in all fields. The course explores the praxis of authority and the body from renascence and post renascence theories such as Foco, Fanon, modern feminist theories, to provide students with analytical tools that allow them to understand the Palestinian colonized context.

Prerequisite: SOCI 233 and SOCI235

 

SOCI 337 Application of Research Methods (Cr. 3) 

This course provides students with opportunities necessary to set in action tools, skills, information and techniques taught in courses SOCI 331 and SOCI 245, and their applications within one coordinated researching project, where students select research topics according to their interest and desire to apply academic research steps practically. This course prepares students for graduation seminar.

Prerequisite: SOCI 331

 

SOCI 338 Displacement & Forced Migration (Cr. 3) 

This course focuses on displacement and status of the refugee as a social/political process with international and national dimensions, and status in the international and Arab conventions and agreements, especially refugees. The course also focuses on causes and effects of this phenomenon, and solutions proposed as part of changing situations, in addition to experience of the Palestinians refugees with its different dimensions, especially changes that included social groups, classes and foundations.

Prerequisite: SOCI 131

 

SOCI  349 Special Topics (Cr. 3) 

This course is based on interactivity with changes to the Palestinian political, economic, social and cultural scenes, as part of changes witnessed and experienced by the Palestinian society, which makes it possible to monitor and follow up these changes with effective and academic specialty in this field. The course has two sides; the first is cognitive where this phenomenon is covered cognitively, theoretically and intellectually, and the other is applied and associated with researching and academic skills, which help and enable students to discover and comprehend these changes in proper time and place. The lecturer determines topic of phenomenon and course in agreement with vision of the social science department.

Prerequisite: SOCI337

 

SOCI 389 Seminar (Cr. 1) 

This course is only for the seniors, where each selects a research topic and supervised by one of the department professors. Seminars are presented, discussed, defended and evaluated before a panel of professors and students.

Prerequisite: SOCI 337

 

SOCI 435 Social Movements (Cr. 3) 

This course intends to introduce basic routes which societies depend on for initiatives, imagination, transformation and changes to their social, revolutionary and reformative institutions and systems, especially in the Arab region and third world countries (south).

Prerequisite: SOCI 235

 

SOCI 437 Soc. of Dev. & Soc. Services (Cr. 3) 

This course presents an in-depth attempt to understand reality and horizons of ‘development’ and ‘development action’ in the whole world in general, and southern countries in particular, especially development impediments, challenges and relations brought by a sociological point of view, which links between theory and application as part of the globalized reality, showing basic theoretical trends to comprehend development and modernization process, mainly modernization theory and dependency theory, represented by theorists Rosto, Lerner, Huntington, Frank and Amin. The course also includes analysis of global development attempts and from several aspects, with studying proposed development alternatives associated with Palestinian individuality as a society under colonial occupation in light of theoretical background on one side, and actual experience on the other hand.

Prerequisite: SOCI 321

 

SOCI 444 Sociology of Organizations (Cr. 3)

This course intends to provide students with cognitive and practical basis of social institutions (school, social institution, political institution, and economic institution) through understanding functions, roles and modes of decision making there, and addressing modes of management and theories associated with them, and monitor their influence on society and its social/economic formation. On the other hand, the course provides students with practical skills derived from field experience in this regard (management, mobilization, planning, collective action, community docking) through volunteering and practice (50 hours) in social institutions, in agreement with requirements of sociology.

 

SOCI 438 Israeli Society (Cr. 3)

This course addresses individuality of colonial upbringing impact of Israeli society -as a colonial society- on its social structure. The course looks into impact of that structure on ethnic issues, classes and cultural groups inside the Israeli society, with political and ideological programs/structures of parties and movements. The course tackles different topics and structures such as the Moshav and Kibutz, and deals with changes occurred tens of years after establishment, and offers special space for Palestinian communities inside the Israeli society, and discusses colonial relation, and their influence on the Palestinian society on one side, and on internal cohesion or conflict of Israeli society.

 

SOCI 439 Sociology of Media & Communication (Cr. 3) 

This course discusses relation between society and culture in general, and media/communication between individuals and groups in particular, and pays special attention to influence of globalization from viewpoint of influence of contemporary and media and communication, especially influence and dominance of image and symbols on social relations and identity, attitude and trends of individuals. Thus, the course offers special space for the relation between influence of society community and global society on formation and character and culture of individuals and groups. The course focuses on contemporary topics/concepts to discuss these relations, such as culture marketing, human personality melting, reshape tasteful formation, and reshape relations between

individuals on one hand and with their communities on the other hand.

Prerequisite: SOCI 131, SOCI 233, SOCI 235

 

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Bethlehem University Foundation
Email: dc@bethlehem.edu
Phone: +1-202-526-6097
Fax: +1-202-526-6096
Washington, DC USA
Bethlehem University in the Holy Land
E-mail: info@bethlehem.edu
Phone: +972-2-274-1241
Fax: +972-2-274-4440
Bethlehem, Palestine

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