Sociology

SOC 101 Introduction to Sociology (4 Credits)

Perspectives on society, culture and social interaction. Topics may include the self, emotions, culture, community, class, race and ethnicity, family, gender and economy. Restrictions: first-years and sophomores only. Open to juniors and seniors with permission of the course director. Enrollment limited to 30. {S}

Fall, Spring

SOC 203 Qualitative Methods (4 Credits)

Qualitative research methods offer a means of gaining insight and understanding into complex perspectives held by people about social practices and social phenomena. Whereas good quantitative research captures scale, good qualitative research reaches the depth of perceptions, views, experiences, behaviors and beliefs. Qualitative research deals with meanings; it seeks to understand not just what people do, but why they choose to do what they do. This course provides students with a theoretical as well as practical grounding in qualitative research including research ethics, research design, practicalities in research, research techniques, data analysis, and theorizing and dissemination of research findings. Prerequisite: SOC 101. Enrollment limited to 35. {S}

Spring

SOC 204 Statistics and Quantitative Research Methods for Sociology (5 Credits)

This project-based course covers the study of statistics for the analysis of sociological data and the study of methods for quantitative sociological research more generally. Topics in statistics include descriptive statistics, probability theory, correlation, deduction and induction, error and bias, confidence intervals and simple linear regression. Topics in research methods include positivism, research design, measurement, sampling methods and survey design. All students participate in a lab which emphasizes the use of computer software to analyze real data. Students design and complete a survey research project over the course of the semester. Prerequisite: SOC 101. Restrictions: Students do not normally earn credit for more than one course on this list: ECO 220, GOV 203, MTH 220, PSY 201, SDS 201, SDS 220 or SOC 204. Enrollment limited to 40. {M}{S}

Fall

SOC 212 Class and Society (4 Credits)

An introduction to classical and contemporary approaches to class relations, status and social inequality. Topics include contemporary Marxian and Weberian approaches to class; the practice of social mobility in ideology and in social reality, class-consciousness, the social reproduction of class structures and the ways that racial and gender divisions intersect with class relations. Particular attention to the class experience in cultural, social psychological and economic terms within contemporary U.S. society. Prerequisite: SOC 101. Enrollment limited to 35. {S}

Fall, Spring, Alternate Years

SOC 213 Race and National Identity in the United States (4 Credits)

The sociology and history of a multiracial and ethnically stratified society. Comparative examinations of several U.S. racialized and ethnic groups. Prerequisite: SOC 101. Enrollment limited to 35. {S}

Fall, Spring, Annually

SOC 216 Social Movements (4 Credits)

This course provides an in-depth examination of major sociological theories of collective action and social movements. Emphasis is placed on the analysis of social movement dynamics including recruitment and mobilization, strategies and tactic, and movement outcomes. The empirical emphasis is on modern American social movements including student protest, feminist, civil rights and sexual identity movements. Prerequisite: SOC 101. Enrollment limited to 35. {S}

Fall, Spring, Annually

SOC 226 Sociological Perspectives on Power and Privilege in American Education (4 Credits)

This course examines the institution of education from a sociological perspective, exploring issues of power and privilege, relationships between education and other social institutions, and the varying purposes of education in society. A recurring theme throughout the course is meritocracy. We consider how merit is defined in education, factors that affect who succeeds in the educational system and whether meritocratic education is a viable goal. Course readings include current empirical research in the sociology of education and both classical and contemporary sociological theories of education. Prerequisite: SOC 101. Enrollment limited to 35. {S}

Fall, Spring, Annually

SOC 227 Urban America: From Global Cities to Small Towns (4 Credits)

Many Americans’ identities and daily lives are strongly tied to urban spaces. This course uses approaches from new urban sociology to conceptualize relationships among the state, economy, and urban form. The course connects macro-level processes--including global forces, politics, and economy-- to micro-level daily life, such as social interactions among city dwellers in both global cities and small towns. This course underscores global and transnational perspectives. From immigrants and refugees who bring their own culture to the presence of global and transnational corporations, most U.S. cities are global entities, and urban lives are intricately tied to globalization and transnational practices.  Prerequisite: SOC 101. Enrollment limited to 35. {S}

Fall, Spring, Variable

SOC 229 Sex and Gender in American Society (4 Credits)

An examination of the ways in which the social system creates, maintains and reproduces gender dichotomies with specific attention to the significance of gender in interaction, culture and a number of institutional contexts, including work, politics, families and sexuality. Prerequisite: SOC 101. Enrollment limited to 35. {S}

Fall, Spring, Annually

SOC 230 Sociology of Food (4 Credits)

Using theoretical frameworks from environmental sociology, political and economic sociology, and sociology of culture, this course examines how social structures shape the way food is produced, prepared and consumed. This course investigates political and environmental dynamics that structure food systems and practices and considers inequalities related to food at the local and global levels. Finally, students explore food movements and investigate ideas for creating more equitable and sustainable practices. Prerequisite: SOC 101. Enrollment limited to 35. {S}

Fall, Spring, Alternate Years

SOC 232 World Population (4 Credits)

This course introduces students to environmental, economic, feminist and nationalist perspectives on population growth and decline. The course examines current population trends and processes (fertility, mortality and migration) and considers the social, political, economic and environmental implications of those trends. The course also provides an overview of various sources of demographic data as well as basic demographic methods. Prerequisite: SOC 101. Enrollment limited to 35. {S}

Fall, Spring, Alternate Years

SOC 233 Sociology of Climate Change (4 Credits)

The effects of climate change put great strain on societies, testing the very structures that organize people’s lives and livelihoods. Using sociological frameworks and theories of globalization, inequality, intersectionality, science and technology, policy, migration, sustainability, environmental justice, social movements, and human rights, this course will examine the social, political, and economic impacts of climate change, as well as the ways that local and global groups prepare, mitigate, deny, adapt to, and organize in the face of climate change and its impacts. Prerequisite: SOC 101.Enrollment limited to 35. {S}

Fall, Spring, Alternate Years

SOC 236 Beyond Borders: The New Global Political Economy (4 Credits)

This course introduces students to the basic concepts and theories in global political economy. It covers the history of economic restructuring, global division of labor, development, North-South state relations, and modes of resistance from a transnational and feminist perspective. Issues central to migration, borders and security, health, and the environment are central to the course. Prerequisite: SOC 101. Enrollment limited to 35. {S}

Fall, Spring, Annually

SOC 237 Gender and Globalization (4 Credits)

This course engages with the various dimensions of globalization through the lens of gender, race and class relations. We study how gender and race intersect in global manufacturing and supply chains as well as in the transnational politics of representation and access in global media, culture, consumption, fashion, food, water, war and dissenting voices. Prerequisite: SOC 101. Enrollment limited to 25. {S}

Fall, Spring, Annually

SOC 242 The Contemporary Asian American Experience: Honorary White or Forever Foreigners? (4 Credits)

Since the 19th century, Asian Americans have been perceived as mysterious and threatening foreign beings—"yellow perils." At the same time, however, they have also been portrayed as exemplars of highachieving, successful minorities, with aspirations for higher education and hard work. How can ethnic minorities be perceived simultaneously as "model minorities" while still being viewed as "forever foreigners?" This class examines how Asian America is defined and formed, and why understandings of Asian Americans have evolved over time. Major themes include the model minority myth, media portrayals, gender, family, adoption, U.S. militarism, violence, interracial conflicts, food, and consumption. Prerequisite: SOC 101. Enrollment limited to 35. {S}

Fall, Spring, Annually

SOC 243 Race, Gender and Mass Incarceration (4 Credits)

This course introduces students to the historical roots of mass incarceration and how it shapes multiple aspects of life and society. Students focus on the particular experiences of currently and formerly incarcerated women, with an emphasis on the overrepresentation of Black women; the major social, political and economic factors that have contributed to the rise of mass incarceration in the United States; the primary ways mass incarceration alters the lives of people and communities; and why eliminating racial oppression cannot be disentangled from eliminating mass incarceration. Prerequisite: SOC 101. Enrollment limited to 35. {S}

Fall, Spring, Annually

SOC 244/ LAS 244 Feminisms and Women's Movements: Latin American Women's and Latinas' Pursuit of Social Justice (4 Credits)

Offered as SOC 244 and LAS 244. This course is designed to familiarize students with the history of Latin American and Latina (primarily Chicana) feminist thought and activism. A central goal of the course is to provide an understanding of the relationship between feminist thought, women’s movements, and local/national contexts and conditions. The writings of Latin American and Latina feminists comprise the majority of the texts. The course is limited to the work of those who write and publish in English; students who are proficient in Spanish or Portuguese have an opportunity to read feminist materials in those languages. Prerequisites: SOC 101, LAS 100 or SWG 150. Enrollment limited to 35. {H}{S}

SOC 246 Colloquium: The Sociological Imagination (4 Credits)

According to C.W. Mills, the "sociological imagination" allows us "to grasp history and biography and the relations between the two within society." This course helps students develop their sociological imaginations by reading memoirs written by both U.S. and international authors who’ve published in English, and asking sociological questions of the stories being told. The course moves beyond appreciation for the "troubles [that] occur within the character of the individual and within the range of [their] immediate relations with others" to a recognition and analysis of social facts, geo-political issues and social problems illuminated through these individual stories. Prerequisite: SOC 101. Enrollment limited to 20. WI {H}{S}

Fall, Spring, Alternate Years

SOC 250 Theories of Society (4 Credits)

This course introduces majors to widely used theoretical perspectives that inform the sociological imagination. It focuses on how these perspectives analyze core facets of social life, such as structure and stratification, power and inequality, culture, agency, self and identity. Each topic is surveyed from several major perspectives, providing a comparative view so that students can make assessments of the insights each theory offers. Prerequisite: SOC 101. Enrollment limited to 40. Priority given to Sociology majors and minors. {S}

Fall

SOC 253 Sociology of Sexuality: Institutions, Identities and Cultures (4 Credits)

This course examines sexuality from a sociological perspective, focusing on how sexuality is constructed by and structures major social institutions. We examine the social construction of individual and collective identities, norms and behaviors, discourses, institutional regulation, and the place of sexuality in the state, education, science and other institutions, and social movements. Consideration of gender, race, class, time and place are integrated throughout. Topics include the social construction of sexual desire and practice, sexuality and labor, reproduction, science, technology, sexuality and the state, sexuality education, globalization, commodification, and social movements for sexual purity, sexual freedom and against sexual violence. Prerequisite: SOC 101. Enrollment limited to 35. {S}

Fall, Spring, Annually

SOC 255 Colloquium: The Bollywood Matinee (4 Credits)

This course engages the world of popular Indian cinema, Bollywood and beyond. We integrate scholarly articles on the subject, lectures, in-depth discussions, and of course, film screenings to explore the history and political economy of India and South Asia. Students analyze how this vital cultural form deals with the politics of gender, class, caste, religion and Indian nationalism. Our discussions simultaneously focus on the role of globalization, migration and the cultural significance of Indian characters on international media; for example, Raj in the popular American sitcom The Big Bang Theory. Students are expected to engage with the readings, bring their reflections and actively participate in class discussions. Prerequisite: SOC 101. Enrollment limited to 20.

Fall, Spring, Alternate Years

SOC 270 Media, Technology and Sociology (4 Credits)

The mass media are an important social institution that reflects and shapes norms and values. But the processes governing media production and reception are often taken for granted, immersed as society is in a highly mediated social world where preconceived notions about "the media" and its effects hold sway. This class will challenge conventional wisdom about how media and communication technologies work by critically exploring the history of media institutions, assessing the media's powers of persuasion, focusing on media as an occupation and examining the struggles over media representation by marginalized groups across traditional media and new digital platform. Prerequisite: SOC 101. Enrollment limited to 35. {S}

Fall, Spring, Annually

SOC 275 Pandemic! A Sociology of Disease, Disaster, and Death (4 Credits)

This course is an attempt to make sense of the COVID- 19 pandemic using a variety of sociological perspectives and readings. It casts a wide intellectual net to help us understand the sociology of this pandemic, and of human societies’ relations to disease, disaster, and death more broadly. In this class, students are asked to analyze their own experiences with COVID, the mass media’s coverage of the virus, and the government’s response to it in critical, sociological writing using a number of different theoretical perspectives. Prerequisite: SOC 101. {S}

Spring, Alternate Years

SOC 307 Seminar: The Racialization of Muslims (4 Credits)

This course takes a deep dive into the process and consequences of the racialization of Muslims. Although the course primarily uses racial formation as a framework for understanding the racialized nature of the experiences of Muslims, particularly after 9/11, the course explores other theoretical frameworks for making sense of the category of racialized Muslims. Discussions include: what racialization entails; the relationship between race and religion; race and Islam; Orientalist framings of Islam and Arabs; the War on Terror; and empire, gendered racialization and the comparative racialized experiences of Black Muslims. This course uses Muslims as a case study to explore larger questions about race, racialization and racial projects. Prerequisite: SOC 101. Restrictions: Juniors and seniors only. Enrollment limited to 12.  Instructor permission required. (E) {S}

Fall, Spring, Annually

SOC 312 Seminar: Women, Criminality and Punishment (4 Credits)

While research on what happens once formerly incarcerated women return to society has attracted more attention among scholars, activists and experts in corrections in recent years, women’s carceral experiences remain understudied. Therefore, this course centers the experiences of women and how gender shapes their experiences with crime and punishment. This course examines why women commit crimes, why feminist theoretical frameworks better inform our understanding of women’s experiences with crime, incarceration and reentry, the major challenges women face after incarceration and the lasting effects incarceration has on the lives of women. Prerequisite: SOC 101. Restrictions: Juniors and seniors only. Enrollment limited to 12.  Instructor permission required.

Fall, Spring, Variable

SOC 317 Seminar: Inequality in Higher Education (4 Credits)

This course applies a sociological lens to understanding inequality in American higher education. The course examines how the conflicting purposes of higher education have led to a highly stratified system of colleges and universities. The course also addresses the question of how students’ social class, race, ethnicity and gender affect their chances of successfully navigating this stratified system of higher education. Finally, the course examines selected public policies aimed at minimizing inequality in students’ access to and success in college. Prerequisites: SOC 101. Restrictions: Juniors and seniors only. Enrollment limited to 12.  Instructor permission required. {S}

Fall, Spring, Alternate Years

SOC 320 Seminar: Sociology of the Arts (4 Credits)

Sociological perspectives on the arts in society, with particular attention to the fine arts (primarily painting), to literature and to theatre, among other forms of cultural expression. Theories of the place of art in society, the social context of artistic production and the social production of the artist, as well as sociological perspectives on the changing nature of arts institutions and audiences, and the social position and aesthetic disposition of the artist. Prerequisite: SOC 101. Restrictions: Juniors and seniors only. Enrollment limited to 12.  Instructor permission required. {A}{S}

Fall, Spring, Alternate Years

SOC 322 Seminar: Ghettos and Ethnic Enclaves (4 Credits)

This class explores the roles of communities in an era of globalization by focusing on ghettos and enclaves in U.S. cities. Immigrant communities and ethnic enclaves are often viewed as temporary platforms for assimilation, while ghettos are seen as inner-city neighborhoods marked by stigma, where minorities are trapped in cycles of poverty. Why are some minority neighborhoods seen in a positive light, while others are not? This course examines both micro-level interactions within these spaces and macro-level structural forces—such as migration, race and ethnicity, gender, economic restructuring, urban policies, redevelopment plans, slavery, colonialism, transnationalism, and globalization—that shape them. Prerequisite: SOC 101. Restrictions: Juniors and seniors only. Enrollment limited to 12. Instructor permission required. {S}

Fall, Spring, Variable

SOC 325 Seminar: Sociology of Emotions (4 Credits)

Although emotions are often thought of as something universal, authentic and internal, careful study reveals that the conventions concerning emotional expression can change radically over time and vary tremendously from place to place. Emotions can thus be thought of as cultural constructs, determined as much by social norms as human nature. This course explores the roots of emotions like love, fear, anger, shame and empathy, and examines the social construction of mental health and illness. Restrictions: Juniors and seniors only. Enrollment limited to 12. Instructor permission required. {S}

Fall, Spring, Alternate Years

SOC 327 Seminar: Global Migration in the 21st Century (4 Credits)

This course provides an in-depth engagement with global migration. It covers such areas as theories of migration, the significance of global political economy and state policies across the world in shaping migration patterns and immigrant identities. Questions about imperialism, post-colonial conditions, nation-building/national borders, citizenship and the gendered racialization of immigration intersect as critical contexts for our discussions. Prerequisite: SOC 101. Restrictions: Juniors and seniors only. Enrollment limited to 12.  Instructor permission required. {S}

Fall, Spring, Alternate Years

SOC 333 Seminar: Social Justice, the Environment and the Corporation (4 Credits)

Over the last century, the reach of corporations has gradually extended into all facets of life, yet most people rarely stop to think about the corporation as a social entity. This course focuses on the social, economic and legal foundations that both shape its power and provide a dominant logic for its actions. We examine the implications of corporate power and processes for communities, workers and the environment. We also focus on the ways that governments and various social groups have sought to change corporate assumptions and behaviors concerning their social and environmental responsibilities. Prerequisite: SOC 101. Restrictions: Juniors and seniors only. Enrollment limited to 12. Instructor permission required.

Fall, Spring, Alternate Years

SOC 340 Seminar: Sociological Writing for the Public (4 Credits)

How can social inequality be explained to the general public? Sociology provides a unique lens on race, class, gender, sexuality and other forms of inequality. In this class, students pull together what they have learned in their sociology classes and learn to communicate it to the general public. Students in this Calderwood seminar write a variety of pieces that bring sociological expertise to the public, such as summaries of research and data, book reviews, opinion pieces, blog posts and magazine articles. Students also hone their skills by reading and editing each other’s writing. This course is designed as a capstone course for sociology majors; sociology minors, students in related majors (other social sciences, SWG, AFR, etc.), or students with substantial sociology coursework are also welcome. Prerequisite: SOC 101. Restrictions: Juniors and seniors only. Enrollment limited to 12. Instructor permission required. WI {S}

Fall, Spring, Alternate Years

SOC 350 Seminar: Caribbean Feminisms (4 Credits)

This course introduces students to the history and sociology of feminisms in Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Haiti, Puerto Rico and the broader Caribbean. Course materials include primary documents, secondary sources and historical fiction in English. However, students who are able to read Spanish have the option of engaging with texts in that language. Prerequisite: SOC 101, LAS 150 or SWG 150. Restrictions: Juniors and seniors only. Enrollment limited to 14. Instructor permission required. (E) {H}{S}

Variable

SOC 400 Special Studies (1-4 Credits)

For junior and senior majors. Instructor permission required.

Fall, Spring

SOC 430D Honors Project (4 Credits)

This is a full year course. 8 credits for the full-year course; 4 per semester. Department permission required.

Fall, Spring

SOC 431 Honors Project (8 Credits)

Department permission required.

Fall, Spring

SOC 432D Honors Project (6 Credits)

Prerequisites: SOC 101; SOC 250, SOC 201, either SOC 202 or SOC 203, four courses at the 200 or 300 level, and a senior seminar most appropriate to the thesis research. This course includes an oral examination on the thesis. Department permission required.

Fall, Spring