[Sociology 21. Work and the New Economy]
Catalog Number: 8575
Mary C. Brinton
Half course (fall term). Hours to be arranged.
Explores changes in the nature of work and the workplace in recent years. Particular emphasis to trends in wage inequality, conditions of low- and highly-paid work, changes in the requirements of professions, rise of "contingent" and part-time employment, relationship between work and technology, and processes that affect people’s work lives inside organizations, with some attention to international comparisons and employment policies.
Note: Expected to be given in 2010–11. May be counted for introductory concentration requirement, if letter-graded.
[Sociology 22. Gender and the Economy]
Catalog Number: 7997
Mary C. Brinton
Half course (fall term). Hours to be arranged.
Familiarizes students with central issues and theoretical perspectives regarding gender inequality in the workplace. Focuses first on long-term changes in women’s economic participation and in the gendered division of labor as societies undergo processes of industrialization and post-industrialization, then more specifically on the US and on recent changes in workplace inequality and in the family-work interface.
Note: Expected to be given in 2010–11. May be counted for introductory concentration requirement, if letter-graded.
[Sociology 24. Introduction to Social Inequality]
Catalog Number: 9417 Enrollment: Limited to 25.
Jason Beckfield
Half course (spring term). Hours to be arranged.
Examines individual and structural explanations for the generation and maintenance of inequality in the US with comparisons to other societies. The consequences of inequality for individuals and groups are studied.
Note: Expected to be given in 2010–11. May be counted for introductory concentration requirement, if letter-graded.
Sociology 25. Introduction to the Sociology of Organizations
Catalog Number: 3609
Frank Dobbin
Half course (spring term). M., W., at 11. EXAM GROUP: 4
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: May be counted for introductory concentration requirement, if letter-graded.
Sociology 43. Social Interaction
Catalog Number: 9625
Timothy Nelson (Kennedy School)
Half course (spring term). Tu., Th., 11:30–1. EXAM GROUP: 13, 14
Drawing from social psychology and symbolic interaction, this course focuses on social interactions, from everyday activities like conversations and parties to demonstrations and riots. Emphasizes outside observation of various kinds and components of social interaction. The University’s resident halls, classrooms, finals clubs, and the cities of Cambridge and Boston will serve as our laboratory. Students will record their observations and analyses in journal entries.
Note: May be counted for introductory concentration requirement, if letter-graded.
[*Sociology 95 (formerly *Sociology 96j). Research for Nonprofits]
Catalog Number: 0136
Instructor to be determined
Half course (spring term). Hours to be arranged.
Supports students in carrying out a research project for a nonprofit organization that they are currently working with or have an interest in. Examines how research is used in the nonprofit sector. Course combines guest lectures, discussion, and student project presentations.
Note: Expected to be given in 2010–11.
[*Sociology 96r. Community Based Research]
Catalog Number: 7425
Instructor to be determined
Half course (spring term). Hours to be arranged.
One of the few courses at Harvard that integrates students’ participation in activities outside the University with course work. Course integrates readings with hands-on research projects in the Boston area. Topics vary; refer to course website for details. Previous topics have included: immigration, marginalization, adolescents, civic activity.
Note: Expected to be given in 2010–11. Both concentrators and non-concentrators are welcome to apply. Required first meeting.
Sociology 97. Tutorial in Sociological Theory
Catalog Number: 5079
David L. Ager
Half course (fall term; repeated spring term). Fall: M., 1–3; Th., 3–5.
Provides a critical understanding of selected classical and contemporary theorists, including Marx, Durkheim, Weber, Simmel, Parsons, Coleman, Collins, Bourdieu, and an up-to-date selection of avant-garde theory.
Note: Required of concentrators, ordinarily sophomores, and secondary concentrators. Required first organizational meeting.
*Sociology 99. Senior Tutorial
Catalog Number: 6237
David L. Ager 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 participate in a fall term only, optional, regularly scheduled weekly group seminar for consultation and discussion about choice of problems, possible data, and research procedures.
Prerequisite: Sociology 98.
*Sociology 98Ba. Citizens, Associations, and American Democracy - (New Course)
Catalog Number: 60838 Enrollment: Limited to 10.
Matthew Baggetta
Half course (fall term). W., 3–5.
Explores "What is a ’good citizen’?" in the context of American democracy and considers the role of formal voluntary associations in shaping "good" citizenship.
Note: Required of and limited to Sociology junior concentrators.
Prerequisite: Sociology 97
*Sociology 98Br. Community Justice and Public Safety - (New Course)
Catalog Number: 24423 Enrollment: Limited to 10.
Anthony A. Braga
Half course (spring term). Hours to be arranged.
Note: Required of and limited to Sociology concentrators. Spring Junior Tutorials are by assignment only.
Prerequisite: Sociology 97
*Sociology 98H. Immigration, Politics, and Movements - (New Course)
Catalog Number: 91052 Enrollment: Limited to 10.
Luisa Laura Heredia
Half course (spring term). Th., 1–3.
Examines immigrant integration in the political sphere with a focus on Latino immigrants. Explores immigrant politics, immigration policy, and the Immigrant Rights Movement and related movements in the United States.
Note: Required of and limited to Sociology junior concentrators.
Prerequisite: Sociology 97
*Sociology 98K. Big Bird Goes to China: Organizations, Culture, and Globalization - (New Course)
Catalog Number: 47313 Enrollment: Limited to 10.
Tamara Kay
Half course (spring term). W., 1–3.
Examines how different kinds of organizations and institutions work internationally and develop relationships with international partners and counterparts..
Note: Required of and limited to Sociology concentrators. Spring Junior Tutorials are by assignment only.
Prerequisite: Sociology 97
*Sociology 98Ka. Arts, Culture, and Urban Neighborhoods - (New Course)
Catalog Number: 69744 Enrollment: Limited to 10.
Matthew E. Kaliner and members of the Department
Half course (spring term). Th., 1–3.
Reviews the major traditions in urban sociology and the sociology of culture, focusing on the connections between cultural creativity and urban change.
Note: Required of and limited to Sociology concentrators. Spring Junior Tutorials are by assignment only.
Prerequisite: Sociology 97
*Sociology 98L. Race and Anti-Racism - (New Course)
Catalog Number: 54637 Enrollment: Limited to 10.
Michèle Lamont
Half course (fall term). Tu., 1–3.
Students will familiarize themselves with the literatures on racism and anti-racism, as well as racial identity and boundaries and design their own qualitative research project.
Note: Required of and limited to Sociology junior concentrators.
Prerequisite: Sociology 97
*Sociology 98M. Social Class in the United States: Identity Culture, and Consciousness - (New Course)
Catalog Number: 18222 Enrollment: Limited to 10.
Rachel Meyer
Half course (spring term). Hours to be arranged.
This course will review a variety of empirical and theoretical perspectives on social class in the United States with a focus on class-based identities and class consciousness.
Note: Required of and limited to Sociology concentrators. Spring Junior Tutorials are by assignment only.
Prerequisite: Sociology 97
*Sociology 98Ro. Science, Technology, and Society - (New Course)
Catalog Number: 84851 Enrollment: Limited to 10.
Claude Rosental
Half course (spring term). Tu., 1–3.
Explores concrete ways in which scientific knowledge and technologies are produced and socially managed, and the structures of the relationship between science, technology and society at large.
Note: Required of and limited to Sociology concentrators. Spring Junior Tutorials are by assignment only.
Prerequisite: Sociology 97.
*Sociology 98W. The Changing Dynamics of Black Family Life in America - (New Course)
Catalog Number: 33329 Enrollment: Limited to 10.
Jessica S. Welburn
Half course (spring term). W., 1–3.
Explores sociological research on the African American family over the course of the 20th and 21st centuries focusing on central debates in the field including changing family structures and class dynamics.
Note: Required of and limited to Sociology concentrators. Spring Junior Tutorials are by assignment only.
Prerequisite: Sociology 97
Sociology 128. Models of Social Science Research
Catalog Number: 5979
Timothy Nelson (Kennedy School)
Half course (fall term). Tu., Th., at 12. EXAM GROUP: 14
Reviews sociological methods and the questions to which each is best suited. Readings exemplify statistical, ethnographic, and historical approaches. Stresses logic and reasoning, not particular statistical methods.
Note: Required of concentrators, ordinarily Sophomores, and secondary concentrators.
Sociology 129. Education and Society
Catalog Number: 6298
Mary C. Brinton
Half course (spring term). M., W., at 1. EXAM GROUP: 6
Examines the key role played by the education system in reproducing and transforming modern society. Considers what purposes education serves; the extent to which ability, effort, intelligence and luck determine educational success; why educational attainment is socially stratifies by social class origin, gender, ’race’ and ethnicity; and how educational attainment and outcomes are shaped by differences in character and quality between schools.
[Sociology 130. Black Youth Culture]
Catalog Number: 7125
Orlando Patterson
Half course (spring term). Hours to be arranged.
Note: Expected to be given in 2010–11.
Sociology 134. Theories of Power and Postcommunist Societies
Catalog Number: 0041
Laura L. Adams
Half course (fall term). Tu., Th., 1–2:30. EXAM GROUP: 15, 16
Introductory course in contemporary social theory with thematic focus on the concept of power (broadly defined), and an empirical focus on socialist and post-socialist societies including the former Soviet Union, Eastern Europe, China, and Cuba. Each week will pair readings from a particular school or theorist (Bourdieu, Foucault, Gramsci, etc.) with readings by authors who employ that theoretical perspective in their research. Topics covered will include class, colonialism, culture, gender, and resistance.
[Sociology 137. Money, Work, and Social Life]
Catalog Number: 1589 Enrollment: Limited to 50.
Filiz Garip
Half course (spring term). Hours to be arranged.
Offer an account of production, consumption, distribution, and transfer of assets. Examining different sectors of the economy from corporations and finance to households, immigrants, welfare, and illegal markets, we explore how in all areas of economic life people are creating, maintaining, symbolizing, and transforming meaningful social relations. Economic life, from this perspective, is as social as religion, family, or edution.
Note: Expected to be given in 2010–11.
Sociology 138. Political Sociology - (New Course)
Catalog Number: 25214
Matt Baggetta
Half course (spring term). Tu., Th., at 3. EXAM GROUP: 17
Who has power and authority in society? How did they get it? How do they keep it? And how do others wrest it away? These are the fundamental concerns of political sociology. In this course we will consider major theories of power and authority and ho they help explain politics and political institutions. The course will regularly examine contemporary political figures, institutions, groups, and issues to illustrate and interrogate core concepts.
[Sociology 139. Religion and Society]
Catalog Number: 9003
Timothy Nelson (Kennedy School)
Half course (spring term). Hours to be arranged.
Organized into three sections: basic concepts of religion are examined, including, belief, experience, ritual, and organization; religion and the major social distinctions of gender, race/ethnicity and social class; and religion in contemporary society, including secularization, religion in politics and social services, and growth of alternative religions.
Note: Expected to be given in 2010–11. Students will be expected to participate in and observe religious services.
[Sociology 140. The Sociology of U.S. Foreign Policy]
Catalog Number: 1189 Enrollment: Limited to 60.
Jocelyn Viterna
Half course (spring term). Hours to be arranged.
Addresses sociological questions about political power and global social change. Students will read a series of case studies describing US actions toward other nations since the World War II, then explore: (1) why the US government chose these actions, (2) how the US public responded, and (3) the consequences of US actions for issues of class, race, and gender in the affected nations. Case studies will be drawn primarily from non-Western regions of the world (Latin America, the Middle East, Southeast Asia, Africa), and theories of globalization, development, collective action, transnational norms, elite power, and social psychological decision-making processes will be central to class discussions.
Note: Expected to be given in 2010–11.
[Sociology 141. Social Institutions of Contemporary China]
Catalog Number: 9333
Martin K. Whyte
Half course (spring term). Hours to be arranged.
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.
Note: Expected to be given in 2010–11.
Sociology 145. Urban Social Problems
Catalog Number: 8737
Kathryn Edin (Kennedy School)
Half course (spring term). M., W., at 3. EXAM GROUP: 8
Examines first the process by which social phenomenon come to be identified as social problems, then turns to how sociologists have studied social problems from the beginning of the 20th century and onward. We conclude with a discussion of contemporary social problems in US cities (poverty, family structure, neighborhoods, labor markets, crime, and education), how they are framed, and policy solutions.
Sociology 148. Social Movements - (New Course)
Catalog Number: 91843
Matt Baggetta
Half course (spring term). Tu., Th., at 10. EXAM GROUP: 12
Mass movements for social change have profoundly shaped the world we live in. In this course, we will address fundamental questions about movements. When do they occur? How are they organized? Who joins them? How do movements try to gain influence? What effects do movements have on society? In answering these questions, we will look at movements from the political Left and Right, from the past and present, and from the US and beyond.
[Sociology 155. Class and Culture]
Catalog Number: 8934
Timothy Nelson (Kennedy School)
Half course (fall term). Hours to be arranged.
Examines the intersection of social class and culture--both popular culture and "culture" in the anthropological sense. Focus on "class consciousness" as well as the cultural views of the class system, how social class is embedded in various high and popular cultural products such as art, music books, movies and material goods, and finally the question of how class is reproduced through culture. There will be several short research/analysis projects.
Note: Expected to be given in 2010–11.
*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. This course, when taken for a letter grade, meets the General Education requirement in Empirical and Mathematical Reasoning or the Core area requirement for Quantitative Reasoning.
[Sociology 157. Gender and Social Policy: The US in Comparative Perspective: Conference Course]
Catalog Number: 3030
Mary Ruggie (Kennedy School)
Half course (spring term). Hours to be arranged.
Examines the role of various actors and venues (including governments, courts, interest groups, employers) on the development and implementation of policies on health, labor market, family, welfare and violence. Policies in the US are compared with those in selected European countries. Theoretical perspectives are drawn from the literature on the welfare state and feminist legal theory.
Note: Expected to be given in 2010–11. Open to undergraduate and graduate students.
*Sociology 159. Social Entrepreneurship
Catalog Number: 9611 Enrollment: Limited to 75. , by lottery.
David L. Ager
Half course (spring term). Tu., Th., 1–2:30. EXAM GROUP: 15, 16
Focuses on the efforts of private citizens, for-profit and not-for-profit initiatives, to respond to social needs through creative solutions. Topics covered: defining social good, assessing market, philanthropy, and government responses; developing an organizational mission; recognizing specific opportunities for social improvement; forming an enterprise that responds to those opportunities; developing organizational funding strategies; evaluating performance; leading the enterprise; and creating positive and sustainable social value.
Sociology 160. Medicine, Health Policy and Bioethics in Comparative and Global Perspective: Conference Course
Catalog Number: 3456
Mary-Jo Del Vecchio Good (Medical School)
Half course (spring term). W., 1–3. EXAM GROUP: 6, 7
Complements Sociology 162. Examines the culture and political economy of biomedicine and health care institutions in the US and internationally. Analysis of current debates on medical education and the new professionalism; clinical narratives, the medical imaginary and the biotechnical embrace; cultural diversity, disparities and inequalities in medical and mental health care; medical error and quality of care; just use of societal resources; and bioethical dilemmas in clinical practice, medical missions and interventions, and international research and health policies.
Sociology 161. Globalization - (New Course)
Catalog Number: 55428
Rachel Meyer
Half course (spring term). Tu., Th., at 12. EXAM GROUP: 14
Focuses on the development of global capitalism and the relationship between markets, the state, and civil society. The course will pay particular attention to power and inequality, and to various forms of resistance against globalization.
[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 organized around the theme of global and local environments of risk and trust in medicine and health care. Examines how medical education, knowledge, practice, research, technology, and health policies are culturally shaped and institutionally organized. Analyzes the culture and political economy of American medicine through comparative and global perspectives, utilizing country specific illustrations and global health examples.
Note: Expected to be given in 2010–11.
Sociology 165. Inequalities in Health Care
Catalog Number: 8272
Mary Ruggie (Kennedy School)
Half course (fall term). M., W., at 1. EXAM GROUP: 6
Asks why certain social groups are at greater risk for more severe health problems (eg., infant mortality, HIV/AIDS, cancer) and yet receive unequal health care in the US. Examines selected health disparities around the world and what best practices foster adequate delivery of healthcare services, mutual respect between patient and provider, and healthy living.
*Sociology 167. Visualizing Human Rights and Social Change in Documentary Photography and Film
Catalog Number: 6911 Enrollment: Limited to 35.
Tamara Kay
Half course (fall term). Tu., 5:30–8:30 p.m. EXAM GROUP: 18
Explores role of documentary photography and film in promoting rights and advocating social change, particularly in the realm of human rights. Examines history of documentary film and photography in relationship to politics and the development of concerns in sociology with inequality and social justice. Looks at how individual documentarians, non-profit organizations and social movements use film and photography to further their goals and causes. A variety of documentary film and photography genres such as historical, biographical, ethnographic, satire, and political expose will be examined and compared to processes by which filmmakers and photographers engage in social documentation.
Sociology 171. Sociology of Crime and Punishment
Catalog Number: 9922
Bruce Western
Half course (spring term). M., W., at 2. EXAM GROUP: 7
The US penal population now numbers more than 2.2 million people and nearly a third of all African American men will be sentenced to prison at some time in their lives. This course studies these and other crime and criminal justice trends, analyzing them from a sociological perspective. From this perspective crime and state responses to crime are historically variable and often rooted in conflicts over the status of marginal social groups.
Note: Offered jointly with the Kennedy School as CCJ-202.
[Sociology 174. Contemporary Central Asian Societies ]
Catalog Number: 5060
Laura L. Adams
Half course (spring term). Tu., Th., 11:30–1.
A sociological introduction to Central Asia, focusing on Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan, and also including nearby Muslim societies such as Afghanistan and Xinjiang in Western China. Explores contemporary topics such as religion, politics, civil society, globalization, gender, demography, migration, and culture.
Note: Expected to be given in 2010–11.
Sociology 175. Sociology of Immigration - (New Course)
Catalog Number: 76736
Luisa Laura Heredia
Half course (fall term). M., W., at 12. EXAM GROUP: 5
Provides an overview of important concepts and trends in US immigration studies the course examines social, cultural, economic, and political trends. Answers such questions as: How are new immigrants and their children being incorporated into the US? How is American society changing as a result of immigration? And, what are the political and social responses of the American public toward immigration?
[Sociology 176. Immigration and the Transformation of American Society]
Catalog Number: 5953
Mary C. Waters
Half course (spring term). Hours to be arranged.
How are new immigrants and their children being incorporated into the US? How is American society changing as a result of immigration? Examines social, cultural, economic, political, and linguistic trends. Focuses on the US, with comparisons to other immigrant receiving countries.
Note: Expected to be given in 2010–11. This course, when taken for a letter grade, meets the Core area requirement for Social Analysis.
[Sociology 177. Hurricane Katrina: Disaster and Its Aftermath]
Catalog Number: 7253 Enrollment: Limited to 15.
Mary C. Waters
Half course (fall term). Hours to be arranged.
Examines Hurricane Katrina through the lens of the social sciences. Reviews the history of New Orleans, the sociological literature on disasters, and examines how race, class and gender shaped the experiences of the storm and its aftermath. We will review research on the survivors and on the city of New Orleans and debate public policy solutions.
Note: Expected to be given in 2010–11.
Sociology 179. Crime, Justice, and the American Legal System
Catalog Number: 3962 Enrollment: Limited to 220.
Anthony A. Braga
Half course (fall term). M., W., at 10. EXAM GROUP: 3
Examines the causes and consequences of the crime problem in America. Key actors in the legal system, such as police, courts, and prisons will be covered and the role of these institutions in crime prevention will be assessed. Particular attention will be paid to drugs, guns, gangs and other urban crime problems as well as controversial topics in criminal justice, such as racial profiling and the death penalty.
Note: Offered jointly with the Kennedy School as CCJ-103.
Sociology 183. Race and Ethnic Relations - (New Course)
Catalog Number: 70535
Lawrence D. Bobo
Half course (spring term). M., 3–5. EXAM GROUP: 8, 9
Focuses on ethno-racial distinctions as they have played out in the US, particularly in the period from post-World War II to the present. The specific topics covered include the concept of race itself, sociological theories of racial and ethnic stratification, processes of assimilation, new and changing ethno-racial identities, contemporary ethno-racial conflicts and tensions, immigration in the post-1965 period, whiteness studies , and the politics of affirmative action. In the process of addressing these large and cross-cutting topics we will also take up a host of related issues dealing with such matters as income and wealth differentials; schooling and its outcomes; families, interracial marriages, and the experiences and identities of people of mixed racial background; minority vs. minority competition, the future of immigration; and the politics of reparations.
[*Sociology 184. Freedom in America: An Historical Sociology: Conference Course]
Catalog Number: 9740
Orlando Patterson
Half course (spring term). Hours to be arranged.
Examines the social construction and practice of freedom in America from early colonial times to the present. Freedom explored not simply as an idea, but as a cultural system that both shapes and is shaped by changing socio-economic contexts. Special attention paid to the ways in which constructions of freedom vary by class, gender and ethnicity, and the role of slavery, the revolution, the civil war, and the Civil Rights movement in the development of this ideal.
Note: Expected to be given in 2010–11.
[*Sociology 185. Race and Crime in America]
Catalog Number: 4244
Lawrence D. Bobo
Half course (fall term). Hours to be arranged.
Examines 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 as well the role the media plays in fostering fear of crime and racial stereotypes. Finally, the course will engage the major public policy questions raised by the now historic high rates of incarceration of minority youth.
Note: Expected to be given in 2010–11.
[Sociology 189. Law and Social Movements]
Catalog Number: 2421
Tamara Kay
Half course (spring term). Hours to be arranged.
Explores the relationship between law and social movements in the US (with some international and transnational comparisons). Analyzes how the law shapes and structures social movements, how social movements mobilize the law to create social change, and how they engage in legal reform. Examines and compares a variety of social movements including the civil rights, human rights, labor rights, environmental, anti-globalization, women’s rights, and indigenous rights movements.
Note: Expected to be given in 2010–11.
[Sociology 190. Life and Death in the US: Medicine and Disease in Social Context]
Catalog Number: 0021
Nicholas A. Christakis (Medical School, FAS)
Half course (spring term). Hours to be arranged.
Explores how biological and social factors jointly conspire to determine the health of individuals and populations. Examines how medical care, social networks, and socioeconomic inequality influence illness, recovery, and death.
Note: Expected to be given in 2010–11. This course, when taken for a letter grade, meets the Core requirement for Social Analysis.
[*Sociology 191. The Politics of Law, Labor and Globalization in the Americas]
Catalog Number: 1423
Tamara Kay
Half course (spring term). Hours to be arranged.
Examines the history of US-Latin American union relations and traces the development and strategies of labor movements in Latin America in relationship to different political regimes, economic development policies, labor laws and labor rights. Focuses also on the effects of globalization and regional economic integration on workers and labor movements in the Americas, focusing on the impacts of regional governance institutions, trade, and immigration. Explores the limitations and possibilities for labor transnationalism in response to globalization, and efforts to frame labor rights as human rights across the Americas.
Note: Expected to be given in 2010–11.
[*Sociology 193. Crime, Community, and Public Policy: Conference Course]
Catalog Number: 8651
Robert J. Sampson
Half course (fall term). Hours to be arranged.
Examines criminal justice from the perspective of local communities. Questions of how local communities affect and are affected by crime and criminal justice will be addressed. A central concern will be the discussion of characteristics of neighborhoods that lead to high rates of criminality and how federal, state, and local policies not directly concerned with crime policy may nonetheless bear on crime rates. The City of Boston will be used as a laboratory in which to study these issues.
Note: Jointly offered with the Kennedy School as CCJ-104. Expected to be given in 2010–11.
[Sociology 194. Knowledge Production & Evaluation in the Social Sciences: Conference Course]
Catalog Number: 6917
Michèle Lamont
Half course (spring term). Hours to be arranged.
Focus on ethnographic and historical research on practices of knowledge making, use and evaluation in the social sciences. We will survey frontier literatures in science studies to consider potential for cross-fertilization and future empirical investigation. The overall goal will be to study similarities and differences in social processes across disciplines and potential for coordinated research agendas.
Note: Expected to be given in 2010–11.
*Sociology 203a. Advanced Quantitative Research Methods
Catalog Number: 3315
Christopher Winship
Half course (fall term). Tu., Th., 10–12. EXAM GROUP: 12, 13
Matrix approach to regression analysis with an emphasis on the assumptions behind OLS. Instrumental variables, generalized least squares, probit and logit models, survival analysis, hierarchical linear models, and systems of equations are studied.
Note: Required of, and ordinarily limited to, first-year graduate students in Sociology.
Prerequisite: Sociology 202 or basic course in regression analysis.
[*Sociology 203b. Analysis of Longitudinal Data: Seminar]
Catalog Number: 1860
Peter V. Marsden
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. Includes introduction to time series analysis. Statistical theory and practical applications covered.
Note: Expected to be given in 2010–11. Primarily for graduate students in sociology.
Prerequisite: Sociology 203a.
Sociology 204. Sociological Theory: Seminar
Catalog Number: 6189
Claude Rosental
Half course (spring term). W., 10–12.
Introduction to the ideas of and socio-intellectual contexts that were formative for Tocqueville, Durkheim, Marx, Weber, Simmel, and Mead. Consideration of their significance for contemporary sociological theory.
Note: Required of and limited to first-year graduate students in Sociology.
*Sociology 205. Sociological Research Design
Catalog Number: 8972
Frank Dobbin
Half course (fall term). M., 10–12. EXAM GROUP: 3, 4
Note: Required of, and ordinarily limited to, first-year graduate students in Sociology.
[Sociology 206. The Sociology of Development: Seminar]
Catalog Number: 9026
Martin K. Whyte
Half course (spring term). Hours to be arranged.
Examines debates surrounding the nature of the process of economic development. Major attention is devoted to rival theories of where and why development occurs and to a variety of social consequences of economic development.
Note: Expected to be given in 2010–11.
*Sociology 208. Contemporary Theory and Research: Seminar
Catalog Number: 6080
Mary C. Brinton
Half course (fall term). W., 10–12. EXAM GROUP: 3, 4
Develops tools for the construction of sociological theory. Compares major contemporary sociological theories and their applications. 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 second-year graduate students in Sociology.
*Sociology 209. Qualitative Social Analysis: Seminar
Catalog Number: 1198
Orlando Patterson
Half course (fall term). Tu., 10–12. EXAM GROUP: 12, 13
Examines approaches to non-numerical data used by social scientists to obtain valid, reliable, and meaningful insight into the social world through the analysis of ethnographic field notes, interview transcripts, and archival and other interpretative 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 (spring term). W., 3–5.
Special problems occur in the interpretation of either qualitative or quantitative results based on non-experimental data--whether from surveys, historical research, or field work. These issues differ from those that can be resolved through statistical solutions.
[Sociology 217. Sociology of Families and Kinship: Seminar]
Catalog Number: 8522
Martin K. Whyte
Half course (spring term). Hours to be arranged.
Examines research on family patterns, combining a focus on how family patterns vary and change over time and how individuals differ in their experience of life course transitions, such as marriage, divorce, and retirement.
Note: Expected to be given in 2010–11.
[*Sociology 221. Immigration, Identity and Assimilation: Seminar]
Catalog Number: 9699
Mary C. Waters
Half course (spring term). Hours to be arranged.
Examines the experiences of recent immigrants and their children — the second generation. Review of economic, political, and social assimilation, and ethnic identity formation. Discussion of recent theories and research on the link between identity and economic assimilation.
Note: Expected to be given in 2010–11.
Sociology 222. Transnational Migration from the Hispanic Caribbean - (New Course)
Catalog Number: 71658
Jorge Duany
Half course (fall term). M., 6–8 p.m. EXAM GROUP: 9
A comparative analysis of the transnational experiences of Puerto Rican, Cuban, and Dominican migrants, emphasizing the construction, transformation, and representation of cultural, racial, and ethnic identities among transnational migrants and their descendants.
Sociology 224. Organizational Analysis: Seminar
Catalog Number: 8202
Christopher Marquis (Business School)
Half course (spring term). Tu., 1–4. EXAM GROUP: 15, 16, 17
Reviews classical and contemporary theories of organizations, including ecological, institutional, resource dependence, transaction-cost, agency theory, networks and social movements. Examines phenomena at multiple levels from the establishment to the organizational network or field.
[Sociology 225. Historical Sociology: Studying Continuity and Change: Seminar]
Catalog Number: 8750
Orlando Patterson
Half course (spring term). Hours to be arranged.
Examines the main approaches to the interface of history and sociology. Major theoretical traditions and methodological strategies (both quantitative and qualitative) are appraised mainly through the exploration of exemplary studies.
Note: Expected to be given in 2010–11.
[*Sociology 228. Labor Markets]
Catalog Number: 1766
Mary C. Brinton
Half course (fall term). Hours to be arranged.
Examines key issues and research in the area of labor markets, with an emphasis on presentation of students’ work in progress.
Note: Expected to be given in 2010–11. Must be third-year graduate student or above to enroll.
Sociology 229. Comparative Institutions and Inequality: East Asia (Graduate Seminar in General Education) - (New Course)
Catalog Number: 56014
Mary C. Brinton
Half course (fall term). W., 1–3. EXAM GROUP: 6, 7
Analyzes the relationship between economic development, social change, and patterns of inequality in Japan, South Korea, and China. Students will actively help shape a new Harvard undergraduate General Education course in this area.
[Sociology 231. Neighborhood Effects and Community-Level Social Processes]
Catalog Number: 6611
Robert J. Sampson
Half course (spring term). Hours to be arranged.
Examines contemporary research on the role of neighborhoods in modern city life. Topics include segregation and neighborhood social isolation; social networks and trust; spatial forms of racial inequality; and the role of institutions in generating collective action.
Note: Expected to be given in 2010–11.
[*Sociology 236. Selected Topics in Culture and Inequality]
Catalog Number: 0582
Michèle Lamont
Half course (spring term). Hours to be arranged.
Introduction to cultural sociology, particularly as it intersects with the study of inequality. Topics: Symbolic boundaries, cultural capital, cultural consumption, identity, race and class cultures, anti-racism, cultural repertoires, explanation, interpretation, and comparative research strategies.
Note: Expected to be given in 2010–11.
Sociology 237. Contemporary Chinese Society: Seminar
Catalog Number: 4320
Martin K. Whyte
Half course (spring term). Tu., 1–3. EXAM GROUP: 15, 16
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.
[Sociology 243. Economic Sociology]
Catalog Number: 2022
Filiz Garip
Half course (fall term). Hours to be arranged.
Introduction to economic sociology at the graduate level. Surveys economic inequality and the ways that economic behavior and outcomes are shaped by social institutions such as markets, networks, organizations, the family, the state, and culture.
Note: Expected to be given in 2010–11.
[Sociology 248. Race, Politics, and Social Inequality: Seminar]
Catalog Number: 8035
Lawrence D. Bobo
Half course (spring term). Hours to be arranged.
Examines intersection of race, public will, and policy-making. Reviews theories of race-making and racial inequality, dynamics of public opinion, and effects of a racialized public sphere on social policy. Focuses on the welfare state, the criminal justice system, and the dynamics of a multiethnic society.
Note: Expected to be given in 2010–11.
[*Sociology 249. “Race,” Culture, and Social Structure: Seminar]
Catalog Number: 5727
Orlando Patterson
Half course (spring term). Hours to be arranged.
Examines socio-economic and cultural dimensions of racial inequality in the US. External and institutional factors accounting for inequality and internal problems will be examined. Political and economic consequences of various policies aimed at reducing inequality such as affirmative action will be explored, giving attention to family structure and gender relations and to the policies relating to them.
Note: Expected to be given in 2010–11.
[Sociology 252. Sociology of Gender]
Catalog Number: 9968
Jocelyn Viterna
Half course (fall term). Hours to be arranged.
Examines (1) the biological and social bases of gender; (2) feminist theories; (3) how gender both affects, and is affected by, major social institutions; and (4) gender in the global south.
Note: Expected to be given in 2010–11.
*Sociology 255. Social Stratification: Seminar
Catalog Number: 3839
Bruce Western
Half course (fall term). M., 2–4. EXAM GROUP: 7, 8
Examines theoretical and empirical approaches to understanding the sources, structure and consequences of persistent social inequalities.
[*Sociology 260. The Sociology of Global Health]
Catalog Number: 6585
Mary-Jo Del Vecchio Good (Medical School)
Half course (spring term). Hours to be arranged.
Examines the historical transformation and social organization of the modern global health movement, its political economy and diverse cultural contexts. Cases include institutional architecture and financing, medical humanitarianism, mental health, and gender /reproductive health initiatives.
Note: Expected to be given in 2010–11. Instructor’s permission required.
[Sociology 263. Globalization and Comparative Inequality]
Catalog Number: 6503
Jason Beckfield
Half course (spring term). Hours to be arranged.
Focuses on globalization and inequality, in comparative and cross-national perspective. We begin by reviewing the basic conceptualizations of globalization, and we then turn to consider how globalization can be connected to inequality.
Note: Expected to be given in 2010–11.
Sociology 267. Political Sociology - (New Course)
Catalog Number: 42489
Tamara Kay
Half course (spring term). Tu., 5:30–7:30 p.m. EXAM GROUP: 18
Examines power relations between state and society. Focuses on state formation, organization & development, and challenges to state authority and policies. Engages debates on role of states in international arena.
*Sociology 275. Social Network Analysis: Seminar
Catalog Number: 6899
Peter V. Marsden
Half course (fall term). Tu., 1–3.
Concepts and methods for studying social structure using social networks. Approaches to collecting network data; data quality; graph-theoretic, statistical, and visual approaches to analyzing network data, including blockmodels and multidimensional scaling.
Sociology 296a. Proseminar on Inequality & Social Policy I - (New Course)
Catalog Number: 67293
Kathryn Edin (Kennedy School) and Bruce Western
Half course (fall term). W., 2–4.
Considers the effects of policies and institutions in creating or reducing inequality in the U.S. and other advanced democracies, we well as the reciprocal effects of inequality on political activity and policy choices.
Note: Offered jointly with the Kennedy School as HLE-511.
[*Sociology 296b. Proseminar on Inequality and Social Policy II]
Catalog Number: 9407
Instructor to be determined
Half course (spring term). Hours to be arranged.
Deals with causes and possible cures for economic inequality, including skill differences, discrimination, immigration, household composition, residential segregation, and the welfare state.
Note: Expected to be given in 2010–11. Offered jointly with the Kennedy School as HLE-512.
Prerequisite: HLE-511
*Sociology 301. Special Reading and Research
Catalog Number: 4017
David L. Ager 5142, Jason Beckfield 5612 (on leave spring term), Lawrence D. Bobo 2919, Mary C. Brinton 4567, Nicholas A. Christakis (Medical School) 4459 (on leave spring term), Frank Dobbin 4622, Kathryn Edin (Kennedy School) 5952, Filiz Garip 5887 (on leave 2009-10), Mary-Jo Del Vecchio Good (Medical School) 7721, Christopher Jencks (Kennedy School) 2160, Tamara Kay 5611, Michèle Lamont 4634, Stanley Lieberson 1937, Peter V. Marsden 1797, Orlando Patterson 1091 (on leave spring term), Robert J. Sampson 4546, Theda Skocpol 1387, Jocelyn Viterna 5860 (on leave 2009-10), Mary C. Waters 1498 (on leave 2009-10), Bruce Western 5763, Martin K. Whyte 3737 (on leave fall term), William Julius Wilson 2401, and Christopher Winship 3189 (on leave spring term)
Half course (fall term; repeated spring term). Hours to be arranged.
*Sociology 302. Direction of Doctoral Dissertations
Catalog Number: 5021
Members of the Department
*Sociology 303a. Advanced Topics in Quantitative Research
Catalog Number: 5636
Christopher Winship 3189 (on leave spring term)
Half course (fall term; repeated spring term). Hours to be arranged.
Examines current methodological scholarship in the social sciences with an eye to assessing its quality and potential for advancing quantitative methods. Recently published and unpublished work by local scholars examined.
*Sociology 304. Culture and Social Analysis Workshop
Catalog Number: 2809
Michèle Lamont 4634
Half course (fall term; repeated spring term). M., 4–6.
A venue for those working on topics such as meaning-making, identity, collective memory, symbolic boundaries, cultural capital, class cultures, popular culture, media, disciplinary cultures, and the impact of culture on inequality.
*Sociology 305. Teaching Practicum
Catalog Number: 0259
David L. Ager 5142
Half course (fall term). Tu., 3–5.
Note: Required of and limited to graduate students in Sociology. Attendance at first meeting is required.
*Sociology 306r. Colloquium in Sociology
Catalog Number: 4818
Tamara Kay 5611
Half course (fall term; repeated spring term). Alternate Tu., 12-2.
Bi-weekly forum for advanced graduate students for presentation of their research. Only graduate students in sociology may register for credit. Students registered for credit must make a seminar presentation during the term.
*Sociology 307. Proseminar on Inequality and Social Policy III
Catalog Number: 0137
William Julius Wilson 2401
Half course (fall term). M., 2–4.
Students develop previously completed papers from Sociology 296a or 296b into professional presentations and publishable articles, critique peer papers across disciplines, and discuss presentations of national experts.
Note: Offered jointly with the Kennedy School as HLE-513.
Prerequisite: Sociology 296a or 296b (or HLE-511 or HLE-512 at the Kennedy School)
*Sociology 308. Workshop on Economic Sociology
Catalog Number: 0086
Frank Dobbin 4622
Half course (fall term; repeated spring term). W., 3:30–5.
Presentations and discussions of new research by members of the community and visiting scholars. Students are exposed to the major paradigms in the field, and see how research articles are developed and refined.
[*Sociology 309. Migration and Immigrant Incorporation Workshop]
Catalog Number: 9932
Mary C. Waters 1498 (on leave 2009-10)
Half course (fall term; repeated spring term). Hours to be arranged.
Bi-weekly colloquium for graduate students that examines international migration and the incorporation of migrants into host societies. Students participate in meetings and present original work in progress.
Note: Expected to be given in 2010–11.
*Sociology 310a. Qualifying Paper A
Catalog Number: 0085
Robert J. Sampson 4546
Half course (spring term). Tu., 10–12.
Guides students through the process of producing an original research paper of high quality. Readings and discussion cover the identification of appropriate research problems, the nature of causal reasoning, and data analysis and write-up.
Note: Required of, and ordinarily limited to, second-year graduate students while writing the qualifying paper. Prerequisite to 310b, to be offered fall term.
*Sociology 310b. Qualifying Paper B
Catalog Number: 4625
Robert J. Sampson
Half course (fall term). Tu., 10–12.
Guides students through the process of producing an original research paper of high quality. Readings and discussion cover the identification of appropriate research problems, the nature of causal reasoning, and data analysis and write-up.
Note: Required of, and ordinarily limited to, third-year graduate students while writing the qualifying paper.
Prerequisite: 310a
[*Sociology 311. Family and Childhood Research Workshop]
Catalog Number: 1062
Martin K. Whyte 3737 (on leave fall term)
Half course (fall term; repeated spring term). Hours to be arranged.
A venue for the presentation of works-in-progress by those with an interest in family formation and dissolution, child well-being, youth development, and the impact of the social environment on families and children.
Note: Expected to be given in 2010–11.
*Sociology 314. Workshop on Urban Social Processes - (New Course)
Catalog Number: 16972
Robert J. Sampson
Half course (fall term; repeated spring term). .
Forum for discussion of analytic sociological research on city and community. Covering a range of topics with a focus on social mechanisms, processes, and structures. The workshop aims to support the presentation of graduate student research but will also include discussion sessions on selected readings and work-in-progress by faculty at Harvard and colleagues around the country.
[*Sociology 390. Health and Social Structure]
Catalog Number: 6282
Nicholas A. Christakis (Medical School) 4459 (on leave spring term)
Full course (indivisible). Spring: Th., 1–3.
Considers advanced topics in how supra-individual factors, such as social networks, neighborhoods, and health care organizations, contribute to individual health and longevity. Students undertake a substantial piece of original research.
Note: Expected to be given in 2010–11.