Courses
Courses offered in the past four years.
▲ indicates offered in the current term
▹ indicates offered in the upcoming term[s]
SOAN 0103 - Topics in Sociocultural Anthro ▲ ▹
Selected Topics in Sociocultural Anthropology
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 (Anthropology)
Spring 2009, Fall 2009, Spring 2010, Fall 2010, Spring 2011, Fall 2011, Spring 2012, Fall 2012, Spring 2013, Fall 2013, Spring 2014
SOAN 0105 - Society and the Individual ▲ ▹
Society and the Individual
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. (Not open to second semester juniors or seniors without approval) 2 hrs. lect., 1 hr. disc. (Sociology)
Spring 2009, Fall 2009, Spring 2010, Fall 2010, Spring 2011, Fall 2011, Spring 2012, Fall 2012, Spring 2013, Fall 2013, Spring 2014
SOAN 0107 - Introduction to Archaeology ▲
Introduction to Archaeology
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. (Anthropology)
Fall 2009, Fall 2011, Fall 2012, Fall 2013
SOAN 0110 - Current Social Issues in Japan ▲
Current Social Issues in Japan
In this course we will use ethnography, fiction, and historical studies to examine some of the underlying themes of Japanese culture. Japan is a highly developed, post-industrial society renowned across the globe for economic success in the post-World War II period. What historical and social factors have shaped Japan’s contemporary culture, and how have interactions with other countries influenced Japanese society? We will study a number of different spheres of Japanese life including the family and the workplace to better understand contemporary society. We will pay special attention to Japan’s global position and its relationship to the United States. 3 hr. lect./disc. (Anthropology)
Spring 2009, Fall 2010, Spring 2012, Fall 2013
SOAN 0159 - Human Origins and Biodiversity ▹
Human Origins, Culture, and Biodiversity
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. (Anthropology)
Spring 2010, Spring 2012, Spring 2014
SOAN 0191 - Intro to Sociology of Gender ▲
Introduction to Sociology of Gender
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. 3 hrs. lect. (Sociology)
Fall 2009, Fall 2010, Fall 2011, Fall 2012, Spring 2013, Fall 2013
SOAN 0201 - Sociology of Labor ▲
Sociology of Labor and Labor Movements
In this class we will survey the sociological literature on labor and labor movements in America and around the world. We will raise questions related to the organization and transformation of work, the making of class society, trade unionism and other class-based organizing, and the impact of globalization on labor organizations. Exploration of these key themes will happen through an analysis of classic and contemporary texts, as well as fiction and film. This is a seminar-style course with opportunities for students to lead class discussions and debates. 3 hrs. lect. (Sociology)
Fall 2011, Fall 2012, Fall 2013
SOAN 0208 - Sociology of American Religion ▹
The Sociology of American Religion
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). 3 hrs. lect./disc. (Sociology)
Fall 2009, Spring 2012, Spring 2013, Spring 2014
SOAN 0210 - Social Class & the Environment ▹
Social Class and the Environment
In this course we will explore the consequence of growth, technological development, and the evolution of ecological sacrifice zones. Texts will serve as the theoretical framework for in-the-field investigations, classroom work, and real-world experience. The Struggle for Environmental Justice outlines resistance models; Shadow Cities provides lessons from the squatters movement; Ben Hewitt's The Town that Food Saved describes economy of scale solutions, and David Owen's The Conundrum challenges environmentalism. Texts will guide discussions, serve as lenses for in-the-field investigations, and the basis for writing. We will also travel to Hardwick and Putney, Vermont, to explore new economic-environmental models. (Not open to students who have taken ENVS/WRPR 1014) (Sociology)/
Spring 2014
SOAN 0211 - Human Ecology ▲
Human Ecology
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. (Anthropology)
Spring 2009, Spring 2010, Spring 2011, Spring 2012, Spring 2013, Fall 2013
SOAN 0212 - Family in Contemporary Society ▲
The Family in Contemporary Society
This course will investigate the social, economic, and political forces that have brought about changes in family life in the beginning of the 21st 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. (Sociology)
Fall 2009, Fall 2010, Fall 2012, Fall 2013
SOAN 0215 - Sociology of Education ▲
Sociology of Education
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. (Sociology)
Spring 2009, Spring 2010, Spring 2011, Fall 2011, Fall 2012, Fall 2013
SOAN 0221 - Indigenous Peoples of Americas
Indigenous Peoples of the Americas
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. Limited places available for students to satisfy the College writing requirement. (Formerly SOAN 0321) 3 hrs. lect./disc. (Anthropology)
Spring 2012
SOAN 0222 - Latina/os in the U.S.
Latina/os in the U.S.
Latina/os are the largest minority group in the United States. In this course we will analyze the Latina/o experience in the U.S. with a special focus on migration, incorporation, and strategies for economic and social empowerment. Stressing the multiplicity of the U.S. Latina/o community, we will draw comparative lessons from Cuban-American, Puerto Rican, Chicano/Mexican, and Central American patterns of economic participation, political mobilization, and cultural integration. 3 hr. lect. (Sociology)
Fall 2011, Fall 2012
SOAN 0224 - Race and Ethnicity in the US
Formations of Race and Ethnicity in the U.S.
Historical memories, everyday experiences, and possible futures are powerfully shaped by racial and ethnic differences. Categories of race and ethnicity structure social relationships and cultural meanings in the United States and beyond. In this course we will track the theoretical and historical bases of ideas of race and ethnicity in modern America. We will investigate how race and ethnicity intersect at particular historical moments with other forms of difference including gender, sexuality, nation, and class. The course offers an approach informed by critical studies of race including texts in history, political theory, cultural studies, and anthropology. 3 hrs. lect.
Fall 2009
SOAN 0230 - Rethinking the Body in Japan
Rethinking the Body in Contemporary Japan - In English
In this course we will examine attitudes toward and tensions related to the human body in Japan. Looking at art, music, style, and social issues we will examine the symbolic as well as material concerns of bodies in contemporary Japan. Religious, historical, martial, and aesthetic understandings of bodies will be addressed. We will analyze Japan's current attitudes toward organ transplantation, treatment of the deceased, plastic surgery, surrogacy, sex change surgery and other embodied practices. Readings will include Twice Dead and Commodifying Bodies. (Anthropology)
Fall 2010, Fall 2011
SOAN 0232 - Anthro of Continuity & Change ▲
Anthropology of Continuity and Change in sub-Saharan Africa
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. (Not open to students who have taken SOAN 0332) 3 hrs. lect./disc. (Anthropology)/
Fall 2013
SOAN 0235 - The City and Its People ▹
The City and Its People
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. 3 hrs. lect./disc. (Sociology)
Spring 2009, Spring 2011, Spring 2013, Spring 2014
SOAN 0252 - Social Psychology in Sociology
Social Psychology in Sociology
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. Limited places available for students to satisfy the college writing requirement. 3 hrs. lect./disc. (Sociology)
Spring 2009, Spring 2010, Spring 2011, Spring 2012, Spring 2013
SOAN 0260 - Sociology of Globalization ▲
Globalization and Its Discontents
In this course we will explore one of the most fundamental dynamics of our time-globalization. Underlying so many changes in our economic, political, and cultural lives, globalization has transformed our world in innumerable ways. Nonetheless, debates about the nature of these processes and outcomes are largely unresolved and often completely misunderstood. In this survey course we will examine particular themes related to the general concept of globalization: transnational civil society and social movements, economic development, postmodernism, global governance. We will read from sources across the academic disciplines and make use of journalism, film, and popular nonfiction. 3 hrs. lect. (Sociology)
Fall 2011, Fall 2013
SOAN 0262 - Mobile Women
Mobile Women: Transnational Work Patterns
The course examines women's work in the formal labor sectors to offer a critical perspective on contemporary local and global patterns. The materials will cover concerns that are central to women in the United States such as the glass ceiling, the wage gap, and the pink-collar ghetto. The course will also offer a transnational perspective through an analysis of the central role migrant female laborers have come to play in the global economy. This section will cover issues such as the traffic in domestic workers, nannies and sex workers. We will interrogate how feminist theories are able to accommodate the uneven development of women's rights at the global and local levels. Through a few case studies students will also be introduced to alternative work patterns established by groups such as the greenbelt movement in Kenya and SEWA in India. 3 hrs. lect. (Sociology or Anthropology)
Fall 2009, Spring 2012
SOAN 0267 - Global Health ▹
Global Health
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 Haiti, Venezuela, Brazil, Rwanda, 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. 3 hrs. lect./disc. (Anthropology)
Fall 2009, Fall 2010, Spring 2012, Fall 2012, Spring 2014
SOAN 0269 - Gender & Class in Middle East
Gender and Class in the Contemporary Middle East
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.
Spring 2009
SOAN 0272 - Performing Culture: USA
Performing Culture: America's Dancing Bodies
This course (which includes film screenings) explores historical and cultural perspectives on American concert and social dance, emphasizing modern and postmodern forms from the late-1950s through the present. Our examination of this period of near-constant change will address a number of questions about "moving bodies" and their relationship to both political and artistic transformations occurring during this time. We will be especially concerned with the themes of gender, race, identity, and community. The course emphasizes cultural analysis, but it will also involve students in movement as a means of addressing the material and bridging scholarly and "embodied" forms of exploration and analysis. 3 hrs. (Sociology)
Spring 2010
SOAN 0281 - Celebrity
Celebrity
In this course we will explore (1) definitions of fame and celebrity and difference between the two, (2) the history, production, and consumption of celebrity in the U.S., and (3) the structures of power and inequality the celebrity phenomenon and its commodification embody. We will draw from a range of examples including the history of Hollywood, reality television, sports, celebrity deviance, and the role the Internet plays in celebrity culture and surveillance. Overall, we will consider what the pleasures we derive from consuming celebrities reveal about the cultural significance of celebrities in our everyday lives. 3 hrs. sem. (Sociology)
Spring 2012
SOAN 0288 - Deviance and Social Control
Deviance and Social Control
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. (Sociology)
Fall 2009, Fall 2010
SOAN 0301 - Soc Research Methods ▹
The Logic of Sociological Inquiry
In this course students will be introduced to the basic tools of sociological research including problem formulation, strategies of design and data collection, and analysis and presentation of results. This class will help students formulate a research question and develop a research strategy to best explore that question. Those strategies may include interviews, structured observation, participant observation, content analysis, and surveys. This class, strongly recommended for juniors, will culminate in the submission of a senior project proposal. (SOAN 0103 or SOAN 0105) 3 hrs. lect./disc., 3 hrs. research lab. (Sociology)
Spring 2009, Spring 2010, Spring 2011, Fall 2011, Spring 2012, Spring 2013, Spring 2014
SOAN 0302 - Ethnographic Research ▲
The Research Process: Ethnography and Qualitative Methods
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 (Anthropology)
Fall 2009, Fall 2010, Fall 2011, Fall 2012, Fall 2013
SOAN 0303 - Cults and New Religions ▲
Cults and New Religions
Religious outsiders have been persistent yet controversial. Mystics and messiahs preaching a variety of radical beliefs and ways of life have provoked strong responses from mainline traditions as well as from publics concerned about the "cult" menace. Yet new religions have also been a source of religious experimentation and revival. In this course we will explore the unique characteristics of new religions, the historical circumstances that give rise to them, who join and why, the societal reaction they generate, questions of authority and leadership, violence, and the factors that influence their success, decline and failure. A variety of new religions from North America and the West, as well as from Japan and China, will be considered. These may include the Shakers, the People's Temple, Hare Krishna, Soka Gakkai, the Children of God/Family, Solar Temple, Aum Shinrikyo, Falun Gong, the Branch Davidians, and the Raelians. 3 hrs sem. (Sociology)
Spring 2010, Fall 2011, Fall 2012, Fall 2013
SOAN 0304 - Gender, Culture, and Power ▹
Gender, Culture, and Power
This course will introduce students to the anthropological study of gender and sexuality. Topics to be addressed include: the construction of femininities and masculinities in cross-cultural perspective; the role of gender and class ideologies in labor relations and global capitalism; the historical development of gender as a locus of study, activism, and practice; and instances where anthropology has engaged in social movements including anti-violence and LGBT rights. Our readings will take us a number of places, from the streets of Los Angeles, to a factory in southern China, an Islamic fashion house in Indonesia, a men’s sex clinic in Oaxaca, a folklore performance in Mali, a comic book festival in Tokyo, a debate about women’s film in Iran. Students will be introduced to key frames of history and theory in the field of gender studies. 3 hrs. lect. (Anthropology)
Spring 2009, Spring 2010, Fall 2010, Fall 2011, Fall 2012, Spring 2014
SOAN 0305 - Topics in Sociological Theory ▲
Topics in Sociological Theory
This course provides an overview of major lines of development in 20th century social theory relevant to the field of sociology, focusing on how various theorists have grappled with the basic issues that have dominated 20th 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. (Sociology)
Spring 2009, Fall 2009, Fall 2010, Fall 2011, Fall 2012, Fall 2013
SOAN 0306 - Topics Anthropology Theory ▹
Topics in Anthropological Theory
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. (Anthropology)
Spring 2010, Spring 2011, Spring 2012, Spring 2013, Spring 2014
SOAN 0307 - Soc Moves & Collective Actions
Social Movements and Collective Action
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. Limited places available for students to satisfy the College writing requirement. 3 hrs. lect./disc. (Sociology)
Spring 2010, Fall 2012
SOAN 0308 - Environmental Sociology ▹
Environmental Sociology
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 SOAN 0105) 3 hrs. lect/disc. (Sociology)/
Spring 2009, Spring 2011, Spring 2014
SOAN 0309 - Pol Theory of Late Modernity
Risk and Late Modernity: Politics, Culture, and Danger
In this course we will address the political theory of our contemporary "late-modern" era. We will begin by reading selections from Friedrich Nietzsche and Martin Heidegger on technology, danger, and political action. Then we will turn to an analysis of what some thinkers have labeled our current "risk society," focusing on the cultural anthropologist Mary Douglas, the sociologists Ullrich Beck and Anthony Giddens, and the political scientist Aaron Wildavsky. Questions we will address include the current preoccupations with global disaster, the politics of risk assessment and analysis, its effect on national and military decision-making, the rise of the insurance industry, and the background assumptions that guide our understanding of action in the world. 3 hrs. sem.
Spring 2009, Spring 2010
SOAN 0314 - Sociology of Heterosexuality ▹
Sociology of Heterosexuality
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. (SOAN 0105 or SOAN 0191) 3 hrs. lect. (Sociology)
Spring 2009, Spring 2011, Spring 2012, Spring 2013, Spring 2014
SOAN 0315 - Sociology of Freakishness
Sociology of Freakishness
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. (SOAN 0105) (Sociology)
Spring 2011
SOAN 0316 - Students in Higher Education
Students in Higher Education
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. (Sociology)
Spring 2010
SOAN 0317 - Transgender Hist Ident Pol
Transgender Histories, Identities, and Politics
In this course, we will critically investigate the historical, political, social, and cultural conditions and contexts that have enabled the category "transgender" to emerge into its contemporary use by exploring topics such as: historical shifts in the medicalization and pathologization of gender and sexual deviance; differing and competing constructions of "sex" and "gender" in academia, feminist critiques of transexual identities and technologies, and the controversies and challenges surrounding transgender rights. We will examine these topics through a wide range of readings alongside a weekly documentary film screening. 3 hrs. lect./disc. (Sociology)
Fall 2009, Spring 2012, Fall 2012
SOAN 0319 - Sociology of Drugs ▹
Sociology of Drugs
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. (SOAN 0105 or SOAN 0288) (Sociology)
Spring 2009, Spring 2010, Fall 2010, Fall 2011, Spring 2014
SOAN 0321 - Native Peoples of the Americas
Native Peoples of the Americas
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. Limited places available for students to satisfy the College writing requirement. (SOAN 0103 or SOAN 0105 or SOAN 0340) 3 hrs. lect./disc. (Anthropology)
Spring 2010
SOAN 0325 - Native North America ▲
Indigeneity and Colonialism in Native North America
In this course we will approach Native North America and the American political mainstream as dynamically intertwined. Through ethnography, ethno-history, oral literature, and indigenous film we will examine the history of colonial encounters between the Indigenous and the 'Western'. We will examine how indigenous cultural difference and moral claims to land have challenged dominant political cultures across the history of the North American settler states. Our analysis will extend to ongoing questions concerning cultural knowledge, sustainability, and imagined futures. 3 hrs. sem. (Anthropology)
Fall 2013
SOAN 0326 - Latin American Culture Society
Latin American Culture and Society
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. This course is primarily for students doing study abroad in the region. 3 hrs. lect./disc., 2 hrs. screen (Anthropology)
Fall 2010, Spring 2013
SOAN 0327 - Aztec Empire/Spanish Conquest ▹
The Aztec Empire and the Spanish Conquest
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. 3 hrs. lect./disc. (Anthropology)/
Spring 2009, Spring 2012, Spring 2014
SOAN 0328 - The Ancient Maya
The Rise and Fall of the Ancient Maya
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. Limited places available for students to satisfy the College writing requirement. 3 hrs. lect./disc. (Anthropology)
Fall 2009, Fall 2012
SOAN 0329 - Latin Migrations to U.S.
Latin American Migrations to the U.S.
The United States is a nation of immigrants that enjoys the most unsustainable rates of consumption on the planet. In this course we will focus on migration streams from Latin America, the social forces that create them, and their contribution to the increasing diversity and inequality of U.S. society. The course will apply ethnographic research to debates over the southern borderlands, remittance economies in Mesoamérica and the Caribbean, low-wage labor markets in the U.S., and U.S. immigration policies. (This course is not open to students who have taken FYSE 1287) 3 hrs. lect./disc. (Anthropology)
Fall 2009, Fall 2011
SOAN 0330 - Global Japanese Culture
Global Japanese Culture - In English
In this course we will examine the transformation of Japanese cultural identity (Japanese-ness) as products, ideas, and people move across the borders in and out of Japan. Social scientists have been particularly interested in the Japanizing of non-Japanese practices and products such as hip hop and hamburgers, as well as the popularity of Japanese styles and products on the global scene. We will take an anthropological approach using texts such as Millennial Monsters, Remade in Japan, and Hip Hop Japan to examine the issues of cultural hybridity, identity, and globalization. (Anthropology)
Spring 2011, Spring 2012
SOAN 0332 - Africa Continuity and Change
Continuity and Change in Africa
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. (Anthropology)
Spring 2009, Fall 2009, Fall 2010, Fall 2011, Fall 2012
SOAN 0335 - The Anthropology of China
The Anthropology of China
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. (Anthropology)
Fall 2009, Spring 2012
SOAN 0336 - Everyday Life in South Asia
Everyday Life in South Asia
In this course we will look at aspects of everyday life in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, and Sri Lanka. Topics will include religion, history, trade, migration, colonialism, and the contemporary construction and operation of caste, class, gender, religion, modernity, tradition, the nation, and the body. How are changes in the world today challenging formations of identity in South Asia? What new ideas, identities, and collectivities are emerging? Drawing on works from anthropology, history, literature, and popular culture, students will be exposed to a range of critical methods and approaches. (Anthropology)
Spring 2013
SOAN 0340 - Anthropology of Human Rights
The Anthropology of Human Rights
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 (Anthropology)
Spring 2009, Fall 2010, Spring 2013
SOAN 0343 - Contemporary Israel
Contemporary Israel: State and Society
In this course we will examine Israeli society in a period of rapid and profound transformation. Following an introductory unit, our topics will include the rise and decline of Ashkenazi hegemony; recent waves of immigration and the advent of multiculturalism; struggles over the role of religion in society; the changing character of core institutions; the Palestinian-Israeli conflict; civil rights and the democratic character of the state. Course materials will include books, articles, and films. This course is equivalent to IGST 0343. Occasional evening screenings. 3 hrs. lect./screening (Sociology)
Fall 2010, Fall 2012
SOAN 0345 - Anthropology of Food
The Anthropology of Food
Food not only sustains bodies, but also reflects and shapes cultures, social identities, and systems of power. In this course we examine the relationship between food and culture. Beginning with an examination of the origins of cooking, we will go on to analyze a variety of approaches to understanding the food/culture/society relationship. These include the symbolic meanings of food, the role of food in constructing social and cultural identities, and the relationship between food and political and economic systems. Our examples will be cross-cultural (Africa, South and East Asia, Europe, and the Americas). 3 hrs. sem. (Anthropology)
Spring 2011
SOAN 0352 - Cinematic Sociology
Cinematic Sociology
In this course, we will develop our sociological imagination by viewing, discussing, and analyzing popular films. Rather than considering them simply as "entertainment," we will explore the various ways that popular films can be a vehicle for social commentary, analysis, and criticism, particularly about controversial topics (such as race, gender, sexuality). Films to be screened will include The Help, 27 Dresses, The Little Mermaid, among others. (Sociology)
Spring 2013
SOAN 0353 - Anthropology Muslim Cultures ▹
Islam in Practice: Anthropology of Muslim Cultures
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. (Anthropology)
Spring 2009, Spring 2012, Spring 2014
SOAN 0355 - Race Ethnicity Across Cultures ▲
Race and Ethnicity Across Cultures
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"? In this course we will explore the varied approaches that have been utilized to understand race and ethnicity across diverse cultural settings. No single explanation of race and ethnicity is all encompassing, and so we will explore a number of different approaches. Among the issues we will examine are: alternative explanations of ethnic and racial identity formation; the causes and consequences of ethnic violence and competition; the connections among ethnicity, gender, and class; and the processes through which distinctions between self and other are created. 3 hrs. lect./disc. (Anthropology)
Spring 2009, Spring 2011, Fall 2013
SOAN 0356 - Significance of Race in the US
The Continuing Significance of Race in the United States
This course will introduce students to theories of race and racism in the United States, how racial categories are formed and maintained in a variety of social arenas, and how race and racism influence social systems. In order to demonstrate the prevalence of race and racism in the U.S., the course will be a “topics” course in that each week, we will explore a different topic (such as education, crime, gender) and examine how they are influenced by race and racism. In addition, the course will compare and contrast the experiences of different racial and ethnic groups in the United States and examine how these different experiences influences the way they are seen, how they see themselves, and how they interact with other groups. Upon completion of the course, students will have a better understanding of the historic and contemporary significance of race and how race influences our everyday interactions in multiple different social arenas. 3 hrs. lect./disc. (Sociology)
Fall 2009, Fall 2010, Fall 2011, Fall 2012
SOAN 0357 - Death and the Body
Death and the Body
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. (Anthropology)
Spring 2010, Spring 2013
SOAN 0359 - Language and Power ▲
Language and Power
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 or SOAN 0105 or LNGT 0102) 3hrs. lect./disc. (Anthropology)
Fall 2009, Fall 2013
SOAN 0365 - Political Sociology
Political Sociology
Political sociology examines the way power operates in society. In this class we will approach this question through different lenses-Liberal-pluralism, Marxism, Elite theory-to achieve an overview of the field. We will cover a variety of related issues including questions of political parties and the state, nationalism, identity, revolutions, and social movements. We will strive to understand why unequal power relations exist and how they change. 3 hrs. lect. (Sociology)
Spring 2012, Spring 2013
SOAN 0374 - Immigrant Religions in America
Immigrant Religions in America
In this seminar we will consider religions of Asians, Latin Americans, and others, who immigrated to United States after 1965 changes to the Immigration and Nationality Act. Immigrants from Asia brought Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, and other religions, while those from Latin America, as well as from some Asian countries, imported distinctive styles of Catholicism and Protestantism. Transplantation thus brought transformation and "a new religious America." Major topics include: religion and ethnicity, assimilation and resistance, transnationalism, pan-ethnic formation, new forms of worship and ritual, gender, and the second-generation. We will read a variety of case studies with an eye toward comparative analysis and understanding. (Sociology)
Fall 2009, Spring 2012
SOAN 0375 - Social Control/Problem Youth
Bad Boys and Wayward Girls: The Social Control of “Problem Youth”
Everyone worries about young people; we scrutinize their clothes, music, friends, grades, drugs, and sports. Families, schools, medicine, and psychology communicate what it means to be a "normal" young person. Reformatories and other disciplinary mechanisms convey the consequences for rule breaking. In this course, we will (1) look at the construction of childhood, the invention of delinquency, the creation of adolescence, and the ideas of normalcy embedded in these categories; (2) consider how class, race, and gender intersect with the mechanisms of social control exerted over those who deviate; and (3) explore how young people resist the social pressures to be good boys and docile girls. (Formerly SOAN 0475) (SOAN 0105 or SOAN 0288) 3 hrs. lect./disc. (Sociology)
Spring 2012
SOAN 0376 - Politics of Identity
Politics of Identity
In this course we will introduce students to social diversity in the U.S. as it is reflected in four master identities: class, gender, race, and sexuality. We will examine what these identities mean for group membership, how group membership is attained or ascribed and maintained. Using both historical and contemporary materials, we will explore how identities have developed over time and how they have been challenged. In addition, we will examine how multiple identities intersect and the implications of these intersections have on individual identities. 3 hrs. lect./disc. (Sociology)
Spring 2010, Spring 2011, Spring 2013
SOAN 0379 - Indigenous Religions
Indigenous Religions of the Americas
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. (Anthropology)
Spring 2009, Fall 2011
SOAN 0387 - Medical Anthropology
Medical Anthropology: Approaches to Affliction and Healing
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. (Anthropology)
Spring 2009, Spring 2010, Spring 2011, Fall 2011
SOAN 0401 - Migrations
Migrations
The United States is a nation that relies on migrants. In this seminar we will look at the political, economic, and social causes of migration. Specific topics will include: how migrants integrate into U.S. society; the politics of citizenship and the condition of illegality; migrant labor in the U.S. workforce; and how class, gender, race, and sexuality influence the migrant experience. (Open to SOAN majors only) 3 hrs. sem. (Sociology)
Fall 2012
SOAN 0404 - GeoLabor and Youth ▹
Global Geographies of Labor and Youth
In this seminar we will examine the relationship between the spatial organization of the global political economy and the lives of working people and youth. We will investigate a variety of industrial and agrarian contexts in North America, Latin America, South Africa, India, and China. We will place an emphasis on the problems posed by labor and capital mobility, and global production networks that impact worker organization and the lives of children and young people. Students must have advanced reading ability in a language other than English as they will be required to work with foreign language sources. This course is equivalent to IGST 0404 and GEOG 0404. 3 hrs. sem.
Spring 2014
SOAN 0413 - White People ▹
White People
White people are often invisible when it comes to having a race. In this course we will begin by considering the formation of whiteness in post Civil War America. We will read histories of whiteness, such as Grace Elizabeth Hale's Making Whiteness, as well as consider important milestones in whiteness, from the films Birth of a Nation and Gone With The Wind to the blog "What White People Like." Finally we will use essays, blogs, photographs, and videos to make white people at Middlebury visible by documenting how they represent themselves through language, dress, and rituals. (This course is open to junior and senior SOAN majors only; not open to students who have taken FYSE 1357) 3 hrs. sem. (Sociology)
Spring 2013, Spring 2014
SOAN 0418 - Poverty and Public Policy
Poverty and Public Policy
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. (Sociology)
Spring 2009
SOAN 0425 - Race, Drag, and Performance
Race, Drag, and Performance
In this course we will examine the intersections of race, gender, sexuality, and identity through the performance of drag. To do so, we will examine how racial, gendered, and sexualized identities are constructed and maintained through performances, both on and off-stage. We will further examine how drag performances may challenge prevailing understandings of race, gender, and sexuality, and explore the meanings that are created when performing racialized drag. (Sociology)
Spring 2012
SOAN 0447 - Moral Economy
Moral Economy
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 goal 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. (Anthropology)
Spring 2011
SOAN 0459 - Language and Power Seminar
Language and Power Seminar
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. (Anthropology)
Fall 2011
SOAN 0460 - Global Consumptions ▹
Global Consumptions: Food, Eating, and Power in Comparative Perspective
Using interdisciplinary approaches, we will examine the practices and politics of food and eating in a range of regions. Food sustains not only bodies, but national, ethnic, and social identities as well. Notions of time and space, order and transgression, nature and culture have long affected what people eat and how they do it. How does eating, this most basic and universal of human practices, both reflect difference and create it? How are food systems, symbolic and “real,” linked to national and international politics: Finally, how are contemporary food practices influenced by “modernization” and “globalization”? We will consider these and other questions as they apply to Asia, Europe, Africa, Latin America, and the United States in the second half of the twentieth century. This course is equivalent to IGST 0460. 3 hrs. sem. (Anthropology)/
Spring 2010, Spring 2012, Spring 2014
SOAN 0463 - Mobile Sociology ▲
On the Move: Mobile Lives, Mobile Technologies
Social life is increasingly on the move. Mobile phones, the Internet, and even "old-fashioned" technologies like cars and planes, produce lives in motion and interaction at a distance. How does this constant movement affect the organization of social worlds and the ways we understand them? Where are we going? How are we getting there? Through exploring mobilities, we will tackle questions of place, politics, belonging, work, leisure, borders, social control, and social change. We will use sociology to engage these new practices and technologies, and, in turn, use them to rethink the old assumptions of classical social science. (SOAN 0105) 3 hr. sem. (Sociology)
Fall 2013
SOAN 0465 - Sociology of Tourism ▹
Tourism, Globalization, and Cultural Change
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. (Sociology)
Fall 2010, Spring 2014
SOAN 0468 - Success/Failure Global Health
Success and Failure in Global Health and Development Projects
In 1977, the Smallpox Eradication Program obliterated a disease that once killed almost two million people a year. In contrast, the Malaria Eradication Program of the same era blanketed much of the world in DDT, yet failed to make much of a dent in incidence of malaria in Africa. Through case studies and critical engagement of readings from political science, economics, and anthropology, we will explore the questions: Why do a few global health and development projects succeed? Why do most fail? Why do some make things worse for the people they are supposed to benefit? Does a productive way forward exist? (One course in global health or development, such as SOAN 0267, SOAN 0360, SOAN 0387, SOAN 0467, PSCI 0258, ECON 0325, ECON 0327, ECON 0425, ECON 0429, or GEOG 0210) 3 hrs. sem. (Anthropology)
Spring 2010
SOAN 0473 - Diasporas and Homelands
Diasporas & Homelands
War, mass migration, and globalization have spurred development of diaspora communities and heightened scholarly interest in the phenomenon. In contrast to other groups of exiles and immigrants, diaspora communities seek integration within host countries as well as ongoing political, economic, and cultural ties to their homelands. A number of questions arise from these complex and dynamic relationships: How do diaspora communities maintain cultural distinctiveness within host countries? How do they maintain and reproduce cultural ties with homelands and other centers of diaspora life? What influence do diaspora communities have on political relationships between host countries and homelands? What influence do they have on internal homeland politics? Finally, what are the implications of the diaspora phenomenon for the future of the nation-state and globalization? Case studies will be drawn from a variety of diaspora communities, including Jews, Palestinians, Armenians, Africans, and Indians. This course is equivalent to INTL 0473. (Approval required) 3 hrs. sem. (Sociology)
Fall 2009, Fall 2011
SOAN 0475 - Social Control/Problem Youth
Bad Boys and Wayward Girls: The Social Control of “Problem Youth”
Everyone worries about young people; we scrutinize their clothes, music, friends, grades, drugs, and sports. Families, schools, medicine, and psychology communicate what it means to be a "normal" young person. Reformatories and other disciplinary mechanisms convey the consequences for rule breaking. In this course, we will (1) look at the construction of childhood, the invention of delinquency, the creation of adolescence, and the ideas of normalcy embedded in these categories; (2) consider how class, race, and gender intersect with the mechanisms of social control exerted over those who deviate; and (3) explore how young people resist the social pressures to be good boys and docile girls. (SOAN 0105) 3 hrs. sem. (Sociology)
Spring 2011
SOAN 0478 - Sociology of Punishment ▲
Sociology of Punishment
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. (Sociology)
Fall 2009, Fall 2013
SOAN 0491 - Anthro of Climate Change
Anthropology and Climate Change
Climate change has become one of the most pressing issues of the 21st century, and much of the discussion about its causes and consequences is based on the biophysical sciences and is strongly influenced by political and economic interests. Anthropology widens our perspectives on climate change. In this seminar we will examine cross-cultural case studies of past and present responses to climate change. We will look at how technological, economic, social, political, and spiritual dynamics shape the way people understand and react to climate change. Key themes will include gender and vulnerability, social-ecological resilience, climate ideologies, development policy, social scale, and ethnometeorology. (Not open to students who have taken FYSE 1323) (SOAN 0103 or ENVS 0112 or ENVS 0211 or ENVS 0215 or BIOL 0140) (Anthropology)
Fall 2012
SOAN 0492 - Archaeology Method & Theory
Archaeological Method and Theory
Archaeology is more than just excavation. It is interpretation. As a discipline, archaeology relies upon different methods and theories in order to 'read' human prehistory from the remains of past societies. In this seminar we will survey archaeological methods and theories, with an emphasis on field techniques and the intellectual history of the discipline. We will explore the problems archaeologists face when confronted with incomplete data, the ways in which sites are researched and excavated, and the complex ethical issues that arise from simply asking the question, "who owns the past?" As a result, in this seminar we will look behind the intellectual curtain, where past societies are revealed, interpreted, and even contested. (Anthropology)
Spring 2013
SOAN 0500 - Advanced Individual Study ▲ ▹
Prior to registering for SOAN 0500, a student must enlist the support of a faculty advisor from the Department of Sociology/Anthropology. (Open to Majors only) (Approval Required) (Sociology or Anthropology)
Spring 2009, Fall 2009, Winter 2010, Spring 2010, Fall 2010, Winter 2011, Spring 2011, Fall 2011, Winter 2012, Spring 2012, Fall 2012, Winter 2013, Spring 2013, Fall 2013, Spring 2014
SOAN 0700 - One-Semester Senior Project ▲ ▹
One-Semester Senior Project
Under the guidance of a faculty member, a student will carry out an independent, one-semester research project, often based on original data. The student must also participate in a senior seminar that begins the first week of fall semester and meets as necessary during the rest of the year. The final product must be presented in a written report of 25-40 pages, due the last day of classes. (Sociology or Anthropology)
Spring 2009, Fall 2009, Spring 2010, Fall 2010, Spring 2011, Fall 2011, Spring 2012, Fall 2012, Winter 2013, Spring 2013, Fall 2013, Spring 2014
SOAN 0710 - Multi-Semester Senior Project ▲ ▹
Multi-Semester Senior Project
Under the guidance of a faculty member, a senior will carry out an independent multi-semester research project, often based on original data. The student must also participate in a senior seminar that begins the first week of fall semester and meets as necessary during the rest of the year. The final product must be presented in a written report of 60-100 pages, due either at the end of the Winter Term or the Friday after spring break. (Sociology or Anthropology)
Spring 2009, Fall 2009, Winter 2010, Spring 2010, Fall 2010, Winter 2011, Spring 2011, Fall 2011, Winter 2012, Spring 2012, Fall 2012, Winter 2013, Spring 2013, Fall 2013, Spring 2014
SOAN 1014 - Visual Sociology
Visual Sociology
We live in a visual world. Thus, to understand society and culture, we must understand the images we produce and consume. This course provides a sociological lens to study the various ways we use and are used by images. We will study some key theories that analyze how visual contents (such as photographs, films, and videos) are shared with, viewed, and interpreted by various audiences. We will practice the two sides of visual sociology: picture making by researchers as data collection, and pictures social actors make in the context of everyday life. Students will learn to analyze the messages and imagery in videos and photographs to draw out their social meanings. Each student should have access to a camera to use during the course of the class. For those students who do not have their own, digital cameras are available for student check-out at the main library. (Sociology)
Winter 2011
SOAN 1017 - Restorative Justice
Restorative Justice, Theory, & Practice
Current criminal justice policies and practices have overburdened the criminal justice system leading to the exploration of alternatives. Restorative Justice offers a different perspective on how we think about and respond to crime: it provides opportunities for those most affected to collectively understand, determine, and address needs that rise in crime’s wake. In this course we will explore restorative justice and the ideas that form its foundation, question its strengths and shortcomings, examine restorative practices, and investigate opportunities to put it into practice.
Winter 2010
SOAN 1018 - Epidemiology
Epidemiology
In this course, an introduction to epidemiology, we will explore the science of understanding health and disease at the population level. Rather than relying on lectures, students will learn concepts by working in groups on real-world cases where epidemiologic methods must be used to understand and control the spread of disease. We will develop or examine different mathematical models to better understand the spread of disease. (Anthropology)
Winter 2010
SOAN 1020 - Asian American Experiences
East to America: Sociology of Asian Americans
In this course we will explore contemporary issues for Asian Americans through a sociological lens. To do so, we will place contemporary Asian American experiences within the larger social and historical context by examining the social, political, historical, and economic institutions that have shaped the Asian American experience. As such, students will explore sociological concepts of immigration, adaptation, and assimilation while also examining issues of race, ethnic conflict, education, gender, sexuality, social movements, and media representations. (Sociology)
Winter 2011
SOAN 1021 - Latin Migration & Amer Dream
Latin American Migration & the American Dream
The United States is a nation of immigrants that enjoys the most unsustainable rates of consumption on the planet. In this course we will focus on migration streams from Latin America, the social forces that create them, and their contribution to the increasing diversity and inequality of U.S. society. The course will apply ethnographic research to debates over the southern borderlands, remittance economies in Mesoamérica and the Caribbean, low-wage labor markets in the U.S., and U.S. immigration policies. (This course is not open to students who have taken FYSE 1287 or SOAN 0329). (Anthropology)
Winter 2011
SOAN 1023 - Organizing for Social Change
Organizing for Social Change
In this course we will examine the theory and practice of building peoples’ movements for social change. We will consider problems of power and powerlessness, political organization, collective action, social movements, and reform versus revolution. As a crash course in organizing for change, we will practice the hands-on tactics and strategies that social movement organizers employ to foment social transformation from the grassroots: creating a campaign strategy, mobilizing workers and communities, power structure analysis, and leadership development. Students will craft political manifestos, draft strategy reports and press releases, and respond to readings and films. (Sociology)
Winter 2013
SOAN 1031 - The 1960s
The 1960s
In this course we will study the major social movements of the 1960s: the Civil Rights movement and Black Power, the New Left and New Right, the Anti-Vietnam War movement, and new religious movements. Beyond tracing the history and development of these movements, we also consider how activists of the period shaped the emergent Sixties counterculture. Finally, we follow activists into adulthood and consider how the Sixties experience influenced the course of their lives. This course counts as elective credit towards the Sociology/Anthropology major. (Sociology)
Winter 2010, Winter 2012
SOAN 1070 - Introduction to Swahili
Introduction to Swahili and East African Culture
This course introduces students to Swahili, the lingua franca of East Africa. Students will acquire a foundation for speaking, reading, and writing Swahili, and will learn how to use it appropriately in East African culture. The use of English in the classroom will be kept to a minimum after the first meeting. Students will also be introduced to the geography, history, politics, and lifestyles of East Africa. This course is particularly useful for students who intend to do study abroad programs or tourism in East Africa because its linguistic and cross-cultural training will give them the resources to maximize such an experience. This course counts as elective credit towards the Sociology/Anthropology major. (Anthropology)
Winter 2010, Winter 2011, Winter 2012, Winter 2013
SOAN 1080 - Swahili/East African CultureII
Introduction to Swahili & East African Culture II
In this course we will advance our Swahili knowledge through conversing in Swahili, reading and translating Swahili excerpts, and authoring as well as performing role plays in Swahili. We will also consult textbooks, make use of internet resources, listen to audio and video recordings, and analyze visual materials. The goal of the course is to prepare students to express themselves better in Swahili-speaking societies while expanding their Swahili vocabulary. Students intending to take Swahili II must have completed Swahili I or have knowledge of written and spoken Swahili. This course counts as elective credit towards the Sociology/Anthropology major. (INTL/SOAN 1070 or equivalent or equivalent by permission of the instructor))
Winter 2012