Courses of Study
Sections
Department of Sociology
Last updated: November 4, 2010 at 3:22 p.m.
The undergraduate curriculum provides students with the tools for understanding and critical analysis of a broad array of institutions and cultures, from the everyday level of interpersonal and community interaction to large-scale political and social systems and public policies. Students are engaged as active learners and encouraged to develop knowledge that can make a difference in the world, including the potential for leadership development and action for social justice.
Undergraduate study in sociology prepares students for a wide array of careers in human services, education, law, health, public service, communications, business, and social-change organizations.
Graduate Program in Sociology
The general objective of the graduate program is to educate students in the major areas of sociology while promoting specialization in several. The program presents students with five options. The first option is a doctoral program designed for students who intend to devote themselves to teaching and research in sociology. Students pursuing the PhD may, by satisfying certain requirements, also receive the MA, or may earn a joint MA in sociology & women's and gender studies. The second option is a terminal MA degree in sociology; the third option is a terminal joint MA in sociology & women's and gender studies; the fourth option is a joint PhD in Near Eastern and Judaic Studies and sociology; the fifth option is a joint PhD in social policy (Heller School for Social Policy and Management) and sociology.
In addition, all prospective students are required to submit written material (papers, etc.) representative of their best work, which need not, however, be of a sociological nature.
Karen V. Hansen, Chair
Feminist theory. Sociology of the family. Historical sociology. Sociology of gender.
Wendy Cadge, Graduate Chair
Sociology of religion. Sociology of culture. Health and medicine. Immigration. Sexuality. Gender. Organizations. Research methods.
Peter Conrad
Sociology of health and illness. Deviance. Field methods.
David Cunningham, Undergraduate Advising Head
Social movements. Comparative and historical sociology. Community structure. Research methods.
Gordon Fellman
Marx and Freud. Social class. Peace, conflict, and coexistence studies. Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Empowerment. Psychoanalytic sociology. Masculinities.
Gila Hayim
Classical and contemporary social theory. Critical theory. Social movements. Existential sociology. Legal studies. Sociology of religion.
Marty Wyngaarden Krauss, Provost (Heller School)
Disability policy. Family caregiving. Mental retardation. Human services.
Laura J. Miller
Sociology of culture. Mass communication. Urban sociology. Consumption and marketing.
Shulamit Reinharz
History of women in sociology. Qualitative and feminist methodology. Group dynamics. Jewish women's studies.
Chandler Rosenberger
Nationalism. Ethnicity. Sociology of culture. Sociology of religion. Political dissent. Terrorism. Modern European politics.
Thomas Shapiro (Heller School)
Stratification. Race.
Sara Shostak
Sociology of health and illness. Science and technology studies. Body and society. Qualitative research methods.
Carmen Sirianni
Civic engagement and innovation. Collaborative governance. Public policy for democracy. Political sociology. Work. Organizations. Theory.
A. SOC 1a or SOC 3b. This course should be taken early in the curriculum.
B. At least one course in three of the following five sub-areas:
Theory and Methods
SOC 10b, 118a, 136b, 141a, 146a, 164a, 181a, 182a, 183a; ANTH 181aj; HIST 183b
Health, Illness, and Life Course
SOC 165a, 169b, 176a, 188a, 189a, 190b, 191a, 193a, 196a; ANTH 111a; HSSP 114b, 192b
Political and Social Change
SOC 108a, 111a, 112b, 113b, 119a, 143a, 148b, 151a, 153a, 155b, 157a, 162a, 175b; AMST 55a; HIST 115a; HS 110a; POL 159a
Gender and Family
SOC 105a, 112b, 115a, 117a, 130a, 131b, 132b, 138a; AMST 118a, 125a; POL 125a
Institutions, Communities, and Culture
SOC 104a, 106a, 117b, 120b, 121a, 122a, 124b, 126a, 127a, 128a, 129a, 147a, 150b, 152a, 152b, 154a, 156a, 178a; NEJS 164b, 165a; FYS 61a; NEJS/SOC 171b
C. Five additional sociology electives. SOC 1a and SOC 3b may not be used as electives.
D. At least seven of nine semester courses must be taken in the sociology department (no more than two courses cross-listed in sociology may count toward the major requirements).
E. No grade below a C- will be given credit toward the major.
F. No course taken pass/fail may count toward the major requirements.
G. Students may apply an internship course (either SOC 89a, SOC 92a, SJSP 89a, or WMGS 89a) only once toward the requirements for the major.
Honors candidates are required to take SOC 99d (Senior Research) in addition to the nine sociology courses. Enrollment in SOC 99d requires a minimum overall GPA of 3.20, or a 3.50 in sociology.
The MA in sociology is designed for completion in one calendar year, with the degree awarded at the next official university degree conferral after completion of academic residency and requirements. Each MA degree candidate will devise a specialized program with a faculty adviser. The student’s program must be approved by the graduate committee at the beginning of each semester of residence and will include the completion of six graduate-level semester courses, including one course in sociological theory and one full course in methods. Students will also complete a master’s research paper of professional quality and length. The paper will be read by two sociology faculty members.
Language Requirement
There is no foreign language requirement for the master's degree.
Residence Requirement
One year.
A. WMGS 205a or another course designated as a graduate foundational course in women’s and gender studies.
B. One course in feminist research methodologies (WMGS 198a, the Feminist Inquiry course offered through the Graduate Consortium in Women's Studies, or an alternate).
C. Two elective graduate courses in women's and gender studies: one inside and one outside the sociology department.
D. Three graduate sociology courses: one theory, one outside the area of gender, and one elective, which could be a directed reading.
E. Participation in the semester noncredit women's and gender studies graduate proseminar.
F. Completion of a master's research paper of professional quality and length (normally twenty-five to forty pages) on a topic related to the joint degree. The paper will be read by two faculty members, one of whom is a member of the sociology department, and one of whom is a member of the women's and gender studies core or affiliate faculty.
Language Requirement
There is no foreign language requirement for the joint master's degree.
Residence Requirement
One year.
Students entering the PhD program in sociology are expected to complete six semesters of the program’s SOC 240a (Approaches to Social Research Proseminar), as well as fifteen additional courses. At least six of these courses must be formal graduate seminars offered by the Brandeis sociology department. Four additional courses must be completed within the Brandeis sociology department, either as graduate seminars, independent readings, advanced undergraduate/graduate seminars, or upper-division courses. The five remaining courses can be taken as the student chooses, including graduate courses at other Boston-area universities, in consultation with her or his adviser. The initial program of studies is arranged in consultation with the graduate student’s adviser. Consideration will be given to graduate work done elsewhere, but formal transfer credit is assigned only after the successful completion of the first year of study. Each spring, students are required to complete short reports on their progress in the program.
Teaching Requirement
It is required that all PhD students participate in undergraduate teaching. This typically means leading discussion sections or otherwise working in collaboration with individual professors. PhD students receiving stipends are required to serve as teaching fellows (TF) or research assistants (RA) during their first eight semesters in residence. All students also have an opportunity to develop the craft of teaching through teaching workshops within the department and the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences.
Residence Requirement
The minimum residence for the PhD is three years.
Language Requirement
There is no foreign language requirement for the PhD.
Qualifying Examinations
The specific planning, evaluation, and accreditation of a student's course of study will be in the hands of each student's guidance accreditation committee (GAC), comprising three Brandeis sociology faculty members. Along with the student, this committee will lay out a general course of study designed to meet the interests and needs of the student. Upon completion of the plan, the student will take an oral qualifying examination covering general sociology and the areas of the student's special interests. All students complete self-evaluation forms each spring which are reviewed by the department faculty to monitor progress.
Dissertation and the Final Oral Examination
A dissertation proposal should be submitted soon after the GACs are completed. The dissertation committee should consist of three members from the sociology department faculty and an outside reader chosen with the advice of the committee members and approved by the graduate committee and the dean of the graduate school.
The PhD dissertation may be accepted by the program upon the recommendation of the dissertation committee. To be granted the degree, the student is required to defend the dissertation in a public final oral examination.
Requirements for the Joint Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Near Eastern and Judaic Studies and Sociology
Students must complete a total of twenty-one courses. Nine of these courses should be offered by the sociology department (comprising at least four graduate seminars plus SOC 240a (Approaches to Social Research Proseminar), which is required during each semester of course work following matriculation into the joint degree program). At least one of these sociology courses must be in theory. Additionally, at least nine courses must be taken within the NEJS department. The remaining three courses are open to student choice with the approval of the student’s advisers.
Advising
Students are assigned advisers from the sociology department and from the Near Eastern and Judaic Studies department. Both advisers will work with the student to assure appropriate course coherency. An interdepartmental meeting between both advisers and the student should take place at least once a year.
Teaching Requirement
As part of the graduate training program in NEJS, all PhD students are required to fulfill five semester-length teaching fellow or research assignments during the first four years of their programs, serving as apprentices to faculty mentors. All incoming NEJS/SOC doctoral students are to take the university writing pedagogy seminar in their first year (preferably in their first semester). Students will serve as teaching fellows in at least one university writing course. In addition, the department holds an orientation program for all new students and sponsors colloquia on teaching. Their faculty mentors evaluate students' teaching fellow work each semester. Students' teaching portfolios are in part drawn from these evaluations.
Residence Requirement
Three years of full-time residence are required at the normal rate of at least seven term courses each academic year. Students who enter with graduate credit from other recognized institutions may apply for transfer credit. By rule of the Graduate School, a maximum of one year of credit may be accepted toward the residence requirement on the recommendation of the chair of the program.
Language Requirements
Candidates are required to establish competence in Hebrew and one modern language (normally French or German but depending on the area of research, another language may be substituted). Language examinations will be administered by the student's advisers.
Research Methods Requirement
Candidates are required to establish competence in statistics by successful completion of an appropriate Brandeis course in statistics.
Consortium
Students should also discuss with their advisers the desirability of taking courses at member institutions of the Boston Consortium.
Comprehensive Examinations and Graduate Accreditation
Before proposing and writing a doctoral dissertation, students must show competence in two areas of sociology through the GAC process, pass a two-part written comprehensive examination in Jewish cultural literacy in the NEJS department, and pass an oral major field examination.
Candidates demonstrate Jewish cultural literacy in a two-part written examination, which has English and Hebrew components, and a follow-up oral examination. The Hebrew examination in primary sources is part of the cultural literacy examination. This examination gives students the opportunity to demonstrate their broad general knowledge of Jewish literature and cultures of the biblical, rabbinic, medieval, and early modern periods. The oral examination provides opportunity for further exploration following the written examination. Following the successful completion of the Jewish cultural literacy examinations, candidates demonstrate their particular field of expertise in contemporary Jewish societies through the oral major field examination.
The GAC is the sociology department equivalent to comprehensive examinations. Students elect two sociological areas of interest and, with the appropriate faculty member, create a contract of requirements for the completion of a portfolio in the specific area. The portfolio can include such items as completed courses, papers, independent readings, or bibliographies. Faculty advisers suggest readings, written work, or independent studies. When the GAC requirement is completed, there will be a comprehensive meeting to discuss the candidate's interests and direction in the field and the upcoming dissertation.
Dissertation and Final Oral Examination
A dissertation proposal should be submitted to the dissertation committee soon after the comprehensive examinations and GACs are completed. The dissertation committee should consist of five members: two each from the sociology and the NEJS departments and a fifth member from outside those departments. After approval of the proposal by the dissertation committee, it is submitted to the department faculties for approval. Two copies of the dissertation are to be deposited in the offices of the program chairs no later than March 1 of the year in which the candidate expects to earn the degree. The dissertation committee must approve the dissertation and the student must successfully defend the dissertation at a final oral examination.
The PhD in social policy and sociology is a joint degree of the Department of Sociology and the Heller School for Social Policy and Management. This option is available to students only after completion of at least one year of graduate study at the Heller School or in the sociology department (admission is not guaranteed) the following procedures apply.
Program of Study
Students entering the joint PhD program in social policy and sociology are expected to complete a total of eighteen courses. At least nine of these courses must be offered by the Brandeis sociology department (comprising at least four graduate seminars plus the Approaches to Social Research Proseminar, which is required during each semester of coursework following matriculation into the joint degree program). At least one of these sociology courses must be in theory. Additionally, a minimum of nine courses must be taken within the Heller School for Social Policy and Management, and at least one of these courses must be in research methodology (e.g., HS 401b [Research Methods]). Students are also required to take a noncredit dissertation seminar at the Heller School for two semesters.
Students are assigned advisers from the sociology department and from the Heller School. Advisers in both departments work together with students to assure appropriate coherency in their program of courses. An interdepartmental meeting between advisers and students should take place at least once a year.
Residence Requirement
The minimum residence for the joint degree of Doctor of Philosophy in social policy and sociology is three years.
Teaching Requirement
All joint PhD students must participate in undergraduate teaching. This typically means leading discussion sections or otherwise working in collaboration with individual professors. PhD students also have an opportunity to develop the craft of teaching through teaching workshops within the department and the graduate school of arts and sciences.
Language Requirement
There is no foreign language requirement for the joint PhD degree.
Qualifying Examinations
Each student must complete a "comprehensive paper" as required in the Heller School curriculum. Students must also show competence in two areas of sociology, as certified through the GAC process (the sociology department equivalent of comprehensive exams). Students elect two areas of interest and develop a contractual set of requirements with a faculty member of each area. When both GACs are completed, there is a meeting (typically one to two hours) to discuss the student's interests, directions in the field, and the upcoming dissertation.
Dissertation and the Final Oral Examination
A dissertation proposal should be submitted soon after the comprehensive examination and GACs are completed. The dissertation committee should consist of five members—two faculty members each from the sociology department and the Heller School, and one outside member. The joint PhD dissertation may be accepted by the sociology department and the Heller School upon the recommendation of the dissertation committee. To be granted the degree, the student is required to defend the dissertation in a public final oral examination.
Courses of Instruction
(1-99) Primarily for Undergraduate Students
SOC
1a
Order and Change in Society
[
ss
]
An introduction to the sociological perspective, with an emphasis on an analysis of problems of social order and change. Topics include gender, work and family, poverty and inequality, race and ethnicity, democracy, social movements, community, and education. Usually offered every year.
Ms. Cadge or Mr. Conrad, Mr. Cunningham, or Mr. Sirianni
SOC
3b
Social Theory and Contemporary Society
[
ss
]
Provides an introduction to social theory and ways that core sociological concepts are used to understand social interaction, social problems, and social change. Students read classic works including, Durkheim, Marx, Weber, and Mead, as well as more recent empirical studies. Usually offered every second year.
Ms. Miller
SOC
10b
Introduction to Sociological Theory
[
ss
]
Introduces the student to the foundations of sociological and social psychological explanatory systems. Analyzes the major ideas of classical and modern authors and their competing approaches and methodologies--Durkheim, Weber, Mead, Du Bois, Goffman, Marcuse, Haraway, Barrett, Foucault, and others. Usually offered every second year.
Ms. Hayim
SOC
89a
Internships for Community Action and Social Change
This is an experiential learning course. In this weekly three-hour seminar, students learn to become social change agents through eight-hour per week internships in community organizations, course readings, and class discussions. The course considers social change at the biographical, relational, organizational, community, society, and global levels. Early registration is encouraged. Usually offered every year.
Mr. Shields
SOC
90a
Independent Fieldwork
Equivalent to four one-semester courses. Students taking it are expected to work out a plan of study for one semester with the help of two faculty members. This plan is to be submitted to the undergraduate committee of the department for approval. Usually offered every year.
Staff
SOC
90b
Independent Fieldwork
Equivalent to four one-semester courses. Students taking it are expected to work out a plan of study for one semester with the help of two faculty members. This plan is to be submitted to the undergraduate committee of the department for approval. Usually offered every year.
Staff
SOC
92a
Internship and Analysis in Sociology
This is an experiential learning course. Combines off-campus experience and social scientific inquiry. Under the supervision of a faculty sponsor, students apply sociological methods of analysis to an internship experience. Students develop a specific plan of study with a faculty member in the relevant field prior to undertaking the internship. Open to sociology majors with adequate related prior course work and with permission of the instructor. Usually offered every year.
Staff
SOC
97b
Group Readings and Research
Staff
SOC
97bj
Group Readings and Research
Beginning in week 3 of the JBS, students will work in pairs in one of six county field sites. In collaboration with students from the University of Mississippi and other local colleges and universities, as well as with local community partners, JBS students will undertake interviews, archival research, and content analysis of digitally-recorded community proceedings. This field work will be supervised by Brandeis faculty and graduate assistants as well as by Winter Institute staff, and each JBS student will be required to attend a weekly individual debriefing session. Offered as part of JBS program.
Mr. Cunningham
SOC
98a
Individual Readings and Research in Sociology
Individual readings and reports under the direction of a faculty supervisor. Usually offered every year.
Staff
SOC
98b
Individual Readings and Research in Sociology
Individual readings and reports under the direction of a faculty supervisor. Usually offered every year.
Staff
SOC
99d
Senior Research
Seniors who are candidates for degrees with honors in sociology register for this course and, under the direction of a member of the faculty, prepare an honors thesis on a suitable topic. Usually offered every year.
Staff
(100-199) For Both Undergraduate and Graduate Students
NEJS/SOC
171b
Religions in Greater Boston
[
hum
ss
]
Sponsored by the Mandel Center for the Humanities as part of its thematic focus on 'The Human and the Inhuman'.
Analysis of religious diversity in greater Boston (Jewish, Christina, Unitarian-Universalist, Muslim, Buddhist, Hindu, Spiritual, and Native American); comparative study of religious symbols and space (with site visits); examination of the role of religion in schools, hospitals, and prisons. Special one-time offering, spring 2011.
Ms. Brooten and Ms. Cadge
SOC
104a
Sociology of Education
[
ss
]
Examines the role of education in society, including pedagogy, school systems, teacher organizations, parental involvement, community contexts, as well as issues of class, race, and gender. Usually offered every second year.
Ms. Rockenmacher
SOC
105a
Feminist Critiques of Sexuality and Work in America
[
ss
]
An intermediate-level course which counts toward the completion of the joint MA degree in sociology and women's and gender studies.
Critically evaluates the predominant theoretical approaches to understanding the oppression of women and the dynamics of sexism, racism, and classism within the sex/gender system. Uses these perspectives to explore issues in women's lives--particularly sexuality and work. Usually offered every year.
Ms. Hansen
SOC
106a
Issues in Law and Society
[
ss
]
An interdisciplinary approach to the study of crime and punishment. Analyzes theories and empirical research and methodology around a number of problem areas in the criminal justice system, with special attention paid to street violence, domestic violence, the courts, the prison, the different therapeutic systems, and the dilemmas of social and legal justice. Usually offered every second year.
Ms. Hayim
SOC
108a
Youth and Democracy
[
ss
]
Examines the roles that youth play in public problem solving and social action in schools, communities, universities, politics, NGOs, and a range of other institutional settings. Can be combined with internships and action research. Usually offered every third year.
Mr. Sirianni
SOC
111a
Political Sociology
[
ss
]
Social and institutional bases of public life (social capital, interest groups, movements, communities, parties, urban regimes, collaborative governance) and relationships to politics and policy at local and national levels. Usually offered every year.
Mr. Sirianni
SOC
112b
Social Class and Social Change
[
ss
]
This is an experiential learning course. Presents the role of social class in determining life chances, lifestyles, income, occupation, and power; theories of class, inequality, and globalization; selected social psychological aspects of social class and inequality; and connections of class, race, and gender. Usually offered every second year.
Mr. Fellman
SOC
113b
Race and Power in Intergroup Relations
[
ss
]
This course introduces a set of general ideas about intergroup relations, as well as focuses on specific socio-historical issues surrounding racial inequality in the United States. A variety of media to examine topics such as the institutionalization of white privilege, the social construction of "otherness", racial formation processes, and racial segregation are used" Usually offered every second year.
Ms. Rondini
SOC
115a
Masculinities
[
ss
]
Men's experiences of masculinity have only recently emerged as complex and problematic. This course inquires into concepts, literature, and phenomenology of many framings of masculinity. The analytic schemes are historical, sociological, and social-psychological. Usually offered every second year.
Mr. Fellman
SOC
117a
Sociology of Work and Gender
[
ss
]
Focuses on the transformation of contemporary workplaces in the United States. How gender shapes inequality in the labor force, as well as idioms of skill, worth, care, and service. How women and men combine care for families with paid work. Strategies for empowerment, equity, and flexibility (comparable worth, family leave, flexible working-time options, affirmative action, employee participation, new union strategies, grass-roots organizing). Usually offered every second year.
Ms. Villalobos
SOC
117b
Sociology of Science, Technology, and Medicine
[
oc
ss
]
From the moment we are born, to when we die, our lives are shaped by science, technology, and medicine. This course draws on both historical and contemporary case studies to examine how science and medicine enter into our ideas about who we are as individuals and members of social groups (e.g., gender, race, ethnicity), understandings of health and illness, and ideals regarding what constitutes a good life, and a good death. Usually offered every other year.
Ms. Hammonds
SOC
118a
Observing the Social World: Doing Qualitative Sociology
[
ss
]
This is an experiential learning course. Observation is the basis of social inquiry. What we see--and by extension, what we overlook or choose to ignore--guides our understanding of social life. We practice interviews, social observation and analysis of print and visual media. Usually offered every second year.
Ms. Cadge or Ms. Shostak
SOC
119a
War and Possibilities of Peace
[
ss
]
Ponders the possibility of a major "paradigm shift" under way from adversarialism and war to mutuality and peace. Examines war culture and peace culture and points in between, with emphases on the role of imagination in social change, growing global interdependence, and political, economic, gender, social class, and social psychological aspects of war and peace. Usually offered every year.
Mr. Fellman
SOC
120b
Globalization and the Media
[
ss
]
Investigates the phenomenon of globalization as it relates to mass media. Topics addressed include the growth of transnational media organizations, the creation of audiences that transcend territorial groupings, the hybridization of cultural styles, and the consequences for local identities. Usually offered every second year.
Ms. Miller
SOC
121a
Ethnic Relations in Comparative Perspectives
[
ss
]
Prerequisite: SOC 1a or SOC 3b. Registration priority given to juniors and seniors.
Relations between ethnic, national and racial groups worldwide. Perspectives on ethnicity and nationalism, modes of conflict-management, ways democracies handle ethnic conflicts, assimilation, multiculturalism, transnationalism, Diaspora communities, national identities, ethnic autonomy, and internal security and minorities. Special one-time offering, fall 2010.
Mr. Smooha
SOC
122a
The Sociology of American Immigration
[
ss
]
Most of us descend from immigrants. Focusing on the United States but in a global perspective, we address the following questions: Why do people migrate? How does this affect immigrants' occupations, gendered households, rights, identities, youth, and race relations with other groups? Usually offered every second year.
Staff
SOC
124b
Israeli Society
[
ss
]
Not recommended for first year students.
An overview of Israeli society; societal characteristics, central institutions, and internal divisions, and conflicts. Topics: special features, cross-country comparisons, schools of thought, formative period, culture, politics, military, religion, inequality and strata, ethnic divide, national rift, and cohesion and trends of change. Special one-time offering, fall 2010.
Mr. Smooha
SOC
126a
Sociology of Deviance
[
ss
]
An investigation of the sociological perspectives of deviance, focusing particular attention on definitional, sociopolitical, and interactional aspects as well as society's response. Includes a review of theory and current research and discussions of various forms of noncriminological deviance and social control. Usually offered in the summer term.
Mr. Conrad and Staff
SOC
126b
Global Perspectives in Women, Work and Families
[
ss
]
Integrating sociological and anthropological theorizing on gender, families, kinship, and work, with development perspectives on the formal/informal economy and gender nexus, the course explores the similarities and differences in gender regimes and shifting work-family domains in several societies globally. Special on-time offering, spring 2011.
Ms. Zaidi
SOC
127a
Gods and Nations: Identity in Global Relations
[
ss
]
Prerequisite: SOC 1a or SOC 3b. Registration priority given to juniors and seniors.
Examines three sources of identity that are influential in global affairs: religion, ethnicity and nationalism. Considers theories of the relationship among these identities, especially "secularization theory," then reviews historical examples such as Poland, Iran, Iraq, and Pakistan. Usually offered every year.
Mr. Rosenberger
SOC
128a
Religion and Globalization
[
ss
]
Examines the experience of religion as a social and individual identity. Looks into the social-psychology of religious resurgence movements (Islamic, Evangelical, and others) with special attention paid to the role and character of globalization and religious consciousness in the world today. Readings cover comparative classical and contemporary thought and research. Usually offered every year.
Ms. Hayim
SOC
129a
Sociology of Religion
[
ss
wi
]
An introduction to the sociological study of religion. Investigates what religion is, how it is influential in contemporary American life, and how the boundaries of public and private religion are constructed and contested. Usually offered every year.
Ms. Cadge
SOC
130a
Families, Caregiving and Kinship
[
ss
]
This is an experiential learning course. Course counts toward the completion of the joint MA degree in sociology & women's and gender studies.
Investigates changes in the character of American families over the last two centuries. A central concern will be the dynamic interactions among economic, cultural, political, and social forces, and how they shape and are reshaped by families over time. Particular attention is paid to how experiences of men and women vary by class, race, and ethnicity. Usually offered every year.
Ms. Hansen
SOC
131b
Biography, Gender, and Society
[
ss
]
This course counts toward the completion of the joint MA degree in sociology & women's and gender studies.
Through reading biographies of intellectuals, political leaders, artists and "ordinary" people and exploring the biographical method, this seminar investigates the relationship between everyday life, history, social patterns of behavior, and the sex/gender system. Usually offered every third year.
Ms. Hansen
SOC
132b
Social Perspectives on Motherhood and Mothering
[
ss
]
Previous course on families or gender is strongly recommended. This course counts toward the completion of the joint MA degree in sociology & women's and gender studies.
Explores motherhood as an identity and a social institution, and mothering as a set of socially and historically constructed activities. Reviews the theoretical approaches to motherhood and how they are understood in the context of race/ethnicity, class, and gender inequalities in the United States. Usually offered every third year.
Ms. Hansen
SOC
136b
Historical and Comparative Sociology
[
ss
]
Explores the relationship between sociology and history through examples of scholarship from both disciplines. Using historical studies, the course pays close attention to each author's research strategy. Examines basic research questions, theoretical underpinnings and assumptions, and uses of evidence. Usually offered every third year.
Ms. Hansen
SOC
137a
Gender and the Life Course
[
ss
]
Explores how individual development across the life course is shaped by gender and the interconnecting influences of historical period, social and cultural context, life stage, and the generational cohort into which a person is born. Usually offered every year.
Ms. Lovejoy
SOC
138a
Sociology of Gender and Race
[
ss
]
Examines gender as an individual and institutional factor that organizes societies. Uses a variety of media to analyze how gender and race (re)create forms of domination and subordination in labor markets, family structures, realms of cultural presentation (e.g., media), and social movements. Usually offered every third year.
Staff
SOC
141a
Marx and Freud
[
ss
]
Examines Marxian and Freudian analyses of human nature, human potential, social stability, conflict, consciousness, social class, and change. Includes attempts to combine the two approaches. Usually offered every second year.
Mr. Fellman
SOC
143a
Social Justice and Philanthropy
[
ss
]
Covers philanthropy and its role in American society. Addresses individual, institutional, and societal-level factors that affect philanthropic efforts to impact social justice. Also provides the unique experience of acting as a foundation and making real grants. Usually offered every year.
Ms. Garton
SOC
146a
Mass Communication Theory
[
ss
]
An examination of key theories in mass communication, including mass culture, hegemony, the production of culture, and resistance. Themes discussed include the nature of media effects, the role of the audience, and the extent of diversity in the mass media. Usually offered every year.
Ms. Miller
SOC
147a
Organizations and Social Change
[
oc
ss
]
Innovation and change in communities, school systems, social services, corporations, nonprofits, federal agencies, and police. Dynamics of democratic, feminist, multicultural, and community organizations. May be combined with internships and action research. Usually offered every year.
Mr. Sirianni
SOC
148b
Sociology of Information
[
ss
]
Examines the claim that information is a key political and economic resource in contemporary society. Considers who has access to information, and how it is used for economic gain, interpersonal advantage, and social control. Usually offered every third year.
Ms. Miller
SOC
150b
Culture of Consumption
[
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Examines the historical development and social significance of a culture of consumption. Considers the role of marketing in contemporary society and the expression of consumer culture in various realms of everyday life, including leisure, the family, and education. Usually offered every year.
Ms. Miller
SOC
151a
Biography, Community, and Political Contention
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How are the dynamics of social movement activity shaped by aspects of participants' lives and the structure of their local communities? Uses various case studies to explore historical, geographical, and sociological frameworks for understanding political contention. Usually offered every third year.
Mr. Cunningham
SOC
152a
Urban Life and Culture
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An analysis of the social and cultural dimensions of life in urban environments. Examines how various processes, including immigration, deindustrialization, and suburbanization, affect neighborhoods, public spaces, work, shopping, and leisure in the city. Usually offered every second year.
Ms. Miller
SOC
152b
Suburbia: Refuge, Fortress, or Prison
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Prerequisite: SOC 1a or SOC 3b. Registration priority given to juniors and seniors.
Examines the debate about who does and does not benefit from suburban environments, and whether suburbia can still be characterized as closed and homogenous in population and culture. Such issues are explored with a particular emphasis on class, race, and gender. Usually offered every third year.
Ms. Miller
SOC
153a
The Sociology of Empowerment
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This is an experiential learning course. Course does not participate in early registration. Attendance at first class meeting mandatory. Students selected by essay, interview, and lottery.
This class combines reading, exercises, journal keeping, and retreats (including a weekend one) to address activism and how sociological constructs affect feelings of helplessness, futility, hope, vision, efficacy, hurt, fear, and anger. Usually offered every year.
Mr. Fellman
SOC
154a
Community Structure and Youth Subcultures
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This is an experiential learning course. Examines how the patterning of relations within communities generates predictable outcomes at the individual and small-group level. Deals with cities, suburbs, and small rural communities. Special focus is given to youth subcultures typically found in each community type. Usually offered every second year.
Mr. Cunningham
SOC
155b
Protest, Politics, and Change: Social Movements
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Utilizes case studies of actual movements to examine a variety of approaches to contentious politics. Covers collective behavior, resource mobilization, rational choice, and newer interactive models. Usually offered every second year.
Mr. Cunningham
SOC
156a
Social Change in American Communities
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Offered on a special topic basis; last offered in 2005-06 as "Memory and Cultural Production in the Mississippi Delta."
Integrates ideas related to community organization, collective action, and social change with field study of particular settings in which individuals and groups seek to effect change within their communities. Students complete semester-long projects based on data gathered at fieldwork settings. Usually offered every second year.
Mr. Cunningham
SOC
156aj
Social Change in American Communities
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Provides a theoretical foundation for understanding social movement dynamics, with a particular emphasis on the Civil Rights Movement in Mississippi. Topics will include modes of civil rights organizing, the mobilization of social, cultural, and material resources, the development of strategic and tactical repertoires, determinants of individual participation, and varieties of anti-civil rights enforcement. The central aim is to provide a historically-contextualized and theoretically-informed sense of the trajectory of the civil rights struggle in the U.S. South. We will pay particular attention to sources of local variation, to understand the interplay among community-level contexts, individual action, and socio-political legacies. Offered as part of JBS program.
Mr. Cunningham
SOC
157a
Sociology of the Israeli-Palestinian Confrontation
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An introduction to Jewish and Palestinian nationalisms; relevant sociological, political, religious, and resource issues; social psychological dimensions; and the conflict in world politics. Usually offered every second year.
Mr. Fellman
SOC
161a
Society, State, and Power: The Problem of Democracy
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Examines the ways in which power is exercised in different political regimes and social systems and considers the problem of democracy. The major focus of the course will be present-day advanced industrial societies, with particular consideration of the United States. Usually offered every fourth year.
Mr. Sirianni
SOC
162a
Intellectuals and Revolutionary Politics
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Examines the role of intellectuals in modern politics, especially their relationship to nationalism and revolutionary movements. In reading across a range of political revolutions(e.g. in Czechoslovakia, Cuba, and Iran), students will have the chance to compare the relative significance of appeals to solidarity based on class, religion, ethnicity, and national identity. Usually offered every year.
Mr. Rosenberger
SOC
164a
Existential Sociology
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Introduces existential themes in relation to the discipline of sociology and social psychology and evaluates selected theories on human nature, identity and interaction, individual freedom and social ethics, and the existential theory of agency and action. De Beauvoir, Mead, Sartre, Goffman, Kierkegaard, Elizabeth Beck, Taylor, and others will be considered. Usually offered every year.
Ms. Hayim
SOC
165a
Living and Dying in America: The Sociology of Birth and Death
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This is an experiential learning course. Not open to first year students. Not open to students who had a death in their immediate family in the past year.
This course introduces the tools and concepts central to the sociological study of birth and death in the United States. It is discussion-based and includes guest speakers, field trips, and interactive assignments. Usually offered every year.
Ms. Cadge
SOC
169b
Issues in Sexuality
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This course counts toward the completion of the joint MA degree in sociology & women's and gender studies.
Explores dimensions of human sexuality. This course will take as its central tenet that humans are sexual beings and their sexuality is shaped by gender, class, race, culture, and history. It will explore the contradictory ways of understanding sexual behavior and relationships. The course intends to teach students about the social nature of sexual expression. Usually offered every second year.
Ms. Cadge
SOC
175b
Environmental Organizations, Networks, and Partnerships
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Environmental movement organizations and strategies. National advocacy organizations, as well as community-based and civic approaches to environmental problem solving. Case studies drawn from watersheds, forests, ecosystem restoration, environmental justice, campus ecology, and the greening of industry. May be combined with internships and action research. Usually offered every year.
Mr. Sirianni
SOC
176a
Nature, Nurture, and Public Policy
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Examines the impact of heredity or genetic theories of human problems on developing public policy, including the viability and validity of theories and evidence. Historical and contemporary cases such as gender, IQ, mental illness, and alcoholism are studied. Usually offered every year.
Mr. Conrad
SOC
177b
Aging in Society
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Explores the social context of aging by using sociological theory, empirical research, and literature. Examines such topics as aging in residential settings, the aging experience of minority groups, health and illness, the economics of aging, gender, work, and retirement. Also examines the definition of aging in other societies in order to understand the contemporary Western response to aging. Contains a field research component. Usually offered every third year.
Staff
SOC
181a
Methods of Social Inquiry
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Introduces students to qualitative and quantitative approaches to social research. Throughout the course emphasis is on conceptual understanding, with hands-on applications and exercises. No statistical or mathematical background is necessary. Usually offered every year.
Ms. Cadge or Mr. Cunningham
SOC
182a
Applied Research Methods
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Provides hand-on training in social science research methodology, covering issues related to research design, data collection, and causal analysis within the context of a large-scale collaborative research project. Students will operate as a member of a research team with responsibility over a component of a broader project tied to real-world social justice initiative. Usually offered every second year.
Mr. Cunningham
SOC
182aj
Applied Research Methods
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Provides hands-on training in social science research methodology. It assumes no prior knowledge of the research process, and covers issues related to research design, data collection, and causal analysis within the context of a large-scale collaborative research project. Covers both quantitative and qualitative approaches, including statistical, comparative-historical, interview, and archival methods. Students approach their methodological work as a member of a “research team,” with responsibility over a component of the class’ broader project. Requires students to coordinate their efforts with colleagues and community partners to identify research questions, define the data necessary to answer those questions, gather and code that data, and begin the process of analysis. A component of the class will employ the statistical software package SPSS, which students can download for free from the LTS website. Offered as part of JBS program.
Mr. Cunningham
SOC
183a
Evaluation of Evidence
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This is an experiential learning course. Prerequisite: SOC 1a or 3a. Registration priority given to juniors and seniors. Focuses on gaining familiarity with basic tools for statistical analysis and the presentation of data, issues related to research design and construction, and the evaluation of evidence presented in quantitative models. No prior experience with statistics is assumed. Usually offered every third year.
Mr. Cunningham
SOC
188a
The Politics of Reproduction
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Examines the social and constructed nature of reproductive strategies and practices. In particular, explores the role of the state, medical institutions, and women themselves in shaping ideas and practices such as motherhood, sexuality, and reproductive freedom.
Staff
SOC
189a
Sociology of Body and Health
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Explores theoretical considerations of the body as a cultural phenomenon intersecting with health, healing, illness, disease, and medicine. Focuses on how gender, race, class, religion, and other dimensions of social organization shape individual experiences and opportunities for agency and resistance. Usually offered every year.
Ms. Shostak
SOC
190b
Caring in the Health Care System
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An analysis of the structural arrangements of medical practice and medical settings, focusing on societal and professional responses to illness. Usually offered every second year.
Staff
SOC
191a
Health, Community, and Society
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This is an experiential learning course. An exploration into interrelationships among society, health, and disease, emphasizing the social causes and experience of illness. Usually offered every year.
Mr. Conrad
SOC
193a
Environment, Health, and Society
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This is an experiential learning course. This course draws on sociological perspectives to examine two key questions: (1) How does social organization enter into the production of environmental health and illness? and (2) How do scientists, regulators, social movement activists, and people affected by illness seek to understand, regulate, and intervene in relationships between the environment and human health? Usually offered every year.
Ms. Shostak
SOC
196a
The Medicalization of Society
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Examines the origins and consequences of the medicalization of human problems in society. Includes investigations of medicalization of madness, childbirth, addictions, anorexia, menopause, ADHD, domestic violence, and other issues, as well as cases of demedicalization. Usually offered every third year.
Mr. Conrad
(200 and above) Primarily for Graduate Students
SOC
200a
Contemporary Social Theory
Covers major paradigms in contemporary social analysis ranging from structuration and action theory, rational choice theory, symbolic interaction, globalization, and recent cultural sociology in Europe and the United States. Works by Mead, Bourdieu, Giddens, Foucault, Castells, Melucci, Haraway, Collins, Beck, and others are covered. Usually offered every second year.
Ms. Hayim
SOC
201a
Social and Critical Theory
Examines major contributions in the history of sociological thought and identifies critical connections between the classical statements and the modern arguments, with a focus on contemporary social movements, from Weber to Habermas, and from Durkheim to Foucault, Frazer, and others. Usually offered every second year.
Ms. Hayim
SOC
203b
Field Methods
Provides an introduction to the methodology of sociological field research in the Chicago School tradition. Readings include theoretical statements, completed studies, and experiential accounts of researchers in the field. Includes exercises in specific methods and procedures of data collection and analysis. Each student will design and conduct his/her own independent research project. Usually offered every second year.
Mr. Conrad or Ms. Shostak
SOC
206b
Advanced Topics in Family Studies
This course counts toward the completion of the joint MA degree in sociology & women's and gender studies.
Studies Western European and American families and the historical processes that have shaped them, especially industrial capitalism, slavery, and immigration. Explores various controversies regarding the family: the family as an economic unit vs. a group of individuals with varying experiences; the shift of activity from primarily production to consumption; increased privatization vs. increased public intervention; recent changes in family structure and fertility patterns; and resolution of the double burden associated with the second shift for women. The course will take a different topical focus each time it is taught. Usually offered every third year.
Ms. Hansen
SOC
208a
Social Problems Theory and Research
Explores the role of social problems theory, with a strong emphasis on social constructionism. Also examines the development and dilemmas of constructionism and aligned approaches. Students are required to undertake independent studies of particular social problems. Usually offered every second year.
Mr. Conrad
SOC
209b
Social Movements
Provides a detailed examination of the literatures related to social movements and collective action. The focus is on reviewing past and current attempts to explain various aspects of contentious political activity, as well as introducing newly emerging explanatory models. Usually offered every third year.
Mr. Cunningham
SOC
210b
Gender, Class, and Race
Examines primarily gender, class, and race, but also addresses inequality as structured by citizenship status and sexuality. Examines how U.S. and other societies distribute resources accordingly, shape discourse and ideology, and foster individual and group identities. Usually offered every third year.
Ms. Hansen
SOC
211b
Advanced Topics in the Sociology of Religion
An overview of the sociology of religion as a subfield in sociology. Classic and contemporary theoretical and empirical works are read and linked to current debates in the field. Usually offered every third year.
Ms. Cadge
SOC
212a
Theories of Morality
Examines classic and contemporary theoretical approaches to morality that have been influential for sociology. Considers questions about the constitution of the good society, individual virtue, the moral glue that binds people to groups, and sociology's role in adjudicating normative debates. Usually offered every fourth year.
Ms. Miller
SOC
214b
Community Empowerment and Civic Engagement
Innovative forms of community empowerment. Social capital, deliberative democracy, collaborative governance. Topics include community organizing and development, civic environmentalism, healthy communities, university/community partnerships, service learning, community youth development, and public policy. Usually offered every third year.
Mr. Sirianni
SOC
217a
Problems and Issues in the Sociology of Health and Illness
Offers a sociocultural-historical-political perspective on the study of problems of health and illness. Accomplishes this by examining some of the basic assumptions underlying the way people conceive of and study issues in health care. Usually offered every third year.
Mr. Conrad
SOC
220b
Seminar on the Sociology of Politics
A survey of the contemporary movements in the sociology of politics of advanced societies. Topics include pluralist and group theories, elite theory, behavioralism and voting studies, the theory of the state debate (neo-Marxist and neo-liberal variants), the "new institutionalism," theories of social movements, and rational choice modeling. Usually offered every third year.
Staff
SOC
221b
Sociology of Culture
Surveys theoretical perspectives and substantive concerns in sociological studies of culture. Examines debates regarding how to define and study culture, and considers the ways in which culture is related to power, stratification, integration, identity, and social change. Usually offered every third year.
Ms. Miller
SOC
230a
Readings in Sociological Literature
Usually offered every year. Specific sections for individual faculty members as requested.
Staff
SOC
230b
Readings in Sociological Literature
Usually offered every year. Specific sections for individual faculty members as requested.
Staff
SOC
240a
Approaches to Sociological Research
Yields half-course credit. Required of graduate students for six semesters during the first three years of their course of study.
A seminar designed to guide graduate students through the process of producing sociological research. The course will be based on students' development of their own independent research and on considerations of larger professional issues related to research and publication. Usually offered every semester.
Ms. Cadge, Mr. Cunningham, and Ms. Shostak
SOC
401d
Dissertation Research
Independent research for the PhD. Specific sections for individual faculty members as requested.
Staff
Cross-Listed in Sociology
AMST
55a
Race, Ethnicity, and Immigration in American Culture
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May not be taken for credit by students who took AMST 169a in prior years.
Provides an introductory overview of the study of race, ethnicity, and culture in the United States. Focuses on the historical, sociological, and political movements that affected the arrival and settlement of African, Asian, European, American Indian, and Latino populations in the late nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Utilizing theoretical and discursive perspectives, compares and explores the experiences of these groups in the United States in relation to issues of immigration, population relocations, government and civil legislation, ethnic identity, gender and family relations, class, and community. Usually offered every year.
Ms. Davé
AMST
118a
Gender and the Professions
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This is an experiential learning course. Explores gender distinctions as a key element in the organization of professions, analyzing the connections among sex roles, occupational structure, and American social life. Topics include work culture, pay equity, the "mommy" and "daddy" tracks, sexual discrimination and harassment, and dual-career families. Among the professions examined are law, medicine, teaching, social work, nursing, journalism, business, and politics. Usually offered every second year.
Ms. Antler
AMST
125a
History of United States Feminisms
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This is an experiential learning course. An investigation of the development and politics of women's rights in the United States. Explores the internal and external coalitions and conflicts at the nexus of race, ethnicity, sexuality, and religion. Examines the transnational shift to organizing for human rights. Usually offered every third year.
Ms. Antler and Ms. Hansen
ANTH
111a
Aging in Cross-Cultural Perspective
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Examines the meanings and social arrangements given to aging in a diversity of societies, including the U.S., India, Japan and China. Key themes include: the diverse ways people envision and organize the life course, scholarly and popular models of successful aging, the medicalization of aging in the U.S., cultural perspectives on dementia, and the ways national aging policies and laws are profoundly influenced by particular cultural models. Usually offered every second year.
Ms. Lamb
ANTH
181aj
Designing and Conducting Ethnographic Research
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Examines principal issues in ethnographic fieldwork and analysis, including research design, data collection, and ethnographic representation. Students will learn how to develop a focused research question, design field research, and build skills for independent social science research. Offered as part of JBS program.
Ms. Ferry
HIST
115a
History of Comparative Race and Ethnic Relations
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Explores and understands the origin and nature of racial and ethnic differences in the United States, South Africa, and Brazil. Explores how theoreticians explain and account for differences, and how race and ethnicity relate to economic class and social institutions. Usually offered every second year.
Mr. Sundiata
HIST
183b
Community and Alienation: Social Theory from Hegel to Freud
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The rise of social theory understood as a response to the trauma of industrialization. Topics include Marx's concept of "alienation," Tönnies's distinction between "community" and "society," Durkheim's notion of "anomie," Weber's account of "disenchantment," and Nietzsche's repudiation of modernity. Usually offered every fourth year.
Mr. Hulliung
HS
110a
Wealth and Poverty
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Examines why the gap between richer and poorer citizens appears to be widening in the United States and elsewhere, what could be done to reverse this trend, and how the widening disparity affects major issues of public policy. Usually offered every year.
Mr. Shapiro
HSSP
114b
Racial/Ethnic and Gender Inequalities in Health and Health Care
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An examination of the epidemiological patterns of health status by race/ethnicity, gender, and socio-economic status. Addresses current theories and critiques explaining disparities in health status, access, quality, and conceptual models, frameworks, and interventions for eliminating inequalities. Usually offered every second year.
Ms. Jefferson
HSSP
192b
Sociology of Disability
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In the latter half of the twentieth century, disability has emerged as an important social-political-economic-medical issue, with its own distinct history, characterized as a shift from "good will to civil rights." Traces that history and the way people with disabilities are seen and unseen, and see themselves. Usually offered every year.
Mr. Gulley
NEJS
164b
The Sociology of the American Jewish Community
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Open to all students.
A survey exploring transformations in modern American Jewish societies, including American Jewish families, organizations, and behavior patterns in the second half of the twentieth century. Draws primarily on social science texts, statistical studies, and qualitative research; also makes use of a broad spectrum of source materials, examining evidence from journalism, fiction, film, and other cultural artifacts. Usually offered every year.
Ms. Fishman
NEJS
165a
Analyzing the American Jewish Community
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Prerequisites: NEJS 161a, 162a, 164a, or 164b.
Explores the use of quantitative and qualitative research techniques in recent analyses of American Jewish life. Students engage in hands-on statistical research projects, learning what kinds of information can be gathered through survey research and through a variety of qualitative research techniques. Usually offered every second year.
Ms. Fishman
POL
125a
Women in American Politics
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Addresses three major dimensions of women's political participation: social reform and women-identified issues; women's organizations and institutions; and women politicians, electoral politics, and party identification. Covers historical context and contemporary developments in women's political activity. Usually offered every second year.
Ms. Greenlee
POL
159a
Seminar: The Politics of the Modern Welfare State: Women, Workers, and Social Citizenship
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Capstone course for Social Justice and Social Policy Program.
How voting and political mobilization have helped women's organizations and trade unions obtain social rights by means of welfare state expansion. Historical perspective on collective action and political reform movements and their role in creating the modern welfare-state in twentieth-century Europe and the United States. Strategies of political mobilization, interest groups, and the politics of the advanced welfare state. Usually offered every second year.
Ms. Klausen
SJSP
89a
Social Justice, Social Policy Internship
This is an experiential learning course. To obtain an internship for the fall term, students must discuss their placements with the SJSP internship instructor by April 1.
Supervised internship in a social justice, social service, social policy, or social research organization. Students will meet as a group and will complete research assignments. Usually offered every year in the fall semester.
Ms. Stimell
WMGS
89a
When Violence Hits Home: Internship in Domestic Violence
This is an experiential learning course. Combines fieldwork in domestic and sexual violence prevention programs with a fortnightly seminar exploring cultural and interpersonal facets of violence from a feminist perspective. Topics include theories, causes and prevention of rape, battering, child abuse, and animal abuse. Internships provide practical experience in local organizations such as rape crisis, battered women's violence prevention, and child abuse prevention programs. Usually offered every fall.
Ms. Hunter