Sociology Courses

Semester specific course descriptions

101. Principles of Sociology.
An introduction to how and why particular groups of people act, think and feel as they do from a social rather than psychological perspective. The course explores different kinds of sociological explanations as well as a variety of substantive areas within the discipline, including deviance, power, social inequality, the family, collective behavior, formal organizations and others. The sub­-stantive areas emphasized vary by instructor. Not open to seniors.

110. Global Problems.
This course introduces students to the sociological perspective through examination of global actors, processes and problems. The course focuses on the process of the consolidation of the world into a single economy. The dynamics of global inter­dependences are not played out on a level playing field. While some people and some regions have benefited greatly, others have suffered tremendously. In this class we look at how social disparities take actual shape and figure out the reasons they are justified. Not open to seniors. Also offered through Global Studies.

112. Inequality.
An introductory course that examines forces behind the unequal distribution of economic, political, social, cultural and psychological rewards in contemporary U.S. society and globally. The course also examines the consequences of this distribution for both individuals and societies. Students are encouraged to take a closer look at social inequality through fieldwork projects and autobiographical reflections. Not open to seniors. Also offered through U.S. Cultural and Ethnic Studies.

115. Images of Deviance and Social Control.
This course explores the causes of and responses to the phenomena labeled “social problems.” The course examines how social phenomena are defined as problems and developed into issues. We investigate the role of the media, social movements, government and private capital in identifying problems and placing them on the public agenda. We also focus on a variety of policies proposed (and/or implemented) in response to specific social problems and the political conflicts that result from competing policy alternatives. The social impacts of various policy options associated with these issues will be explored. Not open to seniors.

161. Social Problems and Policy.
This course explores the causes of and responses to the phenomena labeled “social problems.” The course examines how social phenomena are defined as problems and developed into issues. We investigate the role of the media, social movements, government and private capital in identifying problems and placing them on the public agenda. We also focus on a variety of policies proposed (and/or implemented) in response to specific social problems and the political conflicts that result from competing policy alternatives. The social impacts of various policy options associated with these issues will be explored. Not open to seniors.

172. Reading Film Sociologically.
Is film racist? Classist? Sexist? Homophobic? In this class, we will consider both the dominant stories that films produce and the tales of otherness that emerge from alternative readings of film. We will examine questions of representation in film and how those representations are directly linked to the political realm. In addition, we will consider how films speak to questions such as racial, sexual and political identity. Working from Marxist and post-Marxist theory, we will also consider questions of capitalism/post-capitalism and technology, alienation, deviance and social control, and inequality. Though an introductory class with no prerequisites, our work will draw heavily on complex and dense theoretical texts, and students should come prepared to take on these texts. Not open to seniors. Also offered through Film Studies.

187. Environment and Society.
How do natural systems shape social systems? Ho do social systems reshape natural systems? Who do these two types of systems conflict? Through exploration of these questions, this course introduces students to the theoretical and empirical study of the dynamic interaction of human society and the natural environment. Students will be asked to critically examine the social origins and ecological impacts of the production, consumption and distribution of goods, services and ideas domestically and transnationallly. The course will challenge a wide range of environmental myths including the widely held beliefs that environmental problems are being solved, that economic growth is compatible with environmental protection, that everyone is concerned with protecting the environment, that better science and technology will solve environmental problems and that social systems can be made compatible with natural systems without protracted political conflict. Also offered through Environmental Studies and Global Studies.

202. Visual Sociology.
This course is about “looking” and “seeing” and about the power of visual representations. The course examines the use of the visual and visual representations to reveal aspects of society operating on both the macro and micro levels. Substantive questions are explored through individual and group projects. Also offered through Film Studies.

203. Foundations of Social Theory.
This course brings under scrutiny the false dichotomies crowding the sociological imagination; namely, structure/agency, history/theory, macro/micro, global/local. The broad-based analytical perspective enables students to understand theory in its historical location. Students are encouraged and expected to reflect on the explanatory models themselves as political and cultural constructions located in time and place and consider the role of power in definitions of reality. Students are asked to share their informed thoughts through presentations and class discussions, and to articulate these in reflective papers. Because students are asked to apply explanatory models to current social issues that transcend the personal, yet affect it. Required of all majors.

221. Sociology of Sex and Gender.
This is an introduction to social science ways of thinking about sex and gender. It will provide an overview of contributions from a variety of disciplines and will consider both theoretical and historical materials. We will examine the social construction of gender and sexuality and the ways gender and sexuality and society interact and impact on each other and how change takes place. The social developments and history of gender and sexualities will be explored, and contemporary issues studied. In particular, how and why gender and sex became politicized, and continue to be so, is explored, as we survey the meaning of sex and gender, the politics of sex and gender, and the need for social control.

226. Sociology of Families.
This course will introduce the student to perhaps the most important and controversial of social institutions: the family. The focus of the course will be on the American family, although marriage patterns and family forms in other cultures will be examined for comparative purposes. Particular emphasis will be placed on the changes that have taken place in the structure of American households and families since the World War II. Among the topics to be included are courtship, dating and cohabiting; the sexual revolution, pre-marital sex and the problem of teenage pregnancy; marriage and divorce patterns; remarriage and stepfamilies; changing family roles of men and women with particular emphasis on dual-worker and dual-career families; the issue of whether or not to have children; and the challenges of parenthood. The course will also examine a number of hotly contested policy issues related to the family, such as childcare, family leave, abortion and the right to privacy.

228. Racial and Ethnic Groups.
This course introduces students to race and ethnicity from a sociological perspective. The focus is on racial and ethnic stratification in the United States. Basic concepts and theoretical frameworks that provide the foundation for the sociological study of racial, ethnic and other minority groups are stressed. The first half of the course covers topics such as the social definitions of race and ethnicity; the American immigration experience; patterns of racial and ethnic integration in the United States; theories of prejudice; and the multiple forms of discrimination. The second half is devoted to an examination of specific racial and ethnic minorities, such as African-Americans, Native Americans, Latinos and Asians. The experiences of Jews and women in the United States are covered. Also offered through U.S. Cultural and Ethnic Studies.

231. Sport in Society.
This course will examine sport as an evolving social institution in the United States. We will look at the changing roles of women and minorities in sport over roughly the past 200 years. We will examine how sport both generates conflict (competition) and builds solidarity (unity). At different points in the semester we will consider such topics as Title IX and gender equity; the breaking of race barriers in various sports; the influences of industrialization and changing transportation and communications systems; and the “bad boys” of collegiate and professional sports.

232. Communities in Crisis.
This course examines behavior in the context of social system stress brought on by the threat or impact of either geophysical or technological hazards (e.g., hurricanes or chemical spills). The role conflicts and strains individuals experience, changing values and relationships within and among emergency organizations are considered. Sociological theory from collective behavior and organizations act as a framework for analysis.

235. Earning a Living: Work and Occupations in a Global Economy.
Ask a child what s/he wants to “be,” and you are likely to get an occupation for an answer. Ask an adult what s/he “does,” and you may also get an occupation (or an excuse for not having an occupation) for an answer. Much of the construction of our self-identity is concerned with our preparation for, and the taking up of, a place in the occupational structure. Our occupations and the “social value” of the work we do contribute to definitions of our social worth. For most of us, it is through our work and occupations that we access the resources that provide us with our quality of life and our life chances. This course is about the complex of social, economic, political, cultural and psychological processes that contribute to what it is we want to “be” when we “grow up” and what then becomes possible in a global economy. It examines what happens when there is no place for us. Students will undertake self-studies to understand these processes and their consequences. Also offered through Global Studies.

236. Education and Society.
This course provides a critical examination of the structure and consequences of one of our society’s major institutions: the formal system of education. It is through participation in this institution that individuals access societal rewards. Although we look to this institution to provide solutions to major societal problems, and most particularly to that of social inequality, the structure and processes of the formal system of education are conserving rather than transforming, contributing significantly to the maintenance of the class structure and social reproduction. These outcomes are legitimized through ideologies of equality of opportunity, meritocracy and individualism. The course begins with a look at theoretical perspectives on education, the historical development of a formal system of education in the United States and its relationship to the development of capitalist labor formations. With this as critical context, the remainder of the course is devoted to an examination of the structure of the formal system of education, the processes that maintain this structure and the consequences of both for individuals and for larger society.

253. Race, Class and Environmental Justice.
This course focuses on the distributional dimensions of environmental degradation and environmental protection, both domestically and globally. The social processes that generate synergistic racism and class stratification, affecting the distribution of ecological costs and benefits, will be explored. Substantive areas of focus will include the siting of hazardous facilities in urban and rural minority communities, the socioecological conditions of migrant farm workers, the extraction of resources from Native lands, the employment structure of hazardous industrial workplaces, population control initiatives directed at peoples of color, the siting of thermo-nuclear weapons testing and the national and transnational export of toxic waste to the South. The course will also examine the origins and impacts of a distinct environmental justice movement that has emerged within minority and working-class communities and its relationships to civil rights, labor and mainstream environmental movements. Written and oral assignments will involve individual and collaborative quests for socially equitable solutions to environmental problems and ecologically sustainable solutions to racial and economic injustice. Also offered as Environmental Studies 253 and through Global Studies.

261. Technology and Power.
In this course we will explore the social origins and institutional engines of technological change, and the social and environmental changes that technological innovation has generated. We will trace the social transformations resulting from changes in communication, transportation, energy, agricultural, industrial and military technology. Special attention will be paid to recent developments in information, bio-engineering, robotics and nanotechnologies, with an eye toward the social, economic, cultural and ecological impacts that current technological trajectories may produce. The first part of the course will focus primarily on the actors who control the trajectory of technological innovation and how specific technological changes have affected work relations, family relations, public health and political power in the U.S. We will also explore socio-technological phenomena such as the invention of time and the annihilation of space. The second part of the course will explore the more transnational sociological issues associated with the transfer of technologies between societies, the development of global technological systems, ecological constraints on current technological trends, and the role of so-called “alternative technologies.” Finally, we will examine the relationship between models of democratic governance and the structure and goals of technological innovation, as well as the potential technological elimination of humans as a single biological species.

271. Revolution.
This course explores the causes and consequences of radical social change through examination of revolution and rebellion in a variety of social contexts. The focus is on the impact of demographic, ecological, economic and technological changes on the political stability of nation-states. The course investigates the nature of the state and revolutionary contenders, focusing on their relative ability to gain or maintain power through the strategic manipulation of key resources and explores the opportunities for and constraints upon, social change in post-revolution societies. Special attention is paid to the tactics and strategies of revolt, including the use of civil disobedience, political violence, revolutionary rhetoric and strategic coalition formation. Examples will be drawn from revolutions in Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe and Latin America. Also offered through Global Studies.

275. Medical Sociology.
In this course we will examine a variety of aspects of health, illness, medical systems and institutions from a sociological perspective. We will look at the social causes and consequences of illness, the social construction of disease and roles played by patients, medical personnel, health institutions and society and the ethical questions they present. Attention will be paid to health policy development in the United States and comparisons to other countries, especially Canada. An additional 0.5 Independent Study in the community is optional with this course. Also offered through Global Studies.

288. Dilemmas of Development: An Introduction to International Development Studies.
If the United States is one of the most developed countries in the world, why are there more healthy people per capita in Cuba than in Washington, DC? If we consider India a developing country, why is the literacy rate in Kerala higher than in the United Kingdom? Since President Truman’s call for a program of international development to bring countries of the South up to par with countries of the North more than 50 years ago, humanity has been split into “developed” and “underdeveloped” regions. In this class, we will examine this divide and its continuing consequences for the world. Using case studies from Latin America and other parts of the global South, we will consider the social impacts of development on people around the world, locating this dynamic within the larger contemporary and historical processes of globalization. We will further consider how lifestyles in the North drive changes in the South, and the evolving social resistances to globalization and development. As a seminar, this class will be reading- and writing-intensive. Also offered through Global Studies.

290. Independent Study in Sociolog. (0.5 unit)
Open to students who wish to pursue more specialized or advanced sociological study, fieldwork, and research under faculty supervision. Permission of instructor is required.

301. Rsearch Methods.
This course introduces students to a variety of methods of sociological data collection and analysis. Moving from a discussion of general principles of social research, both the inductive and deductive sides of the relationship of theory and research are explored by examining issues of validity, reliability and credibility raised by a variety of data collection techniques. Students will also consider theory building and hypothesis testing in these different contexts. Methodologies and their emphasis will depend upon the instructor.

303. From Modernity to Postmodernity.
The course first examines the social processes associated with the emergence of modernity such as industrialization, capitalism and urbanization, and how sociologists theorized the consequences of these forces on both society and individuals. The second part of the course maps the emerging social formations associated with postmodernization and globalization. These include the rise of postindustrial society and the shift of economic organization from Fordism to flexible accumulation, the rise of a global cultural economy, the diffusion and impact of information technology, the shift from representation to simulation and the rise of virtuality.

306. Classical Social Theory.
This course is designed for advanced sociology students to appreciate how social theorists analyze large-scale social change in relation to world-historical development. Although received convention purports to have solved the tension between theory and history, we contend that the relationship between the two epistemological dimensions is appreciated along the line of ‘the chicken and the egg’ metaphor. By emphasizing problems of theory and method, the course addresses how social theorists analyze large-scale social change, conceptions of origins, structure, development of modern social systems, classes and social groups, the state and bureaucracy, problems of rationalization and technology. Prerequisite: SOC 203. Also offered through European Studies.

307. The Political Sociology of Karl Marx.
This course seeks to provide students with a solid grounding in the political sociology of Karl Marx. The course will begin by examining the philosophical roots of Marx’s teleological conception of history in the work of his predecessors Hegel and Feuerbach, and then turn to Marx’s understanding of historical materialism and the genesis of modern capitalism. Working from this base, the course will examine the social relations of capitalism and capitalist exploitation, the nature of the commodity, the relationship between economic relations and social relations, the role of the state, and the function of ideology in capitalist social and economic formations. We will conclude the course by studying the relevance of Marx’s thought in providing us with an understanding of contemporary global capitalism. Prerequisite: SOC 203. Also offered through European Studies.

309. Internships.
Internship opportunities exist in the areas of social welfare, gerontology, health care, social policy, law, criminal justice, the media and college administration. The department also encourages students to be imaginative and innovative in developing internships to meet their own interests. Internships require a commitment of eight hours a week. Students may not enroll in more than one semester of internship credit without petitioning the sociology department for approval. Permission of the internship coordinator is required. Students interested in exploring internship opportunities should contact the internship coordinator at least one week prior to course registration during the preceding semester. Not open to first-year students. Prerequisite: two courses in sociology.

310. Slavery, Race and Culture.
The purpose of this course is to familiarize students with the world of slavery and its relation to the wider world of capitalism. Long a part of the global capitalist economy, slaves and slavery have been critical historical agents in shaping various aspects of social relations. The history of slavery has laid the foundation for race formations. Far from being a peculiar institution, slavery is indeed central to the making of the modern age. Also offered through Global Studies.

314. Nomads in World History.
Throughout history, the terms nomad and barbarian have been used interchangeably, and with negative connotations. Similarly, the terms settled and civilized have been synonymous, with positive associations. However, this dichotomy of barbarian versus civilized arises out of particular class and power interests and has had, as a consequence, an impact on our understanding of world history and the place of nomads in it. It has resulted in the stigmatization of nomads. In this course, we bring the nomadic factor back to focus and establish a more comprehensive picture and interpretation of world history.

315. Family and Relationship Violence. (w/CBL)
In this seminar we examine the culturally relative and historically changing definitions of family violence, human rights, specific manifestations of family/relationship violence and its relationship to larger societal power arrangements, consequences of violence within the family for both individuals and larger society, and our normative, legal and policy responses to family violence. Integral to this seminar is participation in a placement (four hours per week) with a local agency that deals with family/relationship violence. Possible placements may include the Department of Social Services, Citizens against Violent Acts, Renewal House, Reachout, police and courts. Placements will be made in collaboration with Community-Based Learning.

322. Nationalism in North America .
This course examines nationalism on the North American continent, using theoretical perspectives and case studies. We will discuss What is a Nation? What is a People? What is a Society? How have perspectives changed over time? Can there be nations within nations? What is a “submerged nation”? What influences do history, language, political structures and claims for group rights have on nations? Are nations still possible and do they still serve a purpose? What impact does gender have on the interpretation of nation? Can there be nations without geographical borders? Can there be nations in a globalizing world? How is it possible that at the same time of globalizing structures and institutions, many more nations, and claims for nations, are happening? To achieve this, we will start with theoretical debates and questions, and then move on to four case studies: the Loyalists in Canada, the Civil Rights Movement in the United States during the 1960s and 1970s, the Sovereignty movement in Quebec in the 1970s to the current day, and the present claims of Aboriginal peoples in Canada, Quebéc and the United States. We will end with readdressing the theoretical issues above, particularly examining issues of globalization and gender.

324. Corporate Takeover.
In the last quarter century, transnational corporations (TNCs) have emerged as the most powerful social actors on the face of the Earth. TNCs largely control what you will eat, where you will work, what you will learn, what you will think, what you will want, what you will buy and for whom you will cast your vote. They have rapidly increased their power over international institutions, government policy-making, science and technology, news and information, biological processes, the natural environment and human consciousness. TNC actions increasingly determine who will work, who will get medical care, who will get an education, who will be exposed to toxic chemicals, who will be rich, who will be poor, who will live and who will die. This seminar course will examine how they do it, why they do it and what you can do about it. Each week, course reading and videos will examine aspects of the social origins and social impacts of corporate power, and the growing public resistance to these trends. Also offered through Global Studies.

363. Women’s Movements in North America .
This course compares women’s movements in Canada, Québec and the United States. It examines the different ways the movement organized, chose priorities, dealt with internal and external conflict, and addressed the state. We will understand the political, cultural, historical and structural differences among the societies which shaped the movements and influenced the outcomes for women and for the social order generally. Particular attention will be paid to diversities within the movements, and within the societies. The course comparatively traces the histories of the three societies, beginning with Aboriginal peoples, and concludes with examination of social forces today. Also offered through Global Studies.

375. Environmental Movements.
In the past 200 years environmental concerns have generated diverse social movements and organizations, both domestically and globally. These environmental movements range widely from conservation to deep ecology, from preservationism to environmental justice, from animal rights to anti-nuclear, from labor struggles to indigenism, from anti-corporate globalization to wise-use movements, from the neo-Luddites to the ecological modernizationists. This seminar course will explore the social origins and impacts of these distinct movements and organizations with an emphasis on their conflicting and converging goals, tactics, strategies, ideologies and constituencies. We will discuss the extent to which this eclectic assortment of interests and ideologies can be defined as a coherent social movement on regional, national and transnational levels, and explore the coalitions and conflicts generated by a changing global political economy. Each student’s research will focus on a specific movement, a specific organization within that movement, and the relationship of that movement to the larger array of environment-related efforts to generate socioecological change. As a group, the class will develop, design, implement and analyze an environmental political action whose focus, goals and tactics will be determined by the students. Also offered as Environmental Studies 375 and through Global Studies.

377. Sociology of Consumption.
In this course, we address the role and importance of consumption in the making of the social world. We critically examine the notion of consumption which is wrongly defined in the utilitarian sense of either “use value” or “exchange value.” Instead we explore consumption along a wide range of material dimensions. The sociology of consumption is concerned with the relationships of (a) the social to the natural and (b) the social to the social and (c) their consequences, such as social disruption and environmental destruction; “things” are fetishized and humans are commodified. The sociology of consumption helps us to understand this in the context of both the capitalist world economy and cultural expressions from early modernity to postmodernity.

378. ‘The Troubles’ of Northern Ireland.
Since 1969, more than 3,300 deaths have been officially attributed to “The Troubles.” The Good Friday Agreement of 1998 promised commitment to end factional hostilities in Northern Ireland. But the complex nature of the conflict continues to threaten this fra-gile accord. This seminar examines the historical, political, economic, religious, ideological and cultural forces that shape Northern Ireland’s conflict. It examines the ways in which these forces shape, respond to and interact with identity and community, affect daily life and extend beyond the borders of Northern Ire-land. Also offered through European Studies and Global Studies.

390. Independent Study in Sociology.
Open to students who wish to pursue more specialized or advanced sociological study and research under faculty supervision. Students wishing to enroll must find a sociology faculty sponsor and prepare a research proposal outlining the intended thesis, methodology and ethical considerations including the application for human subjects review approval where necessary. Prerequisite: at least two sociology courses. Permission of instructor is required.

407. SYE Seminar: The Logic of Inquiry.
This capstone course examines the enterprise of social science using a “sociology of sociology” approach. It provides an opportunity for senior sociology majors to synthesize what they have learned about social theory, research methods and substantive foci within the discipline and apply that knowledge to a major research project of their own design, as well as to an analysis of sociology as a discipline. The course examines why people engage in social research, how they conduct that research, and the role of the fruits of such research in the larger society. We will explore the works and careers of professional sociologists with an eye toward understanding why they chose to pursue this “hunt for patterns” in the social world. Also examined will be the process of knowledge creation and dissemination. A variety of contemporary sociological analyses will be examined, as we explore the depth and breadth of the discipline. Prerequisites: SOC 203  and SOC 301. Open to seniors only. Permission of instructor required.

465. Environmental Sociology.
What is the “environment”? How do we know it’s in trouble? Why should we protect it? What are we protecting it from? Who are we protecting it for? In this course, we will attempt to answer these questions by exploring society’s relationship to the natural environment. We will examine both the social origins of the major environmental stresses facing us today and the political conflicts that these stresses have produced. First, we will focus on the role of society’s utilization of natural resources in creating these crises, as well as the way societies identify these environmental stresses as social problems. In the second part of the course we will examine the variety of social responses to environmental problems. We’ll explore the ways in which these responses lead to political conflicts, through examination of the various social actors involved in resource disputes. Finally, we will examine the outcomes of environmental conflicts at local, national and international levels and will seek to develop viable solutions to real socioenvironmental problems.

476. Globalization and Sustainability.
“Globalization” and “sustainability” are two of the most contested terms in current political conflicts over the future of development. In this course we will seek to define these terms and explore the impacts of economic transnationalization on the potential for achieving socially and ecologically “sustainable” development trajectories at local, regional, national and transnational levels. In a seminar discussion format, we will examine the linkages between transnational economic processes, local environmental and social conditions, national environmental protection initiatives, and international and intra-national inequality. Specific policies of the International Monetary Fund, World Bank and World Trade Organization, the power of transnational corporations, and the role of the G8 states will be central to our discussions. The fusion of place, production and identity politics in efforts to resist the dominant model of globalization and forge more socially just and ecologically sound alternatives will be explored. In particular, local resistance movements, the rise of new autonomist models, global social movement coalitions, and the exchange of strategies through the World Social Forum will be examined. Course assignments will ask students to assess the ramifications of an increasingly transnational economy on the capacity of specific communities to achieve “sustainable” development in the context of increasing, and often violent, conflict over the forms and objectives of “globalization.” Also offered through Global Studies.

489/490. SYE: Independent Study.
Open to students who wish to pursue more specialized or advanced sociological study and research under faculty supervision. Students wishing to enroll must find a sociology faculty sponsor and prepare a research proposal outlining the intended thesis, methodology and ethical considerations including the application for human subjects review approval where necessary. Prerequisites: SOC 203 and SOC 301. Open to seniors only. Permission of department chair required.

498/499. SYE: Honors in Sociology.
Honors will be granted to students who have a 3.5 GPA in sociology and who have completed and defended a thesis before a departmental committee. Prerequisites: SOC 203  and SOC 301. Open to seniors only. Permission of department chair required.