Subject Description
Sociology and Anthropology

SOAN 220 | Inequality in Malaysia and Singapore

This course is designed to engage students in a critical examination of select issues associated with social stratification in Singapore and Malaysia. Specifically, it examines the themes of identity and culture within the context of the broader dynamics of systematic inequality in these two neighboring countries have very intertwined histories and cultures, but yet are distinct from one another.

SOAN 498 | Internship Seminar

This scheduled weekly interdisciplinary seminar provides the context to reflect on concrete experiences at an off-campus internship site and to link these experiences to academic study relating to the political, psychological, social, economic and intellectual forces that shape our views on work and its meaning. The aim is to integrate study in the liberal arts with issues and themes surrounding the pursuit of a creative, productive, and satisfying professional life. Students receive 1.0 unit of academic credit for the academic work that augments their concurrent internship fieldwork.

SOAN 497 | Internship

This scheduled weekly interdisciplinary seminar provides the context to reflect on concrete experiences at an off-campus internship site and to link these experiences to academic study relating to the political, psychological, social, economic and intellectual forces that shape our views on work and its meaning. The aim is to integrate study in the liberal arts with issues and themes surrounding the pursuit of a creative, productive, and satisfying professional life. Students receive 1.0 unit of academic credit for the academic work that augments their concurrent internship fieldwork.

SOAN 494 | Research Assistantship

Conducting original, independent research is central to the experience of the Sociology and Anthropology major. This activity credit course pairs a student with a SOAN professor to collaborate on a sociological or anthropological research project in progress. In the capacity of research assistant, the student contributes to the project through tasks that may include interviewing, interview transcription, survey administration, data indexing, data summary, bibliographic research and literature review, data coding, data input, and research briefs.

SOAN 490 | Senior Thesis

In this capstone course students bring together their previous conceptual, theoretical, and empirical knowledge and skills in sociology and anthropology in order to propose and ultimately investigate a social-scientific research question. Much of the work is done independently while under the supervision of the thesis instructor. In addition to the written report, students also give a public presentation of their thesis.

SOAN 481 | Special Topics

This seminar involves an in-depth examination of selected topics in anthropology and/or sociology. A different topic is selected by faculty each time it is offered. Relevant theory and current research is examined. Students are responsible for research papers and presentations under close supervision of the faculty.