SOC 246 - Religion and Our Social World

5 CR

Is religion only for the religious? What role does religion play in our everyday lives? How is religion infused throughout the social world? Explore the sociological phenomenon of religion, religious life, and the impact of religion on secular spheres of life. Themes may include popular culture, how race and gender intersect with religion, spirituality, new religious movements, the political and economic impacts of religion, and social change.

Course Outcomes

Apply basic sociological concepts and ideas to religion;
Analyze symbols, icons, and popular conceptions such as worship and death around the world;
Discuss the ways in which popular culture has shaped the beliefs, structures and practices of religious groups (and vice versa), particularly in the United States;
Explain U.S. and global social, political and cultural rules about Religion from a social perspective;
Think critically about the various ways in which we construct ideas of our Selves against the landscape of Religion (i.e. Does it define us or not? How do we define ourselves as a member or nonmember of an organized religion, and why is that important in developing a sense of Self?); and
Describe religion as a social phenomenon.

GenEd Outcomes: Creative and Critical Thinking

Critical Thinking/Problem Solving

GenEd Outcomes: Connections

Historical and Intellectual Perspectives

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