92060

SOC 101 A

Introduction to Sociology

Peter Klein

M W 10:10 am-11:30 am

OLINLC 210

D+J

SSCI

DIFF

Cross-listed: American Studies; Environmental & Urban Studies Sociology is the systematic study of social life, social groups, and social relations. The discipline views the individual in context of the larger society, and sheds light on how social structures constrain and enable our choices and actions. Sociologists study topics as varied as race, gender, class, religion, the birth of capitalism, democracy, education, crime and prisons, the environment, and inequality. At its most basic, the course will teach students how to read social science texts and evaluate their arguments. Conceptually, students will learn basic sociological themes and become familiar with how sociologists ask and answer questions. Most importantly, students will come away from the course with a new understanding of how to think sociologically about the world around them, their position in society, and how their actions both affect and are affected by the social structures in which we all live. Class size: 22

92058

SOC 101 B

Introduction to Sociology

Allison McKim

M W 11:50 am-1:10 pm

HEG 204

D+J

SSCI

DIFF

See above. Class size: 22

92052

SOC 120

Inequality in America

Yuval Elmelech

T Th 11:50 am-1:10 pm

OLIN 205

D+J

SSCI

DIFF

Cross-listed: American Studies; Gender and Sexuality Studies; Human Rights Why do some people have more wealth, more power, and receive greater respect than others? What are the sources of this inequality? Is social inequality inevitable? Is it undesirable? Through lectures, documentary films and class discussions, this course examines the ways by which socially-defined class, gender, race and ethnic categories are unevenly rewarded for their social contributions. Sociological theories are used to explain how and why social inequality is produced and maintained, and how it affects the well-being of individuals and social groups. The course will focus on two general themes. The first deals with the structure of inequality while studying the unequal distribution of material and social resources (e.g., social status, wealth, power). The second examines the processes that determine the allocation of people to positions in the stratification system (e.g. educational attainment, social capital, parental wealth, institutional discrimination). Class size: 22

92057

SOC 138

Introduction to Urban Sociology

Peter Klein

M W 1:30 pm-2:50 pm

RKC 103

SSCI

Cross-listed: American Studies; Environmental & Urban Studies More than half the world’s population now lives in urban areas. Thus, the study of social and political dynamics in urban centers is crucial if we are to understand and address the pressing issues of the contemporary world. This course will allow students to explore these dynamics through an introduction to urban sociology: the study of social relations, processes, and changes in the urban context. We will begin by reading perspectives on the development of cities, followed by an examination of how the city and its socio-spatial configuration affect and are affected by social interactions, particularly across gender, race, and class lines. The course will then consider the relationship between globalization and the modern city before concluding with a few examples of how citizens address the challenges in their communities. Throughout, we will explore the diverse methods that social scientists use to understand these dynamics, and students will have the opportunity to utilize some of these methods in an investigation of a local “urban community.” Class size: 22

92054

SOC 141

Culture, Society, and Economic Life

Laura Ford

T Th 1:30 pm-2:50 pm

OLIN 101

SSCI

Cross-listed: American Studies This course will introduce students to sociological principles and perspectives through a focus on the economy. We will begin by asking the obvious question: why would sociologists study the economy? We will briefly explore three “classical” answers to this question, which come from foundational thinkers: Karl Marx, Max Weber, and Emile Durkheim. Most of our time, however, will be spent with contemporary authors in the new and developing field of “economic sociology.” These authors help us to see the ways that the economy is “embedded” in society and in culture: in worldviews, in moral frameworks, and in social-relational structures. Topics covered in the course will include: (1) social patterns of consumption, (2) commodification of emotion in the service economy, (3) roles of law and social action in the branding of products and places, (4) social foundations of modern, industrial capitalism, and (5) social, moral, and legal meanings of money. Class size: 20

92053

SOC 205 A

Intro to Research Methods

Yuval Elmelech

T Th 3:10 pm-4:30 pm

HDR 101A

MATC

Cross-listed: American Studies; Environmental & Urban Studies; Global & International Studies; Human Rights The aim of this course is to enable students to understand and use the various research methods developed in the social sciences, with an emphasis on quantitative methods. The course will be concerned with the theory and rationale upon which social research is based, as well as the practical aspects of research and the problems the researcher is likely to encounter. The course is divided into two parts. In the first, we will learn how to formulate research questions and hypotheses, how to choose the appropriate research method for the problem, and how to maximize chances for valid and reliable findings. In the second part, we will learn how to perform simple data analysis and how to interpret and present findings in a written report. For a final paper, students use data from the U.S. General Social Survey (GSS) to study public attitudes toward issues such as abortion, immigration, inequality and welfare, affirmative action, gender roles, religion, the media, and gun laws. By the end of the semester, students will have the necessary skills for designing and conducting independent research for term papers and senior projects, as well as for non-academic enterprises. Admission by permission of the instructor. Class size: 17

92359

SOC 205 B

Intro to Research Methods

Yuval Elmelech

M W 3:10 pm-4:30 pm

RKC 100

MATC

See above.

92055

SOC 233

LAYING DOWN THE LAW: Legal Systems IN ComparATIVE PerspectIVE

Laura Ford

T Th 4:40 pm-6:00 pm

OLIN 202

SSCI

Cross-listed: Global & International Studies; Human Rights; Philosophy; Religion In this course, we will compare ancient and modern legal systems from a sociological perspective. Our focus will be on Eurasian traditions, which have been influencing one another for a very long time. We will begin in Ancient Iraq and India, and from there we will move to Israel, Athens, and Rome. We will then travel to medieval Europe, cycling back around to the law schools of Istanbul (Constantinople) and Beirut, and glancing briefly at Islamic Jurisprudence. We will conclude with the Enlightenment, and modern legal systems. Our comparative focus will be on the differing social types who have engaged in law-giving and law-finding activity: kings, priests, and prophets; philosophers, clerics, and scholars; rhetoricians and “professionals.” We will seek to understand the ways that these social actors may have thought about what they were doing, and the social-historical conditions under which they engaged in their distinctive forms of activity. The fundamental goal of this course will be to reveal the rich cultural lineages of modern legal systems, and the historical particularity of such systems. This course is part of the “Difficult Questions” cluster of courses; students will be expected to attend parts of the Hannah Arendt Center Conference “Real Talk: Difficult Questions about Race, Sex, and Religion” on October 20-21. Class size: 22

92059

SOC 263

Drugs and Society

Allison McKim

M W 3:10 pm-4:30 pm

RKC 102

SSCI

Cross-listed: American Studies; Science, Technology & Society Drawing on the sociology of deviance and social control, this course moves beyond the idea that the social effects of drugs are determined solely by their pharmacology. You will learn to think about drug use as a historically situated social practice by examining how social forces shape patterns of drug use, drug markets, and drug cultures. In addition, the course examines the history of US drug policy, the social construction of drug problems, and the far-reaching consequences of the war on drugs. Although the class focuses on the illegal drugs and other “problem” substances in the United States, we also consider the development of pharmaceuticals and their role in processes of medicalization. Finally, you will examine the history of the idea of addiction and its links to both criminalization and medicalization. Throughout, we unpack how medical, penal, and self-help approaches to drug control and treatment reflect differing modes of governance and embed assumptions about human nature. The course situates these questions in politics of race, class, and gender. Class size: 22

92056

SOC 341

Capitalist and Secular? THEORIZING MODERNITY

Laura Ford

M 4:40 pm-7:00 pm

OLINLC 118

SSCI

Cross-listed: Philosophy; Political Studies Classical sociological thinkers were unapologetic about thinking big. They sought to uncover the architectonic social forces of historical and cultural change, and to peer into the future toward which such forces might be leading. In this course, we will survey the “grand narrative tradition” of sociological theory. We will begin with classical exemplars of this tradition, including Karl Marx, Max Weber, W.E.B. Du Bois, and Emile Durkheim. We will also look at examples from outside the boundaries of canonical sociology, including Karl Jaspers and Henry Sumner Maine. We will then shift to more contemporary works, including those of Michel Foucault, Robert Bellah, Michael Mann, Samuel Huntington, and Philip Gorski. One goal of this course will be to help students reflectively develop research projects that involve macro-historical and comparative investigation. Another goal of the course will be to help students recognize the strengths and the weaknesses of macro-historical sociology. Class size: 15

Cross-listed courses in Sociology:

92019

HR 244

Reproductive Health and Human Rights

Helen Epstein

T Th 3:10 pm-4:30 pm

HEG 102

SSCI

91696

PSY 220

Social Psychology

Kristin Lane

M W 3:10 pm-4:30 pm

HEG 204

SSCI