Sociology 11. American Society
Catalog Number: 3469
Gwendolyn Dordick
Half course (fall term). M., W., (F.), at 9. EXAM GROUP: 2
Explores selected aspects of contemporary American society from a sociological perspective. Topics will include gender, socialization and politics; popular culture and high culture; race and ethnicity; crime and drugs; poverty and homelessness; and the changing suburban landscape. Emphasis on the application of key concepts and approaches in social theory to understanding the workings of our social environment. Readings will focus on major works within each substantive area and will reflect a diversity of methodological approaches.
Note: Counts for introductory concentration requirement.
[Sociology 25. Introduction to the Sociology of Organizations]
Catalog Number: 3609
Peter V. Marsden
Half course (fall term). Hours to be arranged.
Introduces the sociological study of formal organizations. Surveys basic concepts, emphases, and approaches. Attention given to processes within organizations, as well as to relationships between organizations and their environments. Topics include bureaucracy, leadership and power in organizations, interorganizational networks, and coordination among organizations.
Note: Expected to be given in 2002–03. Counts for introductory concentration requirement.
Sociology 40. Introduction to Human Societies
Catalog Number: 4512
Mark J. Zimny
Half course (spring term). Tu., Th., at 11. EXAM GROUP: 13
Introduces the distinct way of thinking and seeing the world through thesociological perspective. Topics to be covered include socialization,deviance, race and ethnicity, and the particular concepts and tools thatsociologists use to study human social life.
Note: Counts for introductory concentration requirement.
Sociology 60. Race and Ethnic Relations
Catalog Number: 4114
Prudence L. Carter
Half course (spring term). M., W., F., at 9. EXAM GROUP: 2
Examines race and ethnic relations in the United States from a theoretical, historical, and comparative perspective. Explores the emergence of racial and ethnic minorities through such historical processes as colonialism, slavery, and immigration. Studies the current relations among racial and ethnic groups in the United States.
Note: Counts for introductory concentration requirement.
Sociology 68. Social Movements
Catalog Number: 0507
Kenneth T. Andrews
Half course (fall term). M., W., (F.), at 11. EXAM GROUP: 4
Explores the origins, dynamics, and consequences of social movements from a sociological perspective. Examines a wide range of topics including: emergence of movements, recruitment and leadership, interactions of movements of the media, political elites and the broader public, tactics (e.g. nonviolent direct action, litigation), and the factors contributing to the success and failure of movements. Cases covered include the mobilization of racial and ethnic groups, women’s movements, conservative/right-wing movements and environmental activism.
Note: Counts for introductory concentration requirement. Replaces Sociology 106.
*Sociology 96. Individual Community Research Internship
Catalog Number: 7425
Kenneth T. Andrews and staff.
Half course (fall term; repeated spring term). Fall: W., 4–6; W., 7–9 p.m.; Tu., 3–5; W., at 7 p.m.; Spring: Hours to be arranged.
Community Research Internships give students the opportunity to use the methods and ideas of sociology in the process of learning about and trying to deal with practical problems faced by communities and other social actors in society at large. Students are individually placed with community organizations and agencies where they carry out research on topics of concern to those organizations and agencies. Classwork focuses on instruction in the methods and philosophy of fieldwork.
Note: Specific positions and projects vary from term to term, and are available largely on a first-come, first-served basis to students approved by the Head Tutor. Interested students should consult the Head Tutor’s office about the nature and availability of internships at or before the beginning of the term. Both concentrators and nonconcentrators are welcome to apply. First meeting required.
*Sociology 97. Sophomore Tutorial
Catalog Number: 5079
David J. Frank
Half course (spring term). First Meeting Required: W., 1-3.
Introduces concentrators to sociological theory. Aims to give students a critical understanding of selected classic and contemporary theories and to explore the relative merits of these theories from an empirical standpoint. In the first part of the term, students read influential statements about sociological theory and its relationship to research, and learn how researchers construct, evaluate, and modify theory. Readings focus especially on the classical theories of Marx, Weber, and Durkheim. In the second part of the term, students read theoretical pieces by contemporary sociologists. Readings focus on works that particularly reflect the theoretical concerns of the earlier classic thinkers.
Note: Required of and limited to concentrators, ordinarily sophomores.
*Sociology 98. Junior Tutorial
Catalog Number: 5943
Kenneth T. Andrews and members of the department.
Half course (fall term; repeated spring term). Fall: W., 2–4; M., 1–3; Spring: Hours to be arranged.
Small group research projects centered on common topics that vary by seminar and year. Recent topics have been on migration; science and society; advancing research and social policies in Afro-America; controversies of ideology and social knowledge; ethnic and racial identity; and sex and race in employment.
Note: Required of and limited to concentrators, ordinarily juniors.
*Sociology 99. Senior Tutorial
Catalog Number: 6237
Kenneth T. Andrews and members of the Department
Full course. Hours to be arranged.
Supervision of theses or other honors projects.
Note: Limited to concentrators, ordinarily seniors. In addition, students of Sociology 99 may also enroll in a fall term only, optional, regularly scheduled weekly group seminar for consultation and discussion about choice of problems, possible data, and research procedures.
[Sociology 107. The American Family]
Catalog Number: 9124
Martin K. Whyte
Half course (spring term). Hours to be arranged.
Examines patterns and trends in American family life, both sociologically and historically. Topics covered include changes in the nature of marriage; women’s roles; kinship relations; sexual attitudes and behaviors; divorce; and child rearing.
Note: Expected to be given in 2002–03.
[*Sociology 110. Sociological Approaches to Income and Wealth: Conference Course]
Catalog Number: 2404
Mariko Chang
Half course (spring term). Hours to be arranged.
Explores the sociological meaning of income and wealth and the ways in which these socially constructed meanings interact with social and economic behavior. Centered around the questions: In what ways are the economic and the social embedded? How are people’s perceptions of income and wealth shaped by social institutions such as the family, the economy, and the state? What are the sociological explanations for the distribution of income and wealth in society? What are the societal effects of growing or shrinking economic inequality?
Note: Expected to be given in 2002–03.
Sociology 116. Professions and Disciplines
Catalog Number: 1305
Libby Schweber
Half course (fall term). Tu., Th., at 10. EXAM GROUP: 12
Uses the sociological literature to trace changes in the representaton and organization of professions and disciplines in modern society. Topics include bases of professional authority, professions and ethics, public images, the consequences of bureaucratization, the relation between the professions and the state and different types of knowledge/power relations. Special attention is paid to the cases of medicine, law, and the social sciences in the United States.
Sociology 117. Religion and Society
Catalog Number: 1570
Ziad Weal Munson
Half course (spring term). Tu., Th., at 10. EXAM GROUP: 12
Examines the relationship between society and religious institutions, religious beliefs, and religious practices. Major topics covered include the question of whether or not modern society is becoming more secular, the place of religion in politics, religious conversion, new religious movements, and the role of religious rituals and symbols in the modern world. These topics are explored using both classical sociological theory and contemporary empirical data.
Sociology 124. Social Stratification
Catalog Number: 9219
Judah Matras
Half course (fall term). Tu., Th., at 11. EXAM GROUP: 13
Examines individual and structural explanations for the generation and maintenance of inequality in the United States and the influence of stratification on individuals and groups. Covers status attainment and social mobility; the allocation of societal rewards according to class, race, and gender; the distribution of educational opportunities and cultural capital; and labor market segmentation by race, ethnicity, and gender.
*Sociology 128. Paradigms of Social Inquiry
Catalog Number: 5979
David R. Gibson
Half course (fall term). M., W., (F.), at 11. EXAM GROUP: 4
Introduces sociological thinking—what is a sociological problem, how to pose one, what alternative answers might be, how to weigh the evidence. Case studies of sociological research and theorizing. Stresses logic and reasoning, not particular statistical methods.
Note: Prerequisite to Sociology 156. Required of Sociology concentrators. For all other students, permission of instructor required.
Sociology 129. Political Sociology
Catalog Number: 2495
Ziad Weal Munson
Half course (spring term). Tu., Th., at 1. EXAM GROUP: 15
An examination of the sociological approaches to power, politics, and the state. Major topics will include: state formation, revolution, nationalism, warfare, the formation and consequences of major policy initiatives, citizenship and rights, social movements, and the influence of various groups in politics.
[*Sociology 130. The Politics of Illness: Conference Course]
Catalog Number: 6220
Jason A. Kaufman
Half course (fall term). Hours to be arranged.
Integrates contemporary sociological understanding of political processes with a historical understanding of the social development of medicine and the health-sciences. Specific topics of inquiry will include: political struggles over state responses to communicative disease (particularly AIDS); the sociology of scientific discovery; the social transformation of American medicine; the cognitive discovery that microbes cause disease and its ensuing impact on state formation; the role of disease in geo-political (i.e. military) conflict; the network-structure of disease pathology; mental illness and the politics of normalcy; reproductive health and gender politics; poverty, health, and politics; and future crises for the health-sciences infrastructure.
Note: Expected to be given in 2002–03.
Sociology 139. Deviance and Social Control
Catalog Number: 4020
Mark J. Zimny
Half course (fall term). Hours to be arranged.
The relationship of social organization to deviant behavior; the identification of deviant behavior and the social response it elicits. Individual, group, and organizational violations of social norms, rules, and laws. Emphasis on the “societal reaction” or “interactionist” approach to deviance. The correctional and causal approach towards deviance, its limitations and alternative ways to address the subject of deviance.
Sociology 141. Social Institutions of Contemporary China
Catalog Number: 9333
Martin K. Whyte
Half course (fall term). M., W., 1–2:30. EXAM GROUP: 6, 7
Introduction to the patterns of social life in China and how these have changed since the revolution in 1949. Topics covered include political institutions, work organizations, village life, cities, family life, schooling, and inequality.
*Sociology 149. Ethnicity: Comparative and Historical Perspectives: Conference Course
Catalog Number: 8242 Enrollment: Limited to 20.
Orlando Patterson
Half course (spring term). W., 4–6. EXAM GROUP: 9
Ethnicity has emerged as one of the most important forces in the modern world. It is the source of collective identity, communal solidarity, and nation building as well as the inspiration for resistance to colonial domination and dictatorial regimes. It has also been a major source of political, social, and economic conflicts throughout the world, in some cases resulting in genocidal wars between groups. The course explores the nature of ethnicity, the main theoretical approaches to the subject, and case studies of ethnic formation and conflict around the world, paying special attention to the relationship between ethnicity and religion, language, racism, and modernization.
*Sociology 150. The Social Underpinnings of Taste
Catalog Number: 4638
Stanley Lieberson
Half course (fall term). (M.), W., F., at 11. EXAM GROUP: 4
Examines current empirical and theoretical information about the social factors influencing our tastes. This includes work on naming practices, fashion, art, and pop culture. Considers how tastes are molded and changed by social class, political and social events, age cohorts, and education, as well as internal processes.
Sociology 152. Mass Media: Sociological Perspectives
Catalog Number: 0754
Shyon Stephan Baumann
Half course (spring term). Tu., Th., at 11. EXAM GROUP: 13
Examines mass media production, content, and effects. The focus is on the realms of the news and of culture in the United States. Considers the main theories and the evidence regarding debates on how the mass media function and influence society. Topics include violence, censorship, corporate influence, bias, advertising, and modes of media consumption.
[Sociology 153. Media and the American Mind]
Catalog Number: 8867
Jason A. Kaufman
Half course (spring term). Hours to be arranged.
Explores contemporary American society through the lens of media, including but not restricted to television, movies, and the internet, and critically examines the social histories of the telephone, the telegraph, radio, theatre, literature, music, and the arts. Special attention is given to the ways in which media both shape and reflect the social contexts in which they are produced and consumed. Draws upon a wide variety of social scientific paradigms in so doing, focusing on topics such as class and cultural consumption, the business dynamics of the art world, the co-optation and subversion of dominant art forms, the impact of information networks on social structure and social development, the sociology of celebrity, and the socio-historical rise of different genres and art forms.
Note: Expected to be given in 2002–03.
*Sociology 156. Quantitative Methods in Sociology
Catalog Number: 8958
Peter V. Marsden
Half course (spring term). M., W., (F.), at 10. EXAM GROUP: 3
Introduces quantitative analysis in social research, including principles of research design and the use of empirical evidence, particularly from social surveys. Descriptive and inferential statistics, contingency table analysis, and regression analysis. Emphasis on analysis of data and presentation of results in research reports.
Note: Required of and limited to Sociology concentrators, ordinarily sophomores.
Prerequisite: Sociology 128.
Sociology 157. Gender and Social Policy: Conference Course
Catalog Number: 3030
Mary Ruggie (Kennedy School)
Half course (fall term). Tu., 2–4. EXAM GROUP: 16, 17
Examines the role of various agents and venues (including governments, courts, interest groups, employers) on the development and implementation of such policies as health, labor market and welfare. Wherever possible, policies in the U.S. are compared with those in selected European countries. Theoretical perspectives are drawn from the literature on the welfare state and feminist legal theory.
Sociology 158. Gender Stratification
Catalog Number: 1956
Annemette Sorensen
Half course (spring term). M., 1–3. EXAM GROUP: 6, 7
Examines the evidence about the nature and causes of gender stratification in post-industrial societies. Consequences of gender stratification for family life, for relations between men and women, and for class and race inequalities are considered.
Sociology 159. Technology and Society: Conference Course
Catalog Number: 4394
Shyon Stephan Baumann
Half course (fall term). M., 1–3. EXAM GROUP: 6, 7
Examines the relationship between technology and society with a focus on the historical interaction between them as well as the contemporary ethical, political, economic, and cultural issues that are raised by technological development. The extent to which technological change has led to changes in social institutions, social relations, and norms and values is explored. Also, explored are the organizational and society-level determinants of technological advancement and implementation.
[Sociology 160. Medicine, Health Policy and Ethics in Comparative Perspective: Conference Course]
Catalog Number: 3456 Enrollment: Limited to 20.
Mary-Jo Del Vecchio Good (Medical School)
Half course (fall term). Hours to be arranged.
Complements Sociology 162. Provides opportunities to study in greater depth topics of: culture and political economy of bio-medicine; health policies at national and international levels; and bioethics. Students will read case materials, journal articles and ethnographies as well as conduct “data searches” from the web and from more traditional sources, and choose course projects that may include field research as well as literature or document based studies.
Note: Expected to be given in 2002–03.
[Sociology 162. Medical Sociology]
Catalog Number: 5801
Mary-Jo Del Vecchio Good (Medical School)
Half course (spring term). Hours to be arranged.
Explores current topics in medical sociology, including the work of doctoring, the experience of illness, and the social distribution of health needs and health resources. Examines how medical knowledge, practice, research, and technology are culturally shaped and institutionally organized. Primarily focuses on biomedicine as a cultural system in North America; however, comparative illustrations are drawn from international medicine.
Note: Expected to be given in 2002–03.
[Sociology 166. Poverty, Public Policy, and Controversy]
Catalog Number: 8460
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Half course (spring term). Hours to be arranged.
Explores American poverty, changing social attitudes toward “the poor” and the transformation of government’s role in addressing the conditions and affecting the “behavior” of people in poor and near-poor families. Emphasis will be put on integrating quantitative descriptions of poverty (rates, trends, etc),shifting policy debates, and exploring texts and narratives that reveal how low-income people understand and respond to the conditions of living poor in a wealthy society. Issues of race, ethnicity, gender and stigma will be included. Recent research on low-income working mothers/parents and their children and life in post-welfare America will be explored, with a focus on the broad social effects.
Note: Expected to be given in 2002–03.
[*Sociology 168. Sociology of Law: Conference Course]
Catalog Number: 8326
Kenneth T. Andrews
Half course (spring term). Hours to be arranged.
Examines law from a sociological perspective. Particular attention will be given to the historical patterns that have shaped law as a social institution and profession. The relationship of law to politics, culture, and the economy will be studied. Specific topics include the role of law in shaping gender, work, race/ethnicity, and social inequality.
Note: Expected to be given in 2002–03.
Sociology 172. Knowledge and Power: Conference Course
Catalog Number: 0993
Libby Schweber
Half course (spring term). Th., 3–5. EXAM GROUP: 17, 18
Examines the changing place of knowledge in modern society and changing ways of thinking about the relation of knowledge and power. Readings are organized around three themes: intellectuals in politics, knowledge as a form of discipline and knowledge as a for of liberation. Topics include: Taylorism, Social Policy, Reproductive Technology, AIDS Research, Education and Deviance.
[Sociology 184b. Freedom and Society in the Modern World]
Catalog Number: 4506
Orlando Patterson
Half course (fall term). Hours to be arranged.
A comparative and historical examination of the meanings and experiences of freedom from early modern times to the present. Freedom is viewed and treated less as an idea and more as a cultural chord with institutional implications. The course examines the ways in which social context and political conflicts led to the reconstruction of the medieval heritage of freedom during critical periods of Western history from renaissance Florence down to contemporary America. It concludes with an overview of the spread of freedom in the non-Western world, and the problems of reconciling it with development strategies and traditional values.
Note: Expected to be given in 2002–03.
Sociology 185. Race and Crime in America
Catalog Number: 4244
Lawrence D. Bobo
Half course (spring term). Tu., Th., at 11. EXAM GROUP: 13
Exams sociological thinking and research on race and crime. General theories of involvement in crime and deviance will be discussed with special attention to issues of youth gangs, to impact of poverty and of racial residential segregation on involvement in crime, and the impact of high rates of incarceration on minority communities. The course will address the tightly inter-connected politics of race and crime and the public policy questions raised by high rates of incarceration of minority youth.
[*Sociology 188. Lines that Divide: Race, Class, Gender, and Ethnicity in the Ethnographic Tradition: Conference Course]
Catalog Number: 6496 Enrollment: Limited to 25.
Katherine Newman (Kennedy School)
Half course (fall term). Hours to be arranged.
The ethnographic tradition in sociology — its methods, substance, and theoretical contributions — will be explored through the intensive reading of qualitative literature on African-American communities in poverty, working and middle class families in the throes of economic change, elites confronting meritocratic ideologies, women and men contending with changing definitions of gender roles, and ethnic groups struggling to define the meaning (or loss of significance) of their national origins. Race, class, gender, and ethnicity will be examined as theoretical constructs, sources of division, and avenues of potential integration in American culture. Attention will be given to methods of data collection, analysis, and argument in community studies.
Note: Expected to be given in 2002–03.
[Sociology 191. Cities and Regions: Conference Course]
Catalog Number: 6203
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Half course (fall term). Hours to be arranged.
Stresses the interaction of societies and their geographies, focusing primarily on historic and current developments in the United States. Considers demography, technology, institutions, ideology, health, the economy, and other factors.
Note: Expected to be given in 2002–03.
[*Sociology 203b. Methods of Quantitative Sociological Research II]
Catalog Number: 1860
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Half course (fall term). Hours to be arranged.
Treats longitudinal design and methods for the statistical analysis of longitudinal data with an emphasis on the analysis of change in discrete variables, or event history analysis. Includes an introduction to time series analysis. Both statistical theory and practical applications will be covered.
Note: Expected to be given in 2002–03. Intended primarily for graduate students in Sociology.
Prerequisite: Sociology 203a.
[*Sociology 203c. Analysis of Categorical Data]
Catalog Number: 2951
Christopher Winship
Half course (spring term). Hours to be arranged.
Provides an introduction to methods for the multivariate analysis of categorical data. Covers loglinear analysis for the applied practitioner. Additional topics include logit and probit analysis, models for ordinal data, multinomial and conditional logit models, path analysis for categorical variables, and latent class analysis. Emphasis on empirical applications in the social sciences.
Note: Expected to be given in 2002–03.
Prerequisite: Sociology 203a or permission of instructor.
*Sociology 204. Sociological Theory: Seminar
Catalog Number: 6189
Libby Schweber
Half course (fall term). W., 3–5. EXAM GROUP: 8, 9
A survey and critical analysis of sociological theory from the late 19th century through the 1960s. Emphasisis placed on the practical application theory, especially its ability to help us formulate explanations to social phenomenon and to develop empirical tests of those explanations.
Note: Required of first-year graduate students in Sociology.
Sociology 206. The Sociology of Development: Seminar
Catalog Number: 9026
Martin K. Whyte
Half course (fall term). Tu., 2–4. EXAM GROUP: 16, 17
Examines debates surrounding the nature of the process of economic development. Major attentionis devoted to rival theories of where and why development occurs and to a variety of social consequences of economic development.
[*Sociology 207. Gender and Sexuality: Seminar]
Catalog Number: 4080
David J. Frank
Half course (spring term). Hours to be arranged.
Argues that “gender” and “sexuality” are neither fixed in reality nor free floating in space but rather institutionalized in a limited set of dynamic cultural and organizational arrangements, such as the state and science. The configuration of these arrangements sets the boundaries within which gender and sexuality have meaning and motivate action in society at large.
Note: Expected to be given in 2002–03.
*Sociology 208. Contemporary Theory and Research: Seminar
Catalog Number: 6080
David R. Gibson
Half course (spring term). Tu., 2–4. EXAM GROUP: 16, 17
Develops tools for the construction of sociological theory. Compares major contemporary sociological theories and their applications to the study of social organization. Emphasis is placed on adjudicating among competing explanations based on evidence and critical assessment of a theory’s logic.
Note: Required of and limited to first-year graduate students in Sociology.
*Sociology 209. Qualitative Social Analysis
Catalog Number: 1198
Katherine Newman (Kennedy School) and Prudence L. Carter
Half course (fall term). M., 9–11. EXAM GROUP: 2, 3
Examines the main approaches and methodological assumptions in the analysis of non-numerical data by comparative, interpretive, and historical sociologists. Reviews methods of linking and presenting varied data bases and main criteria for establishing validity and reliability in the analysis of field notes, archival, published, and other kinds of qualitative data.
Note: Required of and limited to first-year graduate students in Sociology.
*Sociology 210. Issues in the Interpretation of Empirical Evidence: Seminar
Catalog Number: 2882
Stanley Lieberson
Half course (fall term). W., 3–5. EXAM GROUP: 8, 9
Special problems occur in the interpretation of results based on non-experimental data — whether they are from surveys, historical research, field work, or other sources. These issues apply to both quantitative and qualitative studies, and are different from those resolved through statistical solutions. We consider the assumptions employed, their appropriateness, and various solutions.
[Sociology 217. Sociology of Families and Kinship: Seminar]
Catalog Number: 8522
Martin K. Whyte
Half course (spring term). Hours to be arranged.
Examines recent theoretical approaches and empirical research on family patterns, combining focus on how and why family patterns vary and change over time while examining how individuals differ in their experience of life course transitions, such as marriage, childbearing, employment, divorce, and retirement.
Note: Expected to be given in 2002–03.
[*Sociology 220. Globalization: Seminar]
Catalog Number: 0150
David J. Frank
Half course (fall term). Hours to be arranged.
Argues that globalization is pervasively consequential for contemporary social life. Begins by exploring the substance of globalization, its origins and its economic, political, and cultural dimensions. Then looks at globalization’s consequences, particularly for nation-states, organizations, and persons.
Note: Expected to be given in 2002–03.
*Sociology 221. Immigration, Identity and Assimilation: Seminar
Catalog Number: 9699 Enrollment: Limited to 15.
Mary C. Waters
Half course (fall term). W., 10–12. EXAM GROUP: 3, 4
Examines the experiences of immigrants who have arrived in the United States since 1965 and their children — the second generation. Patterns of economic, political, and social assimilation, as well as ethnic identity formation will be reviewed. Recent theories and empirical research on the link between identity and economic assimilation will be discussed.
*Sociology 224. Organizational Analysis
Catalog Number: 8202
Peter V. Marsden
Half course (fall term). M., 3–5. EXAM GROUP: 8, 9
Surveys sociological perspectives on organizations and environments. Reviews classical and contemporary theories of bureaucracy and organization-environment relations. Attention to perspectives including ecological, institutional, resource dependence, transaction-cost, agency theory, learning theory, and organizational culture. Examination of phenomena at mutiple levels from the establishment to the organizational network or field.
[Sociology 226. Topics in Social Organization]
Catalog Number: 9258
Peter V. Marsden
Half course (fall term). Hours to be arranged.
Recent theory and research on social organization, including both organizational analysis and social networks. Topics may include network exchange theory, organizational ecology, and social influence models, among others. Some attention to quantitative techniques useful in the study of social organization, including event-history analysis, event-count analysis and multilevel analysis. It is expected that students enrolling will have graduate-level background in the study of social organization and social networks.
Note: Expected to be given in 2002–03.
[*Sociology 227. Political Sociology: Seminar]
Catalog Number: 6042
Kenneth T. Andrews
Half course (fall term). Hours to be arranged.
Examines the field of political sociology including the theoretical and programmatic statements of classical theorists and recent debates in the field. A wide range of substantive topics will be covered including the state and economy, revolution and warfare, social inequality and policy, democracy and political participation, social movements and interest groups.
Note: Expected to be given in 2002–03.
*Sociology 232. Social Movements: Seminar
Catalog Number: 1333
Kenneth T. Andrews
Half course (fall term). W., 1–3. EXAM GROUP: 6, 7
Introduces major theoretical approaches to the study of social movements and explores central topics of contemporary research including protest cycles, the social and cultural basis of movement participation, countermovements, repression and the state, the internal organization of movements, and the consequences of movements. Illustrative studies will be examined to reflect on the strengths and limitations of various approaches.
[Sociology 237. Contemporary Chinese Society: Seminar]
Catalog Number: 4320
Martin K. Whyte
Half course (fall term). Hours to be arranged.
A seminar devoted to the intensive analysis of a particular aspect of contemporary Chinese society. This year the focus will be on trends in inequality and stratification in China.
Note: Expected to be given in 2002–03.
[Sociology 244. Topics in Economic Sociology]
Catalog Number: 8692
Mariko Chang
Half course (fall term). Hours to be arranged.
Introduction to the field of economic sociology at the graduate level. The course is structured around 3-5 “sub-topics” within the economic sociology literature. This structure should permit a nice balance between breadth and depth, while permitting graduate students to explore material in greater detail than would be feasible in most introductory courses at the graduate level.
Note: Expected to be given in 2002–03.
[Sociology 248. Race, Politics, and Social Inequality]
Catalog Number: 8035
Lawrence D. Bobo
Half course (spring term). Hours to be arranged.
Examines the place where race, public will, and policy-making intersect and reviews theories of race-making and racial inequality, the dynamics of public opinion, and the effects of a racialized public sphere on social policy. Focused attention will center on the shaping of the welfare state, crime and the criminal justice system, and the social and political dynamics of an increasingly multiethnic society.
Note: Expected to be given in 2002–03.
*Sociology 249. “Race,” Culture and Social Structure: Seminar
Catalog Number: 5727
Orlando Patterson
Half course (fall term). Tu., 2–4. EXAM GROUP: 16, 17
The seminar will examine the socio-economic and cultural dimensions of racial inequality in the United States. Both the external and institutional factors accounting for inequality as well as the internal problems of black social life and culture will be examined. We will also explore the political and economic consequences of various policies aimed at reducing inequality such as affirmative action. Particular attention will be given to family structure and gender relations and to the policies relating to them. All points of view will be considered.
*Sociology 250. Culture: Current Issues in the Study of Taste: Seminar
Catalog Number: 4641
Stanley Lieberson
Half course (spring term). W., 3–5. EXAM GROUP: 8, 9
Reviews and evaluates both theoretical and empirical efforts to understand the social context in which tastes operate in daily life. Focus is on existing debates and new directions in this area. Although not required, students can use the seminar to develop their current projects in this area, or to develop new ones.
[*Sociology 251. Gender and Organizations: Seminar]
Catalog Number: 4645
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Half course (fall term). Hours to be arranged.
Examines the role of gender in work organizations, with an emphasis on current research. Considers the effects of organizational practices on women’s and men’s work opportunities and rewards, factors that affect organizations’ sex composition, and the effects of sex composition of organizational outcomes.
Note: Expected to be given in 2002–03.
Prerequisite: Graduate standing and a graduate level class in multivariate statistics.
Sociology 256. Sociology of Education: Seminar
Catalog Number: 7794
Prudence L. Carter
Half course (spring term). W., 2–4. EXAM GROUP: 7, 8
The course will examine current theory and research about education’s role in modern society, including: sources of educational change; organizational context of schooling; impact of schooling on social stratification and cultural reproduction; and the relationships between the educational system and other social institutions.
[*Sociology 259. Civic Engagement: Theories, Research, and Strategies]
Catalog Number: 8759
Theda Skocpol and Marshall Louis Ganz
Half course (spring term). Hours to be arranged.
Surveys theories and empirical research about civic engagement in the United States and other democracies, and considers practical strategies attempted by movements and actors seeking to enhance civic participation. Each seminar member will develop a research project or proposal.
Note: Expected to be given in 2002–03.
Prerequisite: Permission of the instructor required.
Sociology 260. Values Orientations and Life Course Decisions: Seminar
Catalog Number: 0472
Ronny Jean Lesthaeghe (University of Brussels)
Half course (spring term). Th., 2–4. EXAM GROUP: 16, 17
Addresses whether or not value orientations have any predictive power in sorting individuals over paths of their life courses, and to what extent particular life course transitions cause shifts in value orientations. Makes use of the existing empirical literature in both the US and Europe; makes connections with various theories of an economic, sociological and demographic nature. Panel data and cross-sectional evidence will be analyzed.
Prerequisite: Requires some basic notions of multivariate analysis.
[*Sociology 271. Sociology of Culture]
Catalog Number: 5401
Jason A. Kaufman
Half course (fall term). Hours to be arranged.
A review of contemporary themes and approaches in the sociology of culture. Topics will include theories of media and mass society; high-brow and low-brow in cultural consumption; class, culture, and power; the production of culture; neo-institutionalism and the dissemination of schema; culture and cognition; incorporating culture in macro-theories of social change; and current methodological strategies for the empirical study of cultural processes.
Note: Expected to be given in 2002–03.
*Sociology 275. Social Network Analysis
Catalog Number: 6899
Peter V. Marsden
Half course (spring term). M., 3–5. EXAM GROUP: 8, 9
Teaches concepts and methods for studying social structure in terms of social relationships or social networks. Approaches to collection of network data; issues of data quality; analysis of total network data via graph-theoretic techniques, multidimensional scaling, block models and related methods; analysis of survey network data on interpersonal environments of individuals.
[*Sociology 290. Sociological Field Methods]
Catalog Number: 4613
Gwendolyn Dordick
Half course (fall term). Hours to be arranged.
An intensive exploration of strategies, practices, and problems in the sociological investigation of natural settings with a principal focus on gaining practical experience in the field. In addition to smaller excercises, students will complete two significant research projects. Classroom time will be spent analyzing and debriefing issues that arise in the course of conducting these projects.
Note: Expected to be given in 2002–03. Open to all graduate students 2nd year and above.
*Sociology 296a. Proseminar on Inequality and Social Policy I
Catalog Number: 6231 Enrollment: Limited to 18.
David Tabor Ellwood (Kennedy School)
Half course (fall term). M., 2–4. EXAM GROUP: 7, 8
Deals with the causes of economic inequality, including demand for various kinds of skills, the supply of such skills, cultural differences, political attitudes, political institutions, and living arrangements.
Note: Jointly offered with the Kennedy School as HLE-511.
[*Sociology 296b. Proseminar on Inequality and Social Policy II]
Catalog Number: 0193
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Half course (spring term). Hours to be arranged.
Deals with the reasons for changes in economic inequality, including changes in the supply and demand for skills, employment patterns, living arrangements, residential segregation by race and class, discrimination against women and minorities, immigration, the growth of the welfare state, and recent changes in welfare regulations.
Note: Expected to be given in 2002–03.
*Sociology 301. Special Reading and Research
Catalog Number: 4017
Mary C. Waters 1498, Kenneth T. Andrews 3604, Lawrence D. Bobo 2919, Prudence L. Carter 3973, Mariko Chang 1563 (on leave 2001-02), Gwendolyn Dordick 3011, David J. Frank 1893 (on leave fall term), David R. Gibson 3976, Mary-Jo Del Vecchio Good (Medical School) 7721, Christopher Jencks (Kennedy School) 2160, Jason A. Kaufman 2147 (on leave 2001-02), Ronny Jean Lesthaeghe (University of Brussels) 4200, Stanley Lieberson 1937, Peter V. Marsden 1797, Judah Matras 4177, Katherine Newman (Kennedy School) 2651, Orlando Patterson 1091, Libby Schweber 3018, Theda Skocpol 1387 (on leave spring term), Martin K. Whyte 3737 (on leave spring term), and Christopher Winship 3189 (on leave 2001-02)
*Sociology 302. Direction of Doctoral Dissertation
Catalog Number: 5021
Members of the Department and others listed under Sociology 301.
[*Sociology 303a. Advanced Topics in Quantitative Research]
Catalog Number: 5636
Christopher Winship 3189 (on leave 2001-02)
Half course (fall term; repeated spring term). Hours to be arranged.
Examines current methodological scholarship in sociology with an eye to assessing its quality and potential for advancing quantitative methods within the discipline. Recently published and unpublished work examined.
Note: Expected to be given in 2002–03.
*Sociology 305. Teaching Practicum
Catalog Number: 0259
Kenneth T. Andrews 3604 and staff
Half course (fall term). F., 12–2.
Note: Normally limited to Teaching Fellows and Section Leaders in Sociology. Attendance at first meeting is required.
*Sociology 306r. Colloquium in Sociology
Catalog Number: 4818
Libby Schweber 3018
Half course (fall term; repeated spring term). Th., 12–2.
A seminar for advanced graduate students that provides a forum for presentation of their research, especially dissertation research. Only graduate students in sociology may register for credit. Students registered for credit must make a seminar presentation during the term.
*Sociology 307 (formerly *Sociology 297). Workshop on Social Policy
Catalog Number: 0137
Katherine Newman (Kennedy School) 2651
Half course (fall term). M., 2–4. EXAM GROUP: 7, 8
Students who have completed Sociology 296a or 296b may enroll in this workshop where they will develop their papers from the previous year’s course into professional presentations and publishable articles, critique fellow student papers across disciplines, and discuss at length the presentaiton of national experts who appear in the seminar on inequality and social policy.
Note: Jointly offered with the Kennedy School as HLE-513.
Prerequisite: Sociology 296a or 296b (or HLE-511 or HLE-512 at the Kennedy School) or by permission of Instructor.
*Sociology 310r. Colloquium in Social Movements, Politics, and Religion
Catalog Number: 1316
Kenneth T. Andrews 3604
Half course (fall term; repeated spring term). Hours to be arranged.
Bi-weekly colloquium for graduate students that examines social movements, politics and religion. Students will participate in meetings and present original research.