Margaret K. Nelson
A. Barton Hepburn Professor of Sociology
Email: mnelson@middlebury.edu
Phone: work802.443.5301
Office Hours: on academic leave spring semester
Download Contact Information
Margaret Nelson is the Hepburn Professor of Sociology. She teaches courses in the fields of Sociology of Education, Poverty, and Sociology of the Family. She has conducted research in the fields of Women and the Law, Childbirth, the History of Teaching, Family Strategies in Rural Areas, Caregiving, Single Mothers, and, most recently, Surveillance. Professor Nelson has been a member of the Sociology/Anthropology Department since 1975.
Courses
Courses offered in the past four years.
▲ indicates offered in the current term
▹ indicates offered in the upcoming term[s]
FYSE 1288 - Higher Education in the US
Higher Education in the US
You got into Middlebury College, but how and why are you here? What will college do to and for you? And where are your peers? We will explore the answers to these questions by examining the determinants of high academic achievement, the admissions process to liberal arts colleges, the effects of college on students with different characteristics, and the range of institutions of higher education (including community colleges, military schools, religious colleges, and single-sex schools). In this seminar we will draw on a broad variety of readings, from biography, history, journalism, and sociological studies. 3 hrs. sem.
Fall 2009
GSFS 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.
Fall 2013
SOAN 0212 / WAGS 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 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 2011, Fall 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 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 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, Fall 2012, Winter 2013, Spring 2013, Fall 2013
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, Fall 2012, Winter 2013, Spring 2013, Fall 2013
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, Winter 2011, Spring 2011, Fall 2011, Winter 2012, Fall 2012, Winter 2013, Spring 2013, Fall 2013