SOC Courses for Fall 2024
Please click on the course title for more information.
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SOC 108 01 - Thinking Global: An Introduction to Sociology
Course: |
SOC 108 - 01 |
Title: |
Thinking Global: An Introduction to Sociology |
Credit Hours: |
1 |
Description: |
How are your personal problems related to larger issues in society and the world? In what ways do global economic and political shifts affect your personal trajectory as a college student in the United States? In this course, you will come to understand sociology as a unique set of tools with which to interpret your relationship to a broader sociopolitical landscape. By integrating classic readings in the discipline of sociology with the principles of global political economy, we will analyze and contextualize a range of social, economic, and political phenomena at the scales of the global, the national, the local, and the individual. |
Prerequisite(s): |
None. |
Notes: |
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Distribution(s): |
Social and Behavioral Analysis |
Instructors: |
Smitha Radhakrishnan |
Meeting Time(s): |
Pendleton East 130 Classroom - TF 9:55 AM - 11:10 AM |
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SOC 150 01 - The Individual and Society
Course: |
SOC 150 - 01 |
Title: |
The Individual and Society |
Credit Hours: |
1 |
Description: |
This course offers an examination of the relationship between the individual and society from a sociological and interdisciplinary perspective. The course begins with an exploration of different conceptions of the individual in Western and non-Western social thought and then explores sociological theories of the self and society to explore a central question: to what extent are we determined by external social forces and to what extent can we find individual autonomy, personhood, and dignity in relation to these forces? A central focus of sociology is the study of social inequality, and the course offers detailed sociological case studies on the stigmatization and marginalization of physically disabled and mentally ill individuals. Special attention is paid to how sociological understandings of exclusion of physically and mentally disabled individuals have led to social movements to protect their human rights and personhood. |
Prerequisite(s): |
Open to First-Years and Sophomores. |
Notes: |
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Distribution(s): |
Epistemology and Cognition
Social and Behavioral Analysis |
Instructors: |
Thomas Cushman |
Meeting Time(s): |
Pendleton East 430 Seminar Room - MR 9:55 AM - 11:10 AM |
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SOC 190 03 - Introduction to Probability and Statistical Methods
Course: |
SOC 190 - 03 |
Title: |
Introduction to Probability and Statistical Methods |
Credit Hours: |
1 |
Description: |
An introduction to the collection, analysis, interpretation, and presentation of quantitative data as used to understand problems in economics and sociology. Using examples drawn from these fields, this course focuses on basic concepts in probability and statistics, such as measures of central tendency and dispersion, hypothesis testing, and parameter estimation. Data analysis exercises are drawn from both academic and everyday applications. |
Prerequisite(s): |
ECON 101 or ECON 101P or one course in sociology. Fulfillment of the Quantitative Reasoning (QR) component of the Quantitative Reasoning & Data Literacy requirement. Not open to students who have taken or are taking STAT 160, STAT 218, PSYC 105 or PSYC 205. |
Notes: |
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Distribution(s): |
Data Literacy (Formerly QRF)
Data Literacy (Formerly QRDL)
Social and Behavioral Analysis |
Cross Listed Courses: |
ECON 103 03 - Introduction to Probability and Statistical Methods
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Instructors: |
Phillip Levine |
Meeting Time(s): |
Pendleton East 129 Classroom - TF 2:10 PM - 3:25 PM |
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SOC 190 02 - Introduction to Probability and Statistical Methods
Course: |
SOC 190 - 02 |
Title: |
Introduction to Probability and Statistical Methods |
Credit Hours: |
1 |
Description: |
An introduction to the collection, analysis, interpretation, and presentation of quantitative data as used to understand problems in economics and sociology. Using examples drawn from these fields, this course focuses on basic concepts in probability and statistics, such as measures of central tendency and dispersion, hypothesis testing, and parameter estimation. Data analysis exercises are drawn from both academic and everyday applications. |
Prerequisite(s): |
ECON 101 or ECON 101P or one course in sociology. Fulfillment of the Quantitative Reasoning (QR) component of the Quantitative Reasoning & Data Literacy requirement. Not open to students who have taken or are taking STAT 160, STAT 218, PSYC 105 or PSYC 205. |
Notes: |
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Distribution(s): |
Data Literacy (Formerly QRF)
Data Literacy (Formerly QRDL)
Social and Behavioral Analysis |
Cross Listed Courses: |
ECON 103 02 - Introduction to Probability and Statistical Methods
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Instructors: |
Phillip Levine |
Meeting Time(s): |
Pendleton East 129 Classroom - TF 9:55 AM - 11:10 AM |
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SOC 190 01 - Introduction to Probability and Statistical Methods
Course: |
SOC 190 - 01 |
Title: |
Introduction to Probability and Statistical Methods |
Credit Hours: |
1 |
Description: |
An introduction to the collection, analysis, interpretation, and presentation of quantitative data as used to understand problems in economics and sociology. Using examples drawn from these fields, this course focuses on basic concepts in probability and statistics, such as measures of central tendency and dispersion, hypothesis testing, and parameter estimation. Data analysis exercises are drawn from both academic and everyday applications. |
Prerequisite(s): |
ECON 101 or ECON 101P or one course in sociology. Fulfillment of the Quantitative Reasoning (QR) component of the Quantitative Reasoning & Data Literacy requirement. Not open to students who have taken or are taking STAT 160, STAT 218, PSYC 105 or PSYC 205. |
Notes: |
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Distribution(s): |
Data Literacy (Formerly QRF)
Data Literacy (Formerly QRDL)
Social and Behavioral Analysis |
Cross Listed Courses: |
ECON 103 01 - Introduction to Probability and Statistical Methods
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Instructors: |
Joe F. Swingle |
Meeting Time(s): |
Pendleton East 339 Case Method Room - MR 9:55 AM - 11:10 AM |
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SOC 200 01 - Sociological Theory: A Critical History
Course: |
SOC 200 - 01 |
Title: |
Sociological Theory: A Critical History |
Credit Hours: |
1 |
Description: |
What is sociological theory and what work does theory do in sociology? What makes a theory useful? Which theories shape research agendas and why? The modern discipline of sociology primarily traces its origins to the 19th and early 20th centuries, when social scientists were grappling with the social upheavals of colonialism, industrial capitalism, urbanization, changing forms of governance, and the scientization of society. Placing key authors from this era in their historical context, this course takes a critical perspective to examine the origins of some of the foundational concepts that have shaped the history of sociology as a discipline: solidarity, authority, domination, class, nationalism, exploitation, justice, revolution, and more. As we work to understand the ideas of early sociologists, we will consider how their institutional locations shaped their understandings of the role of sociology as a theoretical and/or applied science, with special attention given to the roles race and gender have played in shaping the history of sociological theory. This will lead us to engage in critical examination of later processes of canonization that designated some works as “classics” and shaped our definitions of sociology and sociological theory. |
Prerequisite(s): |
One 100- or 200-level unit in sociology. |
Notes: |
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Distribution(s): |
Social and Behavioral Analysis |
Instructors: |
Markella Rutherford |
Meeting Time(s): |
Pendleton East 216 Case Method Room - MR 9:55 AM - 11:10 AM |
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SOC 205 01 - Modern Families and Social Inequalities
Course: |
SOC 205 - 01 |
Title: |
Modern Families and Social Inequalities |
Credit Hours: |
1 |
Description: |
Feminist scholarship demonstrates that American family life needs to be viewed through two lenses: one that highlights the embeddedness of family in class, race, heteronormativity, gender inequalities and another that draws our attention to historical developments – such as the aftermath of World War 2, technologies and government social policies. In 2015 same-sex marriage became U.S. federal law; but at the same time fewer people are marrying and parenthood is delayed. Moreover, new reproductive technologies coupled with the Internet and the wish for intimacy is creating unprecedented families. Topics covered vary yearly but include: inequalities around employment, the home front and childcare; intensive motherhood, social class and cultural capital; welfare to work programs; immigrant families and the American Dream. Finally, we will explore new developments from adoption to gamete donors by same-sex or single-parent families and how science and technologies are facilitating the creation of new kinds of kin. A special feature of this class is looking at the relationship of families and social policy. |
Prerequisite(s): |
None |
Notes: |
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Distribution(s): |
Social and Behavioral Analysis |
Cross Listed Courses: |
WGST 211 01 - Modern Families and Social Inequalities
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Instructors: |
Rosanna Hertz |
Meeting Time(s): |
Founders 102 Classroom - MR 9:55 AM - 11:10 AM |
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SOC 207 01 - Schools and Society
Course: |
SOC 207 - 01 |
Title: |
Schools and Society |
Credit Hours: |
1 |
Description: |
Does education in the United States encourage social mobility or help to reproduce the socioeconomic hierarchy? What is the hidden curriculum—the ideas, values, and skills that students learn at school that are not in the textbook? Who determines what gets taught in school? How do schools in the US compare to school systems in other countries? What makes school reform so hard to do? Questions like these drive this course. It offers students an introduction to the sociology of education by broadly exploring the role of education in American society. The course covers key sociological perspectives on education, including conflict theory, functionalism, and human and cultural capital. Other topics include schools and communities; the role of teachers, students, parents, mentors, and peers in educational inequalities (including tracking and measures of achievement), school violence, school reform, and knowledge production. We also look comparatively at education systems across the world. |
Prerequisite(s): |
None. |
Notes: |
|
Distribution(s): |
Social and Behavioral Analysis |
Cross Listed Courses: |
EDUC 207 01 - Schools and Society
PEAC 207 01 - Schools and Society
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Instructors: |
Peggy Levitt |
Meeting Time(s): |
Pendleton East 129 Classroom - MR 11:20 AM - 12:35 PM |
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SOC 225 01 - Life in the Big City: Urban Studies and Policy
Course: |
SOC 225 - 01 |
Title: |
Life in the Big City: Urban Studies and Policy |
Credit Hours: |
1 |
Description: |
This course will introduce students to core readings in the field of urban studies. While the course will focus on cities in the United States, we will also look comparatively at the urban experience in Asia, Africa, and Latin America and cover debates on “global cities.” Topics will include the changing nature of community, social inequality, political power, socio-spatial change, technological change, and the relationship between the built environment and human behavior. We will examine the key theoretical paradigms driving this field since its inception, assess how and why they have changed over time, and discuss the implications of these shifts for urban scholarship and social policy. The course will include fieldwork in Boston and presentations by city government practitioners. |
Prerequisite(s): |
None. |
Notes: |
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Distribution(s): |
Social and Behavioral Analysis |
Cross Listed Courses: |
AMST 225 01 - Life in the Big City: Urban Studies and Policy
PEAC 227 01 - Life in the Big City: Urban Studies and Policy
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Instructors: |
Peggy Levitt |
Meeting Time(s): |
Pendleton East 129 Classroom - MR 2:20 PM - 3:35 PM |
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SOC 232 01 - South Asian Diasporas
Course: |
SOC 232 - 01 |
Title: |
South Asian Diasporas |
Credit Hours: |
1 |
Description: |
If any mention of South Asian culture conjures for you Bollywood films, Bharatanatyam dancers, and Google engineers, then this course will prompt you to reconsider. Adopting a sociological perspective that examines culture from the specific context of migration, we will study the histories of Punjabi-Mexican families in California, Gujarati motel owners across the United States, South African Indians at the end of apartheid, and Bangladeshi garment workers in London’s East End, among others. Through our study, we develop a nuanced understanding of race, culture, migration, and upward mobility in the United States and beyond, while also considering the power of mobile South Asian cultures, including movies, music, dance, and religion. |
Prerequisite(s): |
None. |
Notes: |
|
Distribution(s): |
Social and Behavioral Analysis |
Cross Listed Courses: |
SAS 232 01 - South Asian Diasporas
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Instructors: |
Smitha Radhakrishnan |
Meeting Time(s): |
Pendleton East 327 Classroom - TF 12:45 PM - 2:00 PM |
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SOC 238 01 - Crime and Punishment
Course: |
SOC 238 - 01 |
Title: |
Crime and Punishment |
Credit Hours: |
1 |
Description: |
What is a crime? Who or what is a criminal? How do individuals and societies respond to crime? These are the broad questions that will structure our work together in this sociological introduction to criminology and criminal justice. We will begin by developing a shared foundation of key terms, concepts, and theoretical perspectives that are used to help us describe and understand crime. Using this shared foundation, we will then turn our attention to a set of real-world historical and contemporary “moments” to help us understand key challenges and possible futures currently facing communities and the criminal justice system. |
Prerequisite(s): |
None. |
Notes: |
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Distribution(s): |
Social and Behavioral Analysis |
Instructors: |
Youngmin Yi |
Meeting Time(s): |
Pendleton East 327 Classroom - TF 9:55 AM - 11:10 AM |
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SOC 252 01 - Emotions and Society
Course: |
SOC 252 - 01 |
Title: |
Emotions and Society |
Credit Hours: |
1 |
Description: |
This course explores the distinctive contributions of sociology to the study of emotions. We explore sociological concepts, theories, and case studies that consider emotions, which are perhaps the most deeply felt experiences in the consciousnesses of individuals, as fundamentally social phenomena. Topics include: the social construction of moral panics and “folk devils”’ in social movements; hedonic cruelty; emotional labor in work organizations; emotional socialization in high-risk professions; the social structure of empathy, sympathy and pity; racial, class, and status stratification and the invidious social emotions of resentment, envy and Schadenfreude. Emphasis on showing how sociological perspectives on emotions can enhance students’ abilities to navigate the “complexities of feeling” in order to foster individual and collective human flourishing. |
Prerequisite(s): |
None. |
Notes: |
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Distribution(s): |
Social and Behavioral Analysis |
Instructors: |
Thomas Cushman |
Meeting Time(s): |
Pendleton East 349 Seminar Room - MR 2:20 PM - 3:35 PM |
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SOC 308 01 - Seminar: Children in Society
Course: |
SOC 308 - 01 |
Title: |
Seminar: Children in Society |
Credit Hours: |
1 |
Description: |
This seminar will focus upon children and youth as both objects and subjects within societies. Beginning with consideration of the social construction of childhood, the course will examine the images, ideas, and expectations that constitute childhoods in various historical and cultural contexts. We will also consider the roles of children as social actors who contribute to and construct social worlds of their own. Specific topics to be covered include the historical development of childhood as a distinct phase of life, children's peer cultures, children and work, children's use of public spaces, children's intersectional experiences of inequality, and the effects of consumer culture upon children. Considerable attention will be given to the dynamics of the social institutions most directly affecting childhood today: the family, education, and the state. |
Prerequisite(s): |
Open to Juniors and Seniors who have taken any 100- or 200-level sociology course, or one of the following - EDUC 214, EDUC 215, or EDUC 216. |
Notes: |
Ann E. Maurer '51 Speaking Intensive Course. |
Distribution(s): |
Social and Behavioral Analysis |
Cross Listed Courses: |
EDUC 308 01 - Seminar: Children in Society
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Instructors: |
Markella Rutherford |
Meeting Time(s): |
Pendleton East 251 Seminar Room - W 9:30 AM - 12:10 PM |
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SOC 314 01 - Global Health and Social Epidemiology
Course: |
SOC 314 - 01 |
Title: |
Global Health and Social Epidemiology |
Credit Hours: |
1 |
Description: |
Concerns about the health of communities date back to antiquity. Social epidemiology is the study of the incidence and distribution of disease among populations. This course offers historical, sociological, and ethical perspectives on the uses of epidemiology as it emerged from an age defined principally by infectious disease to one of chronic illness. What are the social and collective responses to pandemics, real and imagined? Case studies address in particular global public health issues, including smoking, nutrition, AIDS, mad cow disease, and influenza, among others. Both governmental and nongovernmental approaches to health, including the World Health Organization and Doctors Without Borders, are considered. Special attention is given to disparities in health care, a core sociological focus. |
Prerequisite(s): |
One 200-level SOC course or permission of the instructor. |
Notes: |
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Distribution(s): |
Social and Behavioral Analysis |
Instructors: |
Jonathan Imber |
Meeting Time(s): |
Pendleton East 251 Seminar Room - T 12:45 PM - 3:25 PM |
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SOC 322 01 - Seminar: Contemporary Reproduction
Course: |
SOC 322 - 01 |
Title: |
Seminar: Contemporary Reproduction |
Credit Hours: |
1 |
Description: |
This course focuses on the politics of human reproduction which is inextricably linked with nation states, as well as cultural norms and expectations. Reproductive issues and debates serve as proxies for more fundamental questions about the intersecting inequalities of citizenship, gender, race, class, disability and sexuality. What does reproductive justice look like? We will discuss how the marketplace, medical technologies and the law are critical to creating social hierarchies that are produced, resisted and transformed. We ask: Why is access critical to control for the use of fertility technologies (both pre-and during pregnancy), gamete purchase, egg freezing? How is each accomplished and by whom? How are new technologies in reproduction coupled with the global marketplace creating a social hierarchy between people (e.g. gamete donors, gestational carriers). Finally, what is the relationship between the commercialization of reproduction and the creation of new intimacies and forms of kinship? The course emphasizes both empirical research situated in the U.S. and research involving transnational flows. |
Prerequisite(s): |
Open to juniors and seniors only; must be a WGST or SOC major or minor or a junior or senior who has taken WGST 211/SOC 205. |
Notes: |
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Distribution(s): |
Social and Behavioral Analysis |
Cross Listed Courses: |
WGST 322 01 - Seminar: Contemporary Reproduction
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Instructors: |
Rosanna Hertz |
Meeting Time(s): |
Founders 305 Seminar Room - M 2:20 PM - 5:00 PM |
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SOC 348 01 - Conservatism in America
Course: |
SOC 348 - 01 |
Title: |
Conservatism in America |
Credit Hours: |
1 |
Description: |
An examination of conservative movements and ideas in terms of class, gender, and race. Historical survey and social analysis of such major conservative movements and ideas as paleoconservatism, neoconservatism, and compassionate conservatism. The emergence of conservative stances among women, minorities, and media figures. The conservative critique of American life and its shaping of contemporary national discourse on morality, politics, and culture. |
Prerequisite(s): |
A 100-level sociology course or permission of the instructor. Open to juniors and seniors only. |
Notes: |
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Distribution(s): |
Social and Behavioral Analysis |
Cross Listed Courses: |
AMST 348 01 - Conservatism in America
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Instructors: |
Jonathan Imber |
Meeting Time(s): |
Pendleton East 151 Seminar Room - W 1:30 PM - 4:10 PM |
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