SOC Courses for Spring 2025
Please click on the course title for more information.
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SOC 102 01 - The Sociological Perspective: An Introduction to Sociology
Course: |
SOC 102 - 01 |
Title: |
The Sociological Perspective: An Introduction to Sociology |
Credit Hours: |
1 |
Description: |
Thinking sociologically enables us to understand the intersection of our individual lives with larger social issues and to grasp how the social world works. Students in this course will become familiar with the background of sociology and the core analytical concepts employed by sociologists. Students will also gain familiarity with the major substantive topics explored by sociology, with focused attention given to the study of social structures, material, cultural, and institutional explanations of social action, and using concepts for real world problem solving. |
Prerequisite(s): |
None. |
Notes: |
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Distribution(s): |
Social and Behavioral Analysis |
Instructors: |
Samantha Leonard |
Meeting Time(s): |
Pendleton East 327 Classroom - MR 11:20 AM - 12:35 PM |
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SOC 104Y 01 - First-Year Seminar: The Body. Reproduction, Sex Education, Work, Fashion
Course: |
SOC 104Y - 01 |
Title: |
First-Year Seminar: The Body. Reproduction, Sex Education, Work, Fashion |
Credit Hours: |
1 |
Description: |
This course explores the ways in which the body, as a reflection and construction of the self, is tied to social, cultural and political relations. Through this examination of the role that our bodies play in daily life we will delve into the study of gender, race, sexuality and power. We focus on several major areas: (1) after Roe and the medicalization of bodies (contraception, abortion, new reproductive technologies), (2) sex education and the Internet as sites of bodily learning (3) body work (nail salons, surrogacy) (4) the use of the body as a vehicle for performance, self-expression and identity (tattoos, getting dressed). Throughout the course we will discuss how ideas about bodies are transported across national borders and social, sexual and class hierarchies. |
Prerequisite(s): |
None. Open to First-Years only. |
Notes: |
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Distribution(s): |
Social and Behavioral Analysis |
Cross Listed Courses: |
WGST 104Y 01 - First-Year Seminar: The Body. Reproduction, Sex Education, Work, Fashion
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Instructors: |
Rosanna Hertz |
Meeting Time(s): |
Founders 319 Classroom - M 2:20 PM - 5:00 PM |
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SOC 110 01 - Population and Society
Course: |
SOC 110 - 01 |
Title: |
Population and Society |
Credit Hours: |
1 |
Description: |
This course provides a broad introduction to population studies, or social demography, which offers a framework and tools by which to understand how fundamental human processes of birth, death, and migration are inextricably linked to social change and inequality. Is racial inequality deadly? Is there such a thing as “too many people” on Earth? Over the course of the semester, we will develop a conceptual and analytic toolkit that allows us to consider these, among other big questions about societies, populations, and inequality and change therein. In addition to developing a demographic vocabulary, students will learn how to use interpret and calculate basic demographic measures and statistics, including population growth rates, life expectancies, and racial/ethnic population compositions. |
Prerequisite(s): |
None |
Notes: |
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Distribution(s): |
Data Literacy (Formerly QRF)
Social and Behavioral Analysis |
Instructors: |
Youngmin Yi |
Meeting Time(s): |
Pendleton East 339 Case Method Room - TF 8:30 AM - 9:45 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: |
Joe F. Swingle |
Meeting Time(s): |
Pendleton East 339 Case Method Room - TF 9:55 AM - 11:10 AM |
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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: |
Tyler Giles |
Meeting Time(s): |
Pendleton East 130 Classroom - MR 2:20 PM - 3:35 PM |
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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: |
Tyler Giles |
Meeting Time(s): |
Pendleton East 130 Classroom - MR 11:20 AM - 12:35 PM |
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SOC 203 01 - Social Exclusion
Course: |
SOC 203 - 01 |
Title: |
Social Exclusion |
Credit Hours: |
1 |
Description: |
Who is an outsider? Who is an insider? What role do systems and structures play in shaping exclusion and inclusion in social life and organization? In this course, we will examine forms, conditions, causes, experiences, and the very definitions of social exclusion and marginalization through a deep engagement with sociological scholarship. We will focus on key topical contexts of interest including immigration, family and kinship, and poverty, based on a shared foundation of core sociological theory and concepts. We will consider not only how social exclusion helps us analyze sociological phenomena in new (or expanded) ways, but also how social exclusion is enacted and/or recognized in the policy systems that structure our everyday lives.
Notes: This course can fulfill the requirement of a second course in social theory for the sociology major but is open to all interested students. |
Prerequisite(s): |
At least one 100- or 200-level unit in sociology, with SOC 200 strongly recommended. |
Notes: |
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Distribution(s): |
Social and Behavioral Analysis |
Instructors: |
Youngmin Yi |
Meeting Time(s): |
Pendleton East 216 Case Method Room - TF 11:20 AM - 12:35 PM |
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SOC 209 01 - Social Inequality: Race, Class and Gender
Course: |
SOC 209 - 01 |
Title: |
Social Inequality: Race, Class and Gender |
Credit Hours: |
1 |
Description: |
This course examines the distribution of social resources to groups and individuals, as well as theoretical explanations of how unequal patterns of distribution are produced, maintained, and challenged. Special consideration will be given to how race, ethnicity, and gender intersect with social class to produce different life experiences for people in various groups in the United States, with particular emphasis on disparities in education, health care, and criminal justice. Consideration will also be given to policy initiatives designed to reduce social inequalities and alleviate poverty. |
Prerequisite(s): |
None |
Notes: |
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Distribution(s): |
Social and Behavioral Analysis |
Cross Listed Courses: |
PEAC 219 01 - Social Inequality: Race, Class and Gender
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Instructors: |
Samantha Leonard |
Meeting Time(s): |
Pendleton East 327 Classroom - MR 9:55 AM - 11:10 AM |
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SOC 256 01 - Global Feminisms
Course: |
SOC 256 - 01 |
Title: |
Global Feminisms |
Credit Hours: |
1 |
Description: |
How does feminist thought and activism from around the world help us recover visions for a fairer world? This course engages with feminist theory and praxis through multiple geographies, including North America, Latin America, Africa, Asia, and the former Soviet Union, amplifying the voices of those who have been erased in a US-centric understanding of feminism. Students will engage with feminist texts, films, and media through collaborative pedagogies. Hands-on assignments geared toward feminist action and engagement will develop students’ critical thinking, writing and public speaking competencies. |
Prerequisite(s): |
Any 100-level social science or humanities course.
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Notes: |
This course can fulfill the requirement of a second course in social theory for the sociology major but is open to all interested students. |
Distribution(s): |
Social and Behavioral Analysis |
Cross Listed Courses: |
WGST 256 01 - Global Feminisms
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Instructors: |
Smitha Radhakrishnan
Banu Subramaniam |
Meeting Time(s): |
Founders 121 Classroom - W 9:30 AM - 12:10 PM |
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SOC 260 01 - Courage and Conscience: Dissent and Freedom of Expression in The Modern World
Course: |
SOC 260 - 01 |
Title: |
Courage and Conscience: Dissent and Freedom of Expression in The Modern World |
Credit Hours: |
1 |
Description: |
Freedom of expression is considered one of the most fundamental human rights. Why is this the case? Why are people willing to suffer, fight, and die and to protect the right of freedom of expression? Why is freedom of expression so dangerous to those with political and social power? How do powerful elites mobilize against dissent and dissidents? What is the role of charismatic individuals and freedom of expression in social change? This course examines sociological theories of communication and freedom of expression; the idea of “civil courage” and its relation to social change; the origins of dissent and dissidents in comparative-historical perspective. Emphasis is on case studies of dissent and dissidents in authoritarian societies of the 20th and early 21st centuries in order to understand, sociologically, the elementary forms of dissent and “the dissident life.” The course introduces students to the life-history method of social research in examining case studies of dissent. |
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 - R 2:20 PM - 5:00 PM |
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SOC 290 01 - Methods of Social Research
Course: |
SOC 290 - 01 |
Title: |
Methods of Social Research |
Credit Hours: |
1 |
Description: |
This course introduces some of the more prominent qualitative and quantitative methods used by sociologists to study the social world. The course emphasizes hands-on experience with several small-scale research projects with the goal of teaching students how to 1) integrate social theory with research methods, 2) ask good research questions, 3) define key concepts, 4) choose appropriate samples, 5) collect high-quality data in an ethical manner, 6) analyze data, and 7) write formal research papers. A section of this course will build upon the statistics learned in SOC 190, but statistics will not be the main focus. |
Prerequisite(s): |
ECON 103/SOC 190 or permission of the instructor. Required of all sociology majors. Not open to students who have taken SOC 301. |
Notes: |
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Distribution(s): |
Social and Behavioral Analysis |
Instructors: |
Joe F. Swingle |
Meeting Time(s): |
Pendleton East 339 Case Method Room - TF 12:45 PM - 2:00 PM |
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SOC 304 01 - Seminar: Modernity and the Self
Course: |
SOC 304 - 01 |
Title: |
Seminar: Modernity and the Self |
Credit Hours: |
1 |
Description: |
Sociology as a discipline emerged in 19 th and early 20 th century Europe as a response to rapid social changes that dramatically transformed traditional societies and ways of life. Classical sociological theorists such as Max Weber, Emile Durkheim, Karl Marx, W.E.B. Dubois, and Georg Simmel sought to explain the nature of these changes, but also offered critiques of what has been called “modernity.” The seminar begins with an exploration of these classical theories of modernity and continues with an examination of contemporary works that seek to understand and critique the consequences of modernity in a variety of social and cultural spheres. The seminar focuses on theories relevant to a central sociological question: how do large scale, transformative social and cultural changes affect individual self-identity, self-consciousness, and ways of being in the world? Central topics include: the challenges to individuality posed by pressures for ideological and social conformity; the quest for authenticity of the self; capitalism and the commercialization of emotions; the uncontrollability of the social world and the difficulties of experiencing resonance and harmony in social life; empirically-based, non-Marxist critiques of the state and other bureaucratic processes that challenge the quest for the autonomy and dignity of the self; the relationship between modernity and anxiety and the rise of the neurobiological imaginary in the treatment of mental health disorders; and the transformation of love and intimate relationships in the modern world. Particular attention is paid to non-Western social thought that is relevant to understanding the nature of the self in the modern world. This course fulfills one of the theory requirements for the Sociology major but is open to all interested students. |
Prerequisite(s): |
At least one of the following is recommended - SOC 150, SOC 200, SOC 201. |
Notes: |
This course can fulfill the requirement of a second course in social theory for the sociology major but is open to all interested students. |
Distribution(s): |
Social and Behavioral Analysis |
Instructors: |
Thomas Cushman |
Meeting Time(s): |
Pendleton East 351 Seminar Room - W 1:30 PM - 4:10 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 351 Seminar Room - W 9:30 AM - 12:10 PM |
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SOC 312 01 - Seminar: De-centering and Re-centering: Social Theory Across the Globe
Course: |
SOC 312 - 01 |
Title: |
Seminar: De-centering and Re-centering: Social Theory Across the Globe |
Credit Hours: |
1 |
Description: |
Cultural and intellectual life is still dominated by the West. Although we recognize the importance of globalizing scholarship, our research and teaching still prioritizes western canons and frameworks. Cultural and intellectual inequality are part and parcel of socioeconomic inequality. If we don’t do better at one, we will not do better at the other. We need to master a broader range of methods, tools, and ways of knowing. In this class, Wellesley College students work with students and faculty from Latin America, Asia, and Africa to explore what it means to produce, disseminate, teach about, and act upon knowledge more equitably in different parts of the world. Our goals are to (1) learn to read power in physical, intellectual, virtual, and cultural spaces by witnessing, evaluating, and then acting, (2) gain exposure to ways of asking and answering questions outside the West, (3) reread classical theories in context to explore how we can reinterpret their usefulness and meaning, (4) understand and develop new engaged and critical pedagogies and forms of education, and (5) promote a decentered attitude, that charts more equitable and inclusive forms of intellectual engagement and collaboration. |
Prerequisite(s): |
At least two 200-level or above courses in the social sciences including Peace and Justice Studies. |
Notes: |
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Distribution(s): |
Social and Behavioral Analysis |
Cross Listed Courses: |
PEAC 312 01 - Seminar: De-centering and Re-centering: Social Theory Across the Globe
EDUC 321 01 - Seminar: De-centering and Re-centering: Social Theory Across the Globe
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Instructors: |
Peggy Levitt |
Meeting Time(s): |
Pendleton East 251 Seminar Room - M 2:20 PM - 5:00 PM |
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SOC 315 01 - Intersectionality at Work
Course: |
SOC 315 - 01 |
Title: |
Intersectionality at Work |
Credit Hours: |
1 |
Description: |
This course uses the feminist optic of intersectionality to delve into the sociology of work. As one of the most fundamental aspects of human society, work shapes and is shaped by forces as big as the global political economy and by circumstances as context-specific as our complex social identities. How do race, class, gender, ability, age, and nationality constitute what kinds of work are possible in a given context, and for whom? How does work both take advantage of social difference and inequality and transform it? We will examine diverse kinds of work, including domestic work, factory work, precarious day labor, surrogacy, IT, and finance in the U.S., India, and China, among other countries. As we study ethnographies of work, we will conduct original qualitative research and share our research with the class through a sophisticated oral presentation. |
Prerequisite(s): |
Prior completion of any sociology course or permission of the instructor. |
Notes: |
Ann E. Maurer '51 Speaking Intensive Course. |
Distribution(s): |
Social and Behavioral Analysis |
Instructors: |
Smitha Radhakrishnan |
Meeting Time(s): |
Green Hall 330 Classroom - T 12:45 PM - 3:25 PM |
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SOC 334 01 - Consumer Culture
Course: |
SOC 334 - 01 |
Title: |
Consumer Culture |
Credit Hours: |
1 |
Description: |
How and why does consumerism exercise so great an influence on global culture today? How are our institutions and relationships shaped and transformed by the forces of commodification and consumerism? Are there any realms of life that ought to be free from the market-driven forces of commodification? Can consumerism offer a positive means of cultural critique to processes we wish to resist? In this seminar, we explore the history of consumer culture in the United States and globally, with special attention to understanding the effects of commodification upon the self, human relationships, and social institutions. We will consider both classical and contemporary critiques of commodification and consumerism, as well as arguments for the liberatory dimensions of consumer society. Course projects will give students opportunities to connect theory with questions of practical interest and to develop skills for communicating ideas in a variety of creative formats. |
Prerequisite(s): |
One 100- or 200-level SOC course, or permission of the instructor. |
Notes: |
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Distribution(s): |
Social and Behavioral Analysis |
Instructors: |
Markella Rutherford |
Meeting Time(s): |
Pendleton East 351 Seminar Room - M 12:45 PM - 3:25 PM |
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