College Directory | University Directory | Maps | Contact Us
© 2012 The University of Chicago,
5801 South Ellis Ave. Chicago, IL 60637
773.702.1234
© 2012 The University of Chicago,
5801 South Ellis Ave. Chicago, IL 60637
773.702.1234
2012-13 College Catalog
Sociology
Catalog Home › The College › Programs of Study › Sociology
Contacts | Program of Study | Program Requirements | Summary of Requirements | Grading | Honors | Courses
Contacts
Undergraduate Primary Contact
Undergraduate Program Chairman Ryon Lancaster
SS 317
702.6515
Email
Administrative Contact
Departmental Contact Pat Princell
SS 307
702.8677
Email
Website
Program of Study
The discipline of sociology encompasses a diversity of substantive interests, theoretical orientations, and methodological approaches. The phenomena studied by sociologists range from face-to-face interaction in small groups to the structure of the modern world system. They include the historical emergence, stabilization and disintegration of institutions, practices and symbolic forms, stratification and mobility, demographic change, processes of gendering, urban/rural/suburban communities, race and ethnic relations, mass media, and the social dimensions of such areas as education, family life, law, the military, political behavior, science, and religion. The methodologies of the field range from experimentation, survey research, and ethnography to archival research and mathematical model building.
The knowledge sociology provides for the understanding of human relations and social organization has made it attractive for students considering careers in such professions as business, education, law, marketing, medicine, journalism, social work, politics, public administration, and urban planning. As a basis for more specialized graduate work, it affords entry to careers in social research in federal, state, and local agencies, as well as into business enterprises, private foundations, and research institutes. Sociology also provides an excellent foundation for students who are planning academic careers in any of the social sciences. The program is designed, therefore, to meet the needs of a very diverse group of students.
Program Requirements
Although no special application is required for admission to the sociology program, students are required to (1) inform the sociology department and their College adviser when they decide to enter the program and (2) complete an enrollment form that is available in the department office. Students may enter the sociology program at any time during their second year but no later than the beginning of Spring Quarter of their third year. Students must complete any one of the general education social science sequences before declaring a sociology major.
Students are strongly encouraged to complete the required introductory sociology courses as early as possible.
Students are encouraged to select a faculty member to serve as an adviser. In addition, each student is assigned to a preceptor. Students should address technical questions regarding the program (e.g., required courses, petitions) with the preceptor or the program chair. Students may wish to contact their faculty adviser to address general questions regarding the discipline of sociology or to design an individualized program of study.
Course Requirements
Students pursuing a BA degree in sociology are expected to complete the following requirements.
The Introductory Courses
a. Social Theory
SOCI 20002 Social Structure and Change and SOCI 20005 Sociological Theory. These required courses acquaint students with some of the fundamental problems and analytic perspectives of the field of sociology.
SOCI 20002 Social Structure and Change. The central objective of this course is to introduce students to the sociological study of individuals in the society, or how individual actions are shaped by their relation to and position in the social structure while contributing to this structure and its change. A central preoccupation is to articulate the linkage between the individual/micro level and the social/macro level. We focus on sociological approaches to the American society, its position in the international structure and its principal dimensions: race and ethnicity; age, gender, and social class.
SOCI 20005 Sociological Theory. Drawing on the classics as well as on contemporary works in sociological theory, this course raises questions about the nature of "theory work" and its relation both to philosophic analysis and empirical research. Authors include Weber, Durkheim, Simmel, Dewey, Parsons, and Merton.
b. Methodology
Students are required to take at least one of the following methodology courses.
SOCI 20001 Sociological Methods. This course introduces the philosophy and practice of social research. Working from the idea that the research process is fundamentally a critical dialogue, we first explore questions of causality and the epistemology of social research. We then study the basic practices that are a component of all methods of social research through an in-depth examination of interviews, ethnography, surveys, and archival research. Students spend the quarter working on a series of assignments that culminates in a research proposal for the BA thesis.
SOCI 20111 Survey Analysis I. This course teaches students how to analyze and write up previously collected survey data: basic logic of multivariate causal reasoning and its application to OLS regression, percentage tables, and log odds. We emphasize practice in writing. This is not a course in sampling methods.
SOCI 20140 Qualitative Field Methods. This course introduces techniques of, and approaches to, ethnographic field research. Emphasis is placed on quality of attention and awareness of perspective as foundational aspects of the craft. Students conduct research at a site, compose and share field notes, and produce a final paper distilling sociological insight from the fieldwork.
c. Statistics
SOCI 20004 Statistical Methods of Research. This course provides a comprehensive introduction to widely used quantitative methods in sociology and related social sciences. Topics include analysis of variance and multiple regression, considered as they are used by practicing social scientists. Substitutes for this course are STAT 20000 Elementary Statistics or higher.
d. Additional Courses
Students must take seven additional courses in sociology or related fields, and at least four of these must be in sociology. These courses must be selected in consultation with the program chair. They may be drawn from any of the 20000-level courses in sociology and, after completing SOCI 20002 Social Structure and Change, from any 30000-level courses in sociology that have not been cross listed with undergraduate numbers.
e. Senior Seminar
SOCI 29998 Senior Seminar
f. BA Honors Paper
SOCI 29999 BA Honors Paper. This course is open only to students who are applying for honors.
Summary of Requirements
| Two of the following: | 200 | |
| Social Structure and Change | ||
| Sociological Theory | ||
or approved substitute | ||
| One of the following: | 100 | |
| Sociological Methods | ||
| Survey Analysis I | ||
| Qualitative Field Methods | ||
| SOCI 20004 | Statistical Methods of Research | 100 |
| Four sociology courses (one may be a reading and research course) | 400 | |
| Three approved courses in sociology or related fields (one may be a reading and research course) * | 300 | |
| SOCI 29998 | Senior Seminar | 100 |
| ** | ||
| Total Units | 1200 | |
| * | Students must submit a general petition form to the program chair for approval. With a few exceptions, courses offered in the Division of the Social Sciences are accepted. Other courses with significant social science content may also be accepted. |
| ** | Students who are applying for honors must also register for SOCI 29999 BA Honors Paper for a total of thirteen courses. |
BA Paper
During their fourth year, students majoring in sociology are expected to complete an original project of sociological inquiry on a topic of their choice, culminating in a final paper from twenty to forty pages in length. The project is an independent research project in which questions are formulated and data are collected and analyzed by the student. Recent projects have included studies of comparative order and disorder in urban neighborhoods in Chicago, immigration and national identity in Germany and Guatemala, processes of gendering in various workplaces, the role of emotions in social theory, the decisions that boys and girls make about what math courses to take in high school, homosexuality and AIDS in South Africa, hegemonic discourses of whiteness in women's magazines, emerging forms of social interaction on the Internet, church leadership transition among Korean immigrants, the power of public rhetoric in public housing, role models among Mexican-American youth, gender roles in families of graduate students, peer pressure and teenage pregnancy, and attitudes toward immigration.
The senior project is researched, discussed, and written in the context of the senior seminar (SOCI 29998 Senior Seminar), which is a required yearlong course. While students are required to attend the senior seminar in Spring Quarter of their third year and in the Autumn and Winter Quarters of their fourth year, they may register for the seminar in any one of the three terms. (Students who plan to study abroad during Spring Quarter of their third year should consult with the Undergraduate Program Chair well in advance of the trip.) The completed thesis is submitted during Spring Quarter of their fourth year.
In general, the senior project is written under the guidance of the preceptors of the department. Students who wish to be considered for honors must consult the program chair at the beginning of Spring Quarter of their third year. They will then choose an individual faculty member under whose supervision they will write their thesis. These students may register for additional reading courses (SOCI 29997 Readings in Sociology); however, only two sociology reading/research courses can be counted toward the courses required for the sociology major. Students must obtain consent of the program chair if they wish to register for more than one reading and research course to complete the BA paper.
Grading
All courses required for completion of the sociology program must be taken for quality grades. This includes Reading and Research courses with the exception of SOCI 29999 BA Honors Paper, which may be taken for P/F grading with consent of instructor.
Honors
If their cumulative GPA is at or above 3.25 and their GPA in the major is at or above 3.5, students may be nominated for graduation with honors on the basis of the excellence of their thesis. The thesis must be based on substantial individual research conducted under the guidance of a faculty member, and it must be evaluated both by the student's adviser and by the program chair at A- or A. Students who are applying for honors must also register for SOCI 29999 BA Honors Paper for a total of thirteen courses.
Declaring a Sociology Major
Before declaring a sociology major, students should discuss their plans with their College adviser. They must then complete the enrollment form, which includes a short entry survey and is available in the Office of the Department of Sociology (SS 307). Students may enter the program at any time during their second year, but no later than the beginning of Spring Quarter in their third year.
Handbook
Students interested in pursuing the BA degree in sociology are encouraged to read the brochure Undergraduate Program in Sociology, which is available in the Office of the Department of Sociology (SS 307).
Courses |
SOCI 20001. Sociological Methods. 100 Units.
This course introduces the philosophy and practice of social research. Working from the idea that the research process is fundamentally a critical dialogue, we begin by exploring questions of causality and the epistemology of social research. Then we turn to examine the basic practices that are a component of all methods of social research through an in-depth examination of interviews, ethnography, surveys, and archival research. Assignments culminate in a research proposal for the BA thesis.
Instructor(s): R. Lancaster Terms Offered: Spring
SOCI 20002. Social Structure and Change. 100 Units.
This course introduces the sociological study of individuals in the society. We study how individual actions are shaped by their relation to and position in the social structure, while contributing to this structure and its change. A central preoccupation is to articulate the linkage between the individual/micro level and the social/macro level. We also discuss the properties of a stratified social fabric. We focus on sociological approaches to the American society, its position in the international structure, and its principal dimensions (i.e., race and ethnicity, age, gender, social class).
Instructor(s): Staff Terms Offered: Winter
SOCI 20004. Statistical Methods of Research. 100 Units.
This course provides a comprehensive introduction to widely used quantitative methods in sociology and related social sciences. Topics include analysis of variance and multiple regression, considered as they are used by practicing social scientists.
Instructor(s): S. Raudenbush Terms Offered: Winter
Note(s): Students are expected to attend two lectures and one lab per week. UG Sociology majors and Sociology PhD students only. Others by consent of instructor
Equivalent Course(s): SOCI 30004
SOCI 20005. Sociological Theory. 100 Units.
Building on the works of Marx, Weber, Durkheim, Simmel, and other classical theorists, this course addresses the role of theory in sociology. In addition to classic texts, readings explore both contemporary theoretical projects and the implications of theory for empirical research.
Instructor(s): A. Glaeser Terms Offered: Autumn
Note(s): Required of students who are majoring in Sociology.
SOCI 20101. Organizational Analysis. 100 Units.
This course is a systematic introduction to theoretical and empirical work on organizations broadly conceived (e.g., public and private economic organizations, governmental organizations, prisons, professional and voluntary associations, health-care organizations). Topics include intraorganizational questions about organizational goals and effectiveness, communication, authority, and decision making. Using recent developments in market, political economy, and neoinstitutional theories, we explore organizational change and interorganizational relationships for their implications in understanding social change in modern societies.
Instructor(s): E. Laumann Terms Offered: Autumn
Equivalent Course(s): PBPL 23000,SOCI 30101
SOCI 20102. Social Change. 100 Units.
This course presents a general overview of causal processes of macro-institutional level social changes. It considers a variety of types of cross-national, over-time changes such as economic growth, bureaucratization, revolutions, democratization, spread of cultural and institutional norms, deindustrialization, globalization and development of welfare states. It also covers various forms of planned changes in oppositional social movements (civil rights, environmental, women’s, and labor movements).
Instructor(s): C. Lee, D. Zhao Terms Offered: Spring
Equivalent Course(s): SOCI 30101
SOCI 20103. Social Stratification. 100 Units.
Social stratification is the unequal distribution of the goods that members of a society value (e.g., earnings, income, authority, political power, status, prestige). This course introduces various sociological perspectives about stratification. We look at major patterns of inequality throughout human history, how they vary across countries, how they are formed and maintained, how they come to be seen as legitimate and desirable, and how they affect the lives of individuals within a society. The readings incorporate classical theoretical statements, contemporary debates, and recent empirical evidence.
Instructor(s): R. Stolzenberg Terms Offered: Autumn
Equivalent Course(s): SOCI 30103
SOCI 20104. Urban Structure and Process. 100 Units.
This course reviews competing theories of urban development, especially their ability to explain the changing nature of cities under the impact of advanced industrialism. Analysis includes a consideration of emerging metropolitan regions, the microstructure of local neighborhoods, and the limitations of the past U.S. experience as a way of developing worldwide urban policy.
Instructor(s): O. McRoberts Terms Offered: Spring
Equivalent Course(s): CRES 20104,GEOG 22700,GEOG 32700,SOCI 30104,SOSC 25100
SOCI 20105. Educational Organization and Social Inequality. 100 Units.
This course reviews the major theoretical approaches to the organizational analysis of school districts, schools, and classrooms and to the relationship between education and social stratification. It gives particular attention to ways in which the organization of education affects students' life chances.
Instructor(s): C. Bidwell Terms Offered: Winter
Equivalent Course(s): SOCI 30105
SOCI 20106. Political Sociology. 100 Units.
This course provides analytical perspectives on citizen preference theory, public choice, group theory, bureaucrats and state-centered theory, coalition theory, elite theories, and political culture. These competing analytical perspectives are assessed in considering middle-range theories and empirical studies on central themes of political sociology. Local, national, and cross-national analyses are explored.
Instructor(s): T. Clark Terms Offered: Spring
Prerequisite(s): Completion of the general education requirement in social sciences
Equivalent Course(s): ENST 23500,PBPL 23600,SOCI 30106
SOCI 20107. Sociology of Human Sexuality. 100 Units.
After briefly reviewing several biological and psychological approaches to human sexuality as points of comparison, this course explores the sociological perspective on sexual conduct and its associated beliefs and consequences for individuals and society. Substantive topics include gender relations; life-course perspectives on sexual conduct in youth, adolescence, and adulthood; social epidemiology of sexually transmitted infections (e.g., AIDS); sexual partner choice and turnover; and the incidence/prevalence of selected sexual practices.
Instructor(s): E. Laumann Terms Offered: Spring
Prerequisite(s): Introductory social sciences course
Equivalent Course(s): GNSE 27100,SOCI 30107
SOCI 20111. Survey Analysis I. 100 Units.
This course covers how to analyze and write up previously collected survey data: the basic logic of multivariate causal reasoning and its application to OLS regression, percentage tables, and log odds. We emphasize practice in writing. This is not a course in sampling methods.
Instructor(s): J. Davis Terms Offered: Autumn
Equivalent Course(s): SOCI 30111
SOCI 20112. Applications of Hierarchical Linear Models. 100 Units.
A number of diverse methodological problems such as correlates of change, analysis of multi-level data, and certain aspects of meta-analysis share a common feature--a hierarchical structure. The hierarchical linear model offers a promising approach to analyzing data in these situations. This course will survey the methodological literature in this area, and demonstrate how the hierarchical linear model can be applied to a range of problems.
Instructor(s): S. Raudenbush Terms Offered: Spring
Prerequisite(s): Applied statistics at a level of multiple regression
Equivalent Course(s): SOCI 30112
SOCI 20116. Global-Local Politics. 100 Units.
Globalizing and local forces are generating a new politics in the United States and around the world. This course explores this new politics by mapping its emerging elements: the rise of social issues, ethno-religious and regional attachments, environmentalism, gender and life-style identity issues, new social movements, transformed political parties and organized groups, and new efforts to mobilize individual citizens.
Instructor(s): T. Clark Terms Offered: Winter
Equivalent Course(s): HMRT 20116,HMRT 30116,PBPL 27900,SOCI 30116
SOCI 20118. Survey Research Overview. 100 Units.
The course provides an overview of interview-based data collection methods. Each student must develop a research question to guide their research design. Students get an overview of different interview-based data collection methods (focus groups, key-informant interviews, large-N sample surveys), how to sample and design a questionnaire or interview guide for their project, and the nuts and bolts of actual recruitment, receipt control and survey administration. The instructor provides feedback for proposed elements of each student's research plan through weekly assignments. The final paper is a research proposal that outlines a plan for research to address the student's research question.
Instructor(s): M. Van Haitsma Terms Offered: Autumn
Equivalent Course(s): MAPS 30900,SOCI 30118,SOSC 20200,SOSC 30900,SSAD 53200
SOCI 20120. Urban Policy Analysis. 100 Units.
This course addresses the explanations available for varying patterns of policies that cities provide in terms of expenditures and service delivery. Topics include theoretical approaches and policy options, migration as a policy option, group theory, citizen preference theory, incrementalism, economic base influences, and an integrated model. Also examined are the New York fiscal crisis and taxpayer revolts, measuring citizen preferences, service delivery, and productivity.
Instructor(s): T. Clark Terms Offered: Autumn
Equivalent Course(s): PBPL 24800,SOCI 30120
SOCI 20123. The Family. 100 Units.
Everyone is a member of a family. The family has been one of the most important social institutions in every society throughout history. But the shape that families take, the functions they fill, and the problems they face vary historically and cross-culturally. So families in Sweden look different from and act differently than families in Saudi Arabia or Brazil. And American families today differ dramatically from a century ago. This course looks at families from a sociological perspective, focusing on the family as a social group, the institution of the family, and differences in families within and across societies. We consider how public policies—such as those aiding needy families (TANF) and recognizing same-sex marriage—affect families and how family members work to influence public policies. We draw on contemporary media representations of families and their challenges in order to evaluate sociological theories. The course follows lecture/discussion format. Students are responsible for three one-page papers on topics drawn from the course, a mid-term, and a final. Prerequisites include one or more general introductory courses in sociology or a related social science or consent of the instructor.
Instructor(s): L. Waite Terms Offered: Winter
Prerequisite(s): At least one prior basic course in sociology or related social science, or consent of instructor
Equivalent Course(s): GNSE 20100
SOCI 20126. Japanese Society: Functional/Cultural Explanations. 100 Units.
The objective of this course is to provide an overview of social structural characteristics, and the functioning of contemporary Japanese society by a juxtaposition of universalistic functional (or rational) explanations and particularistic cultural (and historical) explanations. As will become clear as complementary to each other. Substantively, the course primarily focuses on 1) the forms of social interaction and structure, 2) work organization and family, and 3) education, social inequality and opportunity. The course also presents discussions of the extent to which Japan is "unique" among industrial societies. In covering a broad range of English-language literature on Japanese Society, the course not only presents reviews and discussions of various alternative theoretical explanations of the characteristics of Japanese society, but also a profound opportunity to critically review and study selected sociological theories.
Instructor(s): K. Yamaguchi Terms Offered: Winter
Equivalent Course(s): SOCI 30126
SOCI 20138. Politics/Participation/Organization. 100 Units.
When and why do citizens participate in politics? What skills do they bring to that participation? And why should we care? These questions are central to debates in both democratic theory and political sociology. Through case studies of voluntary associations and social movements, the course explores how participation is shaped by distinctive organizational cultures that create both opportunities and constraints for political actions.
Instructor(s): E. Clemens Terms Offered: Spring
Equivalent Course(s): SOCI 30138
SOCI 20140. Qualitative Field Methods. 100 Units.
This course introduces techniques of, and approaches to, ethnographic field research. We emphasize quality of attention and awareness of perspective as foundational aspects of the craft. Students conduct research at a site, compose and share field notes, and produce a final paper distilling sociological insight from the fieldwork.
Instructor(s): O. McRoberts Terms Offered: Winter
Equivalent Course(s): CRES 20140
SOCI 20150. Consumption. 100 Units.
The modern period was associated with industrial production, class society, rationalization, disenchantment, the welfare state, and the belief in salvation by society. Current societies are characterized by a culture of consumption; consumption is central to lifestyles and identity, it is instantiated in our technological reality and the complex of advertising media, structures of wanting and shopping. Starting from the question “why do we want things” we will discuss theories and empirical studies that focus on consumption and identity formation; on shopping and the consumption of symbolic signs; on consumption as linked to the re-enchantment of modernity; as a process of distinction and of the globalization of frames; and as related to time and information. The course is built around approaches that complement the “productionist” focus of the social sciences. Students interested in economic sociology and anthropology can supplement this course by one on Markets and Money.
Instructor(s): K. Knorr Cetina Terms Offered: Spring
Equivalent Course(s): ANTH 25401,ANTH 35401,SOCI 30150
SOCI 20156. Sociology of Law. 100 Units.
This course is an introduction to the sociology of law and broader issues of law and society. After reviewing the major classical perspectives in the sociology of law, we examine the sociological perspective on the relationship between social structure and legal systems and action. Substantive topics include the structure of the legal profession, law and organizations, inequality and the law, law and social reform, and the structure of disputes. This is not a course on criminology.
Instructor(s): R. Lancaster Terms Offered: Winter
Equivalent Course(s): SOCI 30156
SOCI 20157. Mathematical Models. 100 Units.
This course examines mathematical models and related analyses of social action, emphasizing a rational-choice perspective. About half the lectures focus on models of collective action, power, and exchange as developed by Coleman, Bonacich, Marsden, and Yamaguchi. Then the course examines models of choice over the life course, including rational and social choice models of marriage, births, friendship networks, occupations, and divorce. Both behavioral and analytical models are surveyed.
Instructor(s): K. Yamaguchi Terms Offered: Spring
Equivalent Course(s): SOCI 30157
SOCI 20175. The Sociology of Deviant Behavior. 100 Units.
This course examines how distinctions between "normal" and "deviant" are created, and how these labels shift historically, culturally, and politically. We analyze the construction of social problems and moral panics (e.g., smoking, "satanic" daycares, obesity) to explore how various moral entrepreneurs shape what some sociologists call a "culture of fear." Additionally, we investigate the impact on individuals of being labeled "deviant" either voluntarily or involuntarily, as a way of illustrating how both social control and social change operate in society.
Instructor(s): K. Schilt Terms Offered: Not offered in 2012-13
Equivalent Course(s): GNSE 20170
SOCI 20178. Management and Organizations. 100 Units.
This course provides an introduction to social science approaches to life within organizations, with a focus on the singular role of the manager. We explore various issues relating to management and organizational problems, including competitive decision-making, social networks and careers, corporate culture, negotiations, organizational design, and leadership. We also explore the rise of the large corporation and the central role managers play in contemporary capitalism.
Instructor(s): R. Lancaster Terms Offered: Winter
SOCI 20179. Labor Force and Employment. 100 Units.
This course introduces key concepts, methods, and sources of information for understanding the structure of work and the organization of workers in the United States and other industrialized nations. We survey social science approaches to answering key questions about work and employment, including: What is the labor force? What determines the supply of workers? How is work organized into jobs, occupations, careers, and industries? What, if anything, happened to unions? How much money do workers earn and why? What is the effect of work on health? How do workers and employers find each other? Who is unemployed? What are the employment effects of race, gender, ethnicity, and religion?
Instructor(s): R. Stolzenberg Terms Offered: Winter
Equivalent Course(s): SOCI 30179
SOCI 20184. Political Culture, Social Capital, and the Arts. 100 Units.
New work finds that certain arts and cultural activities are rising, especially among the young, in many countries. This course reviews core related concepts (e.g., political culture, social capital, legitimacy) and how they change with these new developments. Scenes, nightlife, design, the Internet, and entertainment emerge as critical drivers of the post-industrial/knowledge society. Older primordial conflicts over class, race, and gender are transformed with these new issues, which spark new social movements and political tensions. After a focus on the discussion of readings, the second part of the course is conducted as a seminar.
Instructor(s): T. Clark Terms Offered: Autumn
Equivalent Course(s): SOCI 30184
SOCI 20191. Social Change in the United States. 100 Units.
This course provides students with concepts, facts, and methods for understanding the social structure of the contemporary United States, recent changes in the U.S. social structure, survey data for measuring social structure and social change in contemporary industrial societies, and data analysis methods for distinguishing different types of change. This course is taught by traditional and nontraditional methods: traditional by a combination of readings, lectures, and discussions; and nontraditional by in-class, "live" statistical analysis of the cumulative file (1972–2004) of the NORC General Social Surveys (GSS).
Instructor(s): R. Stolzenberg Terms Offered: Autumn
Prerequisite(s): Two prior sociology courses or consent of instructor
Equivalent Course(s): SOCI 30191
SOCI 20192. The Effects of Schooling. 100 Units.
From at least the Renaissance until some time around the middle of the twentieth century, social class was the pre-eminent, generalized determinant of life chances in European and, eventually, American societies. Social class had great effect on one's social standing; economic well-being; political power; access to knowledge; and even longevity, health, and height. In that time, there was hardly an aspect of life that was not profoundly influenced by social class. In the ensuing period, the effects of social class have receded greatly, and perhaps have even vanished. In their place formal schooling has become the great generalized influence over who gets access to the desiderata of social life, including food, shelter, political power, and medical care. So it is that schooling is sociologically interesting for reasons that go well beyond education. The purpose of this course is to review what is known about the long-term effects of schooling.
Instructor(s): R. Stolzenberg Terms Offered: Winter
Equivalent Course(s): SOCI 30192
SOCI 20204. Sociology of Civil Society. 100 Units.
This course examines how civil society interacts with the state and market. After a theoretical overview of classical theories of civil society and more modern theoretical variations, it explores the various topics of civil society from institutional, organizational, and cultural perspectives. Topics include: civil society and social movements, civil society and welfare states, civil society and identity politics, civil society and market, and transformation of civil society and public sphere.
Instructor(s): C.S. Lee Terms Offered: Winter
Equivalent Course(s): SOCI 30204
SOCI 20206. Demographic Methods: Measurement and Analysis. 100 Units.
This course introduces students to the analysis of population processes using demographic methods. It emphasizes formal theory and modeling assumptions as well as the practical estimation and interpretation of demographic measures. The course covers the construction of cohort and period life tables (including single, multiple-decrement, and multi-state examples) and analyses of changes in population size and composition. Students are introduced to demographic databases and develop skills in the manipulation of data using the statistical computing language R. Applications include international mortality and health trends, as well as fertility and population change.
Instructor(s): M. Engelman Terms Offered: Winter
Equivalent Course(s): SOCI 30206
SOCI 20207. Social and Cultural Organization of Non-Human Animals. 100 Units.
In the past few decades, there has been an explosion of rigorous work in ethology regarding social organization, cultural patterns, and cognition in non-human animals. The results have fundamentally overturned previous assumptions about animals; they also challenge and inspire sociological theory to encompass formations observed in non-humans. This course builds on classic theoretical approaches (of Chicago sociology and philosophy, of evolutionary theorists) and the examines the current state of knowledge about animal social organization, communication, and culture. Although there is a fair amount on primates, we will be examining work on a number of social species from ants to whales. Students will write a paper pursuing one theme of the course (e.g., social organization, learning) in one species (e.g., Ethiopian wolf, Octopus vulgaris).
Instructor(s): J. Martin Terms Offered: Autumn
Equivalent Course(s): SOCI 30207
SOCI 20208. Internet and Society. 100 Units.
The course explores the Internet and its influence on modern life. We consider the history, growth and structure of the Internet, email and the World Wide Web; the meaning and consequence of the "digital divide" between rich and poor; online identities and intimacy; social media and community; political participation and polarization; media sharing, mash-ups and cultural diversity; the knowledge economy, online markets and the evolution of intellectual property; immersive and virtual reality; information overload; searching, surfing and distributed intelligence on the Internet. The course surveys a wide variety of arguments about these issues, generates new questions and theories about Internet and society, and interrogates them all in discussion and through online investigation and experiments.
Instructor(s): J. Evans Terms Offered: Not offered in 2012-13
Equivalent Course(s): SOCI 30208
SOCI 28055. Critical Theory: The Frankfurt School and Beyond. 100 Units.
Critical Theory is one of the most prominent intellectual movements of the twentieth century, yet the extend to which it represents a coherent philosophical tradition and the assumptions and ideas that reside at its core remain open to debate. The course addresses this question through the in-depth study of Critical Theory's most renowned works. The reading list commences with Frankfurt School "classics" by Theodor Adorno, Max Horkheimer, and Herbert Marcuse, and continues with work by Critical Theory's intellectual heirs such as Jurgen Habermas and Axel Honneth.
Instructor(s): M. Lee Terms Offered: Winter
SOCI 28056. Collective Violence and Social Orders. 100 Units.
This course analyzes collective violence in historical and contemporary contexts. We examine how violence becomes socially constituted and the processes of mobilizing groups of individuals to violent acts. It illuminates the complex emotional, social, and cultural factors in the rise and fall of bloody social scenes. The courses provides opportunities for students to conduct research on the sociology of violence.
Instructor(s): G. Tian Terms Offered: Spring
SOCI 28057. Reproduction and Reproductive Rights. 100 Units.
This course uses sociological theories and methods to examine a range of reproductive issues such as assisted reproductive technologies, surrogacy, birth, and abortion. By looking at how societal factors influence individuals' reproductive values and experiences, the course explores the politics, practice, and policies of reproduction, with a focus on the United States. In addition, the course highlights how social categories of race, gender, class, and sexual orientation influence reproductive opportunities, attitudes, and outcomes.
Instructor(s): A. VandeVusse Terms Offered: Spring
SOCI 29997. Readings in Sociology. 100 Units.
Students are required to submit the College Reading and Research Course Form. With consent of instructor, students may take this course for P/F grading if it is not being used to meet program requirements.
Terms Offered: Autumn, Winter, Spring, Summer
Prerequisite(s): Consent of instructor and program chair.
SOCI 29998. Senior Seminar. 100 Units.
This required yearlong course is a forum for students who are majoring in sociology to present their BA papers. Students attend the seminar in Spring Quarter of their third year and in Autumn and Winter Quarters of their fourth year. They may enroll during any one of these quarters, but must attend all three. They submit a completed thesis during Spring Quarter of their fourth year. Students who are not graduating in June should participate in three quarters of the senior seminar in the twelve months before graduation. Students who plan to study abroad during Spring Quarter of their third year should consult with the Undergraduate Program Chair well in advance of their trip. For a general statement about the BA paper, students should obtain the brochure Undergraduate Program in Sociology in the departmental office.
Terms Offered: Autumn, Winter, Spring
Prerequisite(s): Open only to students who are majoring in sociology.
Note(s): Must be taken for a quality grade.
SOCI 29999. BA Honors Paper. 100 Units.
Open only to students who wish to be considered for honors. Students are required to submit the College Reading and Research Course Form. Must be taken for a quality grade.
Terms Offered: Summer, Autumn, Winter, Spring
Prerequisite(s): Consent of instructor and program chair.
SOCI 30004. Statistical Methods of Research. 100 Units.
This course provides a comprehensive introduction to widely used quantitative methods in sociology and related social sciences. Topics include analysis of variance and multiple regression, considered as they are used by practicing social scientists.
Instructor(s): S. Raudenbush Terms Offered: Winter
Note(s): Students are expected to attend two lectures and one lab per week. UG Sociology majors and Sociology PhD students only. Others by consent of instructor
Equivalent Course(s): SOCI 20004
SOCI 30101. Organizational Analysis. 100 Units.
This course is a systematic introduction to theoretical and empirical work on organizations broadly conceived (e.g., public and private economic organizations, governmental organizations, prisons, professional and voluntary associations, health-care organizations). Topics include intraorganizational questions about organizational goals and effectiveness, communication, authority, and decision making. Using recent developments in market, political economy, and neoinstitutional theories, we explore organizational change and interorganizational relationships for their implications in understanding social change in modern societies.
Instructor(s): E. Laumann Terms Offered: Autumn
Equivalent Course(s): SOCI 20101,PBPL 23000
SOCI 30103. Social Stratification. 100 Units.
Social stratification is the unequal distribution of the goods that members of a society value (e.g., earnings, income, authority, political power, status, prestige). This course introduces various sociological perspectives about stratification. We look at major patterns of inequality throughout human history, how they vary across countries, how they are formed and maintained, how they come to be seen as legitimate and desirable, and how they affect the lives of individuals within a society. The readings incorporate classical theoretical statements, contemporary debates, and recent empirical evidence.
Instructor(s): R. Stolzenberg Terms Offered: Autumn
Equivalent Course(s): SOCI 20103
SOCI 30104. Urban Structure and Process. 100 Units.
This course reviews competing theories of urban development, especially their ability to explain the changing nature of cities under the impact of advanced industrialism. Analysis includes a consideration of emerging metropolitan regions, the microstructure of local neighborhoods, and the limitations of the past U.S. experience as a way of developing worldwide urban policy.
Instructor(s): O. McRoberts Terms Offered: Spring
Equivalent Course(s): SOCI 20104,CRES 20104,GEOG 22700,GEOG 32700,SOSC 25100
SOCI 30105. Educational Organization and Social Inequality. 100 Units.
This course reviews the major theoretical approaches to the organizational analysis of school districts, schools, and classrooms and to the relationship between education and social stratification. It gives particular attention to ways in which the organization of education affects students' life chances.
Instructor(s): C. Bidwell Terms Offered: Winter
Equivalent Course(s): SOCI 20105
SOCI 30106. Political Sociology. 100 Units.
This course provides analytical perspectives on citizen preference theory, public choice, group theory, bureaucrats and state-centered theory, coalition theory, elite theories, and political culture. These competing analytical perspectives are assessed in considering middle-range theories and empirical studies on central themes of political sociology. Local, national, and cross-national analyses are explored.
Instructor(s): T. Clark Terms Offered: Spring
Prerequisite(s): Completion of the general education requirement in social sciences
Equivalent Course(s): SOCI 20106,ENST 23500,PBPL 23600
SOCI 30107. Sociology of Human Sexuality. 100 Units.
After briefly reviewing several biological and psychological approaches to human sexuality as points of comparison, this course explores the sociological perspective on sexual conduct and its associated beliefs and consequences for individuals and society. Substantive topics include gender relations; life-course perspectives on sexual conduct in youth, adolescence, and adulthood; social epidemiology of sexually transmitted infections (e.g., AIDS); sexual partner choice and turnover; and the incidence/prevalence of selected sexual practices.
Instructor(s): E. Laumann Terms Offered: Spring
Prerequisite(s): Introductory social sciences course
Equivalent Course(s): SOCI 20107,GNSE 27100
SOCI 30111. Survey Analysis I. 100 Units.
This course covers how to analyze and write up previously collected survey data: the basic logic of multivariate causal reasoning and its application to OLS regression, percentage tables, and log odds. We emphasize practice in writing. This is not a course in sampling methods.
Instructor(s): J. Davis Terms Offered: Autumn
Equivalent Course(s): SOCI 20111
SOCI 30112. Applications of Hierarchical Linear Models. 100 Units.
A number of diverse methodological problems such as correlates of change, analysis of multi-level data, and certain aspects of meta-analysis share a common feature--a hierarchical structure. The hierarchical linear model offers a promising approach to analyzing data in these situations. This course will survey the methodological literature in this area, and demonstrate how the hierarchical linear model can be applied to a range of problems.
Instructor(s): S. Raudenbush Terms Offered: Spring
Prerequisite(s): Applied statistics at a level of multiple regression
Equivalent Course(s): SOCI 20112
SOCI 30116. Global-Local Politics. 100 Units.
Globalizing and local forces are generating a new politics in the United States and around the world. This course explores this new politics by mapping its emerging elements: the rise of social issues, ethno-religious and regional attachments, environmentalism, gender and life-style identity issues, new social movements, transformed political parties and organized groups, and new efforts to mobilize individual citizens.
Instructor(s): T. Clark Terms Offered: Winter
Equivalent Course(s): SOCI 20116,HMRT 20116,HMRT 30116,PBPL 27900
SOCI 30118. Survey Research Overview. 100 Units.
The course provides an overview of interview-based data collection methods. Each student must develop a research question to guide their research design. Students get an overview of different interview-based data collection methods (focus groups, key-informant interviews, large-N sample surveys), how to sample and design a questionnaire or interview guide for their project, and the nuts and bolts of actual recruitment, receipt control and survey administration. The instructor provides feedback for proposed elements of each student's research plan through weekly assignments. The final paper is a research proposal that outlines a plan for research to address the student's research question.
Instructor(s): M. Van Haitsma Terms Offered: Autumn
Equivalent Course(s): SOCI 20118,MAPS 30900,SOSC 20200,SOSC 30900,SSAD 53200
SOCI 30120. Urban Policy Analysis. 100 Units.
This course addresses the explanations available for varying patterns of policies that cities provide in terms of expenditures and service delivery. Topics include theoretical approaches and policy options, migration as a policy option, group theory, citizen preference theory, incrementalism, economic base influences, and an integrated model. Also examined are the New York fiscal crisis and taxpayer revolts, measuring citizen preferences, service delivery, and productivity.
Instructor(s): T. Clark Terms Offered: Autumn
Equivalent Course(s): SOCI 20120,PBPL 24800
SOCI 30123. The Family. 100 Units.
Everyone is a member of a family. The family has been one of the most important social institutions in every society throughout history. But the shape that families take, the functions they fill, and the problems they face vary historically and cross-culturally. So families in Sweden look different from and act differently than families in Saudi Arabia or Brazil. And American families today differ dramatically from a century ago. This course looks at families from a sociological perspective, focusing on the family as a social group, the institution of the family, and differences in families within and across societies. We consider how public policies—such as those aiding needy families (TANF) and recognizing same-sex marriage—affect families and how family members work to influence public policies. We draw on contemporary media representations of families and their challenges in order to evaluate sociological theories. The course follows lecture/discussion format. Students are responsible for three one-page papers on topics drawn from the course, a mid-term, and a final. Prerequisites include one or more general introductory courses in sociology or a related social science or consent of the instructor.
Instructor(s): L. Waite Terms Offered: Winter
Prerequisite(s): At least one prior basic course in sociology or related social science, or consent of instructor
SOCI 30126. Japanese Society: Functional/Cultural Explanations. 100 Units.
The objective of this course is to provide an overview of social structural characteristics, and the functioning of contemporary Japanese society by a juxtaposition of universalistic functional (or rational) explanations and particularistic cultural (and historical) explanations. As will become clear as complementary to each other. Substantively, the course primarily focuses on 1) the forms of social interaction and structure, 2) work organization and family, and 3) education, social inequality and opportunity. The course also presents discussions of the extent to which Japan is "unique" among industrial societies. In covering a broad range of English-language literature on Japanese Society, the course not only presents reviews and discussions of various alternative theoretical explanations of the characteristics of Japanese society, but also a profound opportunity to critically review and study selected sociological theories.
Instructor(s): K. Yamaguchi Terms Offered: Winter
Equivalent Course(s): SOCI 20126
SOCI 30138. Politics/Participation/Organization. 100 Units.
When and why do citizens participate in politics? What skills do they bring to that participation? And why should we care? These questions are central to debates in both democratic theory and political sociology. Through case studies of voluntary associations and social movements, the course explores how participation is shaped by distinctive organizational cultures that create both opportunities and constraints for political actions.
Instructor(s): E. Clemens Terms Offered: Spring
Equivalent Course(s): SOCI 20138
SOCI 30150. Consumption. 100 Units.
The modern period was associated with industrial production, class society, rationalization, disenchantment, the welfare state, and the belief in salvation by society. Current societies are characterized by a culture of consumption; consumption is central to lifestyles and identity, it is instantiated in our technological reality and the complex of advertising media, structures of wanting and shopping. Starting from the question “why do we want things” we will discuss theories and empirical studies that focus on consumption and identity formation; on shopping and the consumption of symbolic signs; on consumption as linked to the re-enchantment of modernity; as a process of distinction and of the globalization of frames; and as related to time and information. The course is built around approaches that complement the “productionist” focus of the social sciences. Students interested in economic sociology and anthropology can supplement this course by one on Markets and Money.
Instructor(s): K. Knorr Cetina Terms Offered: Spring
Equivalent Course(s): SOCI 20150,ANTH 25401,ANTH 35401
SOCI 30156. Sociology of Law. 100 Units.
This course is an introduction to the sociology of law and broader issues of law and society. After reviewing the major classical perspectives in the sociology of law, we examine the sociological perspective on the relationship between social structure and legal systems and action. Substantive topics include the structure of the legal profession, law and organizations, inequality and the law, law and social reform, and the structure of disputes. This is not a course on criminology.
Instructor(s): R. Lancaster Terms Offered: Winter
Equivalent Course(s): SOCI 20156
SOCI 30157. Mathematical Models. 100 Units.
This course examines mathematical models and related analyses of social action, emphasizing a rational-choice perspective. About half the lectures focus on models of collective action, power, and exchange as developed by Coleman, Bonacich, Marsden, and Yamaguchi. Then the course examines models of choice over the life course, including rational and social choice models of marriage, births, friendship networks, occupations, and divorce. Both behavioral and analytical models are surveyed.
Instructor(s): K. Yamaguchi Terms Offered: Spring
Equivalent Course(s): SOCI 20157
SOCI 30179. Labor Force and Employment. 100 Units.
This course introduces key concepts, methods, and sources of information for understanding the structure of work and the organization of workers in the United States and other industrialized nations. We survey social science approaches to answering key questions about work and employment, including: What is the labor force? What determines the supply of workers? How is work organized into jobs, occupations, careers, and industries? What, if anything, happened to unions? How much money do workers earn and why? What is the effect of work on health? How do workers and employers find each other? Who is unemployed? What are the employment effects of race, gender, ethnicity, and religion?
Instructor(s): R. Stolzenberg Terms Offered: Winter
Equivalent Course(s): SOCI 20179
SOCI 30184. Political Culture, Social Capital, and the Arts. 100 Units.
New work finds that certain arts and cultural activities are rising, especially among the young, in many countries. This course reviews core related concepts (e.g., political culture, social capital, legitimacy) and how they change with these new developments. Scenes, nightlife, design, the Internet, and entertainment emerge as critical drivers of the post-industrial/knowledge society. Older primordial conflicts over class, race, and gender are transformed with these new issues, which spark new social movements and political tensions. After a focus on the discussion of readings, the second part of the course is conducted as a seminar.
Instructor(s): T. Clark Terms Offered: Autumn
Equivalent Course(s): SOCI 20184
SOCI 30191. Social Change in the United States. 100 Units.
This course provides students with concepts, facts, and methods for understanding the social structure of the contemporary United States, recent changes in the U.S. social structure, survey data for measuring social structure and social change in contemporary industrial societies, and data analysis methods for distinguishing different types of change. This course is taught by traditional and nontraditional methods: traditional by a combination of readings, lectures, and discussions; and nontraditional by in-class, "live" statistical analysis of the cumulative file (1972–2004) of the NORC General Social Surveys (GSS).
Instructor(s): R. Stolzenberg Terms Offered: Autumn
Prerequisite(s): Two prior sociology courses or consent of instructor
Equivalent Course(s): SOCI 20191
SOCI 30192. The Effects of Schooling. 100 Units.
From at least the Renaissance until some time around the middle of the twentieth century, social class was the pre-eminent, generalized determinant of life chances in European and, eventually, American societies. Social class had great effect on one's social standing; economic well-being; political power; access to knowledge; and even longevity, health, and height. In that time, there was hardly an aspect of life that was not profoundly influenced by social class. In the ensuing period, the effects of social class have receded greatly, and perhaps have even vanished. In their place formal schooling has become the great generalized influence over who gets access to the desiderata of social life, including food, shelter, political power, and medical care. So it is that schooling is sociologically interesting for reasons that go well beyond education. The purpose of this course is to review what is known about the long-term effects of schooling.
Instructor(s): R. Stolzenberg Terms Offered: Winter
Equivalent Course(s): SOCI 20192
SOCI 30204. Sociology of Civil Society. 100 Units.
This course examines how civil society interacts with the state and market. After a theoretical overview of classical theories of civil society and more modern theoretical variations, it explores the various topics of civil society from institutional, organizational, and cultural perspectives. Topics include: civil society and social movements, civil society and welfare states, civil society and identity politics, civil society and market, and transformation of civil society and public sphere.
Instructor(s): C.S. Lee Terms Offered: Winter
Equivalent Course(s): SOCI 20204
SOCI 30206. Demographic Methods: Measurement and Analysis. 100 Units.
This course introduces students to the analysis of population processes using demographic methods. It emphasizes formal theory and modeling assumptions as well as the practical estimation and interpretation of demographic measures. The course covers the construction of cohort and period life tables (including single, multiple-decrement, and multi-state examples) and analyses of changes in population size and composition. Students are introduced to demographic databases and develop skills in the manipulation of data using the statistical computing language R. Applications include international mortality and health trends, as well as fertility and population change.
Instructor(s): M. Engelman Terms Offered: Winter
Equivalent Course(s): SOCI 20206
SOCI 30207. Social and Cultural Organization of Non-Human Animals. 100 Units.
In the past few decades, there has been an explosion of rigorous work in ethology regarding social organization, cultural patterns, and cognition in non-human animals. The results have fundamentally overturned previous assumptions about animals; they also challenge and inspire sociological theory to encompass formations observed in non-humans. This course builds on classic theoretical approaches (of Chicago sociology and philosophy, of evolutionary theorists) and the examines the current state of knowledge about animal social organization, communication, and culture. Although there is a fair amount on primates, we will be examining work on a number of social species from ants to whales. Students will write a paper pursuing one theme of the course (e.g., social organization, learning) in one species (e.g., Ethiopian wolf, Octopus vulgaris).
Instructor(s): J. Martin Terms Offered: Autumn
Equivalent Course(s): SOCI 20207
SOCI 30208. Internet and Society. 100 Units.
The course explores the Internet and its influence on modern life. We consider the history, growth and structure of the Internet, email and the World Wide Web; the meaning and consequence of the "digital divide" between rich and poor; online identities and intimacy; social media and community; political participation and polarization; media sharing, mash-ups and cultural diversity; the knowledge economy, online markets and the evolution of intellectual property; immersive and virtual reality; information overload; searching, surfing and distributed intelligence on the Internet. The course surveys a wide variety of arguments about these issues, generates new questions and theories about Internet and society, and interrogates them all in discussion and through online investigation and experiments.
Instructor(s): J. Evans Terms Offered: Not offered in 2012-13
Equivalent Course(s): SOCI 20208
SOCI 30302. Problems of Public Policy Implementation. 100 Units.
Once a governmental policy or program is established, there is the challenge of getting it carried out in ways intended by the policy makers. We explore how obstacles emerge because of problems of hierarchy, competing goals, and cultures of different groups. We then discuss how they may be overcome by groups, as well as by creators and by those responsible for implementing programs. We also look at varying responses of target populations.
Instructor(s): R. Taub Terms Offered: Autumn
Prerequisite(s): One prior 20000-level social sciences course
Note(s): PBPL 22100-22200-22300 may be taken in or out of sequence.
Equivalent Course(s): PBPL 22300,CHDV 30302
SOCI 30303. Urban Landscapes as Social Text. 100 Units.
This seminar explores the meanings found in varieties of urban landscapes, both in the context of individual elements and composite structures. These meanings are examined in relation to three fundamental approaches that can be identified in the analytical literature on landscapes: normative, historical, and communicative modes of conceptualization. Emphasis is placed on analyzing the explicitly visual features of the urban landscape. Students pursue research topics of their own choosing within the general framework.
Instructor(s): M. Conzen Terms Offered: Autumn
Prerequisite(s): Advanced standing and consent of instructor.
Equivalent Course(s): GEOG 42400
