Sociology
Courses
For course descriptions not found in the 2008-2009 General Catalog, please contact the department for more information.
Lower-Division
Soc/L 1A. The Study of Society (4) An introduction to the organizing themes and ideas, empirical concerns, and analytical approaches of the discipline of sociology. The course focuses on both classical and contemporary views of modern society, on the nature of community, and on inequality, with special attention to class, race, and gender. Materials include both theoretical statements and case studies. (This is a required course for the sociology major. It is normally offered fall quarter.)
Soc/L 1B. The Study of Society (4) A continuation of Sociology/L 1A. The focus here is on socialization processes, culture, social reproduction and social control, and collective action. As in 1A, materials include both theoretical statements and case studies. While 1B may be taken as an independent course, it is recommended that students take 1A and 1B in sequence, as the latter builds on the former. (This is a required course for the sociology major. It is normally offered winter quarter.)
Soc/L 10. American Society: Social Structure and Culture in the United States (4) An introduction to American society in historical, comparative, and contemporary perspectives. Topics will include American cultural traditions; industrialization; class structure; the welfare state; ethnic, racial, and gender relations; the changing position of religion; social movements; and political trends.
Soc/L 20. Social Change in the Modern World (4) A survey of the major economic, political, and social forces that have shaped the contemporary world. The course will provide an introduction to theories of social change, as well as prepare the student for upper-division work in comparative-historical sociology. (This is a required course for the sociology major.)
Soc/L 30. Science, Technology, and Society (4) A series of case studies of the relations between society and modern science, technology, and medicine. Global warming, reproductive medicine, AIDS, and other topical cases prompt students to view science-society interactions as problematic and complex.
Soc/L 40. Sociology of Health Care Issues (4) Designed as a broad introduction to medicine as a social institution and its relationship to other institutions as well as its relation to society. It will make use of both micro and macro sociological work in this area and introduce students to sociological perspectives of contemporary health care issues.
Soc/L 50. Introduction to Law and Society Interrelationships between law and society, in the U.S. and other parts of the world. We examine law’s norms, customs, culture, and institutions, and explain the proliferation of lawyers in the U.S. and the expansion of legal “rights” worldwide.
Soc/L 60. The Practice of Social Research (4) This course introduces students to the fundamental principles of the design of social research. It examines the key varieties of evidence, sampling methods, logic of comparison, and causal reasoning researchers use in their study of social issues. (This is a required course for the sociology major.)
Soc/L 87. Freshman Seminar (1) The Freshman Seminar Program is designed to provide new students with the opportunity to explore an intellectual topic with a faculty member in a small seminar setting. Freshman seminar topics will vary from quarter to quarter. Enrollment is limited to fifteen to twenty students, with preference given to entering freshmen.
Soc/L 98. Directed Group Study (4) Small group study and research under the direction of an interested faculty member in an area not covered in regular sociology courses. (P/NP grades only.) Prerequisites: lower-division standing; completion of thirty units of UCSD undergraduate study; minimum UCSD GPA of 3.0; completion and approval of Special Studies form. Consent of instructor and department approval required.
Soc/L 99. Independent Study (4) Individual study and research under the direction of an interested faculty member. P/NP grades only. Prerequisites: lower-division standing; completion of thirty units of UCSD undergraduate study; minimum UCSD GPA of 3.0; completion and approval of Special Studies form. Consent of instructor and department approval required.
Cluster A: Theory and Methods
Theory
Soc/A 100. Classical Sociological Theory (4) Major figures and schools in sociology from the early nineteenth century onwards, including Marx, Tocqueville, Durkheim, and Weber. The objective of the course is to provide students with a background in classical social theory, and to show its relevance to contemporary sociology. Prerequisite: upper-division standing. (This is a required course for the sociology major.)
Soc/A 102. Contemporary Sociological Theory (4) An analysis of leading theories in sociology with an emphasis on contemporary perspectives. Theoretical approaches include functionalism, Marxism, systems analysis, and interpretive sociology. Prerequisite: upper-division standing.
Methods
Soc/A 103M. Computer Applications to Data Management in Sociology (4) Develop skills in computer management and analysis of sociological data. Practical experience with data produced by sociological research. Students will develop competency in the analysis of sociological data, by extensive acquaintance with computer software used for data analysis and management (e.g., SPSS). Prerequisite: Soc/L 60. Will satisfy method requirement in Cluster A.
Soc/A 104. Field Research: Methods of Participant Observation (4) Relationship between sociological theory and field research. Strong emphasis on theory and methods of participant observation: consideration of problems of entry into field settings, recording observations, description/analysis of field data, ethical problems in field work. Required paper using field methods. Prerequisite: Soc/L 60; majors only. Will satisfy method requirement in Cluster A.
Soc/A 104Q. Qualitative Interviewing (4) This course provides students with tools to conduct original research using qualitative interviews. Students will learn how to prepare, conduct, and analyze qualitative interviews. Special emphasis will be placed on the presentation of research in written form. Prerequisite: upper-division standing.
Soc/A 105. Ethnographic Film: Media Methods (6) (Conjoined with Soc/G 227.) Ethnographic recording of field data in written and audiovisual formats including film, video, and CD Rom applications. Critical assessment of ethnographies and audiovisual ethnographic videotape. Prerequisite: graduate standing or consent of instructor for Soc/G 227 and SocL/60 for Soc/A 105. Will satisfy method requirement in Cluster A.
Soc/A 106. Comparative and Historical Methods (4) A broad-based consideration of the use of historical materials in sociological analysis, especially as this facilitates empirically oriented studies across different societies and through time, and their application in student research projects. Prerequisite:Soc/L 60. Will satisfy method requirement in Cluster A.
Soc/A 106M. Holocaust Diaries (4) Methods for interpreting diaries, letters, and testaments written by victims and perpetrators of the Holocaust. Students use these sources for original research about life in hiding, ghettos, and death camps. Includes techniques for making comparisons and for generalizing from evidence. Prerequisite: Soc/L 60 and Soc/D 178 or the consent of instructor. Will satisfy method requirement in Cluster A.
Soc/A 107. Epidemiological Methods: Statistical Study of Disease (4) Epidemiology is the statistical study of disease, and epidemiological methods are a powerful tool for understanding the causes of certain diseases, e.g., AIDS, scurvy, cholera, and lung cancer. These fundamental epidemiological methods will be taught. Prerequisite: Soc/L 60.
Soc/A 108A. Survey Research Design (4) Translation of research goals into a research design, including probability sampling, questionnaire construction, data collection (including interviewing techniques), data processing, coding, and preliminary tabulation of data. Statistical methods of analysis will be limited primarily to percentaging. Prerequisite: Soc/L 60. Will satisfy method requirement in Cluster A.
Soc/A 109. Analysis of Sociological Data (4) Students test their own sociological research hypotheses using data from recent American and International social surveys and state-of-the-art computer software. Application of classical scientific method, interpretation of statistical results, and clear presentation of research findings. Prerequisite: Soc/L 60. Will satisfy method requirement for Cluster A.
Soc/A 110A. Qualitative Research in Educational Settings (4) Basic understanding of participant observation, interviewing, and other ethnographic research techniques through field experiences in school and community settings sponsored by CREATE. Students will learn to take field notes, write-up interviews, and compose interpretive essays based on their field experiences. Prerequisite: Soc/L 60; Soc/A 110A is a prerequisite for Soc/A 110B. Will satisfy method requirement in Cluster A.
Cluster B: Culture, Language, and Social Interaction
Soc/B 111A. Human Rights: Principles and Problems (4) An inquiry into the concept of human rights, the history of human rights in the twentieth century, and problems in both the concept and its implementation in modern societies. Prerequisite: upper-division standing.
Soc/B 111B. Human Rights: Practices and Cases (4) An investigation into human rights practices in contemporary society, focusing on abuses and understanding both their causes and responses to them. We will look at several key cases, probably including the Islamic world and East Asia. Prerequisite: upper-division standing.
Soc/B 112. Social Psychology (4) This course will deal with human behavior and personality development as affected by social group life. Major theories will be compared. The interaction dynamics of such substantive areas as socialization, normative and deviant behavior, learning and achievement, the social construction of the self, and the social identities will be considered. Prerequisite: upper-division standing.
Soc/B 113. Sociology of the AIDS Epidemic (4) This course considers the social, cultural, political, and economic aspects of HIV/AIDS. Topics include the social context of transmission; the experiences of women living with HIV; AIDS activism; representations of AIDS; and the impact of race and class differences. Prerequisite: upper-division standing.
Soc/B 114. Culture and Ethnicity (4) Examines culture and inter-ethnic relations, the links between culture and ethnic variations in socio- economic achievement, and the intersection of culture and ethnicity with politics and policy. Topics include intermarriage, ethnic conflict, multicultural education and affirmative action. Prerequisite: upper-division standing.
Soc/B 115. Social Problems (4) Analyzes selected social problems in the United States, such as those regarding education, race relations, and wealth inequality, from various sociological perspectives, and also examines the various sites of debate discussion, like political institutions, TV and other media, and religious institutions. Prerequisite: upper-division standing and co-requisite of 0-unit AIP.
Soc/B 117. Language, Culture, and Education (4) (Same as TEP 117.) The mutual influence of language, culture, and education will be explored; explanations of students’ school successes and failures that employ linguistic and cultural variables will be considered; bilingualism; cultural transmission through education. Prerequisite: upper-division standing.
Soc/B 118. Sociology of Gender (4) An analysis of the social, biological, and psychological components of becoming a man or a woman. The course will survey a wide range of information in an attempt to specify what is distinctively social about gender roles and identities; i.e., to understand how a most basic part of the “self”–womanhood or manhood–is socially defined and socially learned behavior. Prerequisite: upper-division standing.
Soc/B 118A. Gender and Language in Society (4) (Same as LIGN 174.) This course examines how language contributes to the social construction of gender identities, and how gender impacts language use and ideologies. Topics include the ways language and gender interact across the life span (especially childhood and adolescence); within ethnolinguistic minority communities; and across cultures. Prerequisite: upper-division standing.
Soc/B 118L. Sociology of Language (4) An examination of how the understanding of language can guide and inform sociological inquiries and a critical evaluation of key sociological approaches to language, including ethnomethodology, frame analysis, sociolinguistics, structuralism and poststructuralism, and others. Prerequisite: upper-division standing.
Soc/B 119. Sociology of Sexuality and Sexual Identities (4) Introduction both to the sociological study of sexuality and to sociological perspectives in gay/lesbian studies. Examines the social construction of sexual meanings, identities, movements, and controversies; the relation of sexuality to other institutions; and the intersection of sexuality with gender, class, and race. Prerequisite: upper-division standing.
Soc/B 120S. Special Topics in Culture, Language, and Social Interaction (4) This course will examine key issues in culture, language, and social interaction. Content will vary from year to year. Prerequisite: upper-division standing.
Soc/B 125. Sociology of Immigration (4) Immigration from a comparative, historical, and cultural perspective. Topics include: factors influencing amount of immigration and destination of immigrants; varying modes of incorporation of immigrants; immigration policies and rights; the impact of immigration on host economies; refugees; assimilation; and return migration. Prerequisite: upper-division standing.
Soc/B 127. Immigration, Race, and Ethnicity (4) Examination of the role that race and ethnicity play in immigrant group integration. Topics include: theories of integration; racial and ethnic identity formation; racial and ethnic change; immigration policy; public opinion; comparisons between contemporary and historical waves of immigration. Prerequisite: upper-division standing.
Soc/B 131. Sociology of Youth (4) Chronological age and social status; analysis of social processes bearing upon the socialization of children and adolescents. The emergence of “youth cultures,” generational succession as a cultural problem. Prerequisite: upper-division standing.
Soc/B 133. Immigration in Comparative Perspective (4) Societies across the world are confronting new immigration. In this course, we will focus on Europe, Asia, and North America, and examine issues of nationalism, cultural diversity and integration, economic impacts, and government policy. Prerequisite: upper-division standing.
Soc/B 137. Sociology of Food (4) Topics include food as a marker of social indifferences (e.g., gender, class, ethnicity); the changing character of food production and distribution; food as an object of political conflict; and the symbolic meanings and riuals of food preparation and consumption.Prerequisite: upper-division standing.
Soc/B 142. Social Deviance (4) This course studies the major forms of behavior seen as rule violations by large segments of our society and analyzes the major theories trying to explain them, as well as processes of rule making, rule enforcing, techniques of neutralization, stigmatization and status degradation, and rule change. Prerequisite: upper-division standing.
Soc/B 143. Suicide (4) Traditional and modern theories of suicide will be reviewed and tested. The study of suicide will be treated as one method for investigating the influence of society on the individual. Prerequisite: upper-division standing.
Soc/B 145. Violence and Society (4) Focusing on American history, this course explores violence in the light of three major themes: struggles over citizenship and nationhood; the drawing and maintenance of racial, ethnic, and gender boundaries; and the persistence of notions of “masculinity” and its relation to violence. Prerequisite: upper-division standing.
Soc/B 146. Law Enforcement in America (4) Provides a sociological understanding of policing in practice in the United States. Examines the social, political, and historical forces behind the development and shaping of policing in America—including the functions of police, the “working personality” of police officers, as well as police misconduct and its control. Prerequisite: upper-division standing.
Soc/B 160. Sociology of Culture (4) This course will examine the concept of culture, its “disintegration” in the twentieth century, and the repercussions on the integration of the individual. We will look at this process from a variety of perspectives, each focusing on one cultural fragment (e.g., knowledge, literature, religion) and all suggesting various means to reunify culture and consequently the individual. Prerequisite: upper-division standing.
Soc/B 160L. Law and Culture (4) This course examines major formulations of the relationship between law and culture in the sociological literature. Topics include formal law versus embedded law, law and morality, law and the self, legal consciousness, the rule of law, and the construction of legality. Prerequisite: upper-division standing.
Soc/B 161. Sociology of the Life Course (4) This course explores concepts, theory and empirical research related to demographic, socio-psychological, and institutional aspects of the different stages of human development. It considers social influences on opportunities and constraints by gender, class, race/ethnicity, and historical period. Prerequisite: upper-division standing.
Soc/B 162. Popular Culture (4) An overview of the historical development of popular culture from the early modern period to the present. Also a review of major theories explaining how popular culture reflects and/or affects patterns of social behavior. Prerequisite: upper-division standing.
Soc/B 162R. Religion and Popular Culture in East Asia (4) (Same as HIEA 119.) Historical, social, and cultural relationships between religion and popular culture. Secularization of culture through images, worldviews, and concepts of right and wrong, which may either derive from or pose challenges to the major East Asian religions. Prerequisite: upper-division standing.
Soc/B 166. Sociology of Knowledge (4) This course provides a general introduction to the development of the sociology of knowledge, and will explore questions concerning social determination of consciousness as well as theoretical ways to articulate a critique of ideology. Prerequisite: upper-division standing.
Soc/B 172. Films and Society (4) An analysis of films and how they portray various aspects of American society and culture. Prerequisite: upper-division standing.
Soc/B 173. Elite Crime (4) Explores theoretical and conceptual dimensions in the analysis of the systematic violation of the laws and ethics of business and politics in the United States. Covers a range of illegal and unethical practices, the social and political advantages of such violators, as well as the historical bias in both theory and research that has contributed to our lack of understanding of such issues in sociology and criminology. Prerequisite: upper-division standing.
Soc/B 174. Sociology of Literature (4) Literature will be discussed in the context of the ideas of national and regional culture, “historical situation,” and “social order.” Other issues to be studied are literary men and women as spokespersons and as rebels, literary movements and social conditions, and literary works as social documents. Prerequisites: upper-division standing.
Cluster C: Social Organization and Institutions
Soc/C 121. Economy and Society (4) An examination of a central concern of classical social theory; the relationship between economy and society, with special attention (theoretically and empirically) on the problem of the origins of modern capitalism. The course will investigate the role of technology and economic institutions in society; the influence of culture and politics on economic exchange, production, and consumption; the process of rationalization and the social division of labor; contemporary economic problems and the welfare state. Prerequisite: upper-division standing.
Soc/C 126. Social Organization of Education (4) (Same as TEP 126.) The social organization of education in the U.S. and other societies; the functions of education for individuals and society; the structure of schools; educational decision making; educational testing; socialization and education; formal and informal education; cultural transmission. Prerequisite: upper-division standing.
Soc/C 129. The Family (4) An examination of historical and social influences on family life. Analyzes contemporary families in the United States, the influences of gender, class, and race, and current issues such as divorce, domestic violence, and the feminization of poverty. Prerequisite: upper-division standing.
Soc/C 132. Gender and Work (4) Examination and analysis of empirical research and theoretical perspectives on gender and work. Special attention to occupational segregation. Other topics include: the interplay between work and family; gender, work and poverty; gender and work in the Third World. Prerequisite: upper-division standing.
Soc/C 134A. The Making of Modern Medicine (4) A study of the social, intellectual, and institutional aspects of the nineteenth-century transformation of clinical medicine, examining both the changing content of medical knowledge and therapeutics, and the organization of the medical profession. Prerequisite: upper-division standing.
Soc/C 135. Medical Sociology (4) An inquiry into the roles of culture and social structure in mediating the health and illness experiences of individuals and groups. Topics include the social construction of illness, the relationships between patients and health professionals, and the organization of medical work. Prerequisite: upper-division standing.
Soc/C 136A. Sociology of Mental Illness: An Historical Approach (4) An examination of the social, cultural, and political factors involved in the identification and treatment of mental illness. This course will emphasize historical material, focusing on the eighteenth, nineteenth, and early twentieth centuries. Developments in England as well as the United States will be examined from an historical perspective. Prerequisite: upper-division standing.
Soc/C 136B. Sociology of Mental Illness in Contemporary Society (4) This course will focus on recent developments in the mental illness sector and on the contemporary sociological literature on mental illness. Developments in England as well as the United States will be examined. Prerequisite: upper-division standing.
Soc/C 138. Genetics and Society (4) The class will first examine the direct social effects of the “genetic revolution”: eugenics, genetic discrimination, and stratification. Second, the implications of thinking of society in terms of genetics, specifically—sociobiology, social Darwinism, evolutionary psychology, and biology. Prerequisite: upper-division standing.
Soc/C 138A. Civic Participation (4) (Same as COSF 125A) What are the sources of political apathy and political engagement? What are the variety of ways Americans express civic involvement and political concern? Primary focus will be on the contemporary United States, but with substantial attention to comparative and historical perspectives. This will be run as a research seminar. Students will write literary-based or fieldwork-based empirical research papers of twenty-five to forty pages.
Soc/C 139. Social Inequality: Class, Race, and Gender (4) Massive inequality in wealth, power, and prestige is ever-present in industrial societies. In this course, causes and consequences of class, gender, racial and ethnic inequality (“stratification”) will be considered through examination of classical and modern social science theory and research. Prerequisite: upper-division standing.
Soc/C 140. Sociology of Law (4) This course analyzes the functions of law in society, the social sources of legal change, social conditions affecting the administration of justice, and the role of social science in jurisprudence. Prerequisite: upper-division standing.
Soc/C 140F. Law and the Workplace (4) This course examines how the U.S. legal system has responded to workplace inequality and demands for employee rights. Particular attention is given to racial, gender, religious, and disability discrimination, as well as the law’s role in regulating unions, the global economy, and sweatshop labor. Prerequisite: upper-division standing.
Soc/C 141. Crime and Society (4) A study of the social origins of criminal law, the administration of justice, causes and patterns of criminal behavior, and the prevention and control of crime, including individual rehabilitation and institutional change, and the politics of legal, police, and correctional reform. Prerequisite: upper-division standing.
Soc/C 144. Forms of Social Control (4) The organization, development, and mission of social control agencies in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, with emphasis on crime and madness; agency occupations (police, psychiatrists, correctional work, etc.); theories of control movements. Prerequisite: upper-division standing.
Soc/C 147. Organizations, Society, and Social Justice (4) Organizations are dynamic forces in society. This course examines how organizations address human health and social justice issues in national and international settings, focusing on the links between internal dynamics of organizations and macro-level political, economic, and cultural factors. Prerequisite: upper-division standing.
Soc/C 148. Political Sociology (4) Course focuses on the interaction between state and society. It discusses central concepts of political sociology (social cleavages, mobilization, the state, legitimacy), institutional characteristics, causes, and consequences of contemporary political regimes (liberal democracies, authoritarianism, communism), and processes of political change. Prerequisite: upper-division standing.
Soc/C 148L. Inequality and Jobs (4) Some people do much better than others in the world of work. Causes and consequences of this inequality will be examined: How do characteristics of individuals (e.g., class, gender, race, education, talent) and characteristics of jobs affect market outcomes? Prerequisite: upper-division standing.
Soc/C 149. Sociology of the Environment (4) The “environment” as a socially and technically shaped milieu in which competing values and interests play out. Relation of humanity to nature; conflicts between preservation and development; environmental pollution and contested illnesses.
Soc/C 150. Madness and the Movies (4) Hollywood has had an ongoing obsession with mental illness. This course will examine a number of important or iconic films on this subject. By examining them against a background provided by relevant scholarly materials, we shall develop a critical perspective on these cultural artifacts. Prerequisite: upper-division standing.
Soc/C 151M. Chicanos in American Society (4) Survey of contemporary sociological issues affecting Mexican-origin people in the United States. Lectures and reading will be oriented toward understanding the range of experiences within the Mexican-origin population. Focus will also be placed on evaluating theories and evidence used to understand this population. Prerequisite: upper-division standing.
Soc/C 152. Social Inequality and Public Policy (4) (Same as USP 133.) Primary focus on understanding and analyzing poverty and public policy. Analysis of how current debates and public policy initiatives mesh with alternative social scientific explorations of poverty. Prerequisite: upper-division standing.
Soc/C 153. Urban Sociology (4) (Same as USP 105) Introduces students to the major approaches in the sociological study of cities and to what a sociological analysis can add to our understanding of urban processes. Prerequisite: upper-division standing or consent of instructor.
Soc/C 154. Religious Institutions in America (4) Examination of sociological theories for why people have religious beliefs. Also examines types of religious organizations, secularization, fundamentalism, religion and immigration, religion and politics, and religiously inspired violence and terrorism. The class will tend to focus on the American context. Prerequisite: upper-division standing.
Soc/C 155. The City of San Diego (4) A research-oriented course studying a specific city. Students will describe and analyze a local community of San Diego. Additional work on one citywide institution. Guest lecturers from San Diego organizations and government. Readings largely from city reports and news media. Prerequisite: introductory sociology.
Soc/C 156. Sociology of Religion (4) Diverse sociological explanations of religious ideas and religious behavior. The social consequences of different kinds of religious beliefs and religious organizations. The influence of religion upon concepts of history, the natural world, human nature, and the social order. The significance of such notions as “sacred peoples” and “sacred places.” The religious-like character of certain political movements and certain sociocultural attitudes. Prerequisite: upper-division standing.
Soc/C 157. Religion in Contemporary Society (4) Sacred texts, religious experiences, and ritual settings are explored from the perspective of sociological analysis. The types and dynamic of religious sects and institutions are examined. African and contemporary U.S. religious data provide resources for lecture and comparative analysis. Prerequisite: upper-division standing.
Soc/C 159. Special Topics in Social Organizations and Institutions (4) Readings and discussion of particular substantive issues and research in the sociology of organizations and institutions–including such areas as population, economy, education, family, medicine, law, politics, and religion. Topics will vary from year to year. Prerequisite: upper-division standing.
Soc/C 163. Migration and the Law (4) Provides a global sociological perspective on the development and consequences of laws regulating migration within and across nation-state borders. The ability of the nation-state to control migration using law and its policy instruments. The effects of different legal statuses on political and socio-economic outcomes. Prerequisite: upper-division standing.
Soc/C 165A. American News Media (4) History, politics, social organization, and ideology of the American news media. 165A surveys the development of the news media as an institution, from earliest newspapers to modern mass news media. Prerequisite: Soc/L 1A or consent of instructor.
Soc/C 167. Science and War (4) This class examines how science has been mobilized in the development of nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction. The class applies sociological concepts to the analysis of modern technological violence. Prerequisite: upper-division standing.
Soc/C 168T. Sociology of Technology (4) An introduction to classic and recent sociological perspectives on technology, giving special attention to the relations between technology and science, technology and work, and technology and politics. Prerequisite: upper-division standing.
Soc/C 180. Social Movements and Social Protest (4) An examination of the nature of protests and violence, particularly as they occur in the context of larger social movements. The course will further examine those generic facets of social movements having to do with their genesis, characteristic forms of development, relationship to established political configurations, and gradual fading away. Prerequisite: upper-division standing.
Soc/C 184. Gender and Film (4) This class will examine issues of masculinity and femininity through analysis of films. Emphasis is on contemporary American society and will include varying issues such as race, class, and sexualities; worlds of work; romance, marriage, and family. Prerequisite: upper-division standing.
Cluster D: Comparative and Historical Sociology
Soc/D 130. Population and Society (4) This course offers insight into why and how populations grow (and decline), and where and under what conditions changes in population size and/or structure change have positive and negative consequences for societies and environment. Prerequisite: upper-division standing.
Soc/D 151. Comparative Race and Ethnic Relations (4) An historical and comparative analysis of race and ethnic relations in various national settings, with emphasis on the United States. The course will analyze the origins of ethnic stratification systems, their maintenance, the adaptation of minority communities, and the role of reform and revolutionary movements and government policies in promoting civil rights and social change. Prerequisite: upper-division standing.
Soc/D 158. Islam in the Modern World (4) The role of Islam in the society, culture, and politics of the Muslim people during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries; attempts by Muslim thinkers to accommodate or reject rival ideologies (such as nationalism and socialism); and a critical review of the relationship between Islam and the West. Prerequisite: upper-division standing.
Soc/D 169. Citizenship, Community, and Culture (4) Will survey the liberal, communitarian, social-democratic, nationalist, feminist, post nationalist, and multicultural views on the construction of the modern citizen and good society. Prerequisite: upper-division standing.
Soc/D 175. Nationality and Citizenship (4) Surveys the development of nationality and citizenship law in historical and comparative perspective with an emphasis on the United States, Latin America, and Europe. Examines competing sociological accounts for national variation and convergence; consequences of the law; and local, transnational, and extraterritorial forms of citizenship. Prerequisite: upper-division standing.
Soc/D 176. War and Society (4) This course considers classical and contemporary theories that address the social organization of war-making and the effects of war on society since the Middle Ages, emphasizing more recent history. Topics include state formation, citizenship, gender, social stratification, and social protest. Prerequisite: upper-division standing.
Soc/D 177. International Terrorism (4) (Same as POLI 1420.) This course covers the definitions, history, and internationalization of terrorism; the interrelation of religion, politics and terror; and the representation of terrorism in the media. A number of organizations and their activities in Europe and the Middle East are examined. Prerequisite: upper-division standing.
Soc/D 178. The Holocaust (4) The study of the unique and universal aspects of the Holocaust. Special attention will be paid to the nature of discrimination and racism, those aspects of modernity that make genocide possible, the relationship among the perpetrators, the victims and the bystanders, and the teaching, memory, and denial of the Holocaust. Prerequisite: upper-division standing.
Soc/D 179. Social Change (4) Course focuses on the development of capitalism as a worldwide process, with emphasis on its social and political consequences. Topics include: precapitalist societies, the rise of capitalism in the West, and the social and political responses to its expansion elsewhere. Prerequisite: upper-division standing.
Soc/D 181. Modern Western Society (4) This course examines the nature and dynamics of modern western society in the context of the historical process by which this type of society has emerged over the last several centuries. The aim of the course is to help students think about what kind of society they live in, what makes it the way it is, and how it shapes their lives. Prerequisite: upper-division standing.
Soc/D 182. Ethnicity and Indigenous Peoples in Latin America (4) Ethnicity and the reassertion of Indian identity in contemporary Latin America. Issues related to these trends are examined in comparative perspective, with attention to changes in global conditions and in the socioeconomic, political, and cultural contexts of Latin American modernization. Prerequisite: upper-division standing.
Soc/D 183. Minorities and Nations (4) We will study minority rights and aspirations as well as the logic and dynamic of nationalist movements in selected cases. We will conclude by examining the chances and challenges of a post-nationalist world. Prerequisite: upper-division standing.
Soc/D 185. Globalization and Social Development (4) Social development is more than sheer economic growth. It entails improvements in the overall quality of human life, particularly in terms of access to health, education, employment, and income for the poorer sectors of the population. Course examines the impact of globalization on the prospects for attaining these goals in developing countries. Prerequisite: upper-division standing.
Soc/D 187. African Societies through Film (4) Exploration of contemporary African urbanization and social change via film, including 1) transitional African communities, 2) social change in Africa, 3) Western vs. African filmmakers’ cultural codes. Ideological and ethnographic representations, aesthetics, social relations, and market demand for African films are analyzed. Prerequisite: upper-division standing.
Soc/D 187S. The Sixties (4) A sociological examination of the era of the 1960s in America, its social and political movements, its cultural expressions, and debates over its significance, including those reflected in video documentaries. Comparisons will also be drawn with events in other countries. Prerequisites: upper-division standing.
Soc/D 188A. Community and Social Change in Africa (4) The process of social change in African communities, with emphasis on changing ways of seeing the world and the effects of religion and political philosophies of social change. The methods and data used in various village and community studies in Africa will be critically examined. Prerequisite: upper-division standing.
Soc/D 188B. Chinese Society (4) The social structure of the People’s Republic of China since 1949, including a consideration of social organization at various levels: the economy, the policy, the community, and kinship institutions. Prerequisite: upper-division standing.
Soc/D 188D. Latin America: Society and Politics (4) Course focuses on the different types of social structures and political systems in Latin America. Topics include positions in the world economy, varieties of class structure and ethnic cleavages, political regimes, mobilization and legitimacy, class alignments, reform and revolution. Prerequisite: upper-division standing.
Soc/D 188F. Modern Jewish Societies and Israeli Society (4) Contradictory effects of modernization on Jewish society in Western and Eastern Europe and the plethora of Jewish responses: assimilation, fundamentalism, emigration, socialism, disapora nationalism, and Zionism. Special attention will be paid to issues of dis/continuity between Jewish societies and Israeli society. Simultaneously, we will scrutinize the influence of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict on Israeli society, state, and identity. Prerequisite: upper-division standing.
Soc/D 188J. Change in Modern South Africa (4) Using sociological and historical perspectives, this course examines the origins and demise of apartheid and assesses the progress that has been made since 1994, when apartheid was officially ended. Contrasts of racism in South Africa and the United States. Prerequisite: upper-division standing.
Soc/D 188K. American Society (4) Comparative and historical perspectives on U.S. society. The course highlights “American exceptionalism:” did America follow a special historical path, different from comparable nations in its social relations, politics, and culture? Specific topics include class relations, race, religion, and social policy. Prerequisite: upper-division standing.
Soc/D 189. Special Topics in Comparative-Historical Sociology (4) Readings and discussion in selected areas of comparative and historical macro-sociology. Topics may include the analysis of a particular research problem, the study of a specific society or of cross-national institutions, and the review of different theoretical perspectives. Contents will vary from year to year. Prerequisite: upper-division standing.
Cluster E: Independent Research and Honors Program
Soc/E 192. Senior Seminar in Sociology (1) The Senior Seminar Program is designed to allow senior undergraduates to meet with faculty members in a small group setting to explore an intellectual topic in sociology (at the upper-division level). Topics will vary from quarter to quarter. Senior Seminars may be taken for credit up to four times, with a change in topic, and permission of the department. Enrollment is limited to twenty students, with preference given to seniors. (P/NP grades only.) Prerequisites: instructor permission or department stamp, upper-division standing.
Soc/E 194. Research Seminar in Washgton, D.C. (4) (Same as PS 194, COGN 194, ERTH 194, HIST 193, USP 194.) Course attached to six-unit internship taken by students participating in the UCDC Program. Involves weekly seminar meetings with faculty and teaching assistant and a substantial research paper. Prerequisites: department approval. Participating in UCDC Program.
Soc/E 196A. Honors Seminar: Advanced Studies in Sociology (4) This seminar will permit honors students to explore advanced issues in the field of sociology. It will also provide honors students the opportunity to develop a senior thesis proposal on a topic of their choice and begin preliminary work on the honors thesis under faculty supervision. Prerequisite: acceptance into Department of Sociology Honors Program.
Soc/E 196B. Honors Seminar: Supervised Thesis Research (4) This seminar will provide honors candidates the opportunity to complete research on and preparation of a senior honors thesis under close faculty supervision. Prerequisite: completion of Soc/E 196A.
Soc/E 197. Instructional Assistance and Research in Field Methods (4) While fulfilling apprentice-level instructional tasks as peer advisors in the Field Research Methods course (Soc/A 104), students will conduct their own research on selected issues/problems faced by field researchers. Instructional and research activities will be closely supervised by the course instructor. Prerequisites: 3.5 in sociology, having excelled in Soc/A 104 (A or A+ grade); consent of course instructor; approval of sociology department chair.
Soc/E 198. Directed Group Study (4) Group study of specific topics under the direction of an interested faculty member. Enrollment will be limited to a small group of students who have developed their topic and secured appropriate approval from the departmental committee on independent and group studies. These studies are to be conducted only in areas not covered in regular sociology courses. Prerequisites: junior standing and departmental approval required.
Soc/E 199. Independent Study (2 or 4) Tutorial: individual study under the direction of an interested faculty member in an area not covered by the present course offerings. Approval must be secured from the departmental committee on independent studies. Prerequisites: junior standing and departmental approval required.
Graduate
Soc/G 201A. Classical Sociological Theory I (4) A discussion of major themes in the work of Tocqueville and Marx. Prerequisite: graduate standing in sociology.
Soc/G 201B. Classical Sociological Theory II (4) A discussion of major themes in the work of Weber and Durkheim. Prerequisite: graduate standing in sociology.
Soc/G 202. Contemporary Sociological Theory (4) Themes important for social theory at the turn of the twenty-first century: Marxism (Gramsci, Althusser), Critical Theory (Adorno, Habermas), Interpretation (Geertz), Social Systems (Parsons), post-structuralism (Foucault), postmodernism, and social constructivism (Bourdieu). Prerequisite: graduate standing in sociology.
Soc/G 203. Field Methods (4) Research will be conducted in field settings. The primary focus will be on mastering the problems and technical skills associated with the conduct of ethnographic and participant observational studies. Prerequisite: graduate standing in sociology.
Soc/G 204. Text and Discourse Analysis (4) Techniques of gathering and analyzing transcripts of naturally occurring conversations, interviews, discourse in institutional settings, public political discourse, and text of historical materials. Prerequisite: graduate standing in sociology.
Soc/G 205. Quantitative Methods I (4) This course covers some of the elementary techniques used 1) to select random samples, 2) to detect statistical patterns in the sample data, and 3) to determine whether any patterns found in sample data are statistically significant. The course also stresses the benefits and drawbacks of survey and aggregate data and some common ways in which these data are used incorrectly. Prerequisite: graduate standing in sociology.
Soc/G 206. Quantitative Methods II (4) The course covers some of the more advanced techniques used 1) to select random samples, 2) to detect statistical patterns in the sample data, and 3) to determine whether any patterns found in sample data are statistically significant. The course also stresses the benefits and drawbacks of survey and aggregate data and some common ways in which these data are used incorrectly. Prerequisite: graduate standing in sociology.
Soc/G 207. Comparative-Historical Methods (4) A broad-based consideration of the use of historical materials in sociological analysis, especially as this facilitates empirically oriented studies across different societies and through time. Prerequisite: graduate standing in sociology.
Soc/G 208. Faculty Research Seminar (2) An introduction for entering graduate students to the range and variety of research and scholarly interest of the department’s faculty. Through this introduction students will be better able to relate their own research interests and professional objectives to the ongoing work of faculty. Prerequisite: graduate standing in sociology. (S/U grades only.)
Soc/G 212. Social Stratification (4) The causes and effects of social ranking in various societies. Theories of stratification; the dynamics of informal social grouping; determinants of institutional power, and the nature of struggles for power; the distribution of wealth and its causes; the dynamics of social mobility; the effects of stratification on life-styles, culture, and deviance. Prerequisite: graduate standing in sociology.
Soc/G 216. Sociology of Culture (4) The history of the concept of culture; cultural pluralism in advanced industrialized societies; the differentiation of cultural institutions; cultural policy and social structure; culture as a property of social groups; conflict and accommodation over efforts to change and sustain traditional culture.
Soc/G 217. Globalization, Culture, and Everyday Life (4) This course explores the cultural, economic, and political processes which constitute globalization. Particular emphasis will be placed on understanding how consciousness and daily life practices are formed and transformed in a globalizing world. Prerequisite: graduate standing in sociology.
Soc/G 222. Social Movements (4) An examination of theories accounting for the causes and consequences of social movements, including a discussion of the strengths and weaknesses of such theories for understanding historically specific revolutions, rebellions, and violent and nonviolent forms of protest in various parts of the world. Prerequisite: graduate standing in sociology.
Soc/G 226. Political Sociology (4) This course discusses the relationship between state and society in a comparative perspective. The focus is on the interaction among states, domestic economic elites, and external economic and political processes in the determination of different developmental paths. Analytically, it includes topics such as characteristics and functions of the state in different types of society throughout history (with an emphasis on the varieties of capitalist and socialist state), the autonomy of the state and its causes in different settings, and developmental and predatory consequences of state activity. Readings will include both theoretical and empirical materials, the latter dealing mostly with nineteenth- and twentieth-century Europe and twentieth-century Latin America. Prerequisite: graduate standing in sociology.
Soc/G 227. Ethnographic Film: Media Methods (6) Ethnographic recording of field data in written and audiovisual formats, including film, video, and CD Rom applications. Critical assessment of ethnographies and audiovisual data in terms of styles, format, and approaches. Graduate students are required to submit a fifteen-page mid-term paper comparing a written and an audiovisual ethnography and a final video ethnography with a project abstract. Prerequisites: graduate standing/Soc/L 1A, 1B or consent of instructor.
Soc/G 232. Advanced Issues in the Sociology of Knowledge (4) The social construction of ‘knowledge’ and the social institutions in which these processes take place are examined. Topics include relationships between knowledge and social institutions, foundations of knowledge in society, knowledge and social interactions, and contrasting folk and specialized theories. Prerequisites: graduate standing in sociology.
Soc/G 234. Intellectual Foundation of the Study of Science, Technology, and Medicine (4) This course focuses on some classic methodological and theoretical resources upon which the sociology of science, technology, and medicine all draw. It gives special attention to relationships between knowledge and social order, and between knowledge and practice, that are common to science, technology, and medicine. Prerequisites: graduate standing in sociology.
Soc/G 238. Survey of the Sociology of Scientific Knowledge (4) An introduction to some enduring topics in the sociology of scientific knowledge and to some resources for addressing them. Attention is drawn to problems of accounting for scientific order and change, and to recurrent debates over the proper method for sociological accounts of science. Prerequisite: graduate standing.
Soc/G 243. Sociology of Social Control (4) An examination of the sociological literature on social control, looking at theoretical developments over time, and examining the contemporary literature dealing with social control in historical and comparative perspective. Prerequisite: graduate standing.
Soc/G 244. Sociology of Race and Ethnicity (4) Analysis of enduring topics in the study of race and ethnicity, including stratification, discrimination conflict, immigration, assimilation, and politics. Other topics include racial and ethnic identity and the social construction of race and ethnic categories. A special focus is on the role of ‘culture’ and ‘structure’ for explaining race/ethnic differentiation. Prerequisites: graduate standing in sociology.
Soc/G 246. The Welfare State (4) Surveys major theories of the development and functioning of the welfare state, addressing the roles of economic development, political institutions, stratification, and culture. The course focuses on the development of the U.S. social provision in comparison with other advanced industrial societies.
Soc/G 247. Madness and Society (4) An examination of changing Western responses from the age of Bedlam to the age of Prozac. Topics include: the rise and decline of the total institution; the emergence of psychiatry; changing cultural meanings of madness; and the therapeutics of mental disorder. Prerequisites: graduate standing in sociology.
Soc/G 249. Technology and the Human (4) This course explores the ethical and political implications of technological interventions into human life. Approaches from science studies, the sociology of the body, and philosophy. Topics include transformations in domains of life such as work, health, childhood, and death.
Soc/G 252. Research Practicum I (4) In this seminar students work on a research project, which might have originated in a paper written for another course. The goal is to produce the first draft of a paper that will be submitted to an academic journal. Prerequisite: graduate standing in sociology.
Soc/G 253. Research Practicum II (4) In this seminar students revise an existing research paper (usually the one they wrote for Sociology 252) for submission to an academic journal. Emphasis is placed on conceptual development, writing style and structure, and drawing links to the existing theoretical and empirical literature. Prerequisite: graduate standing in sociology.
Soc/G 255A. Introduction to Science Studies (4) (Same as Phil. 209A, HIGR 238, and COGR 225A.) Study and discussion of classic work in history of science, sociology of science, and philosophy of science, and of work that attempts to develop a unified science studies approach. Required for all students in the Science Studies Program. Prerequisite: enrollment in Science Studies Program.
Soc/G 255B. Seminar in Science Studies (4) (Same as Phil. 209B, HIGR 239, and COGR 225B.) Study and discussion of selected topics in the science studies field. Required for all students in the Science Studies Program. Prerequisite: enrollment in Science Studies Program.
Soc/G 255C. Colloquium in Science Studies (4) (Same as Phil. 209C, HIGR 240, and COGR 225C.) A forum for the presentation and discussion of research in progress in science studies, by graduate students, faculty, and visitors. Required of all students in the Science Studies Program. Prerequisite: enrollment in the Science Studies Program.
Soc/G 255D. Advanced Approaches to Science Studies (4) (Same as COGR 225D, HIGR 241, Phil. 209D.) Focus on recent literature in the history, philosophy, and sociology of science, technology, and medicine. Required of all students in the Science Studies Program. Prerequisite: Soc/G 255A is a prerequisite for Soc/G 255D; enrollment in Science Studies Program or instructor’s permission.
Soc/G 258. Institutional Change in the Contemporary World; Latin American Societies in a Comparative Perspective (4) This course explores institutional change in contemporary Latin America, and compares this area with other transitional societies. Issues include social consequences of economic liberalization, changing forms of inequality, dynamics of civil society, conceptions of citizenship, quality and future of democracy. Prerequisite: graduate standing.
Soc/G 260. Sociology of Religion (4) This seminar will examine major theories and debates in the sociology of religion. Possible topics include secularization, religion and immigration, and religion and politics. Prerequisite: graduate standing in sociology.
Soc/G 263. Graduate Seminar in the Sociology of Art (4) This seminar explores the production and interpretation of art forms in cross-cultural context. Processes of symbolic and economic exchange in art worlds will be examined from sociological and semiotic perspectives. Contemporary and popular art forms will be analyzed as types of cultural reproduction. Graduate students will be required to submit a project abstract and final research paper of twenty-seven pages. Prerequisite: graduate standing in sociology.
Soc/G 264. Economic Sociology (4) This course provides an overview of the classical and current debates in the economic sociology literature. It presents theories of the rise of industrial economics and addresses how economic activities are constituted and influenced by institutions, culture, and social structure. Prerequisite: graduate standing in sociology.
Soc/G 267. Sociology of Gender (4) Course examines social construction of gender focusing on recent contributions to the field, including micro- and macro-level topics, i.e., social psychological issues in the development of gender, gender stratification in the labor force, gender and social protest, feminist methodologies. Prerequisite: graduate standing in sociology.
Soc/G 268. Sociology of Masculinities (4) This course introduces students to recent developments in the field of masculinities with attention to theoretical conceptualizations as well as empirical analyses of social organization of masculinity. Topics include the development of masculinity in boys, historical and cultural influences on male identity, differences of race, class, sexuality, the male body, and the meaning of work and family in men’s lives.
Soc/G 269. The Citizenship Debates (4) Will examine the controversies surrounding the construction of the modern citizen and the good society of the liberal outlook, and their alternatives in the communitarian, social-democratic, nationalist, feminist, and multiculturalist perspectives. Prerequisite: graduate standing in sociology.
Soc/G 270. The Sociology of Education (4) A consideration of the major theories of schooling and society, including functionalist, conflict, critical and interactional; selected topics in the sociology of education will be addressed in a given quarter, including the debate over inequality, social selection, cultural reproduction and the transition of knowledge, the cognitive and economic consequences of education. Major research methods will be discussed and critiqued. Prerequisite: graduate standing in sociology.
Soc/G 278. Immigration, Assimilation, and Identity (4) This course focuses on theoretical and empirical approaches to the study of immigration, assimilation, and identity. The course will focus primarily on the post-1965 immigrants, but consideration will also be given to earlier waves of immigration. Prerequisites: graduate standing in sociology.
Soc/G 282. Immigration and Citizen (4) Alternative theories of the relations of immigrants and host societies, and an examination on the debates on, and dynamic of, immigration expansion and restriction. Comparison of the bearing of liberal, communitarian, and ethnic citizenship discourses on the inclusion and exclusion of immigrants and their descendants. Prerequisite: graduate standing in sociology.
Soc/G 283. The Making of Modern Medicine (4) An examination of the intellectual, social, cultural, and political dimensions of the Transformation of Western medicine from 1750 to 1900, with a primary focus on Anglo-American developments. Prerequisite: graduate standing.
Soc/G 284. Contemporary Biomedicine (4) Develops central themes in medical sociology in order to understand twentieth- and twenty-first-century medical practice and research. Topics include authority and expertise; health inequalities; managed care; health activism; biomedical knowledge production; and the construction of medical objects and subjects. Prerequisite: graduate standing.
Soc/G 285. Modernization and Globalization in East Asia (4) Can East Asia modernize and globalize and still be distinct from the West? This course examines this question in multiple dimensions—political, cultural, and economic. Topics include human rights, democracy, economic organization, social institutions, and others. Prerequisite: graduate standing.
Soc/G 288. Knowledge Capitalism (4) This seminar examines the place of scientific knowledge and information and communication technology in the transformation of capitalist economy and society. The class explores new interactions between science studies and social theory of advanced capitalism. Prerequisite: graduate standing in sociology.
Soc/G 290. Graduate Seminar (4) A research seminar in special topics of interest to available staff, provides majors and minors in sociology with research experience in close cooperation with faculty. (S/U grades permitted.) Prerequisite: graduate standing in sociology.
Soc/G 298. Independent Study (1-8) Tutorial individual guides study and/or independent research in an area not covered by present course offerings. (S/U grades only.) Prerequisite: graduate standing in sociology; departmental approval.
Soc/G 299. Thesis Research (1-12) Open to graduate students engaged in thesis research. (S/U grades only.) Prerequisite: graduate standing in sociology.
Soc/G 500. Apprentice Teaching (2-4) Supervised teaching in lower-division contact classes, supplemented by seminar on methods in teaching sociology. (S/U grades only.) Prerequisite: graduate standing in sociology.
