This cluster equips students with essential skills for evaluating data, constructing arguments, and analyzing evidence. Students will learn to assess sociological data, sharpen their writing skills for economic analysis, all while focusing on logical structure, fallacies, and critical thinking. This cluster fulfills the Social & Behavioral Sciences breadth requirement, as well as the first half of Reading and Composition.
Course Descriptions
Click on the courses below for more detail.
SOCIOL 5: Evaluation of Evidence (4 Units)
A review of methodological problems in assessing data relating to social life. Topics to be covered include: posing a sociological problem, gaining access to data, measuring, establishing correlation and causal connection among data, and relating data to theoretical context.
COLWRIT R4A: Reading and Composition (4 Units)
This writing seminar satisfies the first half of the Reading and Composition requirement. The course is designed to offer students structured, sustained, and highly articulated practice in the recursive processes entailed in reading, critical analysis, and composing. Students will read five thematically related book-length texts, or the equivalent, drawn from a range of genres, in addition to various non-print sources. In response to these materials, they will craft several short pieces leading up to three longer essays–works of exposition and argumentation.
RHETOR 10: Introduction to Practical Reasoning and Critical Analysis of Argument (4 Units)
An introduction to practical reasoning and the critical analysis of argument. Topics treated will include: definition, the syllogism, the enthymeme, fallacies, as well as various non-logical appeals. Also, the course will treat in introductory fashion some ancient and modern attempts to relate rhetoric and logic.
Meeting Schedule
- SOCIOL 5: T/Th 2-3:30 PM; Discussion T/Th 11-12 PM
- COLWRIT R4A: MWF 9-10
- RHETOR 10: T/Th 12:30-2 PM; Discussion F 11-12 PM
Major Prerequisites and L&S Breadth & General Requirements
| Course | Major Prerequisites | Major Lower Division | L&S Breadth/General Requirement |
|---|---|---|---|
| SOCIOL 5 | Legal Studies* Public Health* American Studies* Sociology |
N/A | Social & Behavioral Sciences |
| COLWRIT R4A | N/A | N/A | Fulfills R1A |
| RHETOR 10 | ISF* Media Studies Rhetoric |
N/A | N/A |
* = one of several classes that can satisfy requirement
+ = recommended, not required
^ = lower division requirement, not required for declaration
