SOC438Demographic Analysis
3 credits | Pre-requisite: SOC318
This course presents an overview of the techniques of demography, focuses on specific current issues of the demographic phenomena and analyzes their interdependence within social, economic and cultural characteristics of the observed society. Upon completion of this course, students will be able to collect the necessary demographic data to establish the main parameters (rates, ratios, tables, sex ratio, etc.), to build and analyze an age pyramid, to know the different sources of demographic data, to perform a population census, and to analyze the causes and consequences (social, economic, political) of demographic development.
SOC210Introduction to Anthropology
3 credits
This course focuses on the complex question of humans and the place of anthropology within the science of humanity. It addresses the key conceptual notions of anthropological reflection (society, myth, ritual, tradition, symbol, etc.). Similarly, the course presents the components of the research framework, both practical and theoretical, of anthropological study. It develops the basic foundation of the entire social system and proposes the discovery of trends of current anthropological topicality and openness to contemporary anthropology. Upon completion of this course students will be able to understand the concepts of anthropology and its fundamental concern that allows it to guard against social, cultural, sexist and racial prejudice.
SOC201Introduction to Sociology
3 credits
This course provides a basic knowledge of general sociology: a) it presents an overview of the context of the eventemergence of sociology on the basis of the main founders and focuses on methodological perspectives and applied sociological methods and techniques; b) it focuses on the key principles of social themes, which description and definition have fueled and fed the many debates that are changing the discipline in the vast corpus of scientific knowledge. This course provides students with general sociology elements, sensitizes their "sociological perspective" and develops their critical reflection on various social issues.
SOC345Labor and Social Intervention Fields
3 credits | Pre-requisite: SOC335
This course enables students to understand the components of social intervention action on various sociocultural, socioeducational, sociopolitical, socioreligious, and socioeconomic plans related to community spaces, institutions and associations, through critically conscious, preventive and participant practices. Similarly, it aims to foster knowledge of cultural, sociosportive and municipal structures. Upon completion of this course, the students will be able to identify the fields and practices of social intervention, to understand the issues related to the aforementioned fields and to think strategically as regards the levels of corresponding action.
SOC335Labor and Social Intervention, the Fundamental Concepts
3 credits | Pre-requisite: SOC201
This course is mainly based on an analytical explanation of the notional and conceptual fields used in social intervention; linking them to their different social and institutional uses as well as current social issues. It thus addresses several encompassing and encompassed notions and concepts including: planning, environment and space, individual, collective, social, societal, cultural, structural, intercultural, sociocultural, community, etc., social pathology and therapy, social profitability, social development, underdevelopment, sustainable development, social change, partnership, co-operation, marginalization, social inclusion, awareness, commitment, citizenship, etc.
SOC423Organizational Sociology and Labor
3 credits | Pre-requisite: SOC201
This course provides a synthesis of different theories that explain structure, functioning and organizational transformation. In the first part, the course defines the field of analysis of the sociology of organizations as well as its main theoretical currents. In the second phase, it helps students comprehend the sociology of work in its various aspects and according to new trends (technology acceleration, globalization, current management of human resources, modern social stratification, activities of women, rising unemployment), i.e. according the professional development of trades. In a third part, students are required to perform an observation of a specific field, through the use of certain analytical models and key concepts, allowing them to sociologically analyze concrete organization and institutional environments.
SOC422Political Sociology
3 credits
The course focuses on a central theme: power. This topic is treated in two parts with subthemes which graft onto the central issue of the course. Indeed, the notion of power is undeniably linked to politics in its relation to the state and the social actor, as explained in the first part of this course. It is also an object of reflection and questioning, as shown by the study of different thinkers and sociologists of the twentieth century, in the second part of the course. Students learn not only to handle the theoretical concepts but also to build their own reflection in a methodical way. Ongoing exchange is operated between ideas of sociological conceptualization and the political reality.
SOC464Project and Evaluation Techniques
3 credits | Pre-requisite: SOC201
This course is divided into two parts: the first part deals with the theoretical components, methodological and practical development of a project in a social intervention process. This is how the identification of the problem and the purpose of the intervention are alternately presented; the contextualization, and the conditions and stages of completion. Similarly, strategy concepts, planning and mobilization are presented in both conceptual and operational terms. The second part deals with the presentation of the concept and the corresponding methods of action evaluation in social intervention.
SOC465Social Intervention and Social Groups
3 credits | Pre-requisite: SOC335
Firstly, students will develop their comprehension skills and ability to analyze groups and their typology, through the theoretical foundations of the group in general. Secondly, they will be able to distinguish the different levels of action and social intervention strategies with regard to different groups. Particular attention will be paid to the articulation of groups, societal environment relations and transformations affecting the main partners involved. Finally, students will be required to target the understanding of the characteristics of the crowd and the mass, and the components of events in the midst of a large audience.
SOC355Social Marketing and Management of Social Structures
3 credits
This course consists of two complementary parts: the management of social structures and social marketing through the aforementioned structures. The first part consists of understanding the institutional functioning of social structures, organizations and associative spaces concerned with social intervention. It raises awareness among future social workers, with regard to the concepts and specific management procedures of voluntary social organizations. The second part of the course introduces students to social marketing and presents: a) the concepts and models of social marketing; b) the distinction between social marketing and commercial marketing; c) marketing of social causes, ideas and personalities attached to them; d) the target groups; and e) the development of a social marketing program, etc.
SOC435Social Protection Policy
3 credits
This course focuses on the various socioeconomic issues of the policy of social protection. It processes the elements of information (actors, concepts, devices, tools) and susceptible analysis of students to enable them to participate effectively in the development of proposals for change in strategies and public policy environment, housing, and unemployment. Furthermore, it helps students to understand the components of community life and its challenges in the development of awareness necessary for a civil society. It thus explains the theoretical and practical elements necessary for a comprehensive understanding of the social security system, in order to locate public intervention in social protection. Upon completion of this course, the students will have acquired a capacity to analyze the existing associative dynamics in Lebanon.
SOC432Sociology of Conflict
3 credits | Pre-requisite: SOC201
The overall objective of the course is to enable students to acquire the skills needed to analyze the many inter and intrasocietal conflicts. The course offers the challenge of a multidimensional approach: philosophical, sociological, psychological, political and otherwise. As a result, the four parts of the course present the root of the conflict phenomenon, the reasons of conflict, the conduct of conflict and conflict resolution. At the end of this course, students will be able to differentiate between the profound and circumstantial factors of conflict, to conceptualize the main theories of conflict, to identify elements of permanence and change in conflicts and carry out a critical analysis of this phenomenon and its future prospects.
SOC426Theories and Practices of Development
3 credits
In the first part, the course deals with the development that emphasizes the human’s central place as a social being, as well as the state and political structures in the organization of collective action for development. It also addresses the development of the entire population, its human potential, and both physical and intellectual progress through education. In the second part, the course introduces the unidimensional theories, evolutionists and structuralists of development, as well as planning techniques and development of agrarian and industrial policies. In the third part, the theoretical, methodological and strategic foundations of community development will be addressed.