Course	SOC 101 Introduction to Sociology
Professor	Roberto Vélèz-Vélèz
CRN	18257
Schedule	Mon Wed 12:00 -1:20 pm Olin 201
Distribution	Social Science

Cross-listed: Environmental Studies

The purpose of this course is to provide an introduction to the sociological perspective. The goal is to illustrate the ways in which different social forces that impinge on our daily life affect our society. The approach of the course is that of inquiry, the driving force of the discipline, and will touch on topics such as: theory and key concepts (socialization, culture, power), difference (race, ethnicity, gender and sexuality), institutions (state, media, citizenship), and social change (public sphere, civil society, civic engagement, social movement). On-line registration

Course	SOC 203 The History of Sociological Thought
Professor	Michael Donnelly
CRN	18261
Schedule	Mon Wed 1:30 -2:50 pm Olin 201
Distribution	Social Science

Cross-listed: Human Rights

This course retraces the origins of modern social theory in the aftermath of the democratic revolutions in America and France and the capitalist Industrial Revolution in Britain. Readings are drawn in particular from the major works of Marx, Weber, Durkheim, and Simmel. The course thereby introduces many of the enduring themes of sociology: alienation and anomie; social disorganization and community; class conflict and solidarity; secularization and the decline of traditional religion; bureaucracy, division of labor, and professional expertise. The course aims to assess both the contributions of classical sociologists to subsequent social science, and their political or ethical aspirations to criticize, reform, or revolutionize modern society. On-line registration

Course	SOC 205 Introduction to Research Methods
Professor	Yuval Elmelech
CRN	18260
Schedule	TuTh 2:30 -3:50 pm Olin 305 / HDRANX 106
Distribution	Mathematics & Computing

Cross-listed: Environ. Studies, GISP, Human Rights, Social Policy

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 survey data on topics such as attitudes toward abortion, sexual attitudes, affirmative action, racism, sex roles, religiosity, and political affiliation. 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. On-line registration

Course	SOC 244 Current Issues in Israeli Society, Politics and Culture
Professor	Yuval Elmelech
CRN	18219
Schedule	TuTh 10:30 - 11:50 am Olin 308
Distribution	Social Science / Rethinking Difference

Cross-listed: Jewish Studies; GISP; Human Rights; Middle Eastern Studies; Studies in Race & Ethnicity

This course is designed to acquaint students with the fundamental political and social issues facing Israel today. These issues will be explored through a critical analysis of academic literature, films, news reports and novels by contemporary Israeli writers such as David Grossman, Aharon Appelfeld, A.B. Yehoshua, and Amos Oz. The course is organized into three related parts. The first part will cover the Israeli political system, the formal institutions of power (e.g. government, parliament, military), and some of the most critical political debates facing the Israeli polity. The second part will delve into the major social cleavages - along ethnic, national and religious lines - and the role that social institutions (e.g. education, economy, family) play in the construction of the these divisions. Part three will explore debates over the definition of Israeli national identity, and the increasing tensions between the Jewish outlook and the democratic values of the state. On-line registration

Course	SOC 254 Social Movements
Professor	Roberto Vélèz-Vélèz
CRN	18258
Schedule	Mon Wed 9:00 - 10:20 am Olin 309
Distribution	Social Science

Cross-listed: Gender & Sexuality Studies; Human Rights, LAIS

The objective of this course is to provide an overview of the study of social movements and collective action. The course will include both theoretical and empirical work from the leading scholars in the field, and will follow a vision of continuity among social movement efforts. We will take a closer look at four social movements from the United States: the black civil rights movement of the 1950s-60s, the Chicano movement of the 1960s-70s, the gay and lesbian movement of the 1970s-90s, and the Vieques anti-military movement of the 1990s-2000. Beyond the fact that each movement seeks different goals and that each occurred under different circumstances, we will focus our attention on two main areas: On the one hand, we will identify and study the tactics, strategies, and decisions taken by the movements’ organizers. On the other hand, we will look at the types of actions, their ways of protests and how these relate to the environment (political and social), their goals (long and short term), and their success or failure. More current topics will be part of the discussion to tie-in long term ramifications and debates. On-line registration

Course	SOC 257 Media and Society
Professor	Roberto Vélèz-Vélèz
CRN	18259
Schedule	TuTh 1:00 -2:20 pm Olin 309
Distribution	Social Science

This course presents a quick overview of the contemporary mass media systems and examines the different factors –historical, economical, political and cultural- that are involved in its development. The design of the course emphasizes a cultural approach towards the role of media venues, content and audiences. The course looks at the industry, the content and effects of different media in our society. It also addresses contemporary debates concerning ownership concentration, civic engagement, access and power. On-line registration

Course	SOC / HIST 315. The Blending of American Peoples: Intermarriage: Assimilation and Group Continuity
Professor	Joel Perlmann
CRN	18502
Schedule	Th 4:00 -6:20 pm Olin 310
Distribution	Social Science / Rethinking Difference

Throughout American history, people of different ethnic or racial background have formed sexual unions (some of which society defined as legal marriages, others not) -- and from these unions have emerged generations of multi-ethnic, or multi-racial, children. This course focuses first on the crucial role of these unions in determining American ethno-racial assimilation -- and indeed the creation of an American people. European immigrants watched with horror or satisfaction as their children or grandchildren chose to marry outside their own group. Non-white intermarriage was slower in coming, but today it is uncommon only among blacks (and it’s increasing among them too). And co-habitation is even more common than is marriage across group lines. Second, the course will explore group-level responses to the challenges posed by the presence of many mixed origin people. For example, American Indian tribes have developed guidelines based on “blood quantum” and as well as behavior to judge who can be a member of the tribe. In a very different way, American Jewish organizations have tried to address the status of mixed-origin offspring at the communal level. Then too, the U.S. government seeks ways to classify multiracial people in federal statistics on race and ethnicity for various purposes. Nevertheless, issues of blending are handled mostly not by the ethnoracial group as a whole, or by the government, but rather by families and individuals. And we will focus on how family and individual handle the relevant issues. And third, we will ask how ethnic and racial groups survive at all following extensive blending. Can group culture or identity persist when many couples include one member who is not a group member – or when most “group members” have origins both in the group and outside the group? The obvious answer would seem to be no; but that answer appears to be only partly correct, because individuals make choices about what to preserve. Besides weekly readings the major student assignment will be a term paper based on considerable independent research. On-line registration

Course	SOC 342 Sociology of Medicine
Professor	Michael Donnelly
CRN	18256
Schedule	Tu 1:30 -3:50 pm Olin 307
Distribution	Social Science

Cross-listed: GISP; Science, Technology & Society; Social Policy

This course explores how sociologists and other social scientists contribute to understanding health and illness, and the organization and delivery of health care. The focus is medical practice and institutions in the contemporary US, with some occasional international comparisons. The key topics include: 1) illness as an existential and cultural experience, as compared with biomedical conceptions of disease; 2) who gets sick? the social distribution of disease across the life cycle, across regions and locales, by gender, race and ethnicity, and social class; 3) the medical professions and the organization of health care; 4) issues and dilemmas in health care policy; 5) new medical technologies and the frontiers of bioethics. On-line registration