Professors: Norman Fainstein (Dean of the Faculty), Eileen Leonard,
Marque Miringoff; Associate Professors: Pinar Batur, Diane Harriford,
William Hoynes (Chair), Robert McAulay; Assistant Professors:
Seungsook Moon, Leonard Nevarezb; Visiting Assistant Professors:
John Cross, Kathy Kaufman.
Requirements for Concentration: 101/2
units, including Sociology 151, 247, 254, 3 units at the 300–level,
including Sociology 300a–301b.
After declaration of major, no NRO work is permissible in the major.
Senior–Year Requirements: Sociology 300a–301b (for
a total of 1 full unit of credit), a senior thesis under the supervision
of a member of the department.
Recommendations: Field Work 290.
Advisers: The department.
I. Introductory
151a or b. Introductory Sociology (1)
An introduction to the concepts of sociology rooted in the ideas and
thinkers of the classical tradition, exploring their historical meaning
and contemporary relevance. The department.
Open to all classes. Required of majors.
II. Intermediate
Sociology 151 is a prerequisite for all intermediate courses.
206b. Social Change in the Black Community (1)
(Same as Africana Studies 206b)
215b. Perspectives on Deviance (1)
This course analyzes the concept of deviance within a historical and
comparative framework. Various forms of behavior traditionally labeled
as "deviant'' are examined. Mr. McAulay.
234b. Disability and Society (1)
(Same as Science, Technology and Society 234b) The vision of disability
has changed radically over the past twenty years. Public policies have
been legislated, language has been altered, opportunities have been
rethought, a social movement has emerged, problems of discrimination,
oppression, and prejudice have been highlighted, and social thinkers
have addressed a wide range of issues relating to the representation
and portrayal of people with disabilities. This course examines these
issues, focusing on the emergence of the disability rights movement,
the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act, the various debates
over American Sign Language, "deaf culture," and the student
uprising at Gallaudet University and how writers and artists have portrayed
people with disabilities.
The course meets for two two–hour sessions each week, one two–hour
session is devoted to lecture and discussion of reading materials, the
second two–hour session serves as a laboratory for films, speakers,
and trips. Ms. Miringoff.
[236b. Women, Men, and Social Change in East Asia] (1)
This course examines meanings and practices of femininity and masculinity
in the context of rapid social change in East Asia in the twentieth
century. Drawing upon case studies from China, Japan, South Korea, and
Taiwan, it focuses on such sites of social change as work, marriage/family
and popular culture. Its aim is also to gain critical understanding
of the politics of cross cultural studies that produce Eastern (the
self) and Western (the other) representation of East Asia in various
forms of knowledge produced about the region. Ms. Moon.
Not offered in 2001/02.
240b. Law and Society (1)
Law is analyzed in its social context focusing on the relationship
between law and social control, and law and social change. Topics discussed
include psychiatry and the law, Blacks and the law, and women and the
law. The criminal justice system is examined in a comparative framework,
emphasizing the role of judges, juries, and particularly lawyers, in
society. Ms. Leonard.
247a and b. Modern Social Theory: Marx, Durkheim, and Weber (1)
(Same as Anthropology 247a and b) This course focuses on a comparison
of the principal assumptions and the central concepts contributing to
the formation of modern social theory. Readings include selections from
Marx, Durkheim, and Weber. Ms. Leonard, Ms. Moon.
250b. Sex, Gender, and Society (1)
In the context of general sociological theory, the course analyzes
sex roles in various institutional settings. Topics include: the effect
of social, cultural and scientific change on traditional notions of
male and female; the social construction of masculine and feminine;
implications of genetic engineering; interaction of sexual attitudes,
sexual practices, and social policy. Ms. Harriford.
252a. The Family in Technological Society (1)
We study the family as an intimate group and as a social institution.
Topics include: theories of family organization and structure; marriage
and divorce; parenthood; reproductive technology; alternative lifestyles.
Changing family patterns are examined in the context of economic, cultural,
and scientific developments. Ms. Harriford.
254a and b. Research Methods (1)
Examines dilemmas of social inquiry. On what basis are sociological
generalizations drawn? What are the ethics of social research? Course
includes a critical analysis of research studies as well as an introduction
to and practical experience with participant observation, interviewing,
questionnaire construction, sampling, experimentation, and available
data. Mr. Nevarez, Ms. Kaufman.
[256b. Mass Media and Society] (1)
This course takes a critical approach to the study of the production
and consumption of mass media, focusing primarily on the United States.
Using case studies, the course examines the economic and social organization
of mass media, the content of media messages, and the impact various
media have on the public. Topics may include: the political economy
of television, gender and Hollywood film, music television, competing
theories of media spectatorship, the politics of romance novels, the
role of noncommercial media. Mr. Hoynes.
Not offered in 2001/02.
257b. Re–orienting America: Asians in American History and
Society (1)
Based on sociological theory of class, gender, race/ethnicity, this
course examines complexities of historical, economic, political, and
cultural positions of Asian Americans beyond the popular image of "model
minorities." Topics include the global economy and Asian immigration,
politics of ethnicity and panethnicity, educational achievement and
social mobility, affirmative action, and representation in mass media.
Ms. Moon.
[258a. Race and Ethnicity] (1)
(Same as Africana Studies 258) An examination of racial and ethnic
minorities in the United States. Focus is on the social forces
behind institutional dominance and minority group responses, assimilation
versus cultural pluralism, and collective movements for social change.
Policy implementation of affirmative action, busing, I.Q. testing, genetic
screening and birth control. Ms. Harriford.
Not offered in 2001/02.
259a. Social Stratification (1)
How social prestige and power are unequally distributed in various
societies of the past and the present. The role of the propriety of
the means of production and of the military is stressed. The formation
of classes as subcultural units, status symbols, class consciousness
and class struggles are analyzed. Ms. Harriford.
260a. Health, Medicine, and Public Policy (1)
(Same as Science, Technology, and Society 260) Topic for 2001/02: Plague!
The Anatomy of Infectious Diseases. The Black Death killed approximately
one–third of Europe. AIDS has devastated parts of the modern world.
Debates over how to prevent the West Nile virus have become a critical
component of American public policy. This year, this course includes
a special section on infectious disease in order to illustrate the interactions
between health, medicine, and public policy. In addition to the Black
Death and AIDS, we look at the spread of tuberculosis, the influenza
pandemic of 1918, the polio epidemics of the Post World War II
era, the fear of contagion (Typhoid Mary), the concept of quarantine,
the various religious, supernatural, and medical interpretations of
plague, the consequences of plague (scapegoating, labor shortages, technological
change, etc.) and the emergence of Public Health policy. This section
incorporates a broad range of materials, including fiction, art, history,
and film. Additional topic areas that are addressed in the course include
the idea of medicine as a social institution, health as a social construct,
and the complexities of contemporary health care policy. Ms. Miringoff.
263a. Criminology (1)
The course consists of a consideration of the nature and scope of criminology
as well as an historical treatment of the theories of crime causation
and the relation of theory to research and the treatment of the criminal.
Ms. Leonard.
[264a. "The Nuclear Cage": Environmental Theory and Nuclear
Power] (1)
(Same as Environmental Studies 264) The central aim of this course
is to explore debates about the interaction between beings, including
humans, animals, plants and the earth within the context of advanced
capitalism by concentrating on the production, distribution, consumption,
and disposal of nuclear power. The first question concerning the class
is how does Environmental Theory approach nuclear power and its impact
on the environment. The second question deals with how this construction
interacts with other forms of debate regarding nuclear power, especially
concentrating on the relation between science, market and the state
in dealing with nature, and how citizens formulate and articulate their
understanding of nuclear power through social movements. Ms Batur.
Not offered in 2001/02.
265b. News Media in America (1)
This course joins the ongoing debate about the meaning of press freedom
and explores the relationship between news and democracy. It will examine
how the news media operate in American society and will assess how well
the current media are serving the information needs of citizens. Topics
may include: the meaning of "objectivity," the relationship
between journalists and sources, news and public opinion, ownership
of news media, the relationship between news and advertising, propaganda
and news management, and the role of alternative media. Mr. Hoynes.
[267a. Religion, Culture, and Society] (1)
(Same as Religion 267)
Not offered in 2001/02.
268b. Sociology of Black Religion (1)
(Same as Africana Studies 268 and Religion 268)
[270b. Drugs, Culture, and Society] (1)
An examination of drug use and its symbolic importance in American
society viewed in light of pertinent historical and cross–cultural
material. Includes discussion of problems linked with licit and illicit,
recreational, social control, and medicinal use of drugs, as well as
with political and legal dimension of drug controversies. Mr. McAulay.
Not offered in 2001/02.
[271a. Forms of Social Conflict] (1)
An analysis of mass social behavior under conditions of stress or unpredictability,
with special attention to urban social conflicts. Theorists may include
Le Bon, Freud, Smelser, Coser, Feagin. Case materials may include the
1919 Chicago race riots, the Kerner Commission Report, Bensonhurst,
Howard Beach, Crown Heights, Korean grocer boycott, Los Angeles riots.
Ms. Miringoff.
Not offered in 2001/02.
[272b. Genocide and Social Theory] (1)
Ralph Lemkin defined a new word, genocide, as a response to the atrocities
of World War II. As a crime against humanity, this concept has become
integral to the conceptualization of the killing of millions, and massive
total destruction. It has also become synonymous with the rise of totalitarianism
and the dissolution of the Enlightenment project. As Theodor Adorno
asked, "How is poetry possible after Auschwitz?" This course
is an examination of the complex discourse on genocide, focusing on
debates about understanding the past and preventing genocide in the
present and future. Ms. Batur.
Not offered in 2001/02.
[273a. High–Technology and Society] (1)
(Same as Science, Technology and Society 273a) Technology is not distinct
from society; indeed, technology embeds, mediates, and gives meaning
to human culture and organization. Although computers and the internet
make this ever more apparent, humans have always had this relationship
with technology high and low. This course is divided into three sections.
First, we engage classic sociological understandings of technologies
with case studies of assembly lines, nuclear power, space exploration,
and biotechnology. Next, we address the role of technology in various
processes of globalization. Finally, we focus on how high–technology
has transformed human identity and community. Mr. Nevarez.
Not offered in 2001/02.
[274a. Urban Sociology: Building the City] (1)
(Same as Urban Studies 274a) The city is home for many, but it is also
a source of profit, a market for goods and services, a site of leisure,
and an arena of power. As these environments combine to constitute the
city, political, economic, and cultural forces collide, often in conflicting
ways. How this happens, and who wins or loses, sit he subject of this
course. With a comparative and international focus, we examine the changing
roles of urban growth and development, architecture, and planning, urban
social movements, the natural environment, crime and security, globalization,
and entertainment in the city. Mr. Nevarez.
Not offered in 2001/02.
281a. Political Sociology (1)
This course investigates the role of politics in society by focusing
on the core sociological debates about the relationship between the
state, capital, and social movements. Can grassroots movements change
state policy or are state policies determined by ruling elites? We compare
classic debates among class, elite, and pluralist perspectives with
emerging theories rooted in postmodernism that redefine politics in
terms of culture and everyday behavior. Case studies from the United States
and abroad explore such developments as the rise of conservative radicalism
and the effect of neo–liberal globalization. Mr. Cross.
282b. Cities and Urbanization in Latin America (1)
(Same as Latin American Studies 282b, and Urban Studies 282b.) This
course investigates the role and structure of the city in the context
of Latin America. Beginning with a brief review of urban theory, we
trace the development of the city from the pre–colonial period
through the present day. Particular attention is placed on the challenges
of rapid urbanization in the late twentieth century emerging from the
dependent development patterns of the region, and the competing role
of urban planners and the urban informal sector. Mr. Cross.
285a. Immigration to the United States: The Post–1965
Experience (1)
This course examines the post–1965 wave of immigration to the
United States in light of scholarly perspectives on the immigration
phenomenon. We explore the experiences of recent immigrant groups, highlighting
the causes of immigration , the diverse characteristics of immigrant
groups in comparison with each other and their historical counterparts
at the turn of the century, the impact of immigration on native workers
and local communities, and the diversity of modes of incorporation into
American society. Ms. Kaufman.
286a. Drugs and U.S. Policy in Latin America (1)
(Same as Latin American Studies 286a and Urban Studies 286a) Over the
last two decades, U.S.–Latin American relations have been increasingly
defined in terms of the control of illegal drugs consumed largely in
the United States. This course studies how this process has continued
U.S. domination of the region and affected the internal political and
social processes in selected Latin American nations. Issues may include
the role of corruption in government, the militarization of society,
and the rise of new social classes and social tensions based on illegality.
Mr. Cross.
290a or b. Field Work (1/2 or 1)
Individual project of reading or research. The department.
May be elected during the college year or during the summer.
Special permission. Unscheduled.
298a or b. Independent Work (1/2 or 1)
Individual project of reading or research. The department.
May be elected during the college year or during the summer.
Special permission. Unscheduled.
III. Advanced
Sociology 151 and 1 unit of 200–level work are prerequisites for
all 300–level courses.
300a–301b. Senior Thesis (1/2)
The department.
310b. Comparative Cultural Institutions (1)
This course examines a variety of cultural institutions including the
family, religion, education, politics, and art within selected societies.
Methods of comparative analysis are examined and applied. Ms. Leonard.
350b. New York City as a Social Laboratory: Urban
Poverty and Inequality (1)
(same as Urban Studies 350b) In a classic
essay on urban studies, sociologist Robert Park once called the city
"a laboratory or clinic in which human nature and social processes
may be conveniently and profitably studied." The scale, dynamism,
and complexity of New York City make it a social laboratory without
equal. This seminar provides a multidisciplinary inquiry into New York
City as a case study in selected urban issues. Classroom meetings are
combined with the field–based investigations that are a hallmark
of Urban Studies. Site visits in New York City allow meetings with scholars,
officials, developers, community leaders and others actively involved
in urban affairs. Topics for the seminar may change from year to year,
in which case the course may be repeated for credit. Ms. Kaufman.
352b. Contemporary Social Movements (1)
A social analysis of the factors responsible for the development and
effectiveness of reform movements in the United States. Special
focus on the early labor movement, the civil rights movement, and the
modern women's movement. Ms. Harriford.
353a. Bio–Social Controversy (1)
(Same as Science, Technology, and Society 353a) Biological explanations
of social phenomena have been frequently criticized as deterministic
and politically retrograde. But in recent decades "evolutionary
psychologists" have called into question any such simplistic dismissal
of biological perspectives. New Darwinian accounts of crime, especially
homicide, are often compelling while the concept of rape as an evolved
sexual strategy has provoked heated debate. Claims regarding a possible
genetic basis for sexual orientation and arguments suggesting evolutionary
origins for patriarchy pose challenges to social constructionist as
well as prevailing feminist theories of sex and gender. Issues of race
and biology continue to surface in forms that invite both careful consideration
and unequivocal critique. This course examines recent work bearing on
these controversies and juxtaposes sociological approaches with recent
Darwinian accounts of crime, sex, and race. Mr. McAulay.
356a. Culture, Commerce, and the Public Sphere (1)
This course examines the culture and politics of the public sphere,
with an emphasis on the changing status of public spaces in contemporary
societies. Drawing upon historical and current analyses, we explore
such issues as the relationship between public and commercial space
and the role of public discourse in democratic theory. Case studies
investigate such sites as mass media, schools, shopping malls, cyberspace,
libraries, and public parks in relation to questions of economic inequality,
political participation, privatization, and consumer culture. Mr. Hoynes.
[357b. Labor, Work, and Social Change] (1)
A sociological analysis of how the global economy has affected the
nature of work in modern society. Key issues include downsizing, the
increase in service sector employment, the contingent economy, the working
poor, sweatshop labor, historical and contemporary issues in labor union
organizing, alienation in the workplace, and the current debate over
workfare. Ms. Miringoff.
Not offered in 2001/02.
364a. Social Welfare and Social Policy (1)
The course examines the social philosophies and social movements underlying
the development of social welfare policy. Issues include the English
Poor Laws, the ideology of American philanthropy, the Progressive Era,
the Settlement House Movement, the New Deal, the Great Society, and
"The Safety Net.'' International comparisons are also used throughout.
Contemporary problem areas to be examined include homelessness, hunger,
and the "feminization of poverty.'' Ms. Miringoff.
[365a. Class, Culture, and Power] (1)
This course examines central debates in the sociology of culture, with
a particular focus on the complex intersection between the domain of
culture and questions of class and power. Topics include: the meaning
and significance of "cultural capital," the power of ideology,
the role of the professional class, working class culture, class reproduction,
gender and class relations, and the future of both cultural politics
and cultural studies. Readings may include Gramsci, Bourdieu, Gitlin,
Aronowitz, Fiske, Willis, and Stuart Hall. Mr. Hoynes.
Not offered in 2001/02.
[366b. Racism and Intellectuals] (1)
Racism is now a global mode of thought, and racial inequality has become
a permanent part of global existence through the racial ideologies and
discriminatory practices of institutionalized racism. The primary aim
of this class is to explore intellectuals' approaches to race and racism,
to examine the connection between ideological racism and scientific
racism, and the "discourse of confrontation." Ms. Batur.
Not offered in 2001/02.
[367a. Mind, Culture, and Biology] (1)
(Same as Science, Technology and Society 367a) Increasingly in recent
years sociobiology and evolutionary psychology have emerged at the center
of modern sciencebased opposition to social constructionist and post–modernist
thinking. Nowhere is this challenge more pointed than in the use of
evolutionary approaches to account for patterns of human culture including
standards of beauty, ethical systems, and religious belief. This course
examines and analyzes basic arguments regarding the biological basis
of deception, self interest, cooperation, and morality. Advanced topics
include the feasibility of Darwinian history and literary analysis,
the study of Judaism as an evolutionary strategy, challenges posed by
evolutionary thinking to the social construction of gender, as well
as intriguing efforts to synthesize postmodernist and evolutionary perspectives.
Mr. McAulay.
Not offered in 2001/02.
368b. Toxic Futures: From Social Theory to Environmental Theory
(1)
The central aim of this class is to examine the foundations of the
discourse on society and nature in social theory and environmental theory
to explore two questions. The first question is how does social theory
approach the construction of the future, and the second question is
how has this construction informed the present debates on the impact
of industrialization, urbanization, statebuilding and collective movements
on the environment? In this context, the class focuses on how social
theory informs different articulations of Environmental Thought and
its political and epistemological fragmentation and the limits of praxis,
as well as its contemporary construction of alternative futures. Ms. Batur.
[369b. Social Construction of Race in the U.S.] (1)
This course examines the social construction of race in the United States
from the beginning of the nineteenth century to the present. The course
focuses on changing racial meanings and identities of specific sociohistorical
groups and the ways in which social institutions interpret and reinterpret
race over time. Contemporary issues addressed include: the construction
of "whiteness," the making of model minorities, and the emergence
of the "mixed race" category. Readings may include Cooper,
DuBois, bell hooks, Omni and Winant, Gilroy and Roediger. Ms. Harriford.
Not offered in 2001/02.
380a. Women's Movements in Asia (1)
(Same as Asian Studies 380a) This interdisciplinary course examines
the reemergence of women's movements in contemporary Asia by focusing
on their cultural and historical contexts that go beyond the theory
of "resource mobilization." Drawing upon case studies from
Korea, Japan, India, and China, it traces the rise of feminist consciousness
and women's movements at the turn of the twentieth century, and then
analyzes the relationships between contemporary women's movements and
the following topics: nationalism, political democratization, capitalist
industrialization, ambivalence toward modernization, and postmodern
conditions. Ms. Moon.
[382a. Reenvisioning Women in the Third World] (1)
This course examines the forces that have shaped the lives of women,
their willful responses in the Third World, defined in terms of historical
and social conditions rather than geographical locations. Topics include
colonialism, nationalism, politics of representation and the production
of knowledge in international development, environmental movement, global
factory work, reproductive rights, and the sex industry in international
tourism. Ms. Moon.
Not offered in 2001/02.
384a. Black Marxism (1)
The growth of global racism suggests the symmetry of the expansion
of capitalism and the globalization of racial hierarchy. In this context,
global racism works to shatter possibilities for solidarity, distort
the meaning of justice, alter the context of wrong, and makes it possible
for people to claim ignorance of past and present racial atrocities,
discrimination, exclusion, oppression, and genocide. By concentrating
on the works of Black Marxist intellectuals, this course will examine
the discourse of confrontation, and the impact of Black Marxist thought
in contributing to anti–racist knowledge, theory, and action. Ms. Batur.
[388a. Corporate Power] (1)
This seminar investigates how business exerts political power over
society. We review the competing theories and methodologies with which
social researchers have explained the power of business. With minor
departures, the course is divided in two parts. In the first half, we
examine corporate power in the national arena: federal government, social
policy, the workplace, mass media, and so on. In the second half, we
focus on the role of business in community settings, particularly regarding
local government, economic development, and civic organizations. Mr. Nevarez.
Not offered in 2001/02.
399a or b. Senior Independent Work (1/2 or
1)
Individual project of reading or research. May be elected during the
college year or during the summer. The department.
Special permission. Unscheduled.
Anthropology–Sociology concentration, see page 88.