Professors: Margaret Nelson, Ellen Oxfeld, E. Burke Rochford; Associate Professors: David Stoll (Chair); Assistant Professors: Laurie Essig, James Fitzsimmons, Lynn Owens, Michael Sheridan (on leave academic year 2008-09); Instructor: Svea Closser, Rebecca Tiger; Visiting Instructor: Todd French, Nathalie Peutz. Department Coordinator: Charlene Barrett
The Department of Sociology/Anthropology has the unique feature of combining two disciplines within a single departmental major. We encourage students to take full advantage of this opportunity to develop a perspective for the systematic analysis and understanding of human behavior. Based on the empirical findings of the closely related disciplines of sociology and anthropology, this perspective is inherently comparative, in that the department is concerned with the impact of culture and society in various settings. Although both of these disciplines share common concern about human behavior, each in addition has its own history, concepts, and theoretical commitments.
Required for the Major in Sociology/Anthropology: A minimum of ten fall and spring term courses will constitute the major. The core of the departmental major consists of five required fall and spring courses (SOAN 0103, SOAN 0105, SOAN 0305 or SOAN 0306, SOAN 0301 or SOAN 0302, and SOAN 0700 or SOAN 0710), which emphasize basic concepts, theory, and research methods. Each student will also be required to take at least one 0400-level seminar (preferably in the junior year). In addition, each student may choose at least four electives from the variety of substantive courses offered by the department, no more than two of which may be 0100-level courses. Strongly recommended: at least one area studies course.
Students should take Research Process (SOAN 0301 or SOAN 0302) in their junior year in order to prepare themselves for their senior research and writing project. If a major anticipates being away during all or part of the junior year, the Research Process course should be taken during the sophomore year.
Joint Major in Sociology and Psychology: Required sociology/anthropology courses: SOAN 0105; SOAN 0252; either SOAN 0301 or SOAN 0302; SOAN 0305; one of SOAN 0103, SOAN 0191, SOAN 0288, or SOAN 0355; one 0400-level seminar; and one elective. Required psychology courses: PSYC 0105; PSYC 0201; PSYC 0203; two core courses from PSYC 0204, PSYC 0224, PSYC 0225 (or PSYC 0216), PSYC 0230, PSYC 0301, PSYC 0302, PSYC 0305, PSYC 0327; one 0400-level seminar; and one elective. Students who elect to do a senior thesis are required to take only one 0400-level seminar in either sociology or psychology. Students should consult their adviser about honors in the joint major.
Joint Majors in Sociology/Anthropology and Environmental Studies-Human Ecology: SOAN 0103; SOAN 0105; SOAN 0211; SOAN 0301 or SOAN 0302; SOAN 0305 or SOAN 0306; two electives related to the topic of human ecology (to be selected in consultation with your adviser) from among Sociology-Anthropology offerings, plus either SOAN 0700 (one semester senior essay) or SOAN 0710 (two semester honors thesis).
Joint Majors with other departments: Students wishing to do a joint major with another department or program must complete the following sociology/anthropology courses: SOAN 0103, SOAN 0105, SOAN 0301 or SOAN 0302, SOAN 0305 or SOAN 0306, SOAN 0700 or SOAN 0710 and two electives. Any departures from this program must be approved by the department chair.
International Studies Major: To specialize in sociology/anthropology within the international studies major, students must take: SOAN 0103, SOAN 0105, SOAN 0301 or SOAN 0302, SOAN 0305 or SOAN 0306, plus two other sociology/anthropology electives. SOAN concentrators writing a thesis are also required to participate in the Senior Work Seminar that begins meeting the first week of fall semester.
Sociology Minor: SOAN 0105; one 0200-level course; and three elective courses in sociology, no more than one of which can be at the 0100-level.
Anthropology Minor: SOAN 0103 and four elective courses in anthropology, no more than two of which can be at the 0100-level.
Senior Courses: The senior program consists of either a one-semester senior essay (SOAN 0700) or a two-semester senior thesis (SOAN 0710). Normally, the senior thesis is carried out during the fall and winter terms and the senior essay is written in the fall term. Variations from these patterns are possible by permission from the department. A special non-credit senior seminar for both SOAN 0700 and SOAN 0710 begins the first week of fall semester and meets as necessary during the rest of the year.
Departmental Honors: Only students who achieve a minimum of a B average in all sociology/anthropology courses and elect to write a senior thesis (SOAN 0710) become eligible for departmental honors. The level of honors will be determined by the final thesis grade: B+, honors; A-, high honors; and A, highest honors.
INTRODUCTORY COURSES
Anthropology
SOAN 0103 Selected Topics in Sociocultural Anthropology (Fall, Spring)
This course introduces students to the varieties of human experience in social life and to the differing approaches and levels of analysis used by anthropologists to explain it. Topics include: culture and race, rituals and symbolism, kinship and gender roles, social evolution, political economy, and sociolinguistics. Ethnographic examples are drawn chiefly from non-Western societies, from simple bands to great agrarian states. The ultimate aim is to enable students to think critically about the bases of their own culture and about practices and beliefs previously unanalyzed and unexamined. 2 hrs. lect., 1 hr. disc., 2 hrs. screen SOC CMP (fall: E. Oxfeld, spring: D. Stoll)
SOAN 0107 Introduction to Archaeology (Fall)
Archaeology is the scientific analysis and interpretation of cultural remains. Archaeologists examine artifacts, architecture, and even human remains in order to answer questions about the growth and development of societies worldwide. In addressing these issues we not only illuminate the past but also explore patterns relevant to contemporary social concerns. From the tropical lowlands of Central America to the deserts of ancient Egypt, this course provides an introduction to world prehistory. We proceed from humanity's earliest beginnings to the development of complex societies worldwide and use case examples to explore the major topics, methods, and theories of contemporary archaeology. 2 hrs. lect., 1 hr. lab. HIS SOC (J. Fitzsimmons)
SOAN/JAPN 0110 Current Social Issues in Japan (Spring)
See Department of Japanese for course description. 3 hr. lect./disc. SOC AAL (L. White)
SOAN 0159 Human Origins, Culture, and Biodiversity (Not offered 2008-09)
This course will provide an overview of the field of physical anthropology. The topics to be addressed include the mechanisms of genetics and evolution, human variability and adaptation, our primate relatives and fossil ancestors (hominins), as well as bioarchaeology. Through a combination of lectures and discussions, we will explore human origins and the overall development of the species through time. Likewise, we will look at how language, art, and religion emerge as well as the interplay between environment and biology in human evolution. The course finishes by examining contemporary issues in human biodiversity, from molecular genetics and biotechnology to problematic categories like race, gender, and sexuality. 2 hrs. lect., 1 hr. lab. SOC
SOAN 0211 Human Ecology (CW 5) (Spring)
Environmental issues are also cultural and political conflicts, between competing social groups, economic interests and cultural paradigms. This course introduces students to human ecology, the study of how our adaptations to the environment are mediated by cultural differences and political economy. Topics include: how ecological anthropology has evolved as a subdiscipline, with a focus on systems theory and political ecology; how ritually regulated societies manage resources; how rural communities deal with environmental deterioration; and how contradictions between environmental protection, economic development, and cultural values complicate so many ecological issues. Limited places available for students to satisfy the College writing requirement. (SOAN 0103 or ENVS 0112 or ENVS 0211 or ENVS 0215 or BIOL 0140) 2 hrs. lect., 1 hr. disc. SOC CMP (T. French)
SOAN/AMST 0224 Formations of Race and Ethnicity in the U.S. (Fall)
See Program of American Studies for course description. 3hrs. lect./disc. SOC NOR (R. Joo)
SOAN 0227 Race and Ethnicity in American Politics (Not offered 2008-09)
This course is designed to introduce students to major concepts relevant to the sociological study of race, ethnicity, and politics. Throughout the semester we will explore theories and research pertaining to race/ethnicity and the following topics: identity politics and political mobilization, political power, elections and voting, the politics of environmental justice, and the welfare state. In this course students will compare and contrast a variety of perspectives about each course topic and apply scholarly theories to real life examples. 3 hrs. lect./disc. SOC CMP NOR
SOAN/HIST 0268 Recovering the Past: Heritage, History, and Memory in the Modern Middle East (Fall)
How is "the past" experienced and consumed in the modern Middle East? Considering recent ethnographic work on heritage, history, and memory in the Middle East, we will investigate the symbolic import of the "past" and the purported tensions between "authenticity" and "modernity" in this region. In this course we will provide an introduction to the colonial and postcolonial history of this region, but will focus on national commemorations, competing pasts, invented traditions, the role of nostalgia, and the construction (and destruction) of cultural heritage. 3 hrs. lect./disc. HIS SOC AAL (N. Peutz)
SOAN/WAGS 0269 Gender and Class in the Contemporary Middle East (Spring)
During the past decades scholars have devoted considerable attention to the subject of gender in the Middle East. Much of this work, however, has focused on the situation of women of lower socio-economic classes. This course will offer a comparative perspective on gender and class in the Middle East, including work on the construction of masculinities and the situation of both men and women from lower, middle, and upper economic classes. 3 hrs. lect./disc. SOC AAL CMP (N. Peutz)
Sociology
SOAN 0105 Society and the Individual (Fall, Spring)
This course examines the ideas and enduring contributions of the giants of modern social theory, including Karl Marx, Max Weber, Emile Durkheim, and Sigmund Freud. Readings will include selections from original works, as well as contemporary essays. Key issues will include the nature of modernity, the direction of social change, and the role of human agency in constructing the "good society." This course serves as a general introduction to sociology. 2 hrs. lect., 1 hr. disc. SOC (fall: L. Owens, spring: R. Tiger)
SOAN/WAGS 0191 Introduction to Sociology of Gender (Fall)
What is gender and what would a sociology of it look like? When did gender become a category of inquiry and more importantly why? We will look at how the meaning and performance of gender changed over time, from Classical Greece to Victorian England, to the contemporary U.S. We will also look at how gender changes depending on one’s position in social space, e.g. one’s race, class, sexuality, and nationality. Finally, we will consider how the need to look at gender is the result of a variety of discourses, from psychoanalysis to capitalism to movements of liberation such as feminism. 2 hrs. lect., 1 hr. disc. SOC CMP (L. Essig)
SOAN/RELI 0208 Sociology of American Religion (CW 5) (Fall) The course focuses on classical and contemporary issues in the sociology of religion. We begin with definitional debates about what religion is and the strengths and limitations of a social science of religion. We then consider issues of religious commitment and conversion; the changing role and influence of religion in contemporary society (i.e., secularization theory); change in religious communities; American religious history; women, family, and religious life; and the emergence of new religious movements. Throughout the course we read ethnographic and historical studies of various religious organizations and communities (e.g., American Protestantism, the Amish, Catholicism, Hare Krishna, Shakers, Oneida, Mormons). Limited places available for students to satisfy the college writing requirement. 3 hrs. lect./disc. PHL SOC NOR (B. Rochford)
SOAN/WAGS 0212 The Family in Contemporary Society (Fall)
This course will investigate the social, economic, and political forces that have brought about changes in family life in the beginning of the twenty-first century. We will begin by looking at various attempts to define "the family," and we will then explore a range of topics, including the webs of family relationships (e.g., mothering, fathering, kin networks), labor and family intersections (e.g., mediating between work and family; the household division of labor), gay and lesbian family life, and domestic violence. Although the focus will be on contemporary United States, we will also examine some cross-cultural and historical material. 3 hrs. lect./disc. SOC NOR CMP (M. Nelson)
SOAN 0215 Sociology of Education (CW 5) (Spring)
In this course we will study education both as a social institution and as a social process. In our analysis of education and its relationship to the structure of society, we will pay particular attention to the intersection of gender, class, race, and ethnicity within schools. Our objective will be to explore the ways in which education might contribute to the reproduction of social inequalities, as well as its potential for social change. The substantive focus will be on American society. Limited places available for students to satisfy the college writing requirement. 3 hrs. lect./disc. SOC NOR CMP (M. Nelson)
SOAN 0235 The City and Its People (CW 5) (Spring)
We all live somewhere, and increasingly we find ourselves living in an urban environment. In this course we will explore current topics in urban sociology, with particular emphasis on the power of place, culture, and community in U.S. cities. We will study the historical, cultural, and political conditions that have shaped contemporary U.S. cities, such as New York City, Chicago, and Los Angeles. We will examine how cities change and resist change through the lens of such subjects as migration, poverty, urban arts, crime, and education as it pertains to the city. Students will read a variety of ethnographic and sociological materials, in order to gain an understanding of the complexities of both urban life and processes of representation. Limited places available for students to satisfy the College writing requirement. 3 hrs. lect./disc. SOC NOR (L. Owens)
SOAN 0252 Social Psychology in Sociology (Spring)
The purpose of this course is to examine the relationship between self and society from a sociological perspective. Our initial focus will on the nature of symbols, language, and the social self as theorized by G. H. Mead and early "symbolic interactionists." We will then address the presentation of self through the works of Erving Goffman, and subsequently consider more contemporary concerns, such as emotions, emotional labor, and inequality in social interaction. The second half of the course will address questions of identity and debates surrounding the emergence of "postmodern" selves. 3 hrs. lect./disc. SOC (B. Rochford)
SOAN/WAGS 0262 Mobile Women: Transnational Work Patterns (Not offered 2008-09)
See Program of Women's and Gender Studies for course description. SOC CMP
SOAN 0270 Cultural Studies (Not offered 2008-09)
This course provides an overview of the interdisciplinary field of cultural studies, emphasizing sociological perspectives. After exploring the classical sociological approaches to culture and ideology, the course addresses several key overlapping areas of debate within cultural studies, such as: media and popular culture, language and representation, identity theory, postmodernism and post-structuralism, and intersections of 'race', class, sexuality, and gender. The overarching purpose of the course is to develop a critical understanding of the importance of meaning and cultural forms in the making of contemporary social and political realities. 3 hrs. lect./disc. SOC
SOAN 0271 Sociology of Culture (Not offered 2008-09)
This course will investigate basic ideas about culture, power, and identity, and investigate how they are used to understand the cultural distinctiveness of modernity. The course then explores ways that sociology has analyzed tensions between art, science, technology and social interaction in the modern world, and explored distinctions among "high," "popular" and "mass" culture. Particular attention will be paid to the rise of the media, "the culture industry," and the formation of subcultures. The course links these topics together in a concluding discussion of cultural modernism, postmodernism, and globalization. 3 hrs. lect./disc. SOC NOR
SOAN/DANC 0272 Performing Culture: America's Dancing Bodies (Not offered 2008-09)
See Department of Theatre and Dance for course description. 3 hrs. lect., 2 hrs. screen ART SOC NOR
SOAN/RELI 0273 American Religious Communities (Not offered 2008-09)
See Department of Religion for course description. PHL SOC NOR
SOAN 0288 Deviance and Social Control (CW 5) (Fall)
This course will introduce students to sociological perspectives on the nature, causes and control of deviant behavior and populations. We will consider, historically and theoretically, the construction of deviance, the social purpose it serves, and the societal response deviance engenders. We will pay special attention to the ways in which the deviant body is constructed and managed through a variety of frameworks – including medical, punitive and therapeutic - and reflect critically on the social and political ramifications of the categorizations “deviant” and “normal”. Limited places available for students to satisfy the college writing requirement. 3 hrs. lect./disc. SOC (R. Tiger)
THEORY AND METHOD
ANTHROPOLOGY
SOAN 0302 The Research Process: Ethnography and Qualitative Methods (Fall)
The aim of this course is to prepare the student to conduct research, to analyze and present research in a scholarly manner, and to evaluate critically the research of others. Practice and evaluation of such basic techniques as observation, participant-observation, structured and open-ended interviews, and use of documents. Introduction to various methodological and theoretical frameworks. Thesis or essay prospectus is the final product of this course. Strongly recommended for juniors. Three-hour research lab required. (SOAN 0103 or SOAN 0105) 3 hrs. lect./disc., 3 hrs. research lab DED SOC (S. Closser)
SOAN 0306 Topics in Anthropological Theory (Fall)
This course gives an introduction to some important themes in the development of anthropological thought, primarily in the past century in anglophone and francophone traditions. It emphasizes close comparative reading of selections from influential texts by authors who have shaped recent discourse within the social sciences. (SOAN 0103 or SOAN 0105) 3 hrs. lect./disc. (T. French)
Sociology
SOAN 0301 The Research Process: Survey Research (Spring)
Introduction to the basic tools of sociological research from problem formulation (relationship of concepts, hypotheses, and theory) through strategies of design and data collection, to analysis and presentation of results. Exposure to interviews, structured observation, and participant-observation. Concentration on the survey approach, with the class conducting an actual sample survey. Submission of the senior project proposal. Strongly recommended for juniors. Three-hour research lab required. (SOAN 0103 or SOAN 0105) 3 hrs. lect./disc., 3 hrs. research lab. DED SOC (B. Rochford)
SOAN 0305 Topics in Sociological Theory (Spring)
This course provides an overview of major lines of development in twentieth-century social theory relevant to the field of sociology, focusing on how various theorists have grappled with the basic issues that have dominated twentieth-century social thought. Particular attention will be given to the questions arising from the conceptual distinctions between structure and action, on the one hand, and identity and culture, on the other. How is social order possible? How autonomous are human agents? How do we explain the persistence of observed patterns of human interaction and social practice? How do we analyze relations between the world of everyday life and the large-scale development of social systems? How does social change take place? (SOAN 0103 or SOAN 0105) 3 hrs. lect./disc. SOC (L. Essig)
INTERMEDIATE COURSES
Anthropology
SOAN/WAGS 0304 Women, Culture, and Power in Comparative Perspective (Spring)
This study of women cross-culturally raises a number of difficult and delicate issues. Do women constitute a legitimate category of analysis? What explains the diversity of women's roles across societies? How do we assess women's status and power? What forces create changes in women's roles? This course attempts to answer these questions and to compare and contrast women's roles in a variety of societies. Analysis will concentrate on three primary domains: family and kinship; symbolic systems; and political economy. Course readings deal primarily with non-Western societies, but not exclusively so. 3 hrs. lect./disc. SOC AAL CMP (E. Oxfeld)
SOAN/WAGS 0337 Resisting Women: Ethnographies of Women's Activism in Global Context (Not offered 2008-09)
In this course we will examine global feminisms and women's resistance using ethnographies of transnational and national sites. From factory workers to activist sex workers we will look at the changing positions of women in global sites of work, family, and political activism. As a class we will attempt to answer the following questions: How can we understand feminisms across cultural and national borders? Which feminist issues translate across borders and which do not? What are the differences between resistance and political activism? How has increased globalization changed local political struggles? How have increasingly universal gender standards influenced political movements in local settings? 3 hrs. lect./disc. SOC AAL
SOAN 0340 The Anthropology of Human Rights (Spring)
Human rights has become the master narrative for understanding moral responsibility between nations. High expectations have collided with brutal realities, raising difficult questions. Since cultures vary greatly in the rights they recognize, particularly for subordinate groups such as women and ethnic minorities, campaigning for human rights can become hard to distinguish from international intervention, complicating the issue of who is victimizing who. This course explores the anthropology of pre-state violence; contradictions between human rights and solidarity; the competing priorities of truth, justice and reconciliation; the synergy between international humanitarian relief and warlordism; ethnic fratricide and the failed state. Case studies include repression in Guatemala, vigilante justice in Peru, the South African Truth and Reconciliation Commission, and the flow of political and economic refugees to zones of safety such as the United States. 3 hrs. lect./disc., 2 hrs. screen SOC (D. Stoll)
SOAN 0355 Race and Ethnicity Across Cultures (CW 5) (Spring)
Ethnicity and race are social phenomena that influence group relations, as well as personal identity in many areas of the world. But what is "ethnicity" and what is "race"? This course introduces students to the varied approaches that have been utilized to understand racial and ethnic phenomena. No single approach to ethnicity is all-inclusive, for ethnic phenomena are multifaceted. We will explore several approaches in this course, including analyses of conflict and competition between groups; examinations of the connections among ethnicity, gender, and class; and considerations of the relationships between personal identity and ethnic role. Limited places available for students to satisfy the college writing requirement. 3 hrs. lect./disc. SOC CMP (E. Oxfeld)
SOAN 0357 Death and the Body (Not offered 2008-09)
This course will provide an overview of how archaeologists and anthropologists encounter and interpret death in societies worldwide. We will look at death and the body from the perspective of burials and tombs, discussing ancient and modern conceptions of souls, afterlives, and identities. Drawing upon my own research in the tropical lowlands of Guatemala and Honduras, we will compare Maya attitudes towards death with those of other world societies, from the mummies of ancient Egypt to modern jazz funerals in New Orleans. We will explore different ideas about death, social boundaries, and even what it is to be human. 3 hrs. lect./disc. SOC CMP AAL
SOAN 0359 Language and Power (Not offered 2008-09)
This course is an introduction to both linguistic anthropology and political anthropology. Communication patterns are always mediated by cultural processes, social inequality, and power, so in this course we will investigate cross-cultural examples of how language, discourse, and representation relate to inequality, power, and resistance. Topics will include sociolinguistics, ethnolinguistics, gendered language practices, political discourse, and theoretical approaches to power (Marx, Foucault, and Bourdieu) (SOAN 0103) 3hrs. lect./disc. SOC
SOAN/RELI 0379 Indigenous Religions of the Americas (Spring)
This course focuses on the religious traditions of the Americas, from native North America to the Andes, with the focus being on the practices of ancient urban societies like the Mississippians of the American Southeast, the Maya of Mesoamerica, or the Inka of the Andes. In this course we will look at the types of religious ideas and practices common in the Americas prior to the Colonial Period, including concepts of ancestors, sacrifice, and cyclical time. We will also examine how those traditions have changed, particularly following the introduction of Christianity in the 16th century. 3 hrs. lect./disc. PHL SOC AAL CMP (J. Fitzsimmons)
SOAN 0380 Anthropology of Religion (Not offered 2008-09)
The anthropology of religion focuses on the cultural implications of belief systems and religious cosmologies. The discipline includes the interpretation of various states of consciousness and perceptual modes, as well as the ways in which religious experiences are culturally validated. Much of the course, therefore, concerns itself with the function of specialists, such as shamans, mystics, and priests. Though emphasis will be placed upon traditional non-Western and tribal societies, we will also examine the cultural role of religious experience in the contemporary West and the revival and transformation of various religious systems in response to social change. 3 hrs. lect./disc. (SOAN 0103 or SOAN 0105) SOC PHL
SOAN 0382 Symbolic Anthropology (Not offered 2008-09)
As the anthropological study of symbols and symbolic systems, this course examines how symbols express social ideas and structure experience. How do symbols function to codify social identity? How are they legitimated through myth and ritual? How are they variously lived out in daily experience? In addressing these questions, the course will focus on cosmology, views of nature, human ecology, concepts of the person, body image, and embodied imagination. (SOAN 0103 or SOAN 0105) 3 hrs. lect./disc. SOC
SOAN 0387 Medical Anthropology: Approaches to Affliction and Healing (Spring)
In this course, an introduction to medical anthropology, we will explore cultural and political-economic perspectives on health, illness, and disease. Topics covered include: (1) biocultural approaches to understanding health; (2) medical systems, including biomedicine and others; (3) the effects of poverty and inequality on health outcomes; and (4) the social construction of health and illness. Students will apply these concepts in understanding an aspect of health, illness, or healing in their own research project with an ethnographic component. An introductory course in anthropology or familiarity with medical or public health issues is recommended. 3 hrs. lect./disc. SOC (S. Closser)
Sociology
SOAN/RELI 0303 Cults and New Religions (Fall)
See Department of Religion for course description. SOC PHL CMP (B. Rochford)
SOAN 0307 Social Movements and Collective Action (Not offered 2008-09)
An analysis of the range of factors which influence the emergence and development of social protest, social movements, rebellion, and revolution. Topics to be considered include: the generation and mobilization of discontent; recruitment and participation; member commitment; tactics and strategy; revolutionary situations and outcomes; collective violence; and the factors that influence the success and failure of movement organizations and collective action in general. Emphasis will be placed on critically analyzing alternative approaches and theories of social movements and collective action (i.e., self-interest/deprivation, participation gratification, traditional collective behavior and resource mobilization). Empirical studies will be used throughout the course. 3 hrs. lect./disc. SOC
SOAN 0308 Environmental Sociology (Spring)
In this course we will explore the complex relations between society and the environment. We will look not at the science of nature, but rather its social construction, including environmental history, ethics, and politics. Our primary themes will be ideas and power. First, we will examine the dominant understanding of "nature" in the Modern era as well as alternatives that arose in opposition to this conception. Second, we will study how control over the non-human, material world originally developed in the United States, viewed through the lens of various social and political movements that have attempted to change that dynamic. (SOAN 0103 or 0105) 3 hrs. lect/disc. SOC NOR (L. Owens)
SOAN/PSCI 0309 Risk and Late Modernity: Politics, Culture, and Danger (Spring)
See Department of Political Science for course description. SOC PHL EUR (K. Carmola)
SOAN 0310 Sociology of Politics and Power (Not offered 2008-09)
This course will serve as a general introduction to the sociology of politics and power in modern American society. Our main topics will include the nature and distribution of political power, the social bases of solidarity and inter-group conflict, and the new "communitarianism" in elite political rhetoric. Course readings will include classic statements (for example, de Tocqueville, Pareto, Marx) as well as contemporary works. Throughout the course, our basic concern will be to ascertain, in light of various normative criteria, the vitality of American democracy and to consider strategies for its improvement. 3 hrs. lect./disc. SOC NOR
SOAN/WAGS 0314 Sociology of Heterosexuality (CW 5) (Spring)
Most people believe that heterosexuality is natural or rooted in biology and so never look very closely at it as a product of culture. In this course we will examine the artifacts, institutions, rituals, and ideologies that construct heterosexuality and the heterosexual person in American culture. We will also pay close attention to how heterosexuality works alongside other forms of social power, especially gender, race, and class. Limited places available for students to satisfy the college writing requirement. 3 hrs. lect./disc. SOC NOR (L. Essig)
SOAN 0315 Sociology of Freakishness (Fall)
P.T. Barnum taught us that freaks are always made, not born. A freak is a performance of otherness for fun and profit. In this course we will explore how the freak show gave birth to American culture and how American culture continues to organize itself around the display of freakishness. We will ask what configurations of power are at play in the performance of freaks. How do gender, race, nation, sexuality, and class come into play, and how are those forms of power translated into a performance of otherness that forces us to watch it over and over again? 3 hrs. lect./disc. SOC NOR (L. Essig)
SOAN 0316 Students in Higher Education (Not offered 2008-09)
This course explores how students experience higher education, in terms of access to college, life within colleges, and post college life outcomes. Because students are so diverse in background and U.S. higher educations are so varied in type, the course will focus on how these issues vary by student background (e.g., race/ethnicity, gender, and social class) and type of college entered (e.g., elite private colleges, mass public colleges, community colleges, and proprietary schools). We will draw on a variety of kinds of sources, including ethnographies, journalistic accounts, and autobiographical writings. 3 hrs. lect./disc. SOC NOR
SOAN 0319 Sociology of Drugs (Spring)
Why are some mind-altering substances called "drugs" and others "medicine"? Why are some drug users called "criminals" while others are called "sick"? In this course, we will examine psychoactive drugs from an historical and sociological perspective. Drawing on a variety of sources - including films, documentaries, and ethnographies - we will consider the political, economic, legal, and social dimensions of drugs and drug use. Through an empirical and theoretical focus on drugs and the "moral panics" surrounding drug users, we will critically analyze a variety of drug control strategies to understand their sociopolitical origins and consequences. 3hrs. lect/disc. SOC (R. Tiger)
SOAN/INTL 0343 Contemporary Israel: State and Society (Not offered 2008-09)
See Program of International Studies for course description. This course is equivalent to INTL 0343. 3 hrs. lect./disc. SOC AAL
SOAN 0349 Mass Media and Society (Not offered 2008-09)
In this seminar we will explore contemporary issues and perspectives in mass media studies. This course is designed to provide students with a provocative look at mass media in order to begin to develop a critical perspective on mass media and contemporary society. We will address issues, including the pervasiveness of entertainment culture, television and American culture, representations of gender and race in mass media, the cultural and social impact of advertising and marketing, and the future of mass media. 3 hrs. lect./disc. SOC NOR
SOAN 0360 Development and Globalization: The Changing Face of the World System (Fall)
In recent years, the term globalization has become a catch-all phrase for the drive to fashion a global architecture for managing the world economy as a single unit, as well as for the sweeping social, cultural, political and ecological consequences of this project. This course approaches the process of globalization critically, from a comparative-historical perspective. We will examine the shift from national development in several regions including East Asia, Latin America, and Africa to globalization as a planetary development strategy between the end of World War II through the information-technology revolution of today. In so doing, we develop an interdisciplinary framework for understanding globalization in both "developed" and "developing" countries. (Any introductory course in sociology, political science, economics, or Geography.) SOC AAL CMP (L. Owens)
AREA STUDIES
SOAN 0321 Native Peoples of the Americas (Not offered 2008-09)
This course introduces students to the indigenous peoples of North and South America, from before European conquest to the present. Following a brief look at the mound-builders of North America, we will explore the connection between social stratification, religious ideology and imperial expansion in the political economy of the Aztecs and the Incas. Ethnographies of Quechua peasants in the Peruvian Andes, Yanomami Indians in the Amazon, and Oglala Sioux in the Dakotas will show how contemporary Native Americans are dealing with the never-ending process of colonialism. How Europeans have imagined indigenous peoples has had a profound impact on how the latter defend themselves. The resulting images of authenticity and resistance have always been double-edged. The course will conclude with the debate over the reservation paradigm in the U.S. (SOAN 0103 or SOAN 0105 or SOAN 0340) 3 hrs. lect./disc. SOC AAL CMP
SOAN 0326 Latin American Culture and Society (CW 5) (Fall)
Latin America is a paradise for cultural anthropologists because, with its long history of invasion and cultural hybridization, it is a meeting ground for people from all over the world. This course looks at how the Americas south of the Rio Grande have been symbolized, constructed and contested in debates over national character, the culture of poverty, and dependency on foreign powers. Case material includes peasants, shanty-town dwellers, immigrants to the U.S. and the iconic figures of the Vodoun healer, pop star, druglord and guerrillero. Topics include the polarities of identity along the U.S.-Mexican border, African possession cults of the Caribbean, the requirements of survival for the poor of the Brazilian Northeast, the hegemony of "whiteness" in the mass media, and the frustrated messianic strivings of revolutionary Cuba. (0200-level course on Latin America. This course is primarily for students doing study abroad in the region.) (SOAN 0103 or SOAN O340 or HIST 0285 or HIST 0286 or ECON 0225 or PSCI 0223 or PSCI 0230) Limited places available for students to satisfy the College writing requirement. 3 hrs. lect./disc., 2 hrs. screen SOC AAL (D. Stoll)
SOAN/HIST 0327 The Aztec Empire and the Spanish Conquest (CW 5) (Spring)
This course centers around the rise and fall of the Aztecs, the first state-level society encountered by the Spanish in 1519. Although primarily known today for their military exploits for what today is Mexico, the Aztecs produced great artisans, artists, and philosophers whose contributions endure in contemporary Mexican culture. We will trace the origins and development of Aztec civilization to its encounter with the Spanish in 1519. The course also covers the Spanish background for the Conquest, from the martial and political expulsion of Moors and Jews from the Iberian Peninsula in 1492 to the Spanish Inquisition. Limited places available for students to satisfy the college writing requirement. 3 hrs. lect./disc. AAL HIS SOC CMP (J. Fitzsimmons)
SOAN 0328 The Rise and Fall of the Ancient Maya (Not offered 2008-09)
As perhaps the most famous of all of the cultures of Mesoamerica, the Maya are best known for soaring temples, portraits of kings, a complex hieroglyphic writing system, and a dramatic collapse when their ancient kingdoms were abandoned or destroyed. In this course, we will view their accomplishments through the archaeology of the Classic Period (250-850 AD) and examine how the Maya built cities within the tropical jungles of present-day Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, El Salvador, and Honduras. We will also explore the history of the Maya after the “fall,” from their revival in the post-Classic Period to the present day. 3 hrs. lect./disc. SOC AAL
SOAN 0332 Continuity and Change in Africa (Spring)
Africa has long represented primitive mysteries for Europeans and North Americans who perceived it as a "Dark Continent" full of exotic people and animals. Even now, many Americans learn little about Africa and Africans except for ‘thin’ media reports of political, economic, and ecological upheaval or persistent poverty, disease, and despair. This course provides a ‘thick’ description and analysis of contemporary African conditions using ethnographies, films, and literature. Our focus will be on understanding both continuity and change, cultural diversity, and commonality. 3 hrs. lect./disc., 2 hrs. screen. SOC AAL (T. French)
SOAN 0333 Africa: Environment and Society (Fall)
Despite Western images of Africa as either a wilderness devoid of humans or as a place of human tragedy unfolding within recurrent environmental disasters, social-ecological interrelations in Africa are complex and dynamic. The central aim of this seminar will be to look at issues in social-ecological dynamics through case studies on several themes. We will begin by comparing local, regional, and global understandings of Africa’s environments and how these affect historical modes of production, environmental management, and natural resource conflicts. Next we will focus on the dilemmas and conflicts surrounding environmental conservation and development. We will end by investigating African social-ecological resilience and vulnerability in the face of war, environmental change, and population displacement. 3 hrs. lect./disc., 2 hrs. screen. SOC AAL (T. French)
SOAN 0335 The Anthropology of China (Fall)
China serves as a case study in the anthropological analysis of a complex rapidly changing non-Western society. This course will be a survey of the principal institutions and ideas that form the background to modern Chinese society. Areas covered include: family and kinship, ritual, transformations of class hierarchies, and the impact of globalization. Materials will be drawn from descriptions of traditional, contemporary (including both mainland and Taiwanese settings), and overseas contexts. 3 hrs. lect./disc. SOC AAL (E. Oxfeld)
SOAN/RELI 0353 Islam in Practice: Anthropology of Muslim Cultures (CW 5) (Spring)
In this course, we will explore Muslim cultures across the world. We will approach Islam from an anthropological, as opposed to a text-based or theological, perspective. We will take a global view, focusing not only on the Middle East but on Muslim societies in North America, Europe, Africa, the Indian subcontinent, and South-East Asia. Topics we will cover include: (1) the diversity of Muslim identity and practice; (2) the impact of colonialism and empire on Muslim societies; (3) women's experiences of Islam; and (4) the politics of religious practice. (Prior coursework in anthropology, sociology, or religion recommended) 3 hrs. lect./disc. PHL SOC AAL CMP (S. Closser)
SEMINARS
SOAN 0415 Issues in Higher Education (Not offered 2008-09)
This seminar will apply the methods and findings of sociology to selected issues in American higher education. We will begin by covering theoretical approaches, which focus on the relationship between higher education and economic, political, cultural, and demographic structures and processes. We will then examine a number of problems and questions regarding higher education, including those concerning the criteria of admission to higher education (e.g., issues of meritocracy, testing, and Affirmative Action), controversies over "political correctness" and free speech, the nature of the academy as a workplace, and the role of athletics in student culture. (SOAN 0105 or SOAN 0103 or SOAN 0215) 3 hrs. sem. SOC NOR
SOAN 0418 Poverty and Public Policy (Spring)
This course will explore the nature, extent, demographics, and causes of contemporary poverty, as well as the major policy and program responses to poverty. The course will begin by considering competing definitions of poverty. It will then explore the composition of the poor, the dynamics of poverty, trends over time and major explanations for poverty in our affluent nation. Finally, the course will examine the various programs and policies meant to alleviate poverty and its consequences, such as government transfer programs, education and training programs, support services, and community and neighborhood development, and education reform strategies. (SOAN 0103 or SOAN 0105 or any SOAN 0200-level or any SOAN 0300-level course.) 3 hrs. sem. (M. Nelson)
SOAN/RELI 0447 Moral Economy (Not offered 2008-09)
Moral economy is how social groups produce moral authority through ritual exchange. Wherever human beings mistreat each other in the name of religion or justice, moral economy provides a way of specifying the ideological imperatives at work. In this seminar we will begin with how groups produce sanctity through sacrifice, then explore the moral economies at work in a range of conflicts including the Culture War in the U.S. revolution vs. revivalism in Latin America, and witch wars in Africa. Our goals is to develop a typology of moral economies that can be applied to a wide range of situations (SOAN 0103, or SOAN 0105, or RELI 0110, or RELI 0120) 3 hrs. sem. SOC AAL CMP
SOAN 0459 Language and Power Seminar (Not offered 2008-09)
This seminar is an introduction to both linguistic anthropology and political anthropology. Communication patterns are always mediated by cultural processes, social inequality, and power, so in this course we will investigate cross-cultural examples of how language, discourse, and representation relate to inequality, power, and resistance. Topics will include sociolinguistics, ethnolinguistics, gendered language practices, political discourse, and theoretical approaches to power (Marx, Foucault, and Bourdieu) (SOAN 0103 or SOAN 0105) 3 hrs. sem. SOC
SOAN/INTL 0460 Global Consumptions: Food, Eating, and Power in Comparative Perspective (Not offered 2008-09)
See Program of International Studies for course description. This course is equivalent to INTL 0460. (Approval required)
SOAN 0465 Tourism, Globalization, and Cultural Change (Not offered 2008-09) Globalization is the growing interconnection of markets, people, and cultures across the world. One important link in this development is the rise of the global tourism. Tourists and tourist spaces abound, from weekends at Disneyland to safaris in Africa, and the tourist industry has become the world's largest. The rapid growth of tourism has been a mixed bag; while it has been an economic boon and encouraged certain types of cultural preservation, it promotes dependency, environmental degradation, and the commodification of cultures. Tourism offers an effective entry point for exploring where globalization is taking us. In this course we will explore tourism not only as an important human activity and industry, but also as a means to understanding the complex relationship between globalization and culture. 3 hrs. sem. SOC
SOAN 0467 Global Health (Fall)
This course provides an introductory survey of the basic issues and initiatives in contemporary global public health, including in-depth case studies of public health projects in locales including Nepal, Haiti, Venezuela, Brazil, and Pakistan. We will explore the political, socioeconomic, and cultural complexity of health problems, and critically examine the structure and methods of global public health institutions. (An introductory course in anthropology or sociology, or familiarity with global health issues, is recommended). 3 hrs. sem. SOC CMP (S. Closser)
SOAN 0478 Sociology of Punishment (Fall)
In this course, we will examine the changing ideologies and practices of state-sponsored punishment that have led to the spectacular expansion of imprisonment and other forms of penal supervision in the U.S. Drawing on theoretical accounts of punishment, historical examinations of prison and parole, and contemporary studies of criminal law and sentencing, we will consider social control as it plays out via institutionalized contexts, namely prisons and asylums, as well as alternative sanctions, such as coerced treatment. We will identify the major phases of penal development and consider mass imprisonment as both a reflection and cause of racial and economic inequality. 3 hrs. sem. SOC (R. Tiger)
INDEPENDENT STUDY
SOAN 0500 Advanced Individual Study (Fall, Winter, Spring)
Prior to registering for SOAN 0500, a student must enlist the support of a faculty adviser from the Department of Sociology/Anthropology. (Open to Majors only) (Approval Required) (Staff)
SENIOR PROGRAM
SOAN 0700 Senior Essay (Fall, Spring)
Under the guidance of a faculty member, a student will carry out an independent, one-semester research project, often based on original data. In addition, all those enrolled must participate in a series of meetings in which recurring problems in thesis writing will be discussed. The final product must be presented in a written report of 30-45 pages, due at the end of the fall term. (Staff)
SOAN 0710 Senior Thesis (Fall, Winter, Spring)
Under the guidance of a faculty member, a senior will carry out an independent two-semester research project, often based on original data. This is normally carried out during the fall and winter terms. In addition, all those enrolled must participate in a series of meetings in which recurring problems in thesis writing will be discussed. Data must be analyzed and presented in a written report of 70-80 pages, due at the end of the winter term. Superior performance will be considered for honors (see "Departmental Honors") (Staff)