INTRODUCTORY COURSES
1. Introductory Sociology
10F, 11F: 9L
What is Society? How have societies developed historically? How do they distribute wealth, income and other resources? How do they organize political authority and economic power? How do they coordinate work? How do they socialize people to “fit in” with those around them? How do they produce popular culture? This course provides answers to these questions in ways that provide an introduction to the field of sociology. It focuses on a broad range of theory and research showing how sociologists think about and study these questions. In many cases, the topics covered in the course reflect the research interests and course offerings of faculty in the sociology department at Dartmouth. As a result, the course also provides an introduction to some of the curriculum offered in the department.
Open to all classes. Dist: SOC; WCult: W. Campbell.
2. Social Problems
11W, 12W: 10
Daily news reports direct much of our attention to social problems such as crime, poverty, prejudice and political corruption. Yet rarely are such reports accompanied by a discussion of the systematic causes of these problems. More often we become witness to an endless stream of media coverage reporting seemingly isolated incidents. Seldom are we informed of the decision-making process by which some social problems become selected for coverage, while others are ignored. The purpose of this course is to subject the coverage of modern social problems to an in-depth, critical analysis. We will attempt to answer such questions as: “how does a social problem become defined as such?” and “what are the causes or sources of various social problems?” Open to all classes. Dist: SOC; WCult: W. Anthony.
7. First-Year Seminars in Sociology
Consult special listings
METHODS COURSES
10. Quantitative Analysis of Social Data
10F, 11W, 11F, 12W: 10
This course provides an introduction to the methods and statistical techniques of quantitative analysis. The first part of the course deals with the methods of quantitative analysis (research design, conceptualization, operationalization, and measurement). The second part of the course introduces students to parametric and nonparametric statistics (frequency distributions, crosstabulations, measures of association, tests of significance, correlation, and bivariate regression). There is a strong emphasis in this course on applying the methods and techniques learned to actual social science data. No previous statistical or advanced mathematical training is assumed, but solid arithmetic and basic algebraic skills are necessary. Because of the large overlap in material covered, no student may receive credit for more than one of the following courses: Economics 10, Government 10, Mathematics 10, Psychology 10, Social Sciences 10, Mathematics and Social Sciences 15 or Sociology 10 by special petition. Dist: QDS. Hollister.
11. Research Methods
11W: 2A
This course is designed to provide students with the practical tools of doing social science research and the theoretical background for scientific inquiry into social issues. In the first part of the course we will discuss the research process itself, as well as conceptual issues in theory building and hypothesis testing. In the second part, students will devise and carry out group and individual research projects around a substantive topic. Each project will involve a variety of research techniques, the exact use and applicability of which will be the topic of class discussions. In addition, we will discuss ethical issues and the relevance of social science research for policy making and for advocacy. Dist: SOC. Lively.
THEORY COURSES
15. Sociological Classics
10F: 10A 11W, 12W: 12
This course introduces and criticizes the work of Karl Marx, Emile Durkheim, and Max Weber, three seminal writers whose ideas are still of enormous significance in shaping perspective and framing terms of argument among many major contemporary social and political thinkers. Among specific subjects to be covered are the following: class and class conflict; culture and ideology; forms and symbols of social solidarity; and questions of how shared ideals or divisive interests affect not just the study of human society, but the course of history itself. Prerequisite: Sociology 1 or 2, or permission of the instructor. Dist: TMV. Dixon.
16. Constructing Social Theory
11F: 11
How are societies organized? This course examines how social scientists answer this question by exploring a variety of contemporary theoretical perspectives, including those that focus on how conflict, functional needs, individual self-interest, cognitive perceptions, culture or symbolic interpretations organize society. Students compare, contrast and evaluate these and other theories of social organization in light of empirical studies that have tried to explain the genesis and dynamics of groups, formal organizations, social classes, nation states and global systems. Prerequisite: Sociology 1 or 2, or permission of the instructor. Dist: SOC. Campbell.
LOWER DIVISION COURSES
21. Political Sociology
10F: 2A 11F: 10A
This course examines the relationship between the social and political order with a view towards identifying and examining how politics is shaped by other events in societies and in turn shapes them. Readings and discussions will focus on the close connection between the political arena and its actors and social institutions. Attention is given to sociological aspects of the family, communities, economic institutions, and political parties. Special emphasis is placed on the dynamics of political power, participation, socialization, communication, and recruitment. Dist: SOC; WCult: W. Dixon.
22. The Sociology of International Development
11S, 11X: 10
This course will introduce students to the major sociological perspectives on economic and political development, with emphasis on developing countries. Among the views to be considered are modernization, which assumes that laterdeveloping countries will follow paths once traveled by today’s advanced countries; and dependency and world system theories, which view the integration of less developed countries into the world market as problematic and, under certain conditions, even disadvantageous. We will test these theories by applying them to specific cases. A major part of the course will focus on the economic ‘miracle’ of East Asian countries, as well as cases that have not been so successful. Other important topics to be studied include the influence of states, markets, and multinational corporations in economic development; the relationship between different modes of development and income distribution; and political development and the prospects for democratization. Open to all classes. Dist: INT. Parsa.
25. Democracy and Democratization in Developing Countries
11S, 11X: 2
The road to democratization in most countries in recent years has been marked by large-scale social movements. This course will begin with an examination of various theories of democracy and democratization. It will specifically analyze the role of class, culture, ideology, and religion in the democratization process. Finally, we will apply the theories to the three cases of South Korea, Indonesia, and Iran, three countries with mixed successes. Dist: SOC or INT; WCult: NW. Parsa.
27. Organizations in Society
11F: 10
Much of modern life takes place within a wide variety of complex, formal organizations, from multinational corporations, to churches, from social service agencies to volunteer organizations. In this course we will learn about the structure, internal processes, and environments of different forms of organization. Our focus is on sociological theories and empirical research, from a macrosociological perspective. Our objective will be to learn about how organizations work, as well as to gain an understanding of the impact of organizations on society and in our lives. Dist: SOC; WCult: W. Anthony.
28. Health Care and Health Care Policy
11W: 12
This course examines the health care system in the United States, focusing on the roles and operations of health care institutions and providers. The objective throughout the course is to develop a comprehensive and critical perspective on current fields and issues in medical sociology. The course consists of five sections, progressing from macro-level to micro-level analyses of the delivery of health care, and returning to the macro-level to discuss recent policy changes and debates in the health care system. Dist: SOC; WCult: W. Anthony.
29. The Sociology of Work
10F, 11F: 12
This course examines the sociological dimensions of work, occupations, and employment relations. Specific topics may include: the structure of work, historical and contemporary changes in the organizational context of work, ways in which work both creates and reflects social divisions, occupations and professions, occupational socialization and choice, and the intersection of work and family. Dist SOC; WCult: W. Hollister (10F).
30. Deviance and Social Control
12S: 11
Students of society seem always to have been fascinated with explaining why some members deviate from commonly accepted rules. This course examines the major sociological explanations of deviance. We will explore the identification of certain behaviors as deviant, the process of becoming deviant, the management of a deviant identity, and the development of deviant subcultures. The course concludes with an examination of societal reactions to and the treatment of deviance and deviants. Examples of deviant and social control activities that may be considered include prostitution, religious cults, youth gangs, witchcraft, the handicapped, and asylums. Open to sophomores, juniors and seniors only. Dist: SOC; WCult: W. King.
31. Youth and Society
12S: 2A
This course is designed to acquaint students with selected concepts, theories, and policy applications relating to the sociology of developing adolescents. We will examine a few controversial topics in the field, focusing on lower socioeconomic status youth and noncollege bound youth. The topics include racial differences in achievement and educational attainment, the impact of parenting style and peer group interaction, deviant behavior, sexuality, and identity development. Dist: SOC; WCult: CI. Herman.
32. The Social Meanings of Home
12S: 2
This course is an exploration of the economic, cultural, social and political dynamics of “home” in contemporary U. S. society. The concept, “home” invariably invokes multiple and sometimes conflicting ideas—a physical dwelling, family, economic property, birthplace, nationality, environment, haven, etc. We speak of “home sweet home,” “dream home,” “home is where the heart is,” “sweet home Alabama” “homeland,” “there’s no place like home,” and “homies.” In the course, we will consider the home as a social context that profoundly shapes our personal and collective identities, gender roles and interpersonal relationships, class status and divisions, racial-ethnic memberships and conflicts, plus values and political ideals. The course will emphasize the homestead as economic property and the implications of its location, design, artifacts and domestic lifestyles for the cultivation of model subjects, consumers or citizens. Theoretical, empirical and interpretative materials in the course may touch on subjects as varied as housing and home ownership, shopping and hyperconsumption, food and kitchen culture, family values and the modeling of marriage and family life, the home improvement industry, and home and self makeovers on reality television. Dist: SOC; WCult: W. King.
33. Self and Society
11S: 10A 12S: 9L
Social Psychology is the study of the relationships between the individual and society. It is an interdisciplinary field to which the work of sociologists, psychologists, and occasionally scholars from other disciplines is relevant. This course introduces students to social psychology primarily, although not exclusively, from a sociological perspective. First, the course will acquaint students with the range of theoretical perspectives that have been used to study social psychology. Second, it will familiarize students with empirical research that has been done to examine these theories. Third, it will permit students to explore particular social psychological issues in greater depth both within and across particular perspectives within social psychology. Lastly, the course will illustrate the relevance of sociology per se for social psychology as well as the relevance of social psychology for sociology. In sum, this course is a general survey of the field that enables students to develop a critical but constructive sense of the theoretical and methodological issues in social psychology, and an understanding of the relevance of social psychology for other aspects of sociology. Dist: SOC. Lively.
46. Constructing Black Womanhood (Identical to African and African American Studies 25 and Women’s and Gender Studies 33)
11W, 12W: 2
This course is a critical examination of the historical and contemporary status of black women in the United States, as presented in fiction, primary accounts, and social science literature. We will explore the nature, extent, and consequences of the multiple discriminations of race, sex, and class, as the context in which these women shaped their social roles and identities within the black community and the larger society. We will consider the themes of family, motherhood, and sexuality; educational, economic and political participation; aesthetics and religious traditions; self and social images. Dist: SOC; WCult: CI. King.
47. Race and Ethnicity in the U.S.
Not offered in the period from 10F through 12S
This course provides an introduction to race relations in the United States. Its primary objective to question contemporary racial assumptions and enable students to think critically about how race, ethnicity, and diversity are constantly being constructed around and through themselves. Over a century ago W.E.B. DuBois wrote that “the problem of the twentieth century is the problem of the color line” (1903). In the first decade of the 21st century, race remains one of the most salient features of the American experience and social geography. News of racial tensions, racial disparities in the quality of life, racial divides in public opinion, and beatings and killings based on racial animosity continue to surface regularly. The underlying message seems to be that race is conflict and if we want a good society, whether national or local, we should avoid the subject or at the very least, deflect it in favor of discussing ethnicity and social class instead. The purpose of this course is to understand this state of affairs and to question the future of racial and ethnic diversity in this country. Dist: SOC; WCult: W.
48. Immigration, Race and Ethnicity (Identical to Geography 28 and Latino Studies 40)
12W: 10A
This course examines twentieth-century immigration to the United States. This course pays special attention to issues of race and ethnicity. The course begins with a brief history of US immigration and then thematically covers specific topics such as economic impacts and costs, social mobility, citizenship, transnationalism, assimilation, and religious issues and their relationship to the immigrant experience. We highlight differences within and between Latino, Asian, and European groups throughout the course. The class will be a combination of lectures, discussions, and video/film presentations. Class members are expected to have read material thoroughly and be prepared to discuss readings in class. On occasion students will be asked to present readings to the class and prepare discussion questions. Dist: SOC; WCult: CI. Wright.
49. Lower Division Special Topics Courses
10F: 10A 11W, 12W: 10 12S: 10A
In 10F and 12S at 10A, Capitalism, Prosperity and Crisis. Capitalism in the last five centuries generated great wealth and prosperity in Western societies. In the last few decades, capitalism assumed a global character affecting social and economic life of the vast majority of the people in the world. Yet, capitalism has also been plagued by economic decline and failures, causing massive human suffering. This course will study the nature of capitalism, sources of prosperity and crisis, inequality in distribution of economic and political power. Parsa.
In 11W and 12W at 10, Stratification. Social stratification refers to the unequal distribution of socially valued resources such as wealth, prestige, and power, across different groups in society. This course examines sociological research on the extent of these inequalities, how they are generated, and the consequences they bear. With an emphasis on historical and contemporary patterns of inequality in the United States, specific topics may include: wealth and income inequality; poverty; the intersection of class, race/ethnicity, and gender; educational attainment; and social change. Dixon.
UPPER DIVISION COURSES
50. Sociology of Law
11W, 12W: 11
This course will consider the relationship between law and society, analyzing law as an expression of cultural values, a reflection of social and political structure, and an instrument of social control and social change. Complementing this general perspective will be a more detailed examination of selected legal institutions, such as the court system, the police, regulatory agencies, and the legal profession. Readings will include both theoretical works and empirical studies. Prerequisite: Sociology 1 or 2, or permission of the instructor. Dist: SOC; WCult: W. King.
51. Prisons: The American Way of Punishment
11S: 11
Prison as a place of confinement, punishment and rehabilitation is the focus of this survey of the history, philosophies, structure and operation of corrections in the United States. The course critically examines the concept of prison as a total institution and its panopticism as a model of social control that extends to other social contexts. The course will explore the world of inmates and their strategies of subcultural adaptations to and resistance against incarceration; as well as the role of the prison staff. Particular attention will be paid to how gender, race, economics and politics structure prison policies and dynamics. Specific topics may include cultural representations of prison life, implications of current sentencing practices, privatization and the prison-industrial complex, incarcerated mothers, capital punishment, juvenile justice, and alternatives to incarceration. Open to all classes. Dist: SOC; WCult: W. King.
55. Poverty and Public Policy in the U.S.
11W, 12W: 10A
More than one in ten Americans lives in poverty according to official statistics. This course explores the nature and extent of poverty in the United States and the role of the government in addressing poverty issues. How do we measure poverty? Why does poverty persist? Why is there so little political discourse about poverty in America today? How effective are various poverty alleviation programs? Dist: SOC; WCult: W. Hollister.
57. Identity and Social Interaction of Multiracial Americans
11S: 2A 12S: 10A
The 2000 Census revealed that nearly 4% of youth and 2% of adult Americans belong to more than one racial category. What are the social, historical, and biological meanings of the term multiracial? What are the challenges and benefits associated with belonging to more than one race group? How do multiracial youth negotiate the path to developing a healthy identity differently than monoracial youth? How has the social context of race changed the way multiracial people identify? We will consider how schools, families, peer groups, and neighborhoods influence the development of biracial Americans. Dist: SOC; WCult: CI. Herman.
58. Education and Inequality
Not offered in the period from 10F through 12S
This course acquaints students with selected concepts, theories, and policy applications relating to the sociology of education. We will focus on a few controversial topics in the field, providing the opportunity to analyze some controversial issues and areas of current research activity. Major topic areas include theories of achievement and educational attainment, tracking, inequality, race, school organization, and school choice. Dist: SOC; WCult: W. Herman.
61. Women, Work and Family (Identical to Women’s and Gender Studies 33.5)
10F: 2A
This course will explore the nature, extent, and consequences of gender inequality in society. Changing gender roles will be examined in relation to class and race, the socialization process, the experience of women in the family, and the experience of women as paid and unpaid workers under both capitalism and socialism. Finally, we shall analyze work and family conflict, looking at gender inequality, consequences for families and employers, policy, and implications for social structural change. Prerequisite: Sociology 1 or 2, as this is an Upper Division course. Dist: SOC; WCult: W. Smith.
63. Trust in Society
Not offered in the period from 10F through 12S
Social science and popular press literature of the past decade suggests that trust is the cause of many “good” things, such as the source of group cooperation, the basis of democracy, the foundation of the market economy, the source of national economic power, the key, even, to morality itself. Given its relation to all things good, it is not surprising that some commentators speak with alarm when they claim that “trust is declining” in society. Is trust declining? What exactly is trust anyway, and why does it matter? In this course we explore the concept of trust by reading and discussing theoretical and empirical research from across the social sciences. Prerequisite: Sociology 1 or 2 and one other Sociology course. Dist: SOC. Anthony.
64. The Sociology of Emotion
11S: 2A 12S: 12
Most people think of emotions as a purely internal experience, composed solely of physiological elements. Recently, however, sociologists have begun to emphasize and explore the social side of emotion—for example, how emotions are shaped socially and culturally, how emotions are socially controlled, and the consequences of emotion for social life. We will examine these and other sociological aspects of emotional experience in this course, including exploring current debates about the social functions of emotions, especially as they pertain to the substantive areas of work and family. Topics include the social causes of emotion; cultural variations in feeling and expression norms (especially in regard to love and anger); changes in American norms over time; the shaping of children’s emotions through socialization; individual and social techniques of emotion management; the social distribution of emotional experience; the social functions of emotion; emotional deviance; and the individual and social consequences of emotional display. Lively.
66. Markets and Management
10F: 11 12W: 9L
What is money? How do people find jobs? Are markets competitive or cooperative? This course examines these and other questions about how economic behavior is organized, operates and changes historically. It recognizes that economic activity is socially organized and guided by political, cultural and normative as well as economic principles. It explores how economic activity takes many forms, including groups of small competitive firms, large and powerful corporations, and diffuse networks of companies tied together through inter-firm alliances, business associations and other sorts of cooperative and competitive relations with each other, unions, government agencies and universities. It examines the organization and operation of different kinds of markets, different theories of how economic activity is organized, and the social factors that contribute to economic success or failure. It also investigates how managers, unions, policy makers and governments are coping with recent economic challenges, such as those posed by technological change and the globalization of economic activity. Because this is a course in economic sociology—not economics—no background in economics is required. Dist: SOC; WCult: W. Campbell.
68. Global Health Systems
11F: 2
Health care systems are unique to the culture and history of each nation. However, all face similar challenges. This course examines health systems across developed and developing nations. Comparisons will be made in terms of: (a) population health, (b) health care organization, (c) health care financing, (d) health professionals and their patients, and (e) health system performance and reform strategies. Understanding how health care is delivered around the world will lead to a better understanding of the relative merits and limitations of various systems. The course is structured as a seminar in which students will be expected to discuss course readings in-depth, as well as develop and present their own research on specific countries of interest. Dist: INT; WCult: NW. Anthony.
69. The Sociology of Globalization
11W: 11
The international scope of political, economic, and cultural activity has increased dramatically during the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries. But how extensive has the trend toward “globalization” been? Is it really a new phenomenon? Has globalization changed societies? If so, how? If not, why not? Are societies becoming more alike because they experience common globalization pressures or do they retain their unique national characteristics? This course examines these questions and more. Specifically, we will look at how globalization has affected business, states, labor movements, social inequality, social welfare, citizenship rights, the environment, culture, national security, and other aspects of society. Dist: SOC or INT. Campbell.
70. American Labor Relations
11F: 2A
This course examines the political, cultural, and economic sources of solidarity and mobilization among workers in the U.S. from the late nineteenth century to the present. Readings and discussion will focus on important historical developments among labor unions, from militant beginnings through an accommodationist phase after World War II and a deep decline, to recent attempts at revitalization. Students will consider the impacts of labor movements on social inequality, politics, and on a range of cross-cutting issues around gender, immigration and race. We will conclude by examining the prospects for labor in light of the rapid and profound changes in the world of work and economic activity in the contemporary period. Dist: SOC. Dixon.
79. Upper Division Special Topics Courses
Not offered in the period from 10F through 12S
80. Independent Study
All terms: Arrange
This course offers the qualified student an opportunity to pursue a subject of special interest, under the direction of a faculty adviser assigned to the student for periodic (usually weekly) conferences. Ordinarily at least one formal paper embodying the results of the reading or research is required. In special situations students may work as a team on a single project. Occasionally credit may be given in Sociology 80 for a research project done in an off-campus term, provided arrangements are made well in advance and adequate off-campus supervision can be assured. Although every effort will be made to accommodate qualified students desiring to carry an independent study, there is no guarantee that independent study can be arranged for any given student in any given term, and preference is given to senior and junior Sociology majors. Normally no student may take Sociology 80 more than twice during the undergraduate career. By permission of a Sociology faculty member prior to registration.
CULMINATING EXPERIENCE
90. Senior Independent Study Project
All terms: Arrange
Independent work under the direction of a member of the Department and with Departmental approval may satisfy the culminating requirement in the major. Those interested should develop their plans with a prospective faculty adviser and must submit and have approved a written proposal at least one term prior to the term in which the course will be elected. Open only to senior majors. By permission of a Sociology faculty member prior to registration.
91. The Sociological Imagination
11W: 10A 11S: 3A 12W: 10A
C. Wright Mills described “the sociological imagination” as that quality of mind with the ability to grasp the interplay of biography and history, of self and social structure, of private troubles and public issues. As we approach the end of the 20th century, various issues of class, race and gender inequalities and conflicts appear to dominate popular discourse and policy debates. This capstone seminar will explore current substantive and theoretical expressions of the sociological imagination for providing critical assistance in understanding some of the major social issues of our time. The seminar is designed to emphasize critical discussion through active participation and class presentations. Each student will complete a significant intellectual project which reflects her or his own sociological analysis about an important social issue. Open to senior sociology majors, and others only by permission of the instructor. Dist: SOC; WCult: W. Lively (11W, 12W), King (11S).
98. Honors Thesis
All terms: Arrange
Open only to, and required of all, Sociology honors majors, this course involves independent work under the direction of a faculty adviser, culminating in the preparation and presentation of an honors thesis. Sociology honors majors normally elect Sociology 98 twice: once during the last term in residence and once during a preceding term. Exceptions to this pattern are, however, permitted if circumstances warrant. Honors students are normally expected to publicly present their thesis to the Department during the term in which it is completed. By permission of a Sociology faculty member prior to registration. See “The Sociology Honors Program” handout in the Main Office (111 Silsby).