Schedule of Classes

Sociological insight into study of humans, society, and culture.

Overview of the discipline of sociology. Focus on specializations within the field, possible career paths, and options for graduate study. Introduction to discipline-specific research and writing skills. Discussion of faculty members' ongoing research activities. Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory.

Examination of the notion of the U.S. American family from a sociological perspective. Focus on perceptions of the family throughout U.S. American history, in mass media, and in relation to public policy; the historical transformation of families; the diverse and changing aspects of families; and the impact of social change and problems on the families of U.S.A. Emphasis on how society and the economic system affect families.

Social research methods: research design and models of observation, including single subject and program evaluation, quantitative and qualitative methods, sampling techniques, questionnaire construction, types of surveys, measurement problems, and data analysis.

Examines the construction of gender in non-western societies, concentrating on the way gender shapes and is shaped by power relations in these societies.

Comparative study of non-Western family systems, with a focus on cross-cultural differences and the potential conflicts of migration. Varying focus on families of Asia, Africa, and the Middle East.

Inequality in income, wealth, prestige, and power. Theories explaining roots of and changes in inequality. Emphasis on the U.S.; variations in the extent and forms of inequality across different nations.

Analysis of dominant-minority group relations. The emergence and dynamic of racism. Exploration of the experience of various ethnic and "racial" groups.

An examination of gender as a system of stratification, as a social construction, and as a system of meaning which changes trans-historically and differs cross-culturally. Focus on structural and interactional aspects of gender inequality, as well as the relationship between gender and other social hierarchies, including class, race, ethnicity, religion, and sexuality.

Development of contemporary social thought from its Euro- American roots. Covers major strands of both classic and contemporary social theory.

Focus on relationship between individuals and the broader society, the formation of personality, and group influences on human perception and behavior.

This course introduces students to the social causes and consequences of environmental problems and the conflicting interests and power dynamics that make sustainable solutions difficult to find and implement. The course begins by examining a range of philosophical perspectives on the relationship between Humans and Nature, followed by a brief survey of the range and extent of current environmental crises. We will then focus on four macro-sociological causes of environmental harm worldwide: international development, modern agriculture, armed violence, and energy production. Special attention will be paid to the linkages between environmental harm and political and economic inequality.

Analysis of the process of global integration and its impact on communities, social institutions, and culture. Emphasis on theories of social change and social conflict over the nature and pace of globalization and its impact on non-Western societies. Focus on social class, ethnicity, gender, media, religion, the environment, and social problems confronting non-Western Societies.

Analysis of the nature and origin of juvenile delinquency within an historical and theoretical context with emphasis on causation of delinquency and evaluation of different responses to it.

Sociological analysis of the concept and nature of violence in a macro and micro setting, its various manifestations, and evaluation of responses to it.

In some contexts, social movements have been considered legitimate political actors; in others, treacherous and subversive. Always they constitute a potential threat to those in power. When do movements emerge and how are they organized? How and when can they successfully bring about social change? We will examine key aspects of social movement theory and practice against the backdrop of a number of important American and international movements that have emerged in the last half century, such as the American civil rights, women's, environmental, and anti-war movements of the 1960s and 70s, the current "Fight for 15" and Black Lives Matter movements, and the global justice, autonomist, and Occupy movements internationally.

This course will introduce students to major themes, concepts, and debates in political sociology. Focus is on the relations of power between the State and other collective actors in society (e.g. interest groups, political parties, social classes, and social movements), with an emphasis on key axes of contention in US politics today, such as: the political power of corporations; the separation of church and state; political parties, polarization, and congressional gridlock; the trade-off between liberty and equality in free market, socialist, and social democratic systems; taxation and the role of the State in addressing social inequality; and the tension between national security and civil/human rights.

Supervised work in applied settings; study of practical problems from the perspective of the discipline.

Special study on topics with faculty supervision.

Empirical research with faculty supervision.

Extended individual research with faculty supervision.